Williams College Museum of Art Presents
Encounter
A Handbook of the Williams College Museum of Art’s Collection
June 2006

Williamstown, MA–the Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA) proudly presents Encounter, its first handbook of the collection in twenty-seven years. The last one, by S. Lane Faison, Jr., Amos Lawrence Professor of Art, Emeritus, was published in 1979 and provided a chronological survey of 95 important works from the collection, reproduced in black and white, with accompanying descriptive text. Since that time, both the institution and the collection have evolved dramatically. The museum has reinvented itself, expanding architecturally, increasing its holdings ten-fold, and establishing itself as a significant force in the field of object-based art history both in this country and abroad.

Williams College faculty, WCMA staff, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as outside scholars and community members have contributed short yet incisive entries to this new handbook of the collection. These essays address the objects from many different angles: professors write about how they use objects in their teachings, or how they use formal, historical, or other relevant approaches in their interpretations of an object. Museum staff speak to objects’ use in exhibition and educational programs, and students find new and exciting parallels and comparisons. Each author brings a unique voice to the handbook, which reflects the multi-faceted ways in which WCMA’s collection is used, discussed, and appreciated, ultimately highlighting WCMA’s role as a teaching museum. In addition, interdisciplinary and historical material drawn from the rich object files (such as newspaper clippings, poems, letters, and other archival materials) serve to anchor objects within the larger trajectory of the museum’s collecting history and make for a lively visual layout.

Encounter opens with an illustrated timeline of the history of WCMA and the arts at Williams College. The main section of the handbook features notable artworks, many acquired since 1979, such as a stunning suite of etchings by Max Beckmann, a set of vibrant and humorous Andy Warhol artists books, and an important painting by Robert Motherwell. Encounter also includes a selection of the museum’s classic and beloved works of art, such as a pair of Assyrian reliefs, a Greek red-figure vase, Renaissance prints, and Indian miniatures. Over 150 objects are illustrated in full-color—many objects photographed and published for the first time. In addition, short essays highlight notable sub-collections, such as African masks, the Prendergast Collection, photography, and Indian painting.

Encounter dovetails with WCMA’s overall mission, serving as a mini-laboratory for the “critical discussion of works by living artists,” and emphasizing “modern and contemporary art, American art, and art of world cultures within the context of the museum’s collection.” Faculty members have been invited to contribute, thus furthering WCMA’s mission to participate actively in the academic life of the College. Encounter will become another tool at WCMA, enabling its work as a teaching museum: advancing learning through lively and innovative approaches to art for the students of Williams College and communities beyond the campus.

“This is a historic occasion for the museum,” announced Lisa G. Corrin, Director of the Williams College Museum of Art.  “The handbook embodies the museum’s commitment to not only collect art but also to provide many perspectives on what is in the galleries.  We are thrilled that the college has agreed to provide each incoming first-year student with a copy of this handbook in September so that they start off their Williams experience understanding the importance of the museum to their education as a resource and inspiration.”

Encounter is now available at the Williams College Museum of Art gift shop for $19.95. It contains over 150 photographs, all in full color, and was designed by Diane Gottardi of Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was printed by The Studley Press of Dalton, Massachusetts.

The Williams College Museum of Art is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is free and the museum is wheelchair accessible. Contact: Suzanne A. Silitch, Public Relations and External Affairs Director, 413.597.3178.

Publicity Images Available
Publicity images for Zhan Wang Urban Landscape and other current exhibitions are available for use.

These images are for members of the press only. Click the thumbnails below for high resolution images and email Suzanne Augugliaro, Public Relations Coordinator, once you have downloaded them. Please be sure to include the correct credit information in your publication.