WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- An iconic image of motherhood is making a visit to Massachusetts.
The painting popularly known as Whistler's Mother -- Arrangement in Gray and Black: Portrait of the Painter's Mother -- is on display at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, part of an exhibition featuring the works of American-born artist James McNeill Whistler.
The 1871 painting is one of the most renowned works of art by an American. It has been owned by the French state since 1891 and is in the Musee d'Orsay's collection in Paris.
The Clark Institute is one of only two American venues featuring the painting this year. It was previously at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, Calif.
The painting depicts Anna McNeill Whistler dressed in black mourning garb and a white cotton cap, sitting in profile. "Whistler's Mother: Grey, Black, and White," the exhibition, also features a selection of Whistler's prints and drawings, Japanese woodblock prints that inspired the artist and ephemera that explore the image's role in popular culture. The exhibition hangs at the Clark through Sept. 27.
The museum's blockbuster exhibit "Van Gogh and Nature," featuring Vincent van Gogh's nature-oriented work, hangs through Sept. 13.
For more information, see clarkart.edu.
DARK SKY, BRIGHT STARS
SCOTTSBURG, Va. -- A Virginia park that is a star-gazer's haven has been named an International Dark Sky Park.
The designation for Staunton River State Park in Scottsburg recognizes the park's outdoor lighting policy, which is intended to minimize so-called light pollution. It makes the park a welcome dark place in the densely populated East Coast.
The recognition is from the International Dark Sky Places Association, which advocates for the protection of night skies.
Staunton River State Park promotes a star party each year. More than 140 visitors attended last year's event at the Southside park.
The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation says Staunton River State Park is the first state park in Virginia to be recognized by the association.
More information is at darksky.org and virginia.gov/state-parks.
FUJI WI-FI
TOKYO -- Climbers who reach the summit of Japan's Mount Fuji apparently need the Internet, too.
They will now be able to share their achievement via free Wi-Fi; tourists will be able to post their locations on social media, along with selfies with the historic mountain in the background.
A Japanese mobile phone carrier has begun offering the service at eight hotspots on Japan's most famous mountain, including the 12,389-foot summit.
The initiative is aimed at attracting more overseas visitors to Shizuoka and Yamanashi, the two states that are home to Mount Fuji. From airports to subway and bus operators, Japan has been expanding free Wi-Fi service ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Users on Mount Fuji will need to enter a user ID and password provided in fliers in English, Chinese and Korean that will be distributed at some trailheads. NTT DOCOMO Inc. will provide the service for 72 hours from the initial log-in.
Travel on 08/09/2015