WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., June 22, 2009 -- The Graduate Program in the History of Art, sponsored jointly by Williams College and the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, is among the United States foremost master's programs in art history, with both a national and international reputation.

One of only three jointly sponsored programs in the country and among the premier art education programs in the world, it has produced almost 400 graduates who have taken their place a leaders in the art and academic fields.

Williams and The Clark work symbiotically, offering their professional staffs, libraries, and art collections to the students as invaluable resources.  Program professors are drawn from both institutions and the program is housed at The Clark.  

Director of the Graduate Program in Art Marc Gotlieb said, "The Class of 2009 is distinguished for the breadth of its interests and its intellectual ambition. Beyond a rigorous program of coursework and language study, over the course of two years students enrolled in the program have organized substantial exhibitions in all three of the region's leading art museums, namely, the Williams College Museum of Art, The Clark, and MASS MoCA."

Before they graduated, members of the Class of 2009 presented papers at the program's Annual Spring Symposium on topics ranging from 13th century Italian sculpture to contemporary film, from 16th century Italian drawings to karaoke in video, and from 19th century French painting to books by 20th century artists.

Eleven members of the program were awarded Master of Arts degrees this spring.  The graduates, their undergraduate institutions and home towns are listed below.

Katharine Joy Albert, Tacoma, Washington, University of Washington '06

Layla Ann Bermeo, Elk Grove Village, Illinois, Northwestern University '05

R. Ruthie Dibble, Raleigh, North Carolina, Hamilton College '07

Erica Darka DiBenedetto, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon '04

Melina Cerise Doerring, Kirkland, Washington, St. John's College '02

Rebekah Joanne Flake, Oxford, Mississippi, University of Pennsylvania '06

Andrea Dana Gyorody, Henderson, Nevada, Amherst College '07

Diana Meryl Nawi, Sacramento, California, UCLA '06

Jamie Ann Sanecki, Leonardo, New Jersey, Rutgers University '06

Rebecca Naomi Tal Shaykin, New York, New York, Oberlin College '07

Veronika Totos, Budapest, Hungary, Colgate University '07

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Founded in 1793, Williams College is the second oldest institution of higher learning in Massachusetts. The college's 2,000 students are taught by a faculty noted for the quality of their teaching and research, and the achievement of academic goals includes active participation of students with faculty in their research. Students' educational experience is enriched by the residential campus environment in Williamstown, Mass., which provides a host of opportunities for interaction with one another and with faculty beyond the classroom. Admission decisions are made regardless of a student's financial ability, and the college provides grants and other assistance to meet the demonstrated needs of all who are admitted.
To visit the college on the Internet:www.williams.edu