Evocative Exhibition to Open at Fruitlands Museum
On Thursday, April 30, a new exhibition capturing the subjective nature of taste in art opens in Fruitland Museum’s Four Seasons Gallery: Eye of the Beholder. Taking inspiration from a phrase coined by Margaret Wolfe Hungerford in her 1878 novel Molly Bawn, many of the items on display reflect the personal tastes of the Museum’s founder Clara Endicott Sears. Cherished portraits, landscapes, and furniture pair with objects once belonging to artists, scholars, and communities that appear modest but are rich with meaning. “They might differ from today’s definitions of beauty or importance, but each item speaks volumes about the time and place from which they emerged,” said exhibit curator Tess Lukey. “I hope that visitors reflect on the questions: What makes an object worth preserving? Who decides what is worthy of display?” Learn more about Eye of the Beholder before it opens in Harvard later this month, coinciding with Fruitland Museum’s expanded seasonal hours.
Ecological Restoration Makes Progress at Beaver Brook
In early July 2025, thanks to the enthusiasm and generosity of so many, The Trustees acquired the Beaver Brook Golf Course in Williamsburg and Northampton. Since then, the Trustees Ecology team has been collecting critical data to help them fully understand the site. With this in hand, they can then plan for and make intentional changes that will support a healthy ecosystem and the crucial native species that live there.
The team is studying and measuring the water flow of the brook, marking current wetlands, and discovering evidence of historic wetlands; visitors may see flagging, stream gauges[ in the brook, and PVC pipes for monitoring groundwater. They will also be sampling soil for evidence of past wetland occurrence once the ground has fully thawed.
With the help of a variety of partners and volunteers, the Ecology team has been noting and tracking the property’s resident species—including birds, reptiles, plants, insects, invertebrates, and more. Initiatives have included overwintering and breeding bird surveys, as well as a botanical survey to identify all of Beaver Brook’s plants. In addition, work has begun on a forest climate stewardship plan and a bird habitat assessment which will provide understanding of the land as it relates to specific habitat needs and long-term health.
Ongoing consultation and relationship building with Indigenous Peoples is a priority for The Trustees, and will inform the organization’s understanding, responsibilities, and commitments. In addition, a land use history and an archaeological sensitivity assessment will add to the organization’s recognition of potential impacts on cultural resources. Finally, as it marks progress at Beaver Brook, Trustees staff point out that ecological restoration does not seek to return to or replicate a particular historical moment on the landscape. Rather, this type of restoration involves attention to present conditions and biodiversity needs in conversation with historic and cultural understandings.
Join The Trustees’ America 250 Challenge
As Massachusetts celebrates the nation’s Semiquincentennial, we invite Trustees Members to embark on a challenge of discovery at special places across the state. Download the American Independence Tour passport, which highlights ten properties from Sheffield in the Berkshires to the North Shore coast of Marblehead. Discover untold histories and diverse perspectives often left out of the national narrative, alongside familiar watershed moments and the people and landscapes that influenced them. Each place is packed with stories, landscapes, and landmarks that shaped our nation’s founding. Visit and check off all the sites on the downloadable map, and submit your completed map at TheTrustees.org/Independence by September 1, for a chance to win a free year extension on your Trustees Family Membership.
