Brand strategist Brooke Skinner Ricketts to speak at Simon’s Rock
Great Barrington — Bard College at Simon’s Rock alumna Brooke Skinner Ricketts will return to her alma mater to deliver a talk on her career as a brand strategist and product innovator for companies such as Twitter, Kraft, Ziploc and BMW. The talk, entitled “Selling Out Early: Lessons from a Career on the Implosion Team,” will be held on Thursday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m. at Simon’s Rock’s Daniel Arts Center.
Skinner Ricketts is a digital and communications strategy expert. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, she has lived in Chicago for more than 10 years where she has worked most recently at FinTech startup Avant, and Twitter as head of brand strategy. Her previous roles include head of brand strategy at DigitasLBi Chicago and San Francisco, and global strategic planning director on the SC Johnson account at Foote, Cone & Belding. She has taught courses and been a guest speaker at the Miami Ad School, the Art Institute of Chicago, Columbia College, Northwestern University, 4A’s Transformation, and DMA2013. She has been included in Crain’s 2016 #Tech50, and Crain’s Chicago 40 Under 40. Skinner Ricketts has also served as a Leadership Greater Chicago fellow, a White House LGBT Tech Summit fellow, a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, and she serves on the boards of SHE100, Housing Opportunities for Women, and Cubs Charities.
The talk is free and open to the public, but reservations are recommended. For more information or to make reservations, see the Berkshire Edge calendar.
–E.E.
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Banned Books Week at the Great Barrington Libraries
Great Barrington — The Great Barrington Libraries are celebrating Banned Books Week from Monday, Sept. 25 – Saturday, Oct. 1. Typically held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week is an annual event highlighting the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular. By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship. The American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom compiles lists of challenged books as reported in the media and submitted by librarians and teachers across the country. For more information, contact the Mason Library in Great Barrington at (413) 528-2403 or the Ramsdell Library in Housatonic at (413) 274-3738.
–E.E.
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CATA to exhibit art at MountainOne Gallery
North Adams — Art on Tour and DownStreet Art will present an exhibit by Community Access to the Arts (CATA) at MountainOne Gallery Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016 – Saturday, June 17, 2017. An opening reception will be geld at the Gallery on Thursday, Sept. 29, from 4 – 5 p.m. The show will include paintings, drawings and pastels created in CATA visual arts workshops by artists with disabilities. All artwork will be for sale, and CATA artists will receive commissions on all artwork sold. For more information, contact CATA at (413) 528-5485 or info@communityaccesstothearts.org.
–E.E.
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Congregation Knesset Israel to celebrate High Holy Days
Pittsfield — Congregation Knesset Israel will celebrate Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, with prayer services featuring the sounding of the shofar, the ram’s horn, to herald forgiveness and renewal; and commemorate Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, with prayers for forgiveness. Rabbi David Weiner will officiate at the services and teach on themes appropriate for the days while lay leaders will chant scripture and lead the congregation in song and prayer. Services for Rosh Hashana will take place on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 6:15 p.m., and at 8:15 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 3, and Tuesday, Oct. 4. For Yom Kippur services will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 5:30 p.m. for Kol Nidre); and Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 9 a.m., and 4:10 p.m. with an afternoon service and Neilah. The fast will conclude at 6:56 p.m. Availability is limited, and tickets may be purchased through the synagogue office, by contacting (413) 445-4872 or office@knessetisrael.org. No one will be turned away due to financial hardship.
–E.E.
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Fall festival at Hopkins Forest
Williamstown — Williams College invites local residents to its annual fall festival at Hopkins Forest, 271 NW Hill Rd., on Saturday, Oct. 1, from noon – 3 p.m. The event celebrates the changing of the seasons and the bounty of wooded environments, and will feature music, apple butter and cider production, refreshments, a canopy walkway, an active honeybee hive, and children’s activities. There will also be hands-on activities including traditional shake-splitting and a cross-cut saw competition.
The festival is free to the public and appropriate for all ages. For more information on the forest and related activities, contact the forest manager at (413) 597-4353.
–E.E.
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Relay for Life wrap-up
Stockbridge — The Relay for Life Berkshire County Central/South committee held its 2016 wrap-up meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 20, at the Stockbridge Senior Center. Relay For Life co-leads Terri Andersen and Ray Gardino presented American Cancer Society Community Manager Stephanie Bosley with a check for $129,061.86, the money raised this year by participating teams and the local community in the fight against cancer. Those interested in getting involved in next year’s Relay For Life may contact Bosley at stephanie.bosley@cancer.org for more information.
–E.E.
