MCLA Art Exhibition: 'Stigmas and Stories: Changing the Narrative'

08:06AM / Tuesday, May 03, 2022Print Story | Email Story

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' (MCLA) Gallery 51 will host "Stigmas and Stories: Changing the Narrative," featuring artwork from students in the Classes of 2020, 2021, 2022, with an in-person opening reception at the gallery from 5-6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 6, 2022.

This event free and is open to the public, and refreshments will be served.

This exhibition will feature three graduating senior artists: Kennedy Sobon, Nhi Lam, and Ana Sheehy, all from the Class of 2022, as well as the work from from the 2020 and 2021 classes.

According to a press release, the artists explore how art can re-tell and re-shape common narratives. From mental illness to fairytales and culture, this exhibition shows how artists use their mediums to explore the different facets of storytelling by telling their own personal stories or the stories from their cultures.

About the Artists

Kennedy Sobon '22 is an artist who uses fashion as a vehicle to explore her relationship with mental illness and self-love. She states that "my artwork is an extension of myself. It gives meaning to what my words cannot."

Nhi Lam '22 works primarily in digital art, and through her large poster illustrations she explores her Vietnamese culture and the experiences that come from growing up with both American and Vietnamese influences.

Ana Sheehy '22 uses an array of traditional mediums. Through the image of the unicorn, they explore how different mediums affect the ways that we experience art, stating that "every medium has its own baggage that comes from the social biases we impose on it, and we cannot look at a piece of art without acknowledging that social baggage."

This exhibition will also serve as a celebration of returning to in-person exhibitions.

"The past two years have really taken a toll on our art students. It's hard to make art in a remote situation! As a result, the class of '22 will be inviting alumni from the past two years to join the show to re-exhibit their student artwork, or some of their most recent endeavors," said Professor of Art Melanie Mowinski, advisor to art students, along with Professor of Art Greg Scheckler.

For additional information on "Stigmas and Stories: Changing the Narrative" contact (413) 662-5324 or go to https://www.mcla.edu/mcla-in-the-community/bcrc/mcla-gallery-51/index.php.

Tags: MCLA,

iBerkshires.com Text Ads

rk MILES Blding Materials

Are You Ready to Update Your Home? Start With rk MILES. 4 Locations (800)670-7433

www.rkmiles.com

Save & Earn with Greylock

3.30% APY 6-month certificate. Click to learn more! Insured by NCUA.

www.greylock.org

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Rogers-Adkinson Takes Oath as MCLA's 13th President

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
05:35PM / Monday, October 05, 2026

MCLA President Diana Rogers-Adkinson wearing the presidential chain and her special MCLA high-top Chuck Taylors after swearing in ceremonies.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The 13th president of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts was formally installed on Saturday and challenged the college community to "love your students to success."

Diana Rogers-Adkinson, now nicknamed "President R.A.," was lauded by new and old friends colleagues who filled the Amsler Campus Center before giving her address: "A Shared Voice — A Bright Future."

"Thank you all for loving me to success," she said. "A life isn't rich without people like you to hold me tight. So finally, feel friends traveled in here today, and we almost all started as colleagues. We all believed in what education can do for people, and somewhere in all that work, we became something more. We lifted up our students, and we lifted up each other. Thank you for lifting me up today."

Rogers-Adkinson started in her post in July, succeeding the retiring James Birge. She was most recently senior vice chancellor for academic and student affairs and chief academic officer for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, which oversees 10 universities serving approximately 80,000 students.

She and other speakers touched on the issues impacting higher education today — the loss of faith in a college education and the challenges faced by students.

"If people have lost confidence in higher education because they believe institutions intentionally keep our students enrolled longer for our financial reasons, then we have failed to tell the real story," she said. "Our students are not statistics; they are people navigating complex lives while pursuing an education and a better future."

Rogers-Adkinson pointed to a 78 percent retention rate at MCLA and comparable institutions, and flipped it by looking at the 22 percent who left. It's a figure she said she wasn't comfortable with and declared a goal of 100 percent retention.

View Full Story