Mass MoCA Presents Robin Frohardt: 'Shopping Center of the Universe'

03:53PM / Monday, February 16, 2026Print Story | Email Story

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA) presents Herb Alpert for a

preview of "Shopping Center of the Universe."

Award-winner Robin Frohardt, whose multimedia experience "The Plastic Bag Store" was at the museum in 2024, returns to the museum for a preview of "Shopping Center of the Universe," a theatrical work of speculative nonfiction.

The preview will be held on Feb. 20, at 7 pm

According to a press release:

This new work in development, grounded in reality yet deeply reflective, offers a poetic meditationon our relationship with the natural world. Blending puppetry, prose, live music, and intricate handmade sets, Frohardt gives shape to the cultural and personal grief she has experienced growing up surrounded by big box stores. Frohardt reframes the parking lot as part of the ecosystem, rather than separate from it: tree roots break through asphalt, condensation from an air conditioner wears a hole in a sidewalk, and a flock of birds crash-lands, mistaking the lights on the pavement for the surface of water. This genre-defying, live-cinema project is Frohardt's innovative attempt to reconcile the predicament of being born a soul in a body raised in Walmart.

Tickets are $34 for students, $44 advance, $54 week-of, $74 preferred; members receive 10 percent off

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Boutique General Store Opens on Holden Street in North Adams

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:36AM / Tuesday, October 27, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A newly opened boutique general store on Holden Street offers local and regional products along with a curated selection of gifts, wines and artwork.

"It's just a lot of my favorite makers and small brands that I've, in my mind, collected over the years because I've wanted to do this for I don't even know since forever," owner Hannah Blazejewski said. "I'm trying to keep as much of the product at least local to New England as I can."

The name for the Diving Horse at 26 Holden St. was inspired by one of her favorite movies, "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken," the story of a girl who joins a diving horse stunt show during the Depression.

Blazejewski found the current space earlier this year before moving back to the county in March. It was formerly North Adams Yoga, so when she moved in she repainted the place and also worked with Outlook Builders to build the shelving and her dream "mousehole" wall.

The store showcases local goods from throughout New England, and she described it as a general store and gift boutique built around a personal collection of favorite makers, small brands, and hard-to-find products.

Her shop also includes children's items, artwork, stickers, home decor, cheeses, non-perishable items, wines and a selection of Scandinavian candy.

She said she hopes to contribute to the local economy, connect with other businesses and artists, and respect the city's history and culture.

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