The Clark Art Institute, in Williamstown, has announced that its director, Olivier Meslay, will be stepping down next July. Meslay, 68, became director in 2016.
“To have spent these years immersed in the art and scholarship that define [the Clark] and to have had a hand in helping to shape the Clark’s future has been a true gift,” Meslay said in a statement.
Meslay, a curator, art historian, and author helped develop the Clark’s educational focus, including its Research and Academic Program, which provides scholarships and fellowship opportunities in art history, visual art, and interdisciplinary studies. Mesley was also involved with the Williams Graduate Program in the History of Art, with the Clark partnering with its Williamstown neighbor, Williams College.
Meslay was instrumental in securing one of the largest and most extensive donations in the Clark’s history. In 2024, the Aso O. Tavitian Foundation donated 331 works of early modern art and an endowment of over $45 million, which is to be used to install a new wing at the Clark.
“Thanks to Olivier’s guidance, the Clark is full of ambition, enthusiasm, and creativity,” said Denise Littlefield Sobel, chair of the Clark’s board of trustees. in a statement.
Meslay, who previously served as interim director of the Dallas Museum of Art and in various positions during 17 years at the Louvre, plans to return to his native France with his wife and three children to pursue a “variety of independent projects.”
Isabella Bernstein can be reached at isabella.bernstein@globe.com.
Other Articles
No Comment! Be the first one.