The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts, has unveiled an ambitious lineup of exhibitions for its 2026 season, headlined by the first public presentation of the highly anticipated Aso O. Tavitian Collection. The diverse slate of programming, announced by museum officials, will showcase a compelling mix of contemporary installations, European masterworks, and American works on paper throughout the year. The season reflects the institution's commitment to bridging historical and contemporary art while expanding access for visitors through free exhibitions and site-specific installations across its campus.
The exhibition year will launch on February 14, 2026, with "Sónia Almeida: Stages," a series of three site-responsive installations occupying public spaces throughout the Clark Center and Manton Research Center. Almeida, a Lisbon-born artist currently based in Boston, creates richly textured works that combine printmaking, painting, and fabric arts to explore themes of process, pattern, and what she terms "the choreography of viewing." The exhibition's subtitle, "Stages," references both the layered nature of her artistic practice and the dynamic ways audiences interact with her work. Curated by Robert Wiesenberger, curator of contemporary projects at the Clark, the installation will remain on view through January 24, 2027, and will be accessible to the public without admission charge, continuing the museum's tradition of offering free access to contemporary art programming.
In June 2026, the Clark will present "An Exquisite Eye: Introducing the Aso O. Tavitian Collection," marking the first time these significant European artworks will be displayed publicly. The exhibition draws from 331 works gifted to the museum in 2024 by the foundation of the late collector and philanthropist Aso O. Tavitian, who assembled one of North America's most important private collections of European art between 2004 and his death in 2020. Born in Bulgaria to Armenian parents, Tavitian immigrated to the United States in 1961 and dedicated the final decades of his life to collecting masterpieces spanning the Renaissance through the 19th century. The exhibition will feature paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts by renowned artists including Jan van Eyck, Andrea della Robbia, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Peter Paul Rubens, Jean-Antoine Watteau, and Jacques Louis David. Esther Bell, deputy director and chief curator, and Lara Yeager-Crasselt, the Aso O. Tavitian curator of early modern European painting and sculpture, have organized the presentation. While this exhibition offers a first look at selected highlights, the complete collection will be permanently installed when the new Aso O. Tavitian Wing opens in 2028.
Also opening in June at the Lunder Center at Stone Hill, "Giorgio Griffa: Paths in the Forest" will introduce American audiences to the Italian contemporary artist's first solo exhibition in the United States. Griffa, who celebrates his 90th birthday this year, is celebrated for his distinctive approach to painting on unprimed, unstretched canvases marked by lines, letters, and numbers rendered in acrylic. The survey exhibition will examine 13 distinct painting cycles from his six-decade career, investigating both the material properties and conceptual boundaries of his minimalist yet expressive practice. The show is curated by Robert Wiesenberger and receives support from the Edward and Maureen Fennessy Bousa Fund for Contemporary Projects as well as the Italian Ministry of Culture, underscoring the international significance of Griffa's contribution to postwar European abstraction.
The summer season continues on July 4 with "CoastLines: American Prints and Drawings" in the Eugene V. Thaw Gallery for Works on Paper. This focused exhibition explores the eastern United States coastline through 19th- and 20th-century watercolors, etchings, drawings, lithographs, and wood engravings, examining how artists have captured the region's shifting shores. The works on view not only demonstrate varied approaches to the artistic line but also illuminate the coastline's cultural and economic importance in American history. Hannah Chew, a graduate student in the Williams College/Clark Graduate Program in the History of Art, has curated the presentation, which runs through September 27. The inclusion of a student-curated exhibition highlights the Clark's unique partnership with Williams College and its commitment to training the next generation of art historians and museum professionals.
Olivier Meslay, Hardymon Director of the Clark, expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming season, stating, "We are eagerly anticipating the arrival of our 2026 exhibition series. From contemporary art both inside and outdoors to the European masterworks of the Tavitian Collection, this year promises to offer visitors extraordinary encounters with art across time and media." The season's strategic balance of contemporary commissions, historical treasures, and works on paper demonstrates the Clark's multifaceted mission to serve as both a research institution and a public museum. With free access to contemporary installations, major collection debuts, and opportunities for emerging scholars, the 2026 programming aims to engage diverse audiences while reinforcing the museum's position as a leading cultural destination in the Northeast.
