COME DOWNTOWN!!

Check out this year’s DownStreet Art project...

DownStreet Art 2009 kicks off this coming Thursday June 25th from 6pm-9pm with a downtown wide celebration of the arts in North Adams. Doors will open to 15 new art spaces, new exhibitions will open in 14 permanent galleries and museums, performances will be held, and select business and restaurants will offer DownStreet Art specials.

DownStreet Art is a public art project designed to revitalize downtown North Adams.  By harnessing existing arts organizations and events and transforming vacant and open spaces into arts destinations, DownStreet Art defines North Adams as a cultural haven, driving tourists and community members’ downtown.

"MASS MoCA was created in 1999, as a different kind of museum by delivering performing and visual arts to the city of North Adams.  MASS MoCA began with no source of endowment and used an alternative method in the form of commercial real estate development as a source of income revenue for the museum.  Although the city gave MASS MoCA its 27 building complex, it does not support the museum in any other capacity which makes the idea of the commercial real estate even more important as a means for support. While it seems they did have many traumatic crises throughout the past 10 years, now the commercial real estate is bringing in 1.4 million a year in revenue.  Eventually their real estate property along with MASS MoCA’s presence in the community will hopefully contribute to an overall revitalization for the city of North Adams; and in effect bring in a greater amount of businesses and tourism to the area.  It was also interesting to note that their local attendance is much higher than was anticipated, proving the local residents unwavering support of the future of the museum.  Due to the fact that the museum has never been used to a wealthy endowment and has many instances of crisis, I think that perhaps they will survive the economic storm that we are facing today with a greater amount of stability than some of its other museum equivalents."

-Becca Raynes, Summer 2009 B-HIP intern

"As an exhibition space, MASS MoCA is beyond impressive.  They have really capitalized on and enhanced the qualities of the old mill and turned each building into a space that any artist would die to work in.  Each installation element seems to fit.  From the labels and signage to lighting to the ductwork that serves as décor, the cleaned-up industrialist aesthetic works.  And as someone who has never been a fan of Sol Lewitt’s art, I appreciated his installations more than I ever have because the way they felt in the space.  Each wall drawing was so huge in those rooms of relatively low ceilings and sharp corners – they were transformed from cold and analytical renderings to enveloping and passionate pictures that held my attention like Rothkos.  I was also excited to see the new works created by the younger artists upstairs.  Again, a great way to utilize the massive spaces in the complex is to have artists work with the space directly to create new work.  This pushes not only the artist but the institution as well."

-Julia Dixon, Summer 2009 B-HIP intern

"Though it was a groggy morning and a long trip in a not so comfortable van, the journey was entirely worth it. I slept most of the way to NYC; passing out in a sleepy town and waking up to the city that they say never sleeps. The complete contrast was thrilling in and of itself. I really loved the energy of that place. It took an hour just to navigate our way through the crowds of people and venders lining the streets. It made me feel so small, but almost free in a way that I could get lost but it would be okay because there is something to explore no matter where I was to end up.

More than anything I think I loved the dynamics of the City and how I could travel from congested streets into the Brooklyn Botanical Garden and forget for a second where I was a minute ago because of the 52-acre patch of living, breathing art. It was like traveling to another world. It was a comfortable place, obviously very tranquil and peaceful. It was a necessary escape from the chaos of the surrounding environment and I am thankful that it exists to offer people some softness in an otherwise very hard and concrete city. It reminded me how necessary plants and flowers are to our lives and that its good to take a step back from the business sometimes and appreciate the natural environment. Leslie Findlen was easy to talk to and really good at explaining her role as well as the role of development and membership within a non-profit. From her TalkBack I was able to relay what she spoke about and what I learned into my own job and I found that it helped me a lot.

I left the Gardens with an extremely open mind because that experience, I never would have looked at plants as something that can exist together in a museum-type setting and how art takes so many different forms and is carried out along many different avenues. From a development perspective I am glad I was able to compare how two different types of museums function.

Leaving the Gardens and traveling back into the City to attend Muslim Voices at BAM was a perfect sequence of events just because I felt so open and was ready to perceive the show as well as the movie. Once again it was instilled in me how different cultures really can exist amongst themselves peacefully. I heard music that night that I had never listened to before and the fact that they were two complete polar opposite groups of people, who embark in different beliefs and traditions but still shared the commonality of faith was really enlightening. I was looking around the audience from time to time, and noticed people dancing and clapping; tapping feet, and being almost entirely sucked into the music. I thought this was really cool because once again it was all about different people just coming together, which I see to be the overall mission of this trip."

-Cailtin Allard, Summer 2009 B-HIP intern

"The trip to Brooklyn was great. The four hour trip in a van with seven people was bearable, even with Jonathan driving! The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens were beautiful and talking with Leslie Findlen was the highlight for me. I really enjoyed hearing about all the different aspects of what she does in the Development department. She was extremely insightful and easy to talk to. I think collaboratively we all had great questions and I loved the knowledge that I got from her about large non-profit organizations. I am truly inspired by her and I think I am slowly realizing what it is I want to do with arts and culture. Her development knowledge is unprecedented and she gave some great tips about how to go about doing what she does. Going to BAM was also exciting. It is a huge venue and they do a lot of programming there. The film was insightful and moving. The Heart of Jenin was a great segway into the performance at the Harvey. The Chanters were amazing and the Gospel singers lifted me off my feet."

-Kailtyn Olmstead, Summer 2009 B-HIP intern