Sonnets and Cinema: Museum Town
The unforgettable story of how a small town in Massachusetts that was down on its luck became one of the country’s great art destinations.
Film/Theater
Narrated by Meryl Streep, Museum Town (Jennifer Trainer, 2019) tells the all-too-familiar story of North Adams, Massachusetts, whose largest employer, Sprague Electric, closed its factory leaving the small town economically devastated. However, shortly after the closure a group from nearby Williams College began to plan and fundraise to turn the abandoned site into a massive space for contemporary art. MASS MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) opened its doors in 1999 and has become one of the most popular art destinations in the US. Featuring appearances by art luminaries including Laurie Anderson, Nick Cave, and David Byrne, the film tracks the town’s history and its almost unimaginable transformation. (76 mins., DCP)
Aaron Alsop is a long-standing member of the Columbus poetry community with a collection of poetry forthcoming in 2025. Scott Woods is a Columbus writer, activist, and founder of the Streetlight Guild.
Introduced with readings by Aaron Alsop and Scott Woods
See the complete Sonnets and Cinema lineup.