PITTSFIELD, Mass. - After a year of planning and construction, the new and improved second floor of the Berkshire Museum is ready to open. The goal of the extensive renovations was increasing flexibility in the galleries.

“You will never get to say ‘been there, done that,’ ” said executive director Jeff Rodgers. “You can always expect to see something new, and the way we designed the galleries, nothing is permanent. We want everything to be flexible and adaptable.”

What You Need To Know

  • The newly renovated second floor of the Berkshire Museum is ready to open

  • There are three new exhibitions in the second floor gallery space

  • Each gallery has new floors, lighting, and increased flexibility for exhibits

  • This is only phase two in the museum’s ongoing renovation plans

There are three new exhibitions in the second floor galleries. The first is ‘Objects and Their Stories,’ a rotating display of items from the museum’s permanent collection.

The other two are both temporary: A showcase of local photographers Sally Eagle and Dan Made called ‘The Land of the Thunder Dragon: Bhutan Through the Lens of Mead Eagle Photography,’ and ‘Muh-he-con-ne-ok: The People of the Waters That Are Never Still,’ an exhibition on the Stockbridge-Munsee Native Americans.

“This exhibition takes a look at cultural and historical ideas, going from the deep past right up to the present,” said Rodgers about ‘Muh-he-con-ne-ok. “It runs from historical objects, culturally important objects, right up to oral histories from Stockbridge-Munsee community members today.”

The galleries also feature new floors and a new lighting system, as well as new mobile museum units, which will be brought to schools and community centers throughout the county.

“They are quick fix,” said Rodgers. “I can change the labels on them in no time flat. We can use these to curate exhibits without having to worry about putting up a whole exhibition format.”

All this is just phase two in the museum’s renovation plans. They’ve already started work on plans for improving the first floor and aquarium as well.

“We’re giving ourselves a year and a half to develop those ideas out,” said Rodgers. “There is not going to be construction here until at least January 2023, and we could use a break from construction.”

The museum is closed for most of this week for members-only preview days, but it opens back up to the general public on Friday, August 6.