Clark Art Institute
One of a select few institutions in the world to double as an art museum and a center for research and education, The Clark Art Institute is distinguished not only by the beauty of its pastoral setting in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, but also by the quality of its collections and “the depth of its commitment to the generation of ideas.” In recent years, like many institutions, The Clark has turned its attention to the alignment of programing and place with their recommitment to values of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA).
The Clark initially engaged KMA in 2014 to contribute accessibility design expertise to the installation of an occupiable outdoor sculpture that was classified by the local building inspector as a “small building” and therefore was subject to accessibility requirements under the state building code. The team worked with The Clark not only to ensure the sculpture and its immediate environment were accessible, but also to develop an operational strategy to get visitors with limited mobility to the top of the hill where the sculpture was installed.
In the ten years since, KMA and The Clark have established a relationship of ongoing collaboration that helps to ensure the institution’s DEIA goals are reflected in all of their programming and capital projects. KMA has provided trainings for curatorial and visitor experience staff on inclusive museum operations, assisted with fabrication and installation strategies for additional outdoor sculptures, and completed inclusive design reviews of all the Clark’s permanent collections. In addition, KMA conducts semi-annual reviews of the Clark’s temporary exhibitions, helping the institute to incrementally but consistently increase the inclusivity of programming and place.
Photos courtesy of Clark Art Institute.
