Curated by Rachel May and Danielle Krcmar

January 15th - March 28th, 2026

“Crafting the Mind” is an exhibition of contemporary fiber 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.

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.