Fifteen years ago, when I was a single mom with two teenagers, I decided to take a long-weekend trip to western Massachusetts to soak up the landscape, visit some museums, and get time away from a busy work schedule and mom duties. I went to Williamstown and visited the Clark Art Institute, and to North Adams to visit MASS MoCA — the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. Housed in a 19th century textile mill turned 20th century electric company turned contemporary art space, MASS MoCA has so many of the visual elements that inform my photography — amazing windows and doors, a deep sense of history, an appealing sense of decay and timelessness, and art that intrigues, confuses, enlightens, and sparks curiosity. The building itself is, to me a piece of art. When I visited there on that trip in 2009, I had only just begun my photography journey, and was armed with only a Nikon CoolPix.

Skip ahead 15 years, and I have been married to my husband Dan for 9 years. My teenagers are grown into amazing adults, and I have a new granddaughter. On a trip out to western Massachusetts to visit the new baby, Dan and I went to Williamstown and North Adams to visit the Clark and MASS MoCA — him for the first time. This time I was armed with my Canon mirrorless R5. Here is what I saw in 2009 (left) and 2026 (right), the first trip on a sunny, light-filled day and the second trip on a pouring-rain day, both in April.

If you’re ever in western Mass, make sure to stop and visit this amazing place.

–lucy