The Berkshires is home to elite art museums, ranging from French impressionist galleries to massive contemporary art installations. With guided tours and inside access at premier museums, the Berkshires Summer Trip is an art enthusiast’s dream.
At its core, art is the illustration of human experience. The interpretation of this is unique for each viewer, and that, in part, is what makes it so vital. We are believers that art experiences should be at the core of a successful vacation. We spend countless hours reviewing, visiting and planning museum tours for each of our trips to make sure our guests see the entire Berkshires art landscape. Our goal is to identify the most fascinating and unique exhibits and ensure that our guests are given an in-depth experience.
Art Highlights in The Berkshires
Norman Rockwell Museum
A staple of the Berkshires, the Norman Rockwell Museum houses the world’s largest and most significant collection of Rockwell’s work, including 988 original paintings and drawings (with many of his highly entertaining Saturday Evening Post covers). A resident of Stockbridge for the last 25 years of his life, Rockwell’s studio is located within the museum site and features original art materials, his library, furnishings and personal items.
The Clark
Opened to the public in 1955, the Clark has become one of the most beloved and respected art museums in the world, and a staple in the Berkshires art community, known for its intimate galleries and stunning natural environment. The Clark, which sits on a unique 140 acre ground, features European and American paintings, sculpture, prints, drawing and decorative arts from the Renaissance to the early twentieth century. The collection is especially rich in French Impressionist and Academic painting, British oil sketches, drawings and the work of American artists Winslow Homer, George Inness and John Singer Sargent.
MASS MoCA
With more than 250,000 square feet of exhibit space in what was once an electric components manufacturing facility, the MASS MoCA is one of the largest centers for visual contemporary art in the U.S. Exhibits focus on large-scale, immersive installations that would be impossible to realize in conventional museums. The broad-shouldered, raw industrial character of its soaring galleries offer a vibrant experience, where the building itself is art.
Williams College Museum of Art
Not to be outdone by its more famous neighbors, the WCMA has blossomed over the past decade to become a must-see for art tourism in the Berkshires. The WCMA is a vibrant center for the arts (at one of the premier art and art history colleges in the country) that embodies the potential for the liberal arts to catalyze our ability to think creatively and critically.
