Geoffrey Young Gallery to host ‘Reality Hunger’ group show
Great Barrington — The Geoffrey Young Gallery, 40 Railroad St., will host the group art show “Reality Hunger” Friday, March 1, through Thursday, March 28. An opening reception will be held Saturday, March 2, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Taking a cue from the book of the same name by David Shields, the artists in the show play with fragments of reality in different ways. The exhibit features an array of media including textiles, sculpture and painting, and includes the first appearance of psychiatrist Karen Norberg’s life-sized and anatomically correct knitted model of the human brain outside its 10-year residency at the Museum of Science, Boston.
The show was organized by artist and Great Barrington resident Ken Habarta and includes Michael St. John’s Kurt Cobain notebooks as a canvas for his paintings; a Wendy White sculpture from her “Jeans” series, framing recycled denim and a bottle of 5-hour ENERGY; three ultra-autobiographical Jack Early works of individual gummy bears and popsicles; a hybrid ceramic painting/sculpture by Amy Gartrell; paintings by Sarah Lubin capturing quiet moments with laptops; Becca Van K’s embroidered Western landscapes; Habarta’s brick wall canvases; paintings of cocktails consumed by Valaire Van Slyck while painting said cocktails; and upcycled Tide PODS by Patterson Beckwith.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Geoffrey Young Gallery at (413) 528-6210.
–E.E.
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Roe Jan Library to host a cappella concert
Hillsdale, N.Y. — The Roeliff Jansen Community Library will host an afternoon of a cappella music with the Berkshire Hillsmen and the Taconic Hills Select Choir Sunday, March 3, at 4 p.m.
The Berkshire Hillsmen is a men’s barbershop chorus founded in 1957 and includes members from New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut. The Taconic Hills Select Choir consists of students who are in grades 10 through 12 at Taconic Hills High School in Craryville. The choir performs throughout the school year at assemblies, school concerts, churches, nursing homes and other venues throughout Columbia County.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Roeliff Jansen Community Library at (518) 325-4101.
–E.E.
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Councils on Aging to hold luncheon
South Egremont — The Egremont and Mount Washington councils on aging invite all seniors to a complimentary luncheon Wednesday, March 6, at 11:45 a.m. at the Egremont Village Inn.
Lunch will consist of chicken and broccoli stuffed shells, green beans with red pepper and onion, tossed salad, and vanilla mousse with fruit catered by the culinary students from Mount Everett Regional High School in Sheffield. The program will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a musical performance by Egremont musicians Karen Berger and David Hodge, who will also lead participants in a sing-along of Irish standards.
Berger holds a music degree from Northwestern University and is the author of three books on teaching music and playing piano. Hodge is the author of seven books on guitar, bass, ukulele, music theory and songwriting. In addition to private lessons, he teaches popular adult classes at Berkshire Community College and holds jam classes at Wood Bros. Music in Pittsfield.
To make reservations, contact Will Brinker at Egremont Town Hall at (413) 528-0182 x17 or wbrinker@egremont-ma.gov by Monday, March 4, and include dietary restrictions and whether or not a ride is needed.
–E.E.
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Berkshire Theatre Group to hold auditions for ‘Shrek the Musical’
Pittsfield — Berkshire Theatre Group seeks child and adult actors, musicians, backstage crew, technical support, usher staff, and parent volunteers to participate in its upcoming non-Equity production of “Shrek: The Musical,” which will run Thursday, Aug. 1, through Saturday, Aug. 17, at the Colonial Theatre, 11 South St., and be directed by Travis Daly with music direction by Mark Gionfriddo and choreography by Avital Asuleen. Auditions will take place Wednesday, March 6, and Tuesday, March 12, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Colonial Theatre.
The roles are open to actors of all ethnicities, second-graders through adults. Student auditions will be held during the first two hours of each session, and the last hour will be for adults. Students should come prepared to learn songs from “Shrek the Musical” and each bring a prepared written statement of 50 words or fewer on why they would like to be in the show. Adults should be prepared to sing 16 bars of a song and bring the accompanying sheet music that is in the key in which they prefer to sing.
Callbacks will take place as needed. Rehearsals will begin Monday, June 17, and occur approximately six days per week including evenings, weekends and some weekdays. All rehearsals will take place in Pittsfield and attendance at all rehearsals is required. Auditions are by appointment only. To schedule an audition time slot, call (413) 448-8084 x23.
–E.E.
