Summer break series: “Ologies”

Each July and August the Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA) produces a public program series that offers a playful taste of the academic experience. This summer the series, titled “Ologies,” is digging into some of the quirkiest fields of study. Faculty and local experts lead visitors through brainy experiences in the galleries taking on topics from agathology (the study of goodness) to ethology (the study of animal behavior). Artists and makers lead performative interventions on the patio with themes from ornithology to mixology. The series runs weekly on Thursday evenings from July 5 through August 23. Mini courses take place in the galleries from 5 to 6pm followed by patio programs from 6 to 8pm.

“Ologies” features makers and artists from across the region including Berkshire County of Massachusetts, Southern Vermont, and the New York Hudson Valley. Berkshire-based band House Sparrow crafts musical interventions inspired by ornithology. Riffing off of kinesiology, the study of bodies in motion, Brattleboro-based musician and composer Jed Blume performs improvised responses to movements of the patio crowd. Taking on doxology, or liturgical praise, Williamstown pastor Mark Longhurst and musician Brad Wells create a multisensory response to the museum’s exhibitions and spaces. Other highlights from the series include Lauren Giambrone, a community herbalist, medicine maker, educator and founder of Good Fight Herb Company in Hudson. She will lead a hands-on herbology program focused on locally foraged plants. Natalie Falero from Puerto Rico will develop an immersive sculpture of found objects activated by performance to explore iamatology, mental health, and sanctuary. Falero is part of MASS MoCA’s emergency residency program for artists impacted by Hurricane Maria.

Program schedule

July 5
5pm: Demonology, demons
Professor of Religion Jason Josephson Storm looks at representations of evil spirits, fallen angels, and supernatural creatures.
6–8pm: Ornithology, birds
Live falcons on the patio with bird songs performed by local band, House Sparrow.

July 12        
5pm: Gerontology, aging
Caroline Hamilton, archivist at Jacob’s Pillow, talks about the care and conservation of old works of art.
6–8pm: Iamatology, therapeutics
An immersive social sculpture by artist Natalie Falero explores the relationships between mental health and sanctuary.

July 19
5pm: Ethology, animal behavior
Professor of Philosophy and Cognitive Science Joseph Cruz shares the science behind animal minds and actions.
6–8pm: Kinesiology, movement
Musician Jed Blume creates an improvisational sound experience in response to bodies in motion.

July 26
5pm: Doxology, liturgical praise
Pastor Mark Longhurst and artist Brad Wells craft a communal, experiential response to the museum’s exhibitions.
6–8pm: Mixology, cocktails
A sipping showdown with some of the best bartenders in the region.

August 2
5pm: Bibliology, books
Artist Andrew Beccone showcases Reanimation Library, a collection of outdated and discarded books.
6–8pm: Herbology, plants as remedy
The Hudson-based Good Fight Herb Co. showcases herbal remedies and the potential of plants to heal.

August 9
5pm: Agathology, goodness
An art historian and a studio artist take on the age-old question: “what makes good art?”
6–8pm: Enology, wine
Pair wines with works of art and vote for your favorite combinations.

August 16
5pm: Narratology, narrative
Ezra Feldman, Professor of English, digs into the possibilities for narrativizing museum visits and encounters with art.
6–8pm: Cosmology, universe
A multimedia sound and projection experience by artists and musicians Francesca Olsen and Joe Aidonidis.

August 23
5pm: Kalology, beauty
Professor of Philosophy Alan White unpacks the meaning and many definitions of beauty.
6–8pm: Typtology, spirit communication
Artist Ben Ripley illuminates the patio with an installation exploring the intersections of memory, mourning, and social media.