A Thousand Little Stories by Emily Pisacreta

Bibliothecaphilia: an abnormal appetite for libraries. Well, that’s the definition according to the six artists commissioned to create this piece of work. Confined to a small gallery in the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA) in North Adams, Massachusetts Bibliothecaphilia is a small yet exciting exhibit centered around libraries and books. These artists wanted to explore the appeal of libraries when we have the Internet and eBooks just a few seconds away. It was inside this exhibit where I found my favorite piece of work. It was not a huge piece of complicated art, or even one totally created by paid artists. However, the idea behind it captured my attention, and I spent more time thinking about and looking at this piece than any other in the museum.            

Jonathan Gitelson’s Marginalia was my favorite piece in the entire museum. It was simply a clear glass case containing different pieces of paper found in books. There were love letters, pictures, bookmarks, playing cards, grocery lists, doodles and just about anything else you could write on a little piece of paper and stick inside a book. This exhibit captivated me, I think because it connected me to people I had never met before. I spent almost a half hour reading all of the letters and lists and looking at the photographs. Some of them made me laugh out loud; like this one note a kid wrote to his mom about how much he hates eating vegetables and how he will starve himself if she tries to feed him anymore. The note was written in shaky pencil, the word “mom” was spelled wrong, and on the bottom he drew a big frowny-face. Others notes broke my heart; like a letter written in blue ink on yellow paper, written by someone contemplating suicide. It was so well written and desperate, that I just wanted to go help this person. And I think that is why I loved this piece so much. By looking at their pictures or reading their notes, I felt connected to people I have never met before. I felt like I was right there with them. I got a look into the private lives of people, and I was linked to them in a way I never expected. It is an amazing piece of art, especially since it was so simple. I spent so much time reading and looking at this piece, and I could have stayed even longer. It was like watching a movie or reading a book, I was captivated by each individual story and person’s life, and was transported into their world. It was as if for the time I was reading their letter, I knew who they were.

As you can probably tell, I loved this piece of art. Marginalia, along with the entire exhibit reminded me of the beauty of libraries, a place where we can be alone, but connected to each other through the books sitting on the shelf. The entire exhibit was certainly thought provoking and fun to ponder. Bibliothecaphilia will be on display until January 1^st, 2016, so if you have a chance to visit, go check it out. It is an amazing exhibit that really compliments an already awesome museum.

Mass MoCA is a dynamic and fun place to just hang out in while you appreciate some cool, new, contemporary art. I got lost in rooms filled with huge sculptures and small paintings. It has art that I have never seen the likes of before. It was certainly a different type of museum and one that I am glad I had the chance to visit and explore. I would definitely recommend visiting if you’d like to experience art in a new and exciting way.