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The windows at 107 Main St. in North Adams show work by Galen Cheney and Debi Pendell

Main Street in North Adams Filled With Art in the New Year

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Jon Verney's 'Sightseer' is featured at 105 Main St.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Downtown North Adams is glammed up for the new year, thanks to an artistic collaboration among the city of North Adams and the Berkshire Cultural Resource Center and Fine and Performing Arts Department of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

New work from local artists, one Mass MoCA artist in residence, two MCLA alumni and eight MCLA students has been placed in storefront windows along Main Street. Visitors who wish to read more about the artists and obtain a walking map can isit MCLA Gallery 51 at 51 Main St. in North Adams.

"We wanted to ignite Main Street in a way that reflects the rich and eclectic arts community that works here, studies here, and comes here to experience all that North Adams has to offer," BCRC Director Erica Wall said.


With help from Installation Space Gallery and the North Adams Cultural District, art by by Tara Sabharwal, a December 2019 artist in residence at Mass MoCA, is now featured in the window of MCLA's Design Lab at 49 Main St. MCLA seniors Emery Bibbins, Liz Brick, Gillian Fournier, Spring Hajjar, Samantha Hinds, Sierra Lamonde, Kelsey Sherman and Macie Turrell have work displayed in the space's opposite window; this group of visual arts majors will also have a traditional senior art show at MCLA Gallery 51 in April.

Jon Verney's "Sightseer" is featured at 105 Main St. The windows at 107 Main St. show work by Galen Cheney and Debi Pendell. Work by MCLA 2016 alum Nate Massari is featured across the street at 68 Main St., and work by MCLA 2018 alum Halie Smith is displayed in the windows of 70 Main St.

"MCLA's downtown presence and programs through the Berkshire Cultural Resource Center, the Design Lab, and other initiatives enlivens and enriches both the college and the city," North Adams Mayor Tom Bernard said. "This new collaboration builds on our strong partnership to highlight the vibrancy and variety of our cultural district, to showcase the incredible talent of professional and student artists, and to activate downtown storefronts as platforms for community engagement."


Tags: art installation,   Main Street,   MCLA,   North Adams,   

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Macksey Updates on Eagle Street Demo and Myriad City Projects

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

The back of Moderne Studio in late January. The mayor said the city had begun planning for its removal if the owner could not address the problems. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Moderne Studio building is coming down brick by brick on Eagle Street on the city's dime. 
 
Concerns over the failing structure's proximity to its neighbor — just a few feet — means the demolition underway is taking far longer than usual. It's also been delayed somewhat because of recent high winds and weather. 
 
The city had been making plans for the demolition a month ago because of the deterioration of the building, Mayor Jennifer Macksey told the City Council on Tuesday. The project was accelerated after the back of the 150-year-old structure collapsed on March 5
 
Initial estimates for demolition had been $190,000 to $210,000 and included asbestos removal. Those concerns have since been set aside after testing and the mayor believes that the demolition will be lower because it is not a hazardous site.
 
"We also had a lot of contractors who came to look at it for us to not want to touch it because of the proximity to the next building," she said. "Unfortunately time ran out on that property and we did have the building failure. 
 
"And it's an unfortunate situation. I think most of us who have lived here our whole lives and had our pictures taken there and remember being in the window so, you know, we were really hoping the building could be safe."
 
Macksey said the city had tried working with the owner, who could not find a contractor to demolish the building, "so we found one for him."
 
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