Ralph Stanley signs autographs at a concert;
MASS MoCA
North Adams. MA
photo by son of Sans

Saturday July 7, 2007

Our annual trek to the Berkshire Mountains.

North Adams, MA

We love it this area of Massachusetts; it is a juxtaposition of blue collar and culture.

North Adams was a mill town, like many other towns situated near canals. In the 1800’s factories sprung up near water which enabled transit of materials and goods.

In the 1980’s the Sprague Electric Works was shut down and deemed a contaminated site.The company was housed in a 19th century mill which stood idle until it was resurrected in 1999 as the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, or MASS MoCA.The economy of North Adams was failing and it was a hope that the museum would breathe life back into the town.

Situated across the canal was company housing.If you look closely at mill towns you will see a common architecture of ticky-tacky little attached houses, usually with porches, that provided housing to the factory workers and their families.

In July 2001, The Porches Inn opened; the old company row houses were renovated and brought up to 21st century standards with a sense of humor; low tech-meets high tech.

A long porch runs the length of the row; you can sit out there and rock on.Rooms are comfortable but redolent of workers’ accommodations: muslin curtains, large English sinks, antiqued bureaus play against DSL connections, tv’s and vcr’s.There are decorative antique plates everywhere, and each room has its share of artsy-funky elegance; ebay purchased paint –by-numbers décor.It’s just plain fun.

So after we stuff ourselves with breakfast: croissants, pain au chocolat, multigrain bread, cheese, cereal, juice, coffee, yogurt, eggs, we waddle over to MASS MoCA, where we explore the work of cutting edge artists from all over the world.

But MASS MoCA is also a hub for musicians and performance.The evening we arrived, we met our friends for dinner (they drove over from Albany, NY) and attended a Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys concert.“Dr. Stanley” is about 80 years old and tours with his group in a huge comfy , classy bus.If you have never heard of Ralph Stanley, you have probably heard his music. He is America.

He provided some music for the movie, O Brother Where Art Thou.

Here’s a sample of an old Ralph Stanley recording from 1969. This group is known for the most amazing banjo picking and fiddling.

Sunday, July 8, 2007

The Berkshire area is so full of cultural events and exhibits, it’s hard to decide what to do first.Instead of going to MASS MoCA this day, we met our friends again, this time , a short ride away, in Williamstown, MA (home of Williams College where there is great theatre) to the
Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute.

Two of my favorite paintings in the permanent exhibition are:

The Women of Amphissa by Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema, 1887

On to a Mexican late lunch-early dinner, hanging out by the pool and reading, and a fireworks display, 4th of July a week late due to a rain-out.

fireworks photos by son of Sans Souci

• biggy
• Offline IM

Beep! Beep! Move that big tour bus over Dr. Stanley, biggy’s coming through with the fireworks! Another great post Sans Souci, so much history and talent under one roof, on one chunk of ground we call America! Hopefuly God will give us the gift of time to acknowledge them all! Thanks for sharing your well spent time for the rest of us to learn and enjoy!

Monday July 16, 2007 – 06:45pm (CDT) Remove Comment

• sugar…
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I like the fireworks photos.

Monday July 16, 2007 – 06:57pm (CDT) Remove Comment

• Tee-b…
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John Singer Sargent is one of, if not THE, favorite painter of mine! One day I’ll have to venture out to No.Adams and that corner of Massachusetts. Glad you had such a good time away, but am also glad you are back, Sue.

Monday July 16, 2007 – 08:29pm (EDT) Remove Comment

• spazz…
• Offline IM

My dad used to play some banjo! My mom would get mostly irritated! I love seeing the different places and pieces through your eyes! Sorry I have been out of pocket, I know it will get worse before getting back to normal. We found the house, and today we went on my lunch hour and got our marriage liscence!!!Yay!

Monday July 16, 2007 – 10:30pm (CDT) Remove Comment

• Roo
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This is a great post Sooz. It gives an alien a great view of a bit of American culture that isnt normally visible. I love it.

Tuesday July 17, 2007 – 05:40am (PDT) Remove Comment

• redhe…
• Offline IM

Love the post, and your description of the different aspects of the area. I’ve been there and loved it. 🙂

Tuesday July 17, 2007 – 10:02pm (EDT) Remove Comment

• Giles…
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We had a wonderful Sargent exhibition at the Tate a few years ago. He is quite stunning. His studio in London is still almost as was and inhabited by an artist and his house has been stunningly restired by the Rothschilds who live in it. I love his watercolours, which are hard to find online and really need to be seen in real life to be appreciated.

Thursday July 19, 2007 – 06:26pm (BST) Remove Comment

reply maavax wrote on Dec 6, ’07 How odd (and wonderful!), seeing North Adams described as “a juxtaposition of blue collar and culture”. I love the fact that it’s arrived back on the map and people now make it a destination instead of a route to bigger and better places. The changes there have been rapid and dramatic – ten years ago, River Street (where Porches is located) was the street that we weren’t allowed to walk down alone after dark. Now it’s one of the city’s hubs. Thanks for the pictures! Family doesn’t often remember to take photos of the backdrop of their lives — so it’s been quite a long time since I’ve seen Jack’s. It made me smile. :o)