Hatchlings NORTH ADAMS

A five LOCation PUBLIC ART INSTALLATION for the community of north adams, open to the public both day and night from MAY 2 to octoer 3, 2025

OPENING reception at the eagle street POCKET PARK

MAY 2, 6-7:30PM, all are welcome

This public art installation will activate multiple locations within a walkable zone of Downtown North Adams including the POCKET PARK on Eagle Street, First Congregational Church, the bus stop On Main Street, THe HOTEL DOWN STREET lawn and the MCLA central quad.

Hatchlings is an experiential art installation featuring nine illuminated pavilions that are programmable and immersive. The largest stands 9’ tall with a 17.5’ wide circular wooden stage and performance pavilion which will attract visitors day and night for selfies and performances; the smallest is a miniature pavilion standing 2.5’ tall.

This multi-location installation was designed and built at Greylock WORKS in North Adams by artist and lead designer Vanessa Till Hooper and her team at Studio HHH. It was originally created for the Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston, the winning proposal from an open call for art process. The concept of Hatchlings came about when Hooper imagined what if that Hatch Memorial Shell on The Esplanade hatched baby “shells”? The result is a series of nine miniature Hatch Shell pavilions covered in sparkling programmable lights; bringing together innovation, artistry, and sustainability.

Located throughout the Cultural District of Downtown North Adams, three Hatchlings and the circular platform stage will be installed at the Eagle Street Parklet. Hatchlings will be installed on the Quad at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, where students can hold outdoor performances and gather between classes; at First Congregational Church on Main Street, whose mission is to gather people together in friendship to engage in good works, as well adjacent to the bus stop in downtown North Adams and on the property of a local hotel.

Each Hatchling’s half dome creates a partially enclosed, brightly illuminated space where people are compelled to enter, taking turns to photograph themselves or others in groups. This kind of togetherness fosters positive social interaction and strengthens community connections through shared experiences.

These illuminated pavilions are intended to be a safe place both day and night, thoughtfully placed in well-lit, easily navigable and accessible areas that support comfort and security for all community members, including those who may feel vulnerable in public spaces.

In collaboration with community organizations, the Hatchling pavilion on Eagle Street will also be an event venue, with music concerts, spoken word performances, doggie photo shoots, drum circles and an artist talk, all free to the public with unlimited numbers of participants. We will additionally be teaming up with First Fridays North Adams, with events held on “First Fridays” for six consecutive months.

This project is also about envisioning a brighter and more environmentally sustainable future for our cities. These Hatchlings will be powered either entirely through solar power or through a combination of grid and solar power. “Including solar energy was a design challenge we were excited to meet, something that our team felt was critical to advancing the conversation about sustainability in public art,” said Teresita Cochran, solar specialist on this project.

This creative activation has provided Bostonians with an experiential destination during the coldest months of the year, as the installation is relocating to North Adams, MA we will now have the opportunity to see how the Hatchlings perform in the warmest months of the year.

The Hatchlings North Adams is made possible through generous support by North Adams Partnership, in collaboration with the City of North Adams and the North Adams Cultural District Committee, as well as the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy and the Esplanade Association. As a cross-organization collaboration, this project is bringing together the Mayor’s office and the North Adams Public Arts Commission, the North Adams Cultural District Committee, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, the community of the First Congregational Church as well as private businesses along Main and Eagle Streets who are involved with hosting or showing their support for the project. We believe that these relationships will be galvanized and lead to deeper collaboration and partnership in the future.