Your Summer Field Trip
yes, you
Ah, the lazy daze of Summer, sunshine, beaches, bar-b-ques, and ART. No classes, no excuses. This is the time to attend to your duty of sallying forth into the world and seeing how others go about IT. Rest assured, the burden will be a light one. Follow the path:
1) Proceed from Troy East on Rt. 2, which will take you to the town of Grafton. There, you will follow the signs a couple miles through the woods to The Grafton Peace Pagoda—WHICH IS NOT A PAGODA. It is a Stupa, a hemispherical earthen mound representing those in India which are said to contain the ashes of the the Buddha. Circumnavigate the Stupa and learn about the life of the Buddha. Stop in the temple and meditate or reflect. For a donation, bring back a small paper crane. The park is lovely, too. The Peace Pagoda and grounds are free to the public.
2) Proceed further on Rt. 2 over the Taconic Pass. Pause at the top and enjoy the view. At the bottom of the mountain, turn left onto Rt. 7 and proceed into Williamstown, following the signs for The Clark Art Institute The new Clark is designed by Tadao Ando, and the galleries with their famous works are beautifully reconfigured. If it’s open, check out the Stone Hill Center on the Clark grounds. See blog post for current show.
3) Further East on Rt. 2 past the Clark (right onto Main Street), you will find The Williams College Museum of Art. Always free to the public, The WCMA is one of the best college museums around. Their collection is large and important, and shows originate both from Williams and from other institutions. Do not miss this gem.
4) Continue East on Rt. 2/Main Street (right turn) into North Adams for MassMoCA, a vast complex for contemporary art that can house some of the largest installations imaginable. The Anselm Kiefer pavilion will be open in the Summer, as will some of the out buildings like the old boiler room. Don’t miss these. Give yourself some time here.
All this art can be seen in one day, but give yourself the full day, and start out early.
Art History deal. Now that you’ve read this far, you have the director’s promise of one percent extra credit on any art history course in the 2015-2016 academic year for visiting two of these places this summer. You must bring proof of your visit on a piece of paper—admission stub, paper crane, a brochure.
See the web site for other exciting places to go such as The Tang (Skidmore’s museum), The School at Kinderhook (El Anatsui show), Storm King Art Center, and DIA Beacon. Avant!
Nipponzan Myohoji
Grafton Peace Pagoda
87 Crandall Road
Petersburgh, NY 12138
http://www.graftonpeacepagoda.org/
The Williams College Museum of Art
15 Lawrence Hall Drive, Suite 2
Williamstown, Massachusetts 01267-3248
http://wcma.williams.edu/visit/directions
The Clark Art Institute
225 South Street
Williamstown, MA
01267
P 413 458 2303
MassMoCA
1040 MASS MoCA WAY
NORTH ADAMS, MA 01247
413.MoCA.111 (413.662.2111)
