The party of the season takes place on Saturday, February 13, from 6 to 8 pm, at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. "Picture Yourself at the Clark" celebrates the opening of the Clark exhibition Giovanni Boldini in Impressionist Paris with an evening of live music, delectable hors d'oeuvres, and fun with portraits. Tickets are $50 per person ($40 per member). Space is limited; RSVP by February 5 to 413-458-0524 or online at clarkart.edu.

Step into the Clark's Café Fondue Royale for classic Swiss fondue or decadent fondue au chocolat hors d'oeuvres stations. Be transported by the tastes of Parisian street fare such as croque monsieur, choucroute, coquilles St. Jacques, and saucisson-en-croute. Sample the latest vintage Beaujolais and Sauvignon Blanc. 

Take the portrait theme to the extreme by posing for artist Michael Rousseau who will sketch fast and flattering portraits. Rousseau paints contemporary subjects in a very traditional manner, with a twist. Hop into the photo booth for a photographic keepsake.

Pianist Joe Rose will play popular music selections from the turn of the century to the 1930s with an occasional light impressionistic piece from Debussy, Ravel, or Satie. Rose is the music director at St. Charles Church in Pittsfield, accompanist to the Berkshire Lyric choral organizations, and a recording artist.

The evening includes a preview of Giovanni Boldini in Impressionist Paris.
Through approximately seventy oil paintings and drawings, the exhibition presents an innovative look at Boldini's Paris-its places of entertainment and leisure, its inhabitants, and its environs-at a time when the Impressionists were investigating the same sites and subjects.

This event is sponsored by WGBY Public Television for Western New England.

The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm (daily in July and August). Admission is free November through May. Admission is $15 June 1 through October 31. Admission is free for children 18 and younger, members, and students with valid ID. For more information, call 413-458-2303 or visit clarkart.edu.
 
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Calendar listings:

February 13: The party of the season takes place from 6 to 8 pm at the Clark. "Picture Yourself at the Clark" celebrates the opening of the Clark exhibition Giovanni Boldini in Impressionist Paris with an evening of live music, delectable hors d'oeuvres, and fun with portraits. Tickets are $50 per person ($40 per member). Space is limited; RSVP by February 5 to
413-458-0524 or online at clarkart.edu. The Clark, 225 South Street, Williamstown, MA. clarkart.edu

February 14: Sarah Lees, the Clark's associate curator of European art, will discuss the early career of Giovanni Boldini, an Italian artist who moved to Paris in 1871 just as the Impressionists were getting their start, and consider how he evolved from an artist who painted genre scenes, city views, and landscapes, to one of the most prominent society portraitists around the turn of the twentieth century. Free, held at 3 pm. The Clark, 225 South Street, Williamstown, MA. clarkart.edu, 413 458 2303

Press contact:
Sarah Hoffman
413-458-0471
shoffman@clarkart.edu