Assessing the collection

As we plan for the new museum project, WCMA staff are checking every object for condition, barcoding, making new housings, surfacing new research questions, and thinking about the inaugural installations in the new building. To assist with that project we are consulting with experts from different art historical fields.

This week we are excited to host Christa Clarke, a specialist in historic and contemporary arts of Africa. Clarke is Senior Advisor at the Center for Curatorial Leadership (CCL), where she guides research and development of programs and new initiatives. In addition to her work with CCL, she is an independent curator and museum consultant, most recently for the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Smith College Museum of Art, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Previously, Clarke was Senior Curator at the Newark Museum of Art, where she pioneered its collecting of modern and contemporary arts of Africa and instituted its Arts of Global Africa department in 2013, a first among museums.

During her time here at WCMA, Clarke will be presenting to staff on current practices for stewardship of historic African collections. She will review object files, help surface and answer cataloging questions, and, together with curatorial staff and student interns, will look at over 250 objects in storage.

Explore Our Collection

Click here for More Information About "Williams College Museum Of Art News - October 3, 2023"