8/15/19
NORTH ADAMS, MASS. — DownStreet Art, the last-Thursday-of-the-month popup program
of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts’ Berkshire Cultural Resource Center (MCLA
BCRC), returns to downtown North Adams from 5-8 p.m. on August 29, 2019. As always,
DownStreet Art is free and open to the public.
DSA returns to downtown North Adams on Sept. 26, the final installment of the season
This month, make sure to catch new gallery exhibits, Main Street storefront installations designed by local and regional artists, mural-making from MASS MoCA’s Kidspace, music under the Mohawk Theatre marquee, an Eagle Street beverage garden, a community bike tour of the city’s murals, and more. Here’s what’s in store:
Gallery Openings:
MCLA Gallery 51: Making One’s Mark
51 Main Street
August 29-Sept. 21
Opening celebration 5-8 p.m.
Featuring multiple artists, this show explores mark making, which describes the different lines, dots, marks, patterns, and textures we create in an artwork. it can be loose and gestural or controlled and neat. It can apply to any material used on any surface: paint on canvas, ink or pencil on paper, a scratched mark on plaster, clay or metal, a digital paint tool on a screen, the pattern in a weaving, even a sound can be a form of mark making. Artists use gesture to express their feelings and emotions in response to something seen or something felt - or gestural qualities can be used to create a purely abstract composition.
Gravity Gallery: Fundamental Forces
A show by Taylor Hokanson
August 29-Sept. 21
Opening reception 5-8p.m.
44 Eagle Street
Artist statement: I am an artist, self-taught engineer, gonzo journalist, Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) consultant, and open source hardware evangelist. Though these descriptors appear to have little in common, they all express my overarching desire to make things and to do so on my own terms. I attribute this can-do attitude the Midwestern cities I’ve lived and worked in, including St. Louis, Cleveland, Detroit, and Chicago. Each of these towns is marked by a painful transition from the industrial age to the information age, which forced folks to hustle or go broke. Those stories are reflected in my own transition from welder, blacksmith, and commercial sculptor to self-taught computer scientist, academic, and postdigital artist.
Installation Space: Building Memory
an installation by Robert Maloney
August 29-Oct. 27
49 Eagle Street
BUILDING MEMORY is an installation that is influenced by the fluid and flawed process of our deteriorating memories. The installation utilizes architecturally inspired structures and multiple projections of animated textures and portraits. As the imagery is superimposed onto the structures they deteriorate and ameliorate at different stages of recognition. The projected imagery is a combination of animated hand drawn portraits that are layered together with a series of digital and analog textures. A soundtrack of ambient and rhythmic sounds accompany the video footage to create a fully immersive experience for the viewer. Robert Maloney, a Massachusetts native, completed his master of fine arts in August 2014 from Massachusetts College of Art and Design through its interdisciplinary summer low-residency MFA program. Maloney also earned a BFA from MassArt in 1996 through the illustration department. He has shown at numerous galleries throughout the Boston area including the Mercury Gallery, C Duell Arts, Copley Society of Art (CoSo), Kingston Gallery, Lincoln Arts Project, Fourth Wall Project, 13 Forest and McGladrey Gallery.
Music under the Mohawk Theatre marquee:
DJ ELIXR (Jon Del Sordo ’11)
DJ iamsam (Sam Boyden ’14)
DJ FUDZ (Cooper Gangemi)
Hailing from the hills of the Berkshires, Elixr, DJ iamsam and fuzd bring their infectious grooves and bass-y beats to DownStreet Art! Get ready to dance as they take you on a musical experience to remember! Elixr, DJ iamsam & Fuzd have showcased their DJ talents all over, from house shows and dive bars to the main stage of MASS MoCA and university stages across the Northeast. Their signature mix of funky grooves, unbeatable beats and fun summer vibes will keep you dancing long into the night! With nearly 30 years of DJing experience between them, these guys know how to throw a party!
Main Street Storefronts:
49 Main Street:
Gloria Calderon-Saenz “North Adams with Strings Attached”
Eric Reinemann “Intersections”
68 Main Street:
Benjamin Lamb “Torn to Pieces”
101 Main Street:
Sarah DeFusco & Megan Karlen “Stratos-Fear”
105 Main Street:
Emilee Yawn “Fake Nature”
107 Main Street:
Hideyo Okamura “Abstract”
Sara Farrell Okamura “Fact vs. Fiction”
On Holden Street:
Artists Market hosted by Common Folk: Discover art for sale by local artists
Kids Pavilion: Featuring “Giant Jenga” by Danny O, and free face painting by Bria
Also join us for:
Eagle Street Beverage Garden: In the Eagle Street Pocket Park featuring fresh beer on tap from Bright Ideas Brewing and tasty margaritas from Desperado’s. (21+)
Bike to the Murals: A four-mile long ride through downtown North Adams, coordinated by the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition. Meet at St. Anthony's Municipal Parking lot at 6 p.m. and see the murals by bike.
Common Folk Presents: Live silkscreen printing demonstrations and an artist showcase.
Design Lab, 49 Main Street: “Still I Rise” Mural making from MASS MoCA’s Kidspace.
Downstreet Art events are held on the last Thursday of every month from June through September and are free and open to the public. DownStreet Art is a program of MCLA’s Berkshire Cultural Resource Center, which provides professional development training, resources, and support to the artists, art managers, and creative workers of Berkshire County run by MCLA. DSA’s goal is to help the economic development of North Adams and encourage the dialogue between our community and the arts. Since its inception in 2008, more than 150,000 visitors have come downtown and through the doors of DownStreet Art’s galleries and exhibits.
