Described as “a cultural factory for the 21st Century”
and a “permanent work in progress,” this amazing facility was rescued
from the dire fate of many old New England mill complexes,
abandonment, neglect, the wrecking ball and ruin. It has been
transformed into a huge, functioning artistic and cultural community,
like some City of Learning from the Middle Ages. Open since May 1999, it is beacon of art, culture and performance, a
“multidisciplinary center for visual, performing and media arts,” 27
interlinked (by bridges and fiber optics) buildings in brick, wood and glass on 12 acres bounded by
the rivers and scenery of the breathtaking Berkshires. The facility is enormous, over 200,000 square feet, available for performance and exhibitions, as well as bistros, commercial office space and retail
shops. Tours reveal artists and performers actually
creating their work, offering unique perspectives of the light and space for large scale
sculpture, paint and multimedia. The funding for the $26-million project
is being provided by private and government sources. Phase I of the ongoing MASSMoCA project
includes art galleries, performing arts facilities, rehearsal areas,
office spaces, fabrication facilities, live studio space for
artists-in-residence, pre- and post-production facilities for
multi-track audio, video, and film, restaurants, cafes, and retail shops.
Several partners are already located in the complex, including the
museum staff and the Kleiser-Walczak Construction Company. Visit MASSMoCA's website for directions, museum hours and a complete events calendar.
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MASSMoCA refers to itself as a permanent work in progress; this is fitting, considering the facility's history. The site began life in 1872 as the Arnold Print and Dye Works,
then in 1940 was purchased by Sprague Electric Company, eventually
employing 4,000. Though it is a distinctly modern facility,
designed by the respected architectural firm of Bruner/Cott &
Associates, every effort has been made to ensure that MASSMoCA will
integrate high tech amenities with the vital historical and cultural
zeitgeist of New England, paying homage to the strong industrial
character of the mill.
