Its collection consists of European and American paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, photographs, and decorative arts from the fourteenth to the early twentieth century.

As such, the Clarks began looking at sites in rural New York and Massachusetts with the intention of founding a museum for their art.

[4] The Clark has since become a destination for tourists, art lovers, and scholars, helping to establish the cultural reputation of the Berkshires.

This feature ended up being Sterling Clark's final home after the couple moved out of their Park Avenue residence, and his ashes are under the building's front steps.

The Clark embarked on a long-term project in 2001 to improve its campus, enlisting the help of landscape firm Reed Hilderbrand and architects Tadao Ando and Annabelle Selldorf.

[5] Hilderbrand redesigned the campus grounds, revamping nearby walking trails, planting 1,000 trees, and creating a reflecting pool fed by recycled water.

[7][8] Envisioned as a sanctuary in the woods waiting to be discovered, the Lunder Center features two galleries and a seasonal terrace café.

[9] In the 1955 original marble building, galleries for American and decorative art were added and exhibition space was increased by 15%.

Over time, their tastes shifted towards artists like John Singer Sargent, Edgar Degas, Winslow Homer, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

[15][16] Additional new acquisitions include The Swearing in of President Boyer at the Palace of Haiti by Adolphe-Eugène-Gabriel Roehn, and a recent important gift from Frank and Katherine Martucci of early photographs of and by Black Americans, particularly by Edward J. Souby and James Van Der Zee.

[20] In 2024, the Clark Art Institute received a trove of 331 works from the Aso O. Tavitian Foundation, including 132 paintings, 130 sculptures, 39 drawings and 30 decorative arts objects by European artists Hans Memling, Peter Paul Rubens, Parmigianino, Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, Jean-Antoine Watteau, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Jan van Eyck and others.

In the warmer months of the year, visitors are greeted by an expansive three-tiered reflecting pool designed by landscape architect Reed Hilderbrand.

[39] This exhibition, which is representative of the Clark's increased focus on working with living and contemporary artists, transformed the meadows and woodlands of the campus into an immersive outdoor gallery.

Under the direction of John Onians, Michael Ann Holly, and Darby English, the program has since widened its purview to partner with both regional and international institutions and scholars to challenge and expand the scope of the study and production of the visual arts.

Clark Fellowships allow promising scholars, critics, and museum officials opportunities for research outside of their professional obligations.

Fellows, along with scholars and students from all stretches of the world, are encouraged to participate in the various conferences, colloquia, workshops, curator round tables, and seminars hosted by the program.

Located on the Clark Campus, the program draws on and works closely with the art history resources of both institutions.

The prize "celebrates informed, insightful, and accessible prose that advances the public understanding and appreciation of the visual arts.