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R E L E A S E S 2006
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July 26, 2006
A-hunting for Ahistoric: MASS MoCA Hosts Kids' Scavenger Hunt
(North Adams, Mass.)MASS MoCA will host A-Hunting for Ahistoric, a scavenger hunt for kids, in its galleries on Saturday, August 26 at 11 A.M. The hunt will give kids and their families an opportunity to examine more closely works in the current exhibition, Ahistoric Occasion: Artists Making History. Museum visitors will also have the chance to visit Bring Your Own Voice, a recording booth set up by the artist Halsey Burgund, who will set to music the interviews he collects.
"The scavenger hunt will be a great opportunity for kids and their families to get better acquainted with the art in our galleries," says Sue Killam, Managing Director of Performing Arts. "While our kids events almost always sell out, scavenger hunts through the galleries have been very popular in the past. Space is limited, so reserve early and don't be disappointed." At a time when history may seem subject to re-interpretation, the artists of Ahistoric Occasion are exploring the stories of our past and how we remember them today. Ahistoric Occasion examines the legacy of epic events and the repercussions of tales long forgotten, as well as our growing interest in historical documentaries and reenactments. The show features over 30 works ranging from video to sculpture to photography. Kids participating in the scavenger hunt will meet in the MASS MoCA lobby and will be split into groups. With the help of museum educators and MASS MoCA's enthusiastic team of summer interns, kids will hunt for details in the artwork such as the number of Lincoln beards in Greta Pratt's photographs, or hidden objects in Kerry James Marshall's Black Painting. Kids events this summer at MASS MoCA, including the scavenger hunt, are sponsored by The Springs Pool. Kids and their families can also take the chance to reflect on their visit to MASS MoCA at Halsey Burgund's "Bring Your Own Voice," a recording booth set up in the galleries for one day to capture interviews that Burgund will use in his art. Burgund, a Boston-based musician, finds the human voice to be his ultimate source of inspiration. Since beginning the BYOV project in 2004, Burgund has "collected" more than 100 voices on hours of tape. The songs he creates - many of them released on his debut album, Words and Voices (Aesthetic Evidence) -- include snippets of these interviews, arranged and rearranged, looped and echoed. Burgund's stop at MASS MoCA is part of his BYOV tour of the northeast. Museum visitors will be asked to share their thoughts about art and museums, which Burgund will weave together to create a piece about the range of museum experiences. The piece will allow museum-goers to discuss their visit while contributing to the creation of art. A-hunting for Ahistoric and Bring Your Own Voice are free with gallery admission. As space in the scavenger hunt is limited, advance reservations for A-Hunting for Ahistoric are recommended. Reservations can be placed at the MASS MoCA Box Office located off Marshall Street in North Adams, open from 10 A.M. until 6 P.M. daily. Reservations are also available by phone by calling 413.662.2111 during Box Office hours or on line at www.massmoca.org. Ahistoric Occasion: Artists Making History is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts; the Massachusetts Cultural Council; the Mohawk Trail Association; the Artists' Resource Trust, a fund of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation; and the LEF Foundation. MASS MoCA, the largest center for contemporary visual and performing arts in the United States, is located off Marshall Street in North Adams on a 13-acre campus of renovated 19th-century factory buildings.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Katherine Myers
(413) 664-4481 x8113
katherine@massmoca.org