The Albany Institute of History & Art is pleased to host the annual Clark Art Institute Lecture on Thursday, July 16, 2015 at 6PM. This program is a popular and long-standing summer tradition at the museum. It is free and open to the public as part of the Albany Institute’s free evening hours, which are held each Thursday from 5-8PM. Traditionally, this lecture has been very popular, so attendees are encouraged to arrive early to secure a seat.

This year, the Clark’s exhibition curator Richard Kendall will discuss the research and origin of the Van Gogh and Nature exhibition and catalogue as well as the significance of its theme. Fundamental to the project has been a close study of the artist’s work throughout his career and his rarely discussed preoccupation with the natural world, from flowers, birds, and insects to the majestic landscapes of rural Holland and the south of France. Still underestimated in many approaches to Van Gogh’s art is his passion for reading, which included guides to nature, poetry that addressed the countryside, and literally hundreds of novels in Dutch, English, and French that celebrated rural life in an age of expanding towns and cities. This issue will also be explored in the lecture, which will be illustrated with works from ‘Van Gogh and Nature’ and other sources.

For more information about Van Gogh and Nature (open through September 13, 2015), please visit The Clark’s website at www.clarkart.edu. For more information about upcoming programs at the Albany Institute of History & Art, please visit the museum’s website at www.albanyinstitute.org.

The Albany Institute of History & Art is located at 125 Washington Avenue in Albany, New York. Free parking is available in the museum’s lot at the corner of Elk and Dove Streets. The museum is open Wednesday-Saturday 10AM-5PM, Thursdays until 8PM*, and Sunday Noon-5PM. On Tuesdays, the museum is open to registered groups only. The museum is closed on Mondays and some holidays. Admission is free for Institute members; $10/adults; $8/seniors; $8/students with ID; $6/children 6-12; FREE/children under 6. *AIHA now offers free admission on Thursdays from 5PM-8PM. For more information, visit www.albanyinstitute.org or call (518) 463-4478.