MCLA Gallery 51 to Present “The Garden of Memory,” Installation and Work by Junli Song
January 7, 2026
NORTH ADAMS, MA – 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. Her studies are similarly widespread: 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.
About MCLA
At MCLA, we’re here for all — and focused on each — of our students. Classes are taught
by educators who care deeply about teaching, and about seeing their students thrive
on every level of their lives. In every way possible, the experience at MCLA is designed
to elevate our students as individuals, leaders, and communicators, fully empowered
to make their impressions on the world. In addition to our 130-year commitment to
public education, we have fortified our dedication to equitable academic excellence.
MCLA has appeared on U.S. News & World Report’s list of Top Ten Public Colleges for
10 consecutive years, earning the No. 6 spot on the list of Top Public Liberal Arts
Schools in the nation for 2025, after earning the No. 7 spot the prior three years.
The College’s focus on affordable education and economic prosperity is reflected in
additional 2025 U.S. News rankings: No. 5 for Top Performer on Social Mobility for
liberal arts colleges in the state and No. 2 for Top Performer on Social Mobility
for public liberal arts colleges in the country. These rankings measure how well schools
graduate students who receive Federal Pell Grants.