Project Description

The State Hospital: In Memoriam was organized by artist Anna Schuleit to memorialize the former Northampton State Hospital in Northampton, MA, and to promote civic dialogue about the mental health system in America. The project centered around Habeas Corpus, a one-time site-specific sound installation of J.S. Bach's Magnificat, through which Schuleit endeavored to honor the building by "making it sing in memory of the thousands of individuals whose lives were affected by the institution."

Northampton State Hospital, an immense Victorian-style complex consisting of six buildings, has stood high on a hill above Smith College for more than 140 years. One of the oldest of American mental institutions, the hospital reached a peak population of about 2,500 in the 1950s. Working with Historic Northampton, a local historic museum and education center, the project team conceived a set of events that took place in November 2000 to reflect on the former institution, its history, and its people. Schuleit writes on her website "We were inspired by the enlightened intentions of the founders of this institution, by the controversies that accompanied its operational years as well as its closing, and by the upcoming drastic changes through redevelopment and demolition." The project activities included an all-day academic symposium, "Beyond Asylum: Transforming Mental Health Care," designed for mental health professionals; two artistic exhibitions in downtown Northampton about the hospital; and a forum featuring the stories and experiences of former patients and employees at Smith College. After the forum, participants climbed the hill to the hospital and experienced Schuleit's Habeas Corpus installation. In preparation for the event, volunteers worked with Klondike Sound to lay 10,000 feet of cable and set up an extensive sound system engineered and designed specifically for the project. At noon, J. S. Bach's Magnificat was played and echoed through the building while participants observed from outside and around the institution. In the original proposal, Schuleit writes, "The Magnificat consists of twelve movements sung by a choir in five parts and five soloists, each which is representative of one of the choral strands: soprano 1, soprano 2, alto, tenor, bass. Unlike in most of his other cantatas, Bach re-introduced the opening thematic material in the final chorus, giving it a cyclic character. I chose the Magnificat for this project because of its jubilant choir of both men and women. The Magnificat evokes a feeling beyond the religiousness that it was based on; it is a piece of universal praise. Those parts, which are sung by the full choir, are hauntingly powerful in their scope and timeless address."

As a result of the project, an historic preservation committee was formed in Northampton. The Save the Main committee defined a need to save the building in some way and has provided opportunities for community members to become active in the community planning process. After the Northampton project was completed, Schuleit planned and executed Bloom, another civic engagement project that helped further dialogue about the mental health system in America. At the Massachusetts Mental Health Center in Boston, Schuleit created a tribute by filling old corridors, rooms, and staircases with different types of flowers in bloom. In all, 28,000 potted flowers were placed by color on four floors, and 4,900 square feet of live sod was laid wall to wall in the basement of the building. A mental health symposium was planned to discuss the evolution of education and treatment for the mentally ill. At the event's conclusion, the flowers and sod were donated to nearby psychiatric facilities and programs that expressed interest in continuing the dialogue.

Civic Engagement/Dialogue Activities

The State Hospital: In Memoriam provided opportunities for dialogue throughout the project activities. Through the symposium "Beyond Asylum: Transforming Mental Health Care," those working in leadership roles throughout the mental health profession had an opportunity to talk about the experience and evolution of mental health institutions. On the day of the event, participants were invited to "State Hospital Testimony: A Moment Of Oral History," a two-hour open forum where former patients and employees told of their experiences at the Northampton State Hospital. By gathering a large and diverse audience, the project created a communal memorializing for the hospital that gave it scope, meaning, and perspective. Beyond the presentation opportunities, the event sparked dialogue about the mental health institution and led to other forums where participants were able to discuss the issues.

Information Sources

The State Hospital: In Memoriam website