Berkshire Museum Opens Renovated Second Floor
In the last year or so, the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, Mass. has been quietly updating its second floor. Although just three years ago, it feels like many more years since the community’s uproar over the Museum’s deaccessioning of some of its most valuable objects, the resignation of the director, and the hiring of his replacement. All of that was followed, of course, by the pandemic, which temporarily shut down or curtailed the offerings of many local cultural organizations. The Museum stayed in front of the community with a robust program of virtual exhibitions and programs.
But behind the scenes, activity was taking place on the Museum’s second floor, where a $3.5 million renovation, funded by the sale of 22 of its holdings in 2018, was changing not just the interior but the philosophy and mission of the 118-year-old institution. Last weekend began a new chapter at the Berkshire Museum when it opened three feature exhibitions, two gallery shows meant to "explore the human experience," community learning spaces and even new bathrooms in modernized and gleaming “all-new” upstairs spaces.
Of the three opening feature exhibitions, “Mu-he-con-ne-ok: The People of the Waters That Are Never Still” is the most impressive and representative of the Museum’s emphasis on interdisciplinary interpretation. Presented in partnership with the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, and curated by Heather Bruegl, director of cultural affairs for the Stockbridge-Munsee Community in Wisconsin, it tells the Indigenous nation’s story from its early history to modern culture beyond. Through objects gathered from partner institutions (Berkshire County Historical Society, Bidwell House Museum and others) as well as the Museum’s own collection, the exhibition leads visitors through the Community’s past, present and future.
Nike of Samothrace (a reproduction better known as Winged Victory) will remain a constant presence.
As visitors travel through the galleries, they will trace the journey of this region’s first residents from their lands that stretched from the Hudson River Valley to Berkshire County, through forced removal from these lands by white colonizers, to their current home in Wisconsin. Along the way, visitors will explore historical and current-day topics, discover actions they can take to be better allies to Indigenous people worldwide, and unlearn harmful misconceptions and stereotypes.
Photos of living members of the tribe line the blue-painted walls, and from behind each photo, a recorded oral history emanates as the individual tells his or her own story. The susurration of their voices permeates through the space and serves as a reminder that despite the regrettable history of the Stockbridge-Munsee people, they are still a vibrant community. “We’re still working out the acoustics,” said Executive Director Jeff Rodgers. “But it’s so important to hear living voices and bring them into the space.”
The adjoining exhibit features the work of photographers Dan Mead and Sally Eagle. “The Land of the Thunder Dragon: Bhutan Through the Lens of Mead Eagle Photography” showcases the portraits and landscapes of their visits to the Asian nation of Bhutan from 1999 to 2011.
It’s in the 5,000-square-foot exhibit space entitled “Objects and Their Stories” that visitors familiar with the Museum will recognize some of the most-loved objects. Pahat, the mummy, is there, as is The Winged Victory of Samothrace, a reproduction brought to the Museum in 1910 through the roof, and moved to this part of the floor recently “centimeter by centimeter,” Rodgers said. “It’s not going anywhere again.” (Other oversized objects, however, will be moved via the new freight elevator, an opportunity for the Museum to bring in exhibitions that previously were unfeasible.)
This is where the Museum’s collection of 40,000 objects will see the light of day in a rotating mix of items displayed thematically. The idea is to expose new connections between fine art, natural science specimens and historical artifacts to further expose patrons to the Museum’s interdisciplinary focus. Current displays include a series of images from the famous Pittsfield Elm and a collection of items carved from its wood after its destruction of lightning in 1864; portraits of presidents George Washington, John Quincy Adams, Abraham Lincoln, and Dwight D. Eisenhower (a Rockwell work); and musical instruments from Africa, East Asia, Central America, and ancient Rome. The space will exist in a state of perpetual renewal, and Rodgers estimates that there will be a full turnover of the Museum’s collection in about two years.
Visitors’ experiences will also be enhanced with the other renovations to the second floor. At the top of the stairs, the old catering kitchen has been replaced by a quiet sitting room with views of South Street through a handsome original window. Two new restrooms are spacious and accessible. There are also two flexible learning spaces — an art studio and a science lab that will accommodate interactive and educational programs.
With the second floor just about complete (the Ellen Crane Memorial Room will be updated in time), the Museum is planning to tackle improvements on the first floor, creating a space there for the ever-popular aquarium, now located in the basement. It will also be making adjustments to the auditorium.
“The update will pave the way for bigger, better exhibitions, showcase more of our collections, and make visits more enjoyable and enriching for all of our guests,” Rodgers said.
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