MASS MOCA

MASS MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) is one of the largest centers for contemporary visual and performing arts in the United States, occupying a converted 19th-century factory complex in North Adams, Massachusetts. The campus spans 550,000 square feet across 17 buildings. Performance spaces include a ~1,200-capacity main concert venue and the 850-seat Black Box Theater, plus outdoor spaces accommodating 4,000-9,000.

MASS MoCA presents live music, theater, dance, and film alongside its visual art exhibitions. The annual FreshGrass Festival of American roots and bluegrass music takes place each September in the museum's courtyards and performance spaces. The Bang on a Can Summer Institute brings composers and performers for three weeks of new music creation and concerts. Gallery-based performances blur the line between visual and performing arts.

The factory complex was originally built by the Arnold Print Works (operating 1860-1942) and later used by Sprague Electric Company. MASS MoCA opened in 1999 with 19 galleries and 100,000 square feet of exhibition space, under founding director Joseph Thompson. Building 7 expanded in 2008, and a major 130,000-square-foot addition opened in May 2017 with the conversion of Building 6.