News
July 9, 2015Albany Institute to Host Free Lecture on ‘Van Gogh and Nature’
This annual summer lecture is in partnership with the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA
ALBANY, NY– The Albany Institute of History & Art is pleased to host the annual Clark Art Institute Lecture on Thursday, July 16, 2015 at 6PM. This program is a popular and long-standing summer tradition at the museum. It is free and open to the public as part of the Albany Institute’s free evening hours, which are held each Thursday from 5-8PM. Traditionally, this lecture has been very popular, so attendees are encouraged to arrive early to secure a seat.
This year, the Clark’s exhibition curator Richard Kendall will discuss the research and origin of the Van Gogh and Nature exhibition and catalogue as well as the significance of its theme. Fundamental to the project has been a close study of the artist’s work throughout his career and his rarely discussed preoccupation with the natural world, from flowers, birds, and insects to the majestic landscapes of rural Holland and the south of France. Still underestimated in many approaches to Van Gogh’s art is his passion for reading, which included guides to nature, poetry that addressed the countryside, and literally hundreds of novels in Dutch, English, and French that celebrated rural life in an age of expanding towns and cities. This issue will also be explored in the lecture, which will be illustrated with works from ‘Van Gogh and Nature’ and other sources.
For more information about Van Gogh and Nature (open through September 13, 2015), please visit The Clark’s website at www.clarkart.edu. For more information about upcoming programs at the Albany Institute of History & Art, please visit the museum’s website at www.albanyinstitute.org.
The Albany Institute of History & Art is located at 125 Washington Avenue in Albany, New York. Free parking is available in the museum’s lot at the corner of Elk and Dove Streets. The museum is open Wednesday-Saturday 10AM-5PM, Thursdays until 8PM*, and Sunday Noon-5PM. On Tuesdays, the museum is open to registered groups only. The museum is closed on Mondays and some holidays. Admission is free for Institute members; $10/adults; $8/seniors; $8/students with ID; $6/children 6-12; FREE/children under 6. *AIHA now offers free admission on Thursdays from 5PM-8PM. For more information, visit www.albanyinstitute.org or call (518) 463-4478.
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Founded in 1791, the Albany Institute of History & Art is New York’s oldest museum. Its collections document the Hudson Valley as a crossroads of culture, influencing the art and history of the region, the state, and the nation. With more than 35,000 objects and one million documents in the library, it is an important resource for the region, giving our community a sense of the part the Hudson Valley played in the American story, and our own place in history. Permanent and temporary exhibitions are open year-round and create a sense of place, allowing visitors to meet the people who helped shape this region. Over 25,000 people visit the Albany Institute of History & Art every year, enjoying the collections, workshops, school programs, and lectures, helping to build an understanding of the history and culture of our region. Among the museum’s best-known and most-loved collections are the 19th century Hudson River School landscape paintings by artists like Thomas Cole and Frederic Church, the 19th century sculpture collections, and, of course, the famous Albany Mummies that came to the museum in 1909 and have been on view ever since. For more information, please visit www.albanyinstitute.org and be sure to follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/albanyinstitute) and Twitter (@AlbanyInstitute).
