My Summer Vacation, Part One: MASS MoCA , Eric Carle Museum, Montague Bookmill

Swimming beach on the Green River

My head is spinning from a vacation that included 20 nights in 10 different locations starting in western Massachusetts and ending in coastal North Carolina, where we had a front row seat to the remnants of Hurricane Hermine. Much to the delight of this drought-weary Angeleno, there was water everywhere. From swimming in the Green River to the old mill buildings at MASS MoCA on the Hoosic River, to the Potomac and the torrential rain of the aforementioned Hermine, not even the accompanying heat and high humidity could keep me down. We visited so many cultural attractions that I can’t write about them in one blog post. So I’ll start in western Massachusetts with MASS MoCA, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and the Montague Bookmill.

Our first stop was the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst (we had a one-year-old grandchild in tow). Carle is the author and illustrator of the 1969 children’s classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Frankly, I expected to be bored, but was delighted to find an exhibition that appealed to me on an adult level, Americana on Parade: The Art of Robert McCloskey, on view through October 23. McCloskey is mostly known for his classic children’s book, Make Way for Ducklings, but comes from a fine art background. I love good drawing and the many masterful pencil, ink and charcoal drawings on display from both his children’s books and his fine art career were well worth the visit. And if you’re travelling with children, there are plenty of activities to keep them happy.

The author's snapshot of a bridge leading to
the Sol LeWitt Retrospective at MASS MoCA.

If you’ve never visited MASS MoCA in North Adams, stop what you're doing and go now! Even if you don’t care about art, just go to visit the 16-acre collection of old mill buildings, bridges, elevated walkways and outdoor spaces that comprise the museum.

If you can’t go, get a copy of MASS MoCA: From Mill to Museum. (It’s out of print, but used copies are available). There are essays about the history of the site and the challenges of transforming the former Sprague Electric Company buildings into a museum, and a mission statement by MASS MoCA’s Director, Joseph C. Thompson. 

The photos are by Nicholas Whitman who began photographing the site before it was slated to become a museum. Both in black & white and color, we see the stunning transformation from industrial detritus to sprawling museum campus.

A highlight of MASS MoCA is the permanent installation of Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective. In a perfect blend of art and architecture, you can roam a maze of nearly an acre of interior walls covered with 105 of LeWitt’s wall drawings. The exhibition is beautifully catalogued in Sol LeWitt: 100 Views, along with 100 short essays honoring LeWitt’s career.

The Montague Bookmill is a book lover’s dream and one of my favorite places on earth. This unique used book store is housed in yet another old mill building, this one on the banks of the Sawmill River. Cozy reading nooks with chairs and sofas overlooking the rushing river through tall multi-paned windows, creaky wooden floors and old exposed plumbing add to the ambiance. The mill also houses two restaurants (try the yummy Udon Noodles at the The Lady Killigrew Cafe), as well as outdoor terraces and walkways.