Richard Marshall Opera and Photography

I am working on the second volume of my book and spent part of Sunday photographing North Adams. Here are part of the results.

North Adams is the smallest and poorest city in Massachusetts. When Sprague Electric moved out, a large number of people lost their jobs. This, coupled with mill closings, left a desolate city. Part of the effort to revive the economy was through the arts. Several of the Sprague Electric’s buildings were turned into a massive art gallery called Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art commonly referred to as MASS MoCa. The rooms are immense and the ceilings high and are filled with a staggering amount of large arts works. And in other parts of the town mills, destined to be demolished, have become residences and galleries for artists.

The photos attempt to illustrate North Adams today.

These are in my Vermont Stories collection

Patterns and hallway

Patterns shows the original industrial passage way leading to a room of colorful designs.

Porches through a window

Porches was taken through Mass MoCA’s window. It was a series of houses that have been turned into a hotel. To make sure it would be successful the manager of the Red Lion Inn, an established in in Stockbridge, was part of the planning team.

Row houses

Row houses is part of a group of houses initially used to house the mill employees.

Mass MoCA

And finally, there is a huge sign on one of the buildings with the name of the museum. The one you see is intentionally back words, taken from the back of the building.