NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Gallery 51 at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) will present "The Garden of Memory," a gallery installation and printmaking works by Junli Song.

 

The exhibition opens with a public reception on Friday, Feb. 6, from 5-7 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.

 

In "The Garden of Memory," artist Junli Song invites viewers to enter her creative universe, the In-Between Cosmos, with an immersive installation created directly on the walls of the space using hand-cut papers, prints, ceramics, and other materials. This exhibition grows out of the cyclical nature of storytelling within her practice: Song not only makes in response to stories, but also invents myths to interpret what she creates. The narrative behind "The Garden of Memory" is inspired by her last installation, "Hagoromo" (University of Iowa, 2024), which explored a spirit realm populated by golden clouds and celestial beings. Who are these beings and what happens to souls when they die? This installation explores the story that emerged from wondering and dreaming these questions into being.

 

The exhibition will be accompanied by a performance that will bring this narrative to life within the space during First Friday, March 6 at 6:30 p.m., with a second performance at 7 p.m.

 

Junli Song grew up in Chicago, but lived abroad from 2012-2018 in South Korea, England, Italy, and South Africa. She originally majored in economics and international development at the University of Chicago and the University of Oxford, respectively, before returning to the creative path. She completed her MFA at the University of Arkansas with a concentration in printmaking in 2023. Song was selected as the Grant Wood fellow in printmaking at the University of Iowa later that year. She is currently the 2024-2026 Gaius Charles Bolin fellow in the studio art department at Williams College. Song has been selected for artist residencies including the Vermont Studio Center and the Women's Studio Workshop. As an artist and storyteller, she works across a range of media, from printmaking and painting to sculpture and animation, to explore imagined worlds and personal mythologies. 

 

"The Garden of Memory" will be on view from February 6-April 11, 2026, at Gallery 51, located at 51 Main St. in North Adams, Massachusetts.

 

Gallery hours and additional programming information are available at Upcoming Exhibitions.