Tucked away in the beautiful Berkshires are some major cultural treasures. Over the course of this two-day ALIX fall trip, you will sample many of them.

Our tour will begin  at 11:00 AM on Friday October 15th at the Clark Art Institute, a gem of a museum situated on 40 acres of meadows and gently rolling hills. Founded in 1955 by Francine and Sterling Clark – an heir to the Singer Sewing Machine Company – the Clark combines an outstanding collection of nineteenth and twentieth century European and American art with innovative temporary exhibitions including surveys by John Singer Sargent and Winslow Homer. Our visit will also coincide with important contemporary exhibitions. We will view the fantastically inventive sculptures and furniture of Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne, a French couple who transformed nature into finely crafted, whimsical, and often functional art. We’ll also explore Ground/Work, a site-specific installation of works by six contemporary artists, including Eva LeWitt and Analia Saban, situated around the grounds. We will meet the curators and be accompanied by Sarah Lees, who was formerly Associate Curator at the Clark and was the editor of the catalogue of their 19th century European paintings.

There will be plenty of time to relax and enjoy the Williams College Art Museum and the town of Williamstown. Our day will end with a farm to table dinner.

Our second day will begin following breakfast as we head just down the road, less than 20 minutes away to  Mass MoCA, located in an expansive series of former mill buildings, which features cutting-edge multimedia art, installations, and performances. Highlights include artist Glenn Kaino’s In the Light of a Shadow, which fills a football field-size gallery with sound and visuals that explore the power of collective action, Sol LeWitt’s semi-permanent retrospective spreading throughout an entire building, James Turrell’s light installations that dazzle the eyes, and Laurie Anderson’s audio, visual, and virtual reality works exploring her multifaceted creative process.

In addition to these artistic treasures, we will also sample the culinary creativity of the region, visiting restaurants that feature a farm-to-table philosophy and take full advantage of the agricultural producers that surround them. 

There is so much to see in the Berkshire and we highly recommend that you take advantage of your time in the area. Should you choose to extend your stay, there are even more cultural, culinary and wellness attractions. Just a short drive south to the Lenox/Stockbridge areas is Edith Wharton’s The Mount, where we can arrange a special guided tour for those interested. If you want to indulge yourself there are two signature destination spas, Canyon Ranch and Miraval in Lenox each housed on exquisite late 19th century estates of the Gilded Age.

Dates:

Friday and Saturday, October 15th - 16th

Time:

11:00 AM

What Is Included:

Special curator led tours and behind the scenes experiences

Admission to all museums

Lodging: We are holding a group of rooms at Fairfield Inn in Williamstown

Meals: Breakfast is included with your room with all other meals a la carte

Transportation:

Guests will be responsible for transportation. For those who will not be driving, the closest train station is Albany. We can provide services that can bring you to and from Williamstown and we can recommend experienced and dependable services. There will be enough cars to easily ferry between Williamstown and Mass MoCA and beyond!

Cost:

$425