“I’ve Known Rivers” event celebrates W.E.B. Du Bois.
Great Barrington — “W.E.B. Du Bois: I’ve Known Rivers” will be held on August 27, the 59th anniversary of Du Bois’s passing in Accra, Ghana. A group of local organizations will gather from 2 – 5 p.m. in Great Barrington at River Walk’s W.E.B. Du Bois River Park, 20 River Street, to honor the scholar and activist with an afternoon of readings and musical offerings.
Du Bois often wrote that he was “born by a golden river,” referring to his birthplace by the Housatonic River in downtown Great Barrington. The title of this celebration, “I’ve Known Rivers,” is from Langston Hughes poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” published by Du Bois in 1921.
During the event, Berkshire NAACP president Dennis L. Powell, having carried water from the Housatonic River to Du Bois’s resting place in Accra, will release water he collected in Accra into the “golden river” where Du Bois was born nearby.
Dr. MaryNell Morgan-Brown will interpret sacred and secular songs about rivers from Chapter 14, “The Sorrow Songs” in Du Bois’s classic work, The Souls of Black Folk, as well as songs she has written. From New York, jazz specialist James Browne brings cornetist/trumpeter Graham Haynes, son of the legendary jazz drummer Roy Haynes, for a special tribute.
The event will be followed by a walking tour of sites in downtown Great Barrington that helped to shape the town’s iconic native son, including Du Bois’s birthsite, First Congregational Church, and the Warren Davis Home. The walk will conclude at the Du Bois Freedom Center, located at the historic Clinton A.M.E. Zion Church, 9 Elm Court, with a reception and refreshments on the lawn. In the event of rain, the program will be held at First Congregational Church on Main Street.
The event is free. To register, please fill out this form. For more information, visit www.gbriverwalk.org or email river@gbriverwalk.org.
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Becket Arts Center’s Annual Gala
Becket — The annual gala fundraiser for Becket Arts Center (BAC) will be held at Camp Watitoh in Becket from 5 – 8 p.m. on Sunday, August 28. Back by popular demand, the Massachusetts-based collaborative band, The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow, will again perform at the Becket Arts Center’s annual gala. The band of five singer-songwriters specializes in rock-and-roots country music, and has performed at MASSMoCA, among other venues in the Berkshires and beyond.
In addition to the performance, the gala will include dinner catered by KJ Nosh, dancing and a raffle. Dinner will feature made-to-order grilled kabobs and fresh salads (vegetarian and vegan options available). A cash bar will be provided by Another Round mobile bar.
A raffle will be held featuring artwork, jewelry, gift certificates, experiences, and more.
Tickets are $40 per person in advance, and $45 on the day of the gala and at the door. For tickets and more information, see www.becketartscenter.org. The event will be held rain or shine, and the dress code is “come as you are.”
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Clark Art Institute presents talk exploring monumental works by Rodin
Williamstown— On Saturday, August 27 at 2 p.m., the Clark Art Institute will present a talk by Emmelyn Butterfield-Rosen, acting director of the Williams Graduate Program in the History of Art at the Clark Art Institute. The lecture takes place in the Clark’s auditorium and will be broadcast simultaneously on Zoom.
Butterfield-Rosen will examine two of Rodin’s well-known pieces, The Thinker and Monument to Balzac. In tracing the route between these pieces, she will explain how and why this journey marks a striking transition in Rodin’s representations of thinking and thought. Her talk complements the Clark’s current special exhibition Rodin in the United States: Confronting the Modern. On view at the Clark through September 18, 2022, the exhibition explores how American museums and collectors embraced Auguste Rodin’s sculptures and drawings, and traces the arc of the artist’s reputation and legacy since the first United States museum acquisition was made in 1893. With more than seventy works from more than thirty collections, this is the largest Rodin exhibition presented in more than forty years.
Emmelyn Butterfield-Rosen is an art historian and critic based in Williamstown, Massachusetts and New York City. She received a bachelor of arts degree from Columbia University and a PhD. from Princeton University, with a certificate in the Program in Media & Modernity. Butterfield-Rosen joined the Williams Graduate Program in the History of Art at the Clark Art Institute in 2016 as a Postdoctoral Fellow and was named associate director of the program in 2019.
No registration is needed to attend the live event, but registration is required for the Zoom transmission. Registrants will receive an email with a private Zoom link to this live virtual program before the event. For more information and to register, visit clarkart.edu/events.
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A historic hike at the Bidwell House Museum
Monterey– On Saturday, August 27 at 9:30 a.m., join Bidwell House Board member Rob Hoogs on a guided walk to explore the historical landscapes of the Bidwell grounds, including stone walls, old roads and the original Meeting House site. See the evidence of Monterey life in the 18th and 19th centuries during this hour-long guided walk.
The terrain can be uneven so wear proper shoes, and bring water and a snack. If the walk has to be postponed or canceled due to weather, the Museum will let you know 24-48 hours in advance.
The walk is limited to 20 people and pre-registration on the Museum website is required.
If you would like to book a tour of the Museum after the walk, please contact the Museum at bidwellhm2@gmail.com.
The Bidwell House Museum grounds—196 acres of woods, fields, historic stonewalls, self-guided trails and picnic sites—are open every day, dawn until dusk, free of charge.
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Berkshire International Film Festival and Bousquet Mountain present family film series
Pittsfield – Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF) and Bousquet Mountain have announced an outdoor film series. On Friday, August 26th, they will present the classic film, The Goonies. This family favorite, written by Steven Spielberg, tells the story of a group of misfits called The Goonies who discover an ancient map and set out on an adventure to find a legendary pirate’s long-lost treasure!
On September 9, the series will feature the documentary Meru, which tells the story of three elite climbers attempting to climb Mount Meru in the Himalayas.
On September 16, Field of Dreams, the classic baseball film from 1989, will be shown.
Tickets are $10 per person or $25 for four, and can be purchased on-site the day of the movie or in advance here. Doors for the movies will open at 7 p.m., and the films will begin at 8 p.m.
All movies will be shown outdoors, so bring your own lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy a night under the stars! To-go food will be available from LIFT Bistropub and a limited menu will be available from The Kitchen. No outside food or alcohol is allowed.
For more information, visit www.biffma.org or https://bousquetmountain.square.site
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Marianne Van Lent exhibit opens at Art School of Columbia County gallery
Ghent, N.Y.— On Saturday, August 27, Marianne Van Lent’s exhibit “BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY” will open with a reception and free art demonstration at 2 p.m. at the Art School of Columbia County gallery.
Marianne Van Lent creates collages, and will demonstrate her technique during the event. This is a rare opportunity to see a visual artist creating artwork while also viewing the artwork in the gallery space. The opening reception will immediately follow the demonstration.
Van Lent says of her artwork, “BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY concerns the evolution of human beings and their biological and behavioral aspects. The paintings within this oeuvre incorporate archeological symbols: images from art history and the collective unconscious, as a reminder of material culture connecting with our roots.” The exhibit will be showing through September 30.
Marianne Van Lent will also be teaching a class at ASCC titled Works on Paper – Creating Collage. The class will be held on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., and will begin Wednesday, September 14.
For more information, visit www.artschoolofcolumbiacounty.org
