mass moca

Wonderful visit here, my only regret is that is was too short! The galleries are very interesting and the exhibits were varied, so I felt like I got to explore quite a bit!

It was my first time in Mass MoCA and i has such a great time with all the exhibitions and just the fact of visiting old buildings renovated to expose local artist.

We have visited Mass Moca many times. This is one of the very few museums in the world that is truly a Contemporary Art Museum - because it has no collections and therefore can continue to show living artists. By contract MOMA , the Museum of Modern Art in New York has collections of art going back over a hundred years - you have to ask yourself is 100 year old art really modern?The quality of the contemporray artists that Mass Moca attract is second to none. We visited last week and saw four amazing shows from the following artists:The Sol Lewitt Collection on three floors of one building.A Sayler/Morris collaboration with Elizabeth Kolbert called "Eclipse" - a powerful visceral animation of the demise of the "Passenger Pigeon."Teresita Fernandez' "As above so Below" - a show that demonstrates the artist's use of materials such as gold chrome and graphite. Her Rorschach blot in gold chrome is shockingly beautiful.Lee Boroson who makes magic with plastic materials - His Niagara Falls is quite dramatic.The museum has just entered into some 25 year collaborations with living artists such as Jenny Holzer, Anselm Kiefer, Laurie Anderson and James Turrell, and with representatives of Louise Bourgeois and Robert Rauschenbergl. These collections will fill a large number of the museum's old factory buildings and when they open in 2017, Mass Moca will be the largest Contemporary Art Museum in the USA at 250,000 square feet.After enjoying an enervating visit go to Public: Eat and Drink for some fine dining and great beers and cocktails.

If you live in Mass, at least Western Mass you can often get a free family day pass from your local library if it's not in use. I used one to go with my little sister and brother, 9 and 10 years old respectively, and they were entertained enough to spend about 2 hours there. One exhibit had ping pong balls falling from the ceiling, and then being sucked back up a large tube, which they liked very much. I enjoyed taking photos of their confused faces in front of large paintings of variously colored squares. I'm not a particular fan of modern art, but I imagine that if you are the museum would be well worth paying full price.

I lived in North Adams when MoCA was little more than a dream, participated in fund raising activities (read parties) when the dream seemed realizable and now that the Museum is functioning and recognized across the world, enjoy living in proximity to it and being a member. It still takes me a while to make the transition from art prior to the Second World War to contemporary art. I'm simply not accustomed to the radical subjectivity of the latter. Do I like it? Occasionally. But even when I don't, what I'm viewing forces me back on myself, into myself so that I become intensely conscious of myself looking at x or y or z and trying to understand it, appreciate it or evaluate it. In other words, MoCA and its exhibits are doorways into an exploration of self. If that isn't subjectivity in action, I don't know what is.

It is a magnificent art museum and nothing to dislike. It takes up a large former mill. A remarkable use of a former factory.

No matter what the exhibit, you must see this amazing space. While the installed art was terrific, the site held it's own and is an installation art piece in itself.

We only make it to MassMOCA once a year, but every time we go we are struck by the beauty of the art and the remarkable surroundings - both the structure of the buildings (the old Sprauge Electrical industrial site) and the area around North Adams. The huge exhibition spaces are wonderful sites for pieces of art and installations which could not be placed anywhere else. The current shows (Plastic Fantastic, Eclipse, The Dying of the Light, and the amazing Sol Lewitt among others) are just wonderful.Although the city itself is a little sad, with many unoccupied storefronts, there are still places to go and places to eat (Brewhaha for coffee and breakfast - Yes!).Cannot recommend this place enough.

I can safely say, even after visiting many many museums in my life, that this was honestly my favorite. Everything is BIG and there aren't just paintings on the wall, they are experiences in every space. Walking through this old building you feel surrounded by history, art, and wonder! They also have a nice coffee shop (good coffee) and a gift shop (great gifts). If you are in the area you HAVE to stop by this place. It's so unique! Also, check out hotels in the area that have Mass MoCA packages. We were able to get free tickets with our setup.I can't wait to go back.

Bravo. Repurposing these well over 100 year old former factories and mills to create the wonderfully roomy and bright viewing space was pure genius. I like that they do not cram any large pieces into very limited corners. I was able to really appreciate with the artists had to offer as I leisurely walked the grounds. I was a little hesitant reading the other reviews about how big (and therefore how long it would take) of a job it would be to see all of the exhibits. At our slow stroll we saw everything in two hours. My favorite works were the midcareer wall paintings by Sol LeWitt and peacock room which was an exaggerated commentary about the artist Whistler and his benefactor. $18 per adult.

It's a bit of a drive from anywhere, but it's well worth the trip. There are always great exibits. Right now, Plastic Fantastic is a must see, and Sol Lewitt's three-floor exhibit is going to be a staple for a while. Not only are the exhibits themselves great, but the whole layout of the museum is, well, cool. It's a renovated factory building which gives the MoCA a very distinct Berkshirian feel. Don't come to the Berkshires and miss this!

North Adams was not looking its best in early December. Thanksgiving was over, Christmas preparations not yet started and the first snow of the winter lay in grey piles by the roadside. But the drive over the hills from Greenfield on Highway 2 was spectacular and a fine introduction to the visit to MASS MoCA. The museum is housed in a vast factory building formerly used for textile printing and manufacture of electronic components. All the exhibits are on a grand scale and full of interest. We particularly enjoyed Sfumato (Epic), an installation of small graphite rocks fixed to several walls, which reminded us of a murmuration of migrating starlings, and the gold and black landscapes of Elisabeth Bernstein. But our favourite exhibit was that of local artist Darren Waterston. His oil on wood panel compositions in the second room were especially memorable.Lunch in the Lickety-Split cafe was good value, very tasty but servings not too big.Overall, a great day out.

This art museum was quite a find. We were on a leaf viewing trip and just happened to stay across the street from this attraction. I have never seen art on this scale before. The building is an ex-factory and is perfect to show off these large pieces of art utilizing different media. I was fascinated and very moved by the light projection featuring the decline and extinction of the passenger pigeon. It showed a tree filled with birds. They gradually flew (over the viewers heads) for some minutes before gradually thinning out, becoming less and less, and eventually only the tree was left. Although this was my favorite piece, many of the other works were huge and stunning. We spent several hours touring the museum and admiring the works displayed there. It was well worth seeing.

We love MASS MoCA!! The ever expanding gallery space means we always have something new to check out when we visit and even if we have seen it all, we can always enjoy the cafe inside and people watch. This is a must for any art lover!!

We loved Mass MOCA and would like to return on a quieter day. The architecture is as much a part of the art as the artwork itself.