Free museum weekend in The Berkshires

This Saturday (Sept. 29), museums nationwide will open their doors for free admission, and local museums in The Berkshires are participating.

Smithsonian magazine hosts this event each year to encourage people to revisit their favorite museum or learn about a new one in their area.

The Merwin House, Norman Rockwell Museum, Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute and the Bidwell House will be the museums featured in Berkshire County.

Museum-goers can download free tickets on the Smithsonian website, which grants free admission for two people; additional family members or friends pay full admission. It doesn’t include special exhibits, IMAX screenings or parking.

At The Clark, guests can see a new exhibit called “Unearthed.” The exhibit presents recently excavated artifacts from Shanxi and Gansu provinces, many of which have never been exhibited outside China.

These objects range from fantastical tomb guardian beasts to luxury goods, from religious and ritual relics to a magnificent house-shaped sarcophagus.

The Merwin House in downtown Stockbridge was built in 1825 and is full of local history.

William and Elizabeth Doane purchased this handsome house in 1875 as their summer retreat. They named it “Tranquility,” as it overlooks a peaceful bend in the Housatonic River.

Currently highlighted at the Norman Rockwell Muesem is the exhibit “Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered.” The exhibit is the first comprehensive exhibition on the influential artist, who is often referred to as the grandfather of American illustration.

Organized by the Delaware Museum of Art, this exhibition features a large selection of Howard Pyle’s best-known and rarely-seen paintings, drawings, prints and archival materials that shed light on the artist’s career as a painter and storyteller.

The Bidwell House in Monterey was built circa 1750 as a parsonage. Authentically restored, filled with antiques and surrounded by 192 acres of beautiful grounds and hiking trails, the museum tells the story of the early settlement of The Berkshires.

Posted by Kameron Z. Spaulding on September 27, 2012. Filed under Arts and Entertainment,Community Events,Community News,News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry