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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — It’s time for summer school, WCMA style!
The Williams College Museum of Art will host a summer program series on three Tuesdays this July in the exhibition SO–IL \ WCMA: Building a New Museum. Visitors can learn about the plans for the new WCMA, get a behind-the-scenes look at what the museum has in store for the new building, and offer their own thoughts about the future of WCMA.
Each program will begin at 5 p.m. and will be followed by a patio party at 6 p.m.
The series kicks off on Tuesday July 9, with EDU 101: Exploring Education. WCMA’s engagement curators will discuss how they are imagining education in the new museum in an informal setting with activities and demonstrations beginning at 5 p.m. At 6 p.m., move outside for a celebratory after-school patio party with ice cream and art-making projects for kids and drinks for the adults.
Summer School continues Tuesday, July 16, with ARTH 101: Preparing Collections. Collection curators Kevin Murphy and Elizabeth Sandoval will share and discuss four artworks as they demonstrate the close-looking techniques they use in the collection assessment currently under way at WCMA. During the session, which begins at 5 p.m., they will touch on issues surrounding the artworks, including provenance, conservation goals, and research opportunities. At 6 p.m., move outside for a celebratory after-school patio party with drinks, snacks, and an interactive activity exploring our collection.
The series concludes Tuesday, July 23, with ECO 101: Celebrating Sustainability. You will have the chance to chat directly with WCMA staff and project architects about the many ways our new museum prioritizes sustainability. From 5 to 6 p.m., visitors can drop into the SO-IL \ WCMA: Building a New Museum exhibition to discuss the future in an informal setting. At 6 p.m., move outside for a celebratory after-school patio party with snacks, drinks, and an art-making activity.
Programs are free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged; visit artmuseum.williams.edu.
Located at the western entrance to the Williams College campus at the intersection of Routes 2 & 7, the new Williams College Museum of Art is conceived to serve the college, the local community, and visitors to the Berkshires. Site work will begin in the summer of 2024, with the new museum set to open in 2027.
Summer School calendar items:
Tuesday, July 9, 5–7 p.m.
Williams College Museum of Art presents Summer School: EDU 101. WCMA’s engagement curators will discuss how they are imagining education in the new WCMA in an informal setting with activities and demonstrations beginning at 5 p.m. in the SO-IL \ WCMA: Building a New Museum exhibition. At 6 p.m., move outside for a celebratory after-school patio party with ice cream and art-making projects for kids and drinks for the adults.
Tuesday, July 16, 5–7 p.m.
Williams College Museum of Art presents Summer School: ARTH 101. WCMA’s collection curators will share and discuss four artworks from the collection as they demonstrate the close-looking techniques they use in the collection assessment currently under way at WCMA. During the session, which begins at 5 p.m. in the SO-IL \ WCMA: Building a New Museum exhibition, they will touch on issues surrounding the artworks, including provenance, conservation goals, and research opportunities. At 6 p.m., move outside for a celebratory after-school patio party with drinks, snacks, and an art-making activity.
Tuesday, July 23, 5–7 p.m.
Williams College Museum of Art presents Summer School: ECO 101. WCMA staff and project architects will explore the many ways our new museum prioritizes sustainability. From 5 to 6 p.m., drop into the SO-IL \ WCMA: Building a New Museum exhibition with all your questions and comments to discuss the future in an informal setting. At 6 p.m., move outside for a celebratory after-school patio party with local snacks, drinks, and an art-making activity.
Other upcoming events:
Saturday, July 13, 11 a.m.-noon.
Curatorial Close Look: Pamela Franks, WCMA’s Class of 1956 Director, will lead a guided tour exploring themes and topics in SO–IL \ WCMA: Building a New Museum. The exhibition, organized by the architects of SO-IL, who have designed the new Williams College Museum of Art building, showcases what the new WCMA will look like when it opens in 2027. Registration isn’t required, but is appreciated at artmuseum.williams.edu.
Saturday, Aug. 3, 10:30 a.m.
All Together with Art. Connect with a little one in your life through art! Join us at WCMA, where we will spend an hour in the galleries looking at art and engaging with it through movement and art-making. This program is designed for children 4–8 years old and caregivers are encouraged to participate. Registration isn’t required, but is appreciated at artmuseum.williams.edu.
On View Summer 2024:
Emancipation: The Unfinished Project of Liberation
Conceived as a commemoration of the 160th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, this exhibition visualizes what freedom looks like for Black Americans today and the legacy of the Civil War today and beyond, highlighting the perspectives of contemporary Black artists. Through July 14
Object Lab
Object Lab is a hybrid gallery-classroom that visualizes the Williams College liberal arts curriculum through the museum collection. Through Dec. 22
SO–IL \ WCMA: Building A New Museum
The exhibition, organized by the architects of SO-IL, who have designed the new Williams College Museum of Art building, showcases what the new WCMA will look like when it opens
in 2027. Through Dec. 22
Cracking the Cosmic Code: Numerology in Medieval Art
The idea that numbers emanate sacred significance, and connect the past with the future, is prehistoric and global. This exhibition aims to elucidate medieval relationships among numbers, events, and artworks. WCMA’s medieval and Renaissance artworks from the 5th to 17th centuries reveal numerical patterns as they relate to architecture, literature, gender, and timekeeping. Through Dec. 22
Remixing the Hall
Borrowing a term from DJ culture, “Remixing” describes WCMA curators’ process of selecting objects from the collection that highlight multivalent correspondences between form and
meaning in art. Through Dec. 22
About Williams College Museum of ArtThe Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA) creates and inspires transformative experiences with art that are integral to a liberal arts education, lifelong learning, and human connection. The museum is a partner in nurturing the cross-disciplinary inquiry catalyzed by art; advancing the academic and experiential preparation of arts leaders; enriching the cultural ecosystem of the Berkshires; engaging artists; and creating a shared learning community that spurs new thinking, creative making, and civic engagement. The museum draws on the diverse perspectives and collaborative ethos of the college to enliven the more than 15,000 works in its growing collection. Located on Main Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts, on the Williams College campus, the museum is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit artmuseum.williams.edu.
