Signs of the Times: A photo story of downtown Northampton amidst the 2020 pandemic.

Maddy Neely grew up in Greenwich Village, where the arts are forever thriving and bursting at the seams; and in a household with artistic parents who encouraged her creative expression. Maddy now lives in Northampton with her husband, daughter and cat and has worked at Smith College for over 10 years. As a young child, Maddy spent her free time acting and singing and was fortunate to attend a performing arts high school, where she majored in theater.

In her adult life, she has expanded her passion for the arts, working with various mediums such as jewelry-making, photography, pottery and collaging-and still loves theater and singing.  With her mother, Maddy co-owns two Etsy online shops: Birdie’s Eye View and Buttonography. In 2017 and 2018, Maddy exhibited her photo story, Noho to Noho, in Northampton’s Arts Night Out, that compared her experiences growing up in the Noho neighborhood of New York City and living now in Northampton.

Maddy enjoys being behind the lens of a camera capturing precious moments in time. As she walked through downtown Northampton early this summer, Maddy was struck by the signs surrounding her, revealing the stark reality of the times we are living in.

 During this challenging time, collaging has also been a creative outlet for Maddy to ground herself. The process of gathering colorful and uniquely intricate paper, ripping the paper freely and then laying out a design on a blank canvas can be somewhat like a puzzle – you don’t know how the pieces will come together, though ultimately there will be a place for each piece to land. She has enjoyed making collage cards and sending them to her family and friends – this is a simple and meaningful way for her to stay connected with loved ones during these times.