MASS MoCa: Art Installations on a Grand Scale

One of the most impressive collections of large-sale art installations is on display in the beautiful Berkshire Mountains, in the town of North Adams, Massachusetts. This is one of the three major museums in the region, along with the Clark Art Institute and the Williams College Museum of Art. My first visit to MASS MoCA was about 10 years ago, when I took a long weekend trip to stay at the charming Porches Inn and to see for the first time the collection at MASS MoCa. 

Even for those who aren’t normally drawn to contemporary works meant for large spaces, this experience will be quite moving—and certainly was for me. Many of the installations at the time enabled me to walk through the artwork itself. As I wandered from room to room, I was enveloped by colors and textures.

The network of buildings that comprise the museum is massive. There are 26 altogether that make up the museum today. In the 1860s, the Arnold Print Works was established on this site for printing cloth, much of which was for the Union Army, making it the largest employer in North Adams at the time. In 1905 there were around 3,200 people working for the manufacturing company. Due to the decrease in cloth prices and effects of the Great Depression, the Arnold Print Works closed in 1942.

The site was next used by the Sprague Electric Company, employing a workforce of 4,137 workers. As business declined due to competition abroad, its leadership ended up closing the company in 1985. Mayor John Barrett encouraged that the site be recreated as an exhibition location, and with private and public support, MASS MoCa was opened to the public to showcase both long-term displays and changing exhibitions and performing arts events.

One of the artists that has had a long history with the museum is James Turrell. He repurposed a giant water tank measuring 40 feet tall and 40 feet in diameter into the free-standing circular Skyspace, called C.A.V.U.  From inside the artist has created a visual frame for the sky itself. This work is just one of nine other light installations currently on view at the museum.

Carly Glovinski has on display now in the Hunter Hallway her work entitled Almanac. She takes inspiration for the environment of coastal New Hampshire and Maine to craft a colorful variety of seasonal blooms and of the celestial orbits.

MASS MoCa also features live performances alongside some of the artists represented by the museum. On Thursday nights in July and August from 6-10pm you can enjoy the offerings from the beer garden as well as one of the guest performers. August 22nd hosted The Noisy, and the 29th was Drag Night! Truly, the programming there’s something for everyone.

Like many of the other fine museums I have written about, MASS MoCa has an excellent educational component to address contemporary social issues and open minds to the ways of creating art. It also offers partnership programs to schools in the area and some subsidized curriculum-based tours for area schools. There are even some opportunities for teachers to take developmental workshops gain have access to many interesting education guides that can be used in art instruction.

As I mentioned, the area of North Adams and the Berkshire Mountains have several museums to choose from, but the area also boasts some of the best cuisine in New England. I spent a summer working at the Williamstown Theater Festival and there are countless excellent places to dine between North Adams, Adams, and Williamstown. The art installations at MASS MoCa offer an amazing experience for visitors of all ages but what really impresses me about the museum is how it fosters the work of new emerging artists, and continues to develop relationships with them over the years. MASS MoCA was a truly exceptional experience, and I look forward to my next visit.

For more information: https://massmoca.org/