5Q: Lindsay Mis | Executive director, Massachusetts Design, Art and Technology Institute
1. The Massachusetts Design, Art and Technology Institute is billed as a “museum without walls.” What does that mean? [Design, Art, Technology Massachusetts] is not a museum in the traditional sense, but a new way to bring art to the public. There will be no collection to house because, once you collect something, it’s no longer contemporary. This keeps our exhibition vision flexible and current. All our exhibits will tie directly back to larger themes.
2. How will the nonprofit work with public spaces in New Bedford to showcase installations and which parks have been selected? We will initially focus on pop-up exhibits in public spaces in downtown New Bedford. Eventually, we will incorporate longer and larger exhibits in more formal locations. Our inaugural exhibit, “Summer Winds,” will take place in Custom House Square, a renovation of a 37,500-square-foot parking lot in New Bedford’s historic district.
3. “Summer Winds” is set to open in July. What can you tell us about the show? As a former whaling community turned leader in wind energy, the theme of wind is relevant to New Bedford. … The exhibit will feature a series of installations and educational programs surrounding wind.
We hope to draw both local and national audiences with our first installation, “Liquid Shard.” Developed by a Los Angeles-based artist, Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics, “Liquid Shard” is a large, architectural installation made of holographic mylar and monofilament that will hang in Custom House Square.
“Summer Winds” will involve artists and organizations from SouthCoast Massachusetts and beyond developing creative and engaging exhibitions and lectures throughout … downtown New Bedford and along the city’s coast.
4. You previously managed operations and budgets for the semi-annual CraftBoston fair. How will that experience translate to running a 21st-century museum? Managing operations for art organizations is all about balance – finding the best way to develop a successful, large-scale event while keeping artists’ voices at the center.
5. One of DATMA’s goals is to support the local art scene. How will this be achieved? We intend to connect with partner organizations, so when [their] featured exhibitions align with our programming, we [can] celebrate and support that work.
Emily Gowdey-Backus is a staff writer for PBN. You can follow her on Twitter @FlashGowdey or contact her via email, Gowdey-backus@PBN.com.
