COURTESY WILLIAMS COLLEGE
Francis Oakley has been selected by the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts to serve as its interim director when its current director, Michael Conforti, retires on August 31 after more than a decade on the job.
Oakley’s resume is formidable: he served as president of art history powerhouse Williams College from 1985 to 1993, was president of the Clark’s board from 1998 to 2005, and currently holds a trustee position at the Clark. He is also professor emeritus of the History of Ideas program at Williams.
“We feel fortunate that Frank is willing to serve the Clark in such an important role during this time of transition,” Andreas Halvorsen and Robert G. Scott, respectively the chair and vice chair of the Clark’s board, said in a statement. “With a strong interim director in place, the board has the luxury of knowing that we will be able to devote sufficient time to conduct a thorough and deliberate search for our next director.”