Sustainability coach Rute Collaborative began by working with independent curator Michy Marxuach and MASS MoCA’s Director of Curatorial Affairs Susan Cross on Marxuach's exhibition, Until we get to the core/Hasta llegar al Meollo. This major project will open in Spring 2027 and features six artists and their collaborators who together address the fractured relationship between humans and the natural world, using place-based practice and attention to specific ecosystems to dig deep into urgent ecological issues. The goal was not only to ensure this particular exhibition was as sustainable as possible, but also make sure the lessons learned stayed at MASS MoCA for future exhibition planning. Rute assisted in identifying alternatives to vinyl, temporary walls, toxic flame retardants, and conventional paint, while also helping the curators articulate the conceptually important framework of mutualism, which encouraged artists to think beyond their individual works and included ways to extend the exhibition's themes beyond MASS MoCA's walls into the city of North Adams and elsewhere.
During the site visit, Teiger and Rute discovered that MASS MoCA was already implementing numerous energy efficient practices. Solar panels on the roof along with purchasing solar energy from nearby solar farms results in 100% of their electricity being sourced from solar. It seemed clear there was an opportunity to use Marxuach's exhibition to showcase MASS MoCA as a model for other visual-art organizations who want to integrate environmental initiatives into both their programming and operations. A first step was for MASS MoCA's Executive Director Kristy Edmunds to distribute a staff survey crafted by Rute, which collected information about sustainability practices, large and small, already underway in each department. Multiple departments were, for example, already reducing paper, plastic, and other types of waste and sourcing materials; working with retail, food, office supply, and other service vendors aligned with sustainability values; and communicating the importance of sustainability to audiences through public programming.
Rute aligned every action mentioned by staff–both existing and aspirational–with existing aspects of the museum's existing strategic plan. In the end, curatorial and operations staff together decided that alongside exhibitions-related expenses, a portion of Teiger climate funds would be used to develop a communications strategy that would make the museum's commitment to sustainability across all levels of the institution more visible.