Robert Wilson's monumental "14 Stations" extended at MASS MoCA

12:00AM / Sunday, October 27, 2002Print Story | Email Story

(North Adams, Massachusetts) Robert Wilson's critically acclaimed, monumental interpretation of the Passion of Christ, 14 Stations, will continue at MASS MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) through summer 2003. This extremely popular work combines architecture, sculpture, landscape design, sounds and light to create a participatory theater in the gallery. The installation was created by the theater director/artist on the occasion of the year 2000 Passionspiele (Passion Play) presented last year in Oberammergau, Germany. At MASS MoCA the work is installed in the 300 foot long Building 5 Gallery. "14 Stations is a rich and nuanced installation that rewards multiple viewings, and prolonged interaction," commented Joseph Thompson, director of MASS MoCA. "In the last month, the work has received a burst of fresh attention from important critics, including Robert Burstein of The New Republic, which has in turn triggered a rush of visits and calls, often by frustrated patrons who have not yet had the opportunity to see the work in North Adams. After discussions with Robert Wilson, we've decided to extend the exhibition through next summer. This will allow our audiences in the Northeast a bit of grace time to see the work, and will also give Robert's office more flexibility in locating a second venue for the work." The work includes 12 8' x 10' cottages, a 25' tall teepee, a 150' boardwalk, as well as dozens of sculptures and other elements. Art critics have hailed 14 Stations as a masterpiece. Public radio WBUR said, "14 Stations succeeds beautifully - a series of nuanced phrases that are carefully, even delicately, arranged in a single powerful exclamation." The Dallas Morning News reviewed the work saying, "It is theater, environmental art, and a sound and light show in which conventional religious expectations are inverted and certainty is banished." The Boston Globe described 14 Stations as, "total theater, a wild ride of architecture, sound, light, sculpture, and choreography." The 14 Stations refers to the moments of passion through which Christ passed on the way toward crucifixion. In the Middle Ages pilgrims performed ceremonial reenactments of the suffering of Christ and the saints to attain spiritual enlightenment. Routes were ritual walkways, and the act of pilgrimage strengthened the identification of the pilgrim-worshipper with the story. In 14 Stations, Wilson explores this rich source of art-historical and religious imagery, translating themes typically reserved for painting, stained glass, and sculptural relief into a complete environment. Wilson was invited by the organizers of the Passion Play to create a large outdoor installation in conjunction with the play's 40th consecutive presentation - the event has been staged in Oberammergau every decade since 1634. In Germany the installation was sited in a grassy meadow.

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McCann Recognizes Superintendent Award Recipient

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
05:32PM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Landon LeClair and Superintendent James Brosnan with Landon's parents Eric and Susan LeClair, who is a teacher at McCann.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Superintendent's Award has been presented to Landon LeClair, a senior in McCann Technical School's advanced manufacturing course.

The presentation was made last Thursday by Superintendent Jame Brosnan after Principal Justin Kratz read from teachers' letters extolling LeClair's school work, leadership and dedication.

"He's become somewhat legendary at the Fall State Leadership Conference for trying to be a leader at his dinner table, getting an entire plate of cookies for him and all his friends," read Kratz to chuckles from the School Committee. "Landon was always a dedicated student and a quiet leader who cared about mastering the content."

LeClair was also recognized for his participation on the school's golf team and for mentoring younger teammates.

"Landon jumped in tutoring the student so thoroughly that the freshman was able to demonstrate proficiency on an assessment despite the missed class time for golf matches," read Kratz.

The principal noted that the school also received feedback from LeClair's co-op employer, who rated him with all fours.

"This week, we sent Landon to our other machine shop to help load and run parts in the CNC mill," his employer wrote to the school. LeClair was so competent the supervisor advised the central shop might not get him back.

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