Mass MoCA Announces Memorial Day Weekend and Summer 2025 Programming

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art  has announced its programming for Memorial Day Weekend and summer 2025.

The events accompany the opening of the exhibition "Vincent Valdez: Just a Dream..." 

Memorial Day Weekend Events:

  • Vincent Valdez: Just a Dream... The exhibition, the first museum survey of Vincent Valdez's work, will open on Saturday, May 24. It will feature drawings and monumental portraits from the past two decades. The exhibition is co-organized by the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH) and MASS MoCA and co-curated by Denise Markonish, Chief Curator at MASS MoCA, and Patricia Restrepo, Curator at CAMH. The exhibition expands upon the current presentation at CAMH with the addition of several works. 
  • Members Opening Preview Celebration: Saturday, May 24, 5:30 p.m. An event to preview the opening of "Just A Dream..." and exhibitions "Ohan Breiding: Belly of a Glacier" and "Dirty & Disorderly: Contemporary Artists on Disgust". Tickets are $20, free for members.
  • MASS MoCA Benefit Dinner: Friday, May 23, 5 p.m. A fundraising event to mark the close of MASS MoCA's 25th Anniversary Season and the opening of the summer season. The event will include dinner, a preview of "Vincent Valdez: Just a Dream...", and an opportunity to view "Trisha Brown Dance Company: Roof Piece". 
  • Trisha Brown Dance Company: Roof Piece: Saturday, May 24, 2 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. A performance of "Roof Piece" (1971) by choreographer Trisha Brown. The site-specific work will take place across the roofs of the museum's campus. Tickets are $49 in advance, $59 week-of (10 percent discount for members). 
  • In Conversation: Kristy Edmunds & Susan Rosenberg: Saturday, May 24, 3 p.m. MASS MoCA Director Kristy Edmunds will converse with Susan Rosenberg, author of Trisha Brown: Choreography as Visual Art. Tickets are $5, free for members. 
  • Saul Williams: Saturday, May 24, 8:30 p.m. A performance by poet and electro rap artist Saul Williams. Tickets are $29 in advance, $39 week-of, $59 preferred (10 percent discount for members). 
  • In Conversation: Vincent Valdez & Hanif Abdurraqib: Sunday, May 25, 11 a.m. Artist Vincent Valdez will discuss his work with poet, essayist, and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib. A book signing will follow the talk. Tickets are $10, free for members. 
     

Summer 2025 Programming:

  • Activations of Jeffrey Gibson's POWER FULL BECAUSE WE'RE DIFFERENT: Performances by Indigenous artists Martha Redbone on Saturday, June 21, at 8 p.m. and MX Oops on Saturday, Aug. 30, at 8 p.m., engaging with Gibson's installation. Tickets for Martha Redbone are $29 in advance, $39 week-of, $59 preferred (10 percent discount for members). Tickets for MX Oops are $20 (10 percent discount for members).
  • Camp MASS MoCA 2025: Weekly sessions from August 4–22 for students entering grades 2–9. Registration is $400 per week (10 percent discount for members, processing fee waived). Weekly themes include Creative Lab in Multimedia and Performance, WHOOP DEE DOO Presents: The Most Beautiful Mess in the World, Pulse and Flow: a site-based art journey, and The Alchemy of Connection. 
     
     
    Member pre-sale for events began Feb. 12, 2025, at noon. General tickets went on sale Friday, Feb. 14, at 10 a.m. Additional summer programming will be announced at a later date.

 


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North Adams Airport Hires New Manager

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Airport Commission unanimously voted this week to hire Skyler Friedman as the new airport manager.

The vote came after a brief interview Tuesday. Although two candidates were scheduled to be interviewed, only Friedman was in attendance.

In total, there were four resumes that a subcommittee knocked down to two finalists.

"All were qualified," Commissioner William Hooper said. "One was less qualified, two were equally qualified, and one was a step above. The two you have this evening were the two determined to be the most qualified."

The commission planned on interviewing both candidates, but only interviewed Friedman. Although the second candidate indicated she would be present remotely for the interview, she never called in.

Friedman was the manager from June until September through the city's contract with Hewison Aviation, a New York-based flight school operating in North Adams. The company provided management services to the city but decided to end this arrangement in the fall.

The commission faced losing Friedman as manager and urged him to apply when they advertised the position.

Friedman spoke about communication, noting he suspected it would be easier as an employee of the city. He also spoke about larger projects at the airport he would like to follow through on, including the creation of a flying club. He said he wants more people at the airport and interested in aviation.

He was asked if he planned to leave the position in the near future for other opportunities.

"I would not be here now if that were my goal," he answered.

He added that the area does not have a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), a position he hopes to fill. He said he hopes to "merge his interests" as the manager and a CFI, eventually relocating permanently to North Adams instead of commuting from Albany.

Otherwise, he said there will be no disruptions, as he has already done the job. Instead of learning a new position, he said he is ready to tackle projects he had to step away from when the contract ran out.

"The past five months have been that process, and I will pick up where I left off," he said. "I stumbled upon things in the interim, and there will be no transition."

In other business, the Airport Commission saw another response to the proposed restaurant RFP. Only one organization responded: East Fork Bread.

Although there was some back-and-forth between the RFP subcommittee and the bread makers, the subcommittee ultimately could not recommend their proposal as it did not fit their requirements.

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