We just learned this morning that one of our tenant firms, Voodoovox, has been all over the media lately. Wall Street Journal last week and many blogs about their launch of a cellphone recording studio with Ludacris There are more than a dozen firms who rent office space from MASS MoCA in addition to Voodoovox.

We just posted LOTS of pictures of the LeWitt Retrospective installation in progress on flickr. Check it out and get ready for November 16!

If you visited MASS MoCA during the past year, you’ve no doubt noticed that two of the six trees in Natalie Jeremijenko’s Tree Logic had seen better days. Yesterday, they were replaced, and an awesome Flickr set was born.

Former MASS MoCA Design Director Tim Hossler has a great new project cooking at his new digs, the Wolfsonian in Miami Beach. For Thoughts on Democracy, Tim asked a host of amazing designers (Chip Kidd, James Victore, Winterhouse, Paula Scher, Wim Crouwel, to name a few) to riff on Norman Rockwell’s “Four Freedoms” posters, which were recently donated to the Wolfsonian by Leonard Lauder. (One of my favorites, from Crispin Porter + Bogusky, is above.)

We’ve got Edward Burtynsky giving a talk on Thursday 6/26 at 7 but you should come to North Adams early to go to the opening of the Downstreet Art project.

There’s a ton going on on Thursday and its just the start of a great summer of art in North Adams. Here are some details:

There are SEVEN new galleries and nearly TWENTY art destinations including some with strong ties to MASS MoCA like: Primary Secondary Volumes 1 & 2 at 28 Holden Street which features the work of 20 of the drafts-people working on the Sol LeWitt project and Maya III by Jarvis Rockwell at 73 Main Street. You may remember Maya II which was here with Game Show in 2001. Its a nine-foot-tall pyramid covered with action figures plus a site specific wall drawing by Jarvis.

We’re just scratching the surface. There’s a great deal to see and its open all summer and into the fall.

On Thursday you can also celebrate with some of the participating businesses. Shima,Crafty Creations, Second Chance will all have extended hours. Shear Madness will have free eyebrow waxing; Papyri Books will host a sidewalk chalk project; Moulton’s General Store and I Got Goodies will have free chocolate and fudge samples; Cup & Saucer and The Hub will be offering DownStreet Art menu specials and Cafe Latino will host the official after-party.

Hope to see you there!

Like every other office on earth, occasionally MASS MoCA goes through some big changes and staff turnover. We are currently in one of those phases, crying in our coffee as our friends and long time colleagues leave us and celebrating as new faces show up and bring renewed life to the office.

First off I would like to give a virtual cheers to all of our staff who are moving on to bigger and better things. We have truly enjoyed having every one of them at MASS MoCA and wish only good things for them in the future.

Among the newest faces on campus are our summer interns whom have been arriving over the past few days. To our interns and our new staff, your time and work here is greatly appreciated and we look forward to having all of you become part of the MASS MoCA family.

Below are a few photos of the new interns exploring the galleries. If you see them around welcome them to the neighborhood!

Cheers,

Brittany