The Clark Art Institute - Williamstown MA
For many years my parents spent the summer in the Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts. It was their escape from New York City’s summer heat. They chose the Berkshires because it offered the coolness of a summer in the mountains along with the culture of a big city. The Tanglewood Festival is the summer home of The Boston Symphony Orchestra. There are several summer stock theater companies. Jacob’s Pillow presents dance companies from around the world. And there are some excellent museums. Top among the museums, in my opinion, is The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown MA. This museum and research center started as a home for the collection of Robert Sterling Clark and Francine Clark . They began buying art while living in Paris between the World Wars. By the end of the Second World War, the Clarks were living in New York City, where they maintained their private collection. As the Cold War grew they became concerned that an attack on New York would destroy their ...