The ARTfx Observer | October 2024
Over the past summer, ARTfx teams frequently found themselves in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts. Based on a recommendation from expert interior consultants, Workroom Design Studio of Northampton, ARTfx collaborated with the Town of Adams and the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission to create a large-scale, environmental exhibit in the newly built Greylock Glen Outdoor Center.
The whole exhibit, from concept to installation, came together in six months. Donna Cesan, the Town of Adams’ Greylock Glen Project Lead since 2004, walked us through what the collaboration was actually like.
The Building
At 3,489 feet, Mount Greylock is the tallest peak in Massachusetts, and is now home to an impressive visitor and educational center at its base. Designed by Vermont Integrated Architecture and built by Soulière & Zepka Construction, the building is designed at net zero and meets LEED standards.
The carbon-neutral structure features sustainable Glulam timber and air-source heat pumps, while framing stunning views of the mountain. Its south wing houses the ARTfx exhibit, which presents educational information on local biodiversity, native plants, geography, and more.
What We Built
ARTfx design illustrator Pete Stockmal and owner Lawrin Rosen planned the exhibit for innovative construction by ARTfx fabricators, graphics experts, and installers. The exhibit covers six distinct elements working together as a single visitor experience.
Custom Printed Wallpaper
Large-scale environmental imagery wrapping the exhibit’s interior surfaces, anchoring the visitor in the landscape outside.
Informational Kiosks
Standalone interpretive stations that translate complex educational content into compelling visual storytelling.
Image Collages
Layered imagery sequences that move visitors through topics on biodiversity, native plants, and Berkshire geography.
Sculptural Trees
Structural columns reimagined as trees inside the gallery, blurring the line between architecture and exhibit.
Printed Floor
Custom floor graphics extending the immersive landscape down to ground level. The exhibit reads as a continuous environment, not a set of panels.
Illuminated Bird Sculpture
The piece-de-resistance: a one-of-a-kind ceiling sculpture featuring life-sized acrylic cutouts of the Berkshires’ most notable birds.
“With ARTfx, we had an experienced subject matter expert by our side. Through their attention to detail, they translated our ideas and complex content into compelling visuals. We appreciated their collaborative approach, and willingness to entertain multiple viewpoints, as well as their ability to adhere to our tight budget and schedule. The striking exhibit delivered by ARTfx demonstrated an effort above and beyond all expectations.”
Donna Cesan — Special Projects Manager, Town of Adams, MA
Six Months, One Partnership
In the video above, Donna talks about a real concern most municipal projects face: budgets are tight, timelines are tighter, and a small client wonders whether a fabrication partner with national-scale work will treat the project with the same care it gives bigger accounts.
Her takeaway, in her own words, was that the team made the Town of Adams feel like a million-dollar client. ARTfx handles design and build under one roof, which mattered for a six-month exhibit timeline where there was no room for handoffs between separate firms. The same team that planned the structural trees, the printed floor, and the bird sculpture also fabricated and installed them.
That single-team continuity is part of why the project stayed on schedule. It’s also why the finished space feels coherent rather than assembled from independent components.
Bringing the Outside In
The illuminated ceiling sculpture is the moment most visitors stop and look up. Life-sized acrylic cutouts represent the bird species native to the Berkshires, the same species a visitor might spot stepping back outside the building.
Donna calls out the move directly in her interview: “It kind of brings the outside in. It’s part of the environmental education focus of this structure.” That’s the whole brief in one sentence. The exhibit isn’t a substitute for hiking the mountain. It’s a way to make the mountain legible before, during, and after the visit.
Project Credits
Owner: Town of Adams, MA + Berkshire Regional Planning Commission
Building Architect: Vermont Integrated Architecture
General Contractor: Soulière & Zepka Construction
Interior Consultant Recommendation: Workroom Design Studio of Northampton
Exhibit Design Lead: Pete Stockmal, ARTfx
ARTfx Owner: Lawrin Rosen + the full ARTfx fabrication, graphics, and installation team
Whether you’re planning a visitor center exhibit, a museum installation, or a fully integrated educational space, ARTfx covers design, fabrication, and installation under one roof.