Read Grace Glueck’s review of van Lieshout, Wapenaar, and Killaars in today’s New York Times

We are delighted to welcome our good friends from Marafanyi Percussion to the African Dance party on Sunday, September 2 as dance instructors.  The founders of this pioneering group, Lara Gonzalez & Yael Shacham, are exceptionally gifted and fun teachers and were the star attraction at our booth at North Adams Downtown Celebration last Thursday.

Check them out online: RootsHeartPulse.com

This blog has been a work-in-progress from Day One. After a few months of developing and designing the site, MASS MoCA has finally launched the blog. Now in our ‘live’ state, we are waiting to see how the public will interact with it.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Brittany; I started working at MASS MoCA as an intern in the marketing department in January 2007 and have since been hired full-time as Marketing Coordinator. I will be submitting to the blog occasionally as will interns and other staff members. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we are ecstatic to have this opportunity to share with you some of the things we love about the museum and our thoughts on contemporary art, performances, and events.

This weekend I got the chance to attend the work-in-progress rehearsal of Emio Greco/ PC’s new work Popopera. The company was here as part of the NL: A Season of Dutch Arts in the Berkshires programming. I was more than inspired by the way the dancers powerfully included electric guitars (and, most challengingly, their cords)into their piece. I was even more surprised when I found out that none of these dancers had ever picked up a guitar before they began their residency here two weeks ago! Bravo to the beginnings of a stellar piece, as well as reminding me of what sort of things can be accomplished in just two weeks.

Continuing with a theme of works-in progress, I urge all of you — especially those who have never come to a work-in-progress showing — to visit MASS MoCA on September 29th when David Neumann and his dance company Advanced Beginner Group present feedforward. This dance is shaped around popular American sports and the movements those sports require. They’ll be joined by a live trombone choir adding an authentic sporting event feel to the evening.

Cheers,
Brittany

We encourage you to become a member of the newly renovated BerkshireArtStart.org. This website is meant to connect you with the greater cultural community of the Berkshires and also give you a venue to promote your work.

BerkshireArtStart.org membership means that you can create your own professional profile to include a detailed description of your work as well as further contact information for other members or site visitors to reach you.

Please register at the site.

In addition to using the site’s arts directory, as a member you will be able to list and promote any and all events on the site’s calendar and contribute writing to the site’s blog. You will also have access to arts-related Job Postings and a Message Board where you can ask questions and communicate with other BerkshireArtStart.org members.

While Porches isn’t run by MASS MoCA and its actually in former mill housing not an old farmhouse, we’re still delighted by the shout out from psychoPEDIA.com who recommend us as one of four perfect summer weekend getaways.

Kolok Gallery, Eclipse Mill, and Beaver Mill Gallery, all in North Adams within a mile or so of MASS MoCA, will all have openings from 5 - 8 PM on Saturday, August 18. People can visit all three before the Laurel & Hardy films with live music from Steve Bernstein and the Millenial Territory Orchestra.

We were on the cover of this week’s Valley Advocate with a major story and interview by James Heflin.

He loves Spencer Finch:

“Not just any artist can fill the considerable spaces of MASS MoCA, but Spencer Finch is an artist whose work commands a presence only containable by the vaulting rooms of such a large museum. ”

and some of The Believers:

“The Believers is an uneven, partly disappointing exhibit, but it does possess strength through numbers. From the giant insect-like creation that greets you upon entering the largest room to small siderooms devoted to small-scale paintings, there is plenty to choose from, and some of it is likely to snare your interest.”