“Distraction,” supposed modern day buzzword, focus of dicussion

On Thursday, April 16, at 6 pm, the Clark Art Institute hosts “Attention and Distraction, Then and Now,” a panel discussion exploring visual and literary interpretations of focus and distraction from the nineteenth century through the present. The talk takes place in the Manton Research Center auditorium.

“Distraction” is a buzzword in modern culture, and rightly so: focus becomes so difficult when people are bombarded from all sides with notifications, updates, and pings. But was it so different in the age before Google and TikTok? In this three-way conversation, Gage McWeeny, professor and chair in the English department at Williams College; Debra Gettelman, associate professor of English at College of the Holy Cross; and Anne Leonard, Manton curator of prints, drawings, and photographs at the Clark, draw on examples from visual art and literature to show that attention, distraction, and daydreaming were already hot-button topics in the nineteenth century.

There is no charge for this event, though advance registration is required. There are accessible seats available. Call (413) 458-0570 with any questions. For more details and to register visit events.clarkart.edu.