RIVER LIGHTS

Last Saturday Night, in North Adams, home of MASS MOCA, a new art installation was launched by local artist Ralph Brill. Using various pieces of light artwork and sculpture, artists from around the world came together to create a unique light display in the concrete channels that house the Hossic river. Brill,also in collabaration with the Rennsellaer Polytechnic Lighting class, and whose gallery in the Eclipse Mill, came up with the idea for the Hoosic River Lights Project two years ago after searching for a way to rediscover what he calls "the lost river". The Hoosic was the life of this mill town … and the whole notion of the river in Adams and North Adams has disappeared from our minds," said Brill, pointing out that local tourist maps fail to note the river in the city at all. "We drive right over it and it looks like nothing but concrete chutes." A major success in terms of the amount of people in attendance, some felt the light show a little lacking. Personally I think the Hossac left its game face at home as the lighting was terrific but the river needed a little more oomph to transfer the artists vision of moving light.