Group Exhibition #1 at FR MoCA, Fall River

Fall River Museum of Contemporary Art is a contemporary art museum located on the ground floor of the present day Merrow building, one of the mills of the historic granite mills located on Bedford street in Fall River Massachusetts. 

FR MoCA hopes to exist in a perpetual state of experimentation seeking to question how Art institutions can best serve their host communities. We hope to tether together opportunities with global partners to illuminate the shadows of our post industrial beacon and allocate cultural resources to a city in need. Our goal is to create culturally relevant programming that is in dialog with the global contemporary art world, while engaging regional histories and shared experiences. We seek to make decisions based on the social ecology of our wonderful and diverse city, providing time and space for the existing communities and future residents of Fall River and the greater south coast region. ______________________________________________________________________ 

So we offer a song as a parting gift from our histories.
— “This song was composed on the burning mills at Fall River. 

In this wild world of sorrows and troubles, many accidents occurred, I will sing to you the saddest, the saddest you have heard. 

Was in Fall River city, where people were burned and killed, in a factory or a prison, known as the Granite Mills. 

At 7 oclock the fire bell rang, but at last it was too late. For the fire was a reaching, and at a fearful rage. There were men and women in it, and children I suppose. Had the truth had been known, it might all have been saved, from the flames of the burning mills. 

The first sight was a terrible one. A girl so young in years. She was standing in a window, and eyes did bathe with tears. She was standing in a window, a calling her mother’s name. Crying mother, mother, save me, and she fell back in the flame. 

So I hope her soul has gone to rest, and away in heaven she’ll go. Oh, away away in heaven, and away from the burning mills. 

The next sight was a richer one, and a sight within my eyes. They were jumping from the six stories high, and sliding from roofs so high. 

And one poor soul thought he would escape, by sliding down a rope. But as he got about half way down, the fire string burned the rope. 

Screech came down the portsall burned, bruised and killed, and the ropes came tumbling down, in the flames of the burning mills." — 

While every industry must meet obstacles to its success, the textile manufacturing industry in Fall River specifically has had to meet many unusual and some severe conditions which are unique to itself and form a part of its history. It has valiantly met and overcome many disastrous fires, several strikes, at least two severe financial depressions and much restrictive legislation. 

These have been its undoing... 

— "I don't want to set the world on fire 

I just want to start a flame in your heart

In my heart I have but one desire

And that one is you, no other will do

I've lost all ambition for worldly acclaim

I just want to be the one you love

And with your admission that you'd feel the same

I'll have reached the goal I'm dreaming of, believe me I don't want to
set the world on fire

I just want to start a flame in your heart

I don't want to set the world on fire, honey

I love you too much

I just want to start a great big flame down in your heart

You see, way down deep inside of me, darling

I have only one desire

And that one desire is you

And I know, baby, ain't nobody else gonna do

I've lost all ambition for worldly acclaim

I just want to be the one you love

And with your admission that you'd feel the same

I'll have reached the goal I'm dreaming of, believe me I don't want to
set the world on fire

I just want to start a flame in your heart" —

From this very block of the historic granite mills, angels watch over as we hope to rebuild...