Mass MoCA Commission Approves Mental Health Practices as Tenants
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Mass MoCA Commission on Thursday approved three new tenants for Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.
Kimma Stark, project manager at the museum, gave the commission the rundown on each of the new tenants.
Eric Beeman is a licensed mental health counselor who uses art in his therapy. He holds a master's degree in expressive arts and arts therapy from Lesley University, where he's also taught graduate-level practices and principles of expressive art therapy.
He integrates creative arts based interventions into his clinical work including drawing painting, poetry, writing, brief drama and roleplay, movement and sound. Beeman works one-on-one and with small groups and said he mostly works with adults.
He will be operating as Berkshires Expressive Arts Therapy on the third floor of Building 1.
Beeman said Stark has been very helpful. "It's different than just renting a space and she's been very helpful and personable and accessible," he said.
Mary Wilkes, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist, works with individuals with severe mental illness, with attachment and relationship issues and needing support navigating major life transitions. She works with teenagers, college and students and adults.
She holds a degree in clinical psychology from Tufts University and a master's in clinical social work from the University of Texas at Austin. She's trained in depression, anxiety, trauma and other behavioral health problems, and maternal mental health care. She is certified to provide culturally relevant and affirming care to the LGBTQ-plus community.
Wilkes said she would like to offer group sessions for grief and loss support groups.
"I'm really excited to offer more therapeutic support to the community," she said.
Wilkes is moving her practice from Williamstown to office space on the second floor of Building 13.
Stark said Building 13 is now fully rented out.
The third tenant is a short-term 19-month lease to Charles Pardoe and his family. Pardoe, of Williamstown, will be using a private office on the second floor of Building 1 as a private office and as a staging ground for sorting through paperwork, furniture, art and other items during their move.
"This will be an active pursuit," said Stark. "It is not a storage facility. It is something that they just needs some space for."
Pardoe retired from Prudential Financial as investment executive and has been based in Abu Dhabi while maintaining a home in Williamstown. He is a former Mass MoCA board member.
Stark and Morgan Everett, head of public initiatives and real estate, also talked about some of the events happening at Mass MoCA for its 25th anniversary on Saturday.
"Mass MoCA is having a community day, there will all sorts of exciting things, free museum admission for everyone who comes through the door, gallery tours, special Kidspace activities, live performances, a number of our campus tenants are activating with special activities for all of the public who are going to be here," said Everett. "Our restaurants here on campus are doing food specials. We're going to have open studios for Assets for Artists in the Studos at Mass MoCA."
There are also a number of ticketed events for performances and a talk with former and current directors Joe Thompson and Kristy Edmunds.
In other business, the commission is seeking two members to fill the vacancies of Michael Obasohan, whose term ended in February, and Gail Sellers, who resigned.
