Crafting the Mind

January 15th - March 28th, 2026

“Crafting the Mind” is an exhibition of contemporary fiberb art that speaks to the early history of crafts as a therapeutic practice at McLean Hospital, the country’s first psychiatric hospital. McLean was opened at Somerville’s Barrell Mansion in 1818, and today the Somerville Museum holds the

mansion’s original flying staircase. McLean patients created textiles and other crafts for therapeutic benefit as part of the hospital’s “moral cure,” an approach to treatment that emphasized compassionate care, access to nature, and patient activities. “Crafting the Mind” explores the evolving definitions of “care,” “health,” and “treatment” in different cultural contexts, as well as today’s advocacy movement for mental healthcare equity.

Curators: Danielle Krcmar and Rachel May.

Artists: Betty Antoine, Amy Caliri, Cicely Carew, Mimi Clark,

Alison Doucette, Leah Dunn, Farah Faustin, Samantha

Fields, Ifé Franklin, Kate Holcomb Hale, Kayla Johnson,

Lauren Leone, Joetta Maue, Michele Moran, Loretta Park,

Carl Phillips, Darryl Richards, Carter Schocket, Josie Sosa,

Matthew Treggiari.

Check the website for a series of events and programming:

www.somervillemuseum.org.

Admission

General Admission: $8*; free to Museum members and visitors 12 years of age and under; Free to everyone on the first Friday of every month**

Event Admission: varies; Museum members receive discounts where applicable.

Check out our event schedule for the museum’s open hours and events.

*Admission fees help the museum cover programming, staffing, and overhead expenses. These fees help us keep the doors open to the public.

**Special thanks to the Somerville Community Preservation Act (CPA) for supporting this program.