WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — On Wednesday, July 31 at 6 pm, the Clark Art Institute hosts a talk by Emilie Boone, summer 2024 Clark Fellow and author of "A Nimble Arc: James Van Der Zee and Photography" (Duke University Press, 2023). 

 

Boone speaks with Sara Houghteling, special projects coordinator at the Clark, about the overlooked facets of Van Der Zee's photographic legacy. The event takes place in the Clark's auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center.

 

According to a press release:

 

In "A Nimble Arc," Boone positions Van Der Zee at the intersection of art and the vernacular, reshaping our perception of this iconic figure and the role of photography in the tapestry of everyday Black life. Boone is a finalist for the National Book Critic's Circle first book award for scholarship on Van Der Zee.

 

Emilie Boone is an assistant professor of African American/African Diaspora Arts in the department of art history at New York University. She researches the art and visual culture of the African Diaspora with a focus on vernacular photography and global encounters. Following her first book "A Nimble Arc: James Van Der Zee and Photography," Boone will advance her second manuscript as a 2024 summer fellow in the Research and Academic Program at the Clark.

 

Free. Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 458 0524. A book signing follows the talk. Copies of "A Nimble Arc: James Van Der Zee and Photography" will be available for purchase at the talk and in the Museum Store.