NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — DownStreet Art, the last-Thursday-of-the-month popup program of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' Berkshire Cultural Resource Center, returns to downtown North Adams from 5-8 p.m. on Aug. 29. As always, DownStreet Art is free and open to the public.

 

This month, catch new gallery exhibits, Main Street storefront installations designed by local and regional artists, mural-making from Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art's Kidspace, music under the Mohawk Theater marquee, an Eagle Street beverage garden, a community bike tour of the city's murals, and more. Here's what's in store:

 

 

MCLA Gallery 51: "Making One's Mark"

 

Featuring multiple artists, this show explores mark making, which describes the different lines, dots, marks, patterns, and textures we create in an artwork. it can be loose and gestural or controlled and neat. It can apply to any material used on any surface: paint on canvas, ink or pencil on paper, a scratched mark on plaster, clay or metal, a digital paint tool on a screen, the pattern in a weaving, even a sound can be a form of mark making. Artists use gesture to express their feelings and emotions in response to something seen or something felt -- or gestural qualities can be used to create a purely abstract composition.

 

 

Gravity Gallery, 44 Eagle: "Fundamental Forces"

 

A show by Taylor Hokanson: I am an artist, self-taught engineer, gonzo journalist, computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) consultant, and open source hardware evangelist. Though these descriptors appear to have little in common, they all express my overarching desire to make things and to do so on my own terms. I attribute this can-do attitude the Midwestern cities I've lived and worked in, including St. Louis, Cleveland, Detroit, and Chicago. Each of these towns is marked by a painful transition from the industrial age to the information age, which forced folks to hustle or go broke. Those stories are reflected in my own transition from welder, blacksmith, and commercial sculptor to self-taught computer scientist, academic, and postdigital artist.

 

 

Installation Space, 49 Eagle: "Building Memory"

 

Installation by Robert Maloney: This installation is influenced by the fluid and flawed process of our deteriorating memories. The installation utilizes architecturally inspired structures and multiple projections of animated textures and portraits. As the imagery is superimposed onto the structures they deteriorate and ameliorate at different stages of recognition. The projected imagery is a combination of animated hand drawn portraits that are layered together with a series of digital and analog textures. A soundtrack of ambient and rhythmic sounds accompany the video footage to create a fully immersive experience for the viewer. Robert Maloney, a Massachusetts native, completed his master of fine arts in August 2014 from Massachusetts College of Art and Design through its interdisciplinary summer low-residency MFA program. 

 

 

DJ Elixr (Jon Del Sordo, MCLA '11)

DJ iamsam (Sam Boyden, MCLA '14)

DJ Fuzd (Cooper Gangemi)

 

Hailing from the hills of the Berkshires, Elixr, DJ iamsam and Fuzd bring their infectious grooves and bass-y beats to DownStreet Art. They showcased their DJ talents all over, from house shows and dive bars to the main stage of Mass MoCA and university stages across the Northeast. Their signature mix of funky grooves, unbeatable beats and fun summer vibes will keep you dancing long into the night. With nearly 30 years of DJing experience between them, these guys know how to throw a party

49 Main Street

 

Gloria Calderon-Saenz: "North Adams with Strings Attached"

Eric Reinemann: "Intersections"

 

 

68 Main Street

 

Benjamin Lamb: "Torn to Pieces"

 

 

101 Main Street

 

Sarah DeFusco & Megan Karlen: "Stratos-Fear"

 

 

105 Main Street

 

Emilee Yawn: "Fake Nature"

 

 

107 Main Street

 

Hideyo Okamura: "Abstract"

Sara Farrell Okamura: "Fact vs. Fiction"

 

Artists Market hosted by Common Folk: Discover art for sale by local artists

Kids Pavilion: Featuring "Giant Jenga" by Danny O, and free face painting by Bria

 

Eagle Street Beverage Garden: In the Eagle Street Pocket Park featuring beer on tap from Bright Ideas Brewing and margaritas from Desperados. (Age 21 and older)

 

Bike to the Murals: A four-mile long ride through downtown North Adams, coordinated by the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition. Meet at St. Anthony's Municipal Parking lot at 6 p.m. and see the murals by bike.

 

Common Folk Presents: Live silkscreen printing demonstrations and an artist showcase.

 

Design Lab, 49 Main Street: "Still I Rise" Mural making from Mass MoCA's Kidspace.

 

Downstreet Art events are held on the last Thursday of every month from June through September and are free and open to the public. DownStreet Art is a program of MCLA's Berkshire Cultural Resource Center, which provides professional development training, resources, and support to the artists, art managers, and creative workers of Berkshire County run by MCLA. DSA's goal is to help the economic development of North Adams and encourage the dialogue between our community and the arts. Since its inception in 2008, more than 150,000 visitors have come downtown and through the doors of DownStreet Art's galleries and exhibits.