It’s easy to find the Williams College Museum of Art (artmuseum.williams.edu, 413-597-2429) in Williamstown, Massachusetts — just look for Louise Bourgeois’s gigantic eye sculpture, made of forged bronze, on the lawn out front. In fact, the “eyes” have it in this bucolic area in the northwest corner of the state. There’s art everywhere you look.
Set in the green, rolling valley between the Berkshire Hills and the Hoosic River, Williamstown, along with its neighbor, North Adams, is a country oasis for art lovers. The art museum is a good place to start a visit. Some of the works in its venerable collection are studied in art history classes at the school. But WCMA also has a contemporary edge, best reflected in its temporary exhibits. A multi-gallery installation of Mary Ann Unger’s graphic art and large-scale abstract sculptures runs through December 22. Stroll the campus to see 13 other sculptures in the college’s outdoor sculpture collection.
You can stretch your legs on the five hiking trails that crisscross the Clark Art Institute (clarkart.edu, 413-458-2303) campus. Along the way, you might encounter site-specific artwork or pass grazing cows. The permanent collection here is especially rich in French Impressionism and works from late 19th-century American painters. For a change of pace, an exhibition featuring the satirical skulls and skeleton prints and drawings of José Guadalupe Posada, on display through October 10, foreshadows Day of the Dead commemorations.
Six miles east in North Adams, the former mill buildings of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, better known as Mass MoCA (massmoca.org, 413-662-2111), encourage contemporary artists and curators to think big. The Sol LeWitt retrospective occupies nearly an acre of gallery walls. A sound installation (Allovers by Ryan Olson and Seth Rosetter) converts the stairwell and basement of a building into a gigantic, interactive musical instrument.
The Mass MoCA campus offers even more opportunities to feel the area’s artistic vibe. It includes excellent galleries such as ROAM: A Xtina Parks Gallery (roamgallery.photo, 413-663-8000), which features contemporary African art, and Ferrin Contemporary (ferrincontemporary.com, 413-346-4004), which focuses on ceramics. Sip a craft brew at Bright Ideas Brewing (brightideasbrewing.com, 413-346-4460) while you contemplate a purchase. Back in Williamstown, Greylock Gallery (greylockgallery.com, 413-884-6926) represents realist painters from New England and upstate New York.
What to Eat
In addition to student-oriented sandwich shops and pubs, Williamstown boasts fine dining. Mezze Bistro + Bar (mezzerestaurant.com, 413-458-0123) commands a gorgeous setting south of downtown, where the contemporary, prix fixe dinner features local products. Lamb kebabs and tagines lend a Turkish accent to the Mediterranean tastes at Pera Bistro (perabistro.com, 413-458-8676). The accent is French at Gramercy Bistro (gramercybistro.com, 413-458-6222). If you decide to check out the art house Images Cinema (imagescinema.org, 413-458-5612, mask required), the nearby Gramercy is the perfect spot for a bite after a movie.
Where to Stay
The Brookside Country Inn rooms at 1896 House Country Inn (1896house.com, 413-458-1896; from $99) are decorated in a rustic, Colonial style. And, its barn-restaurant building houses suites with fireplaces and whirlpool tubs. For a dose of midcentury modernism, book one of six rooms at the Guest House at Field Farm (thetrustees.org/place/field-farm-guest-house, 413-458-3135; from $299). Here, modern sculptures owned by the Williams College Museum of Art grace the grounds. For a 21st-century hipster take on a tourist motel, try the whimsical Tourists (touristswelcome.com, 413-347-4995; from $279) in North Adams.