MCLA Gallery 51 Introduces Senior Art Project

09:22AM / Saturday, April 27, 2024Print Story | Email Story

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) presents its 2024 senior art project showcasing the work of students Skylah Zayas, Hailey Rolon, and Matt Flanagan.

"Synthesis: Sluts, Beasts, and Synths" is an inquiry into themes of love, imaginative beasts, and post-punk/industrial music, according to a press release.

The exhibition is open for viewing until May 11 at Gallery 51, located at 51 Main St. in North Adams.

Zayas' project explores themes of love and sexuality using reclaimed wooden pallets fashioned into a bed. The fabric upholstery and bedding incorporate quotes gathered from participants' relationship experiences.

"This sculpture/installation reflects emotion and experiences of modern hook-up culture from not only myself, but my peers," Zayas said. "My artwork strongly utilizes the opinions and voices in my surrounding community."

Rolon creates life-sized dream-like beasts using paper mâché, clay, and drawings. She sees her work as an extension of herself, expressing the physicality of her lived experiences.

Flanagan combines his interpretations of post-punk and industrial music with art historical inquiry. His work merges music and art through experimental compositions using metal scraps and found materials.

"We are all combining our external influences with our own ideas, in uncomfortable or shocking ways," he said. "The shock factor in my project is through my materials - rusty, sharp, and bizarre metal scraps."

Under the guidance of MCLA art professors and Gallery 51 staff, alongside guest artists, the students create professional statements, resumes, and other documents necessary for entering the art world. In addition to the exhibit, students will deliver artist talks at MCLA's Undergraduate Research Conference.

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North Adams Council Gets Update on Opioid Collaborative Actions

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
12:05PM / Friday, September 25, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council got an update from the Berkshire Overdose and Addiction Prevention Collaborative on Tuesday.

Andy Ottoson and Anna Youngman, of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, spoke about the Into the Light Project and other work being undertaken by the collaborative.

"The HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Coalition, with funding from the city and from [Berkshire Health Systems], brought the Into the Light Project to our area to reduce stigma, encourage compassion, and promote dialog, inviting viewers to advocate for improved treatment access and respectful disruptions around addiction," said Youngman, North County HEAL Coalition community coordinator.

The exhibit of artist illustrations and narratives of those lost to overdose, including residents of North Berkshire, was displayed at Hotel Downstreet earlier this year; partial versions of the exhibit are now being displayed in municipal buildings, including City Hall and Adams Town Hall.

Youngman said about 1,000 people from seven states viewed the exhibit and that the "feedback from the project was exceptional." The exhibit is the brainchild of nonprofit's founder and artist Theresa Clower who has put on nearly two dozen installations around the country.

"We extend our deepest gratitude to the local families who shared the stories of their loved ones with us throughout this project by allowing us to see the whole person, their joys, their talents, and their dreams," said Youngman. "These families have helped break down stigma and remind us that every life matters."

She continued that the number of outreach specialists has doubled to 12 and that the collaborative is doing a needs assessment to determine the most crucial needs and create a strategic plan for use of the opioid settlement funds.

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