Berkshire Community College presents ‘Dreaming of Light and Line,’ works by Sean McCusker
Pittsfield— Through March 31st, Berkshire Community College (BCC) presents “Dreaming of Light and Line,” an exhibition of oil paintings and silver pen drawings by Sean McCusker.
McCusker has been creating surreal landscapes inspired by the hilly Berkshires for over 20 years. His oil paintings, full of light and color, are made up of roughly 30 thin layers, each one adding complexity. The translucent layers create a glowing composition of dark shadows suspended in light. The artist describes his painting style as one that “attempts to depict emotion as a solid object.” Many of his paintings center around a single figure set against a vast empty space. The light illuminating the darkness is always just out of the figure’s reach. In McCusker’s words, “I wanted to capture that moment of intensity just before or right after something extraordinary happens; that sense of either surrender to the inevitable or relief after a hard-fought battle.”
The exhibit is on view through March 31st at BCC’s Koussevitzky Art Gallery, located at 1350 West Street in Pittsfield. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. More information can be found online.
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Berkshire International Film Festival’s popular Environmental Film Focus Series continues with the award-winning film ‘The Smell of Money’
Great Barrington— On Sunday, March 16th at 2 p.m., BIFF’S Popular Environmental Film Focus Series, in partnership with the Triplex Cinema, presents the award-winning film “The Smell of Money,” directed by Shawn Bannon and Jamie Berger.
When a corporate hog farm moves in – uninvited – on land her grandfather had purchased after claiming his freedom from slavery, Elsie Herring decides to fight back. But as her rural community becomes the epicenter of the pork industry’s explosion in America, Elsie’s struggle to save her family’s home and heritage turns into a battle against one of the world’s most powerful companies and its deadly pollution. After decades of intimidation and defeat, Elsie and her community team up with a gutsy small-town lawyer to take the world’s largest pork company to court. An epic, nine-year legal battle ensues, and the residents risk everything to reclaim their rights to clean air, pure water, and a life free from the stench of shit.
A story about the power of love for one’s family and community to triumph over even the largest forces of injustice, “The Smell of Money” calls upon viewers to see the people behind what’s on our plates — and to join the fight for a better future for us all.
The screening is on Sunday, March 16th at 2 p.m. at The Triplex Cinema, located at 70 Railroad Street in Great Barrington. It will be followed by a panel discussion. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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‘Why Are We All Still Here,’ an afternoon of dance and live music by queer artists at the Lenox Community Center
Lenox— On Sunday, March 16th at 2 p.m., there will be a performance of “Why Are We All Still Here,” an afternoon of dance and live music by queer artists at the Lenox Community Center.
What does it mean to rediscover wonder as an adult? “Why Are We All Still Here” seeks to reckon with the feeling of finding characters in our lives that remind us of our past, exploring the connection between knick knacks and nostalgia. Inspired by the items that stick with us, persisting even after every iteration of spring cleaning like a pair of pink plastic dinosaurs that became lifelines during the early days of the pandemic and a piece of wall art that displays a queer love story.
Set to a soundscape of live ambient blues music, “Why Are We All Still Here,” here begins in a space of curiosity and play, remembering, and rebuilding. Movement unfolds through tenderness and strength, arriving at the realization that we have carried these pieces of ourselves with us all along.
“Why Are We All Still Here” is a reimagining of the first iteration, “Why are you all still here,” which premiered at The Foundry in West Stockbridge in 2023. This upcoming performance features an expanded cast of choreographers and performers, with core contributions from Akinyemi Blackshear, Steph Gennusa, and Hannah Lieberman. With choreography by Gillian Ebersole and Shannon Nulf, and live music by Ben Court aka Muddytooth, “the show celebrates queerness, childhood nostalgia, and found family in a format that is accessible for all ages,” says choreographer Gillian Ebersole. “I’m excited to share our whimsical perspective on magical realism and give audiences a chance to escape for an afternoon.”
The performance is on Sunday, March 16th at 2 p.m. at the Lenox Community Center, located at 65 Walker Street in Lenox. This performance is family friendly and open to all. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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WordXWord presents Poets Creating Conversation
Pittsfield— On Tuesday, March 11th at 7 p.m., WordXWord presents Poets Creating Conversation, and the prompt is “Education in America.”
Equal parts art and community, WordXWord is where words go to be heard. Poets Creating Conversation is an ongoing series of events that challenges poets (and soon-to-be poets) to circle loosely around a theme or issue in the current social discourse to create a broad, multi-dimensional “conversation” between poems, poets, and audience.
WordXWord invites poets of any ilk to apply their creative energy to slicing and dicing “Education in America.” From inside institutions or from outside in the “real” world, everything is fair game: public education, home school, K-12, college, or the lessons that life drops on us. “Education in America” was the very first WordXWord Poets Creating Conversation theme, held on February 26th in 2018, twelve days after the Parkland school shooting. You can imagine how that event shaped our event. It was quickly learned that there is no predicting how the outside world and/or which life experiences and challenges will insert themselves into the conversation. That’s the magic sauce that makes Poets Creating Conversation work.
The free event is on Tuesday, March 11th at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, located at 175 Wendell Avenue in Pittsfield. WordXWord events are open to all, however, some poems may contain content or language best suited for teens and adults. Registration and more information can be found online.
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Mass Audubon Pleasant Valley presents a series of American Woodcock events
Lenox/Adams/Sheffield— On March 12th, 14th, 15, and 19th, Mass Audubon Pleasant Valley, as part of its Spring Lecture Series, presents a series of American Woodcock events.
On March 12th from 5:30 to 6:30 at the Lenox Library and on March 14th from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Greylock Glen in Adams, the lecture is on “The Unique Courtship of the American Woodcock.” When the sun sets in early spring, woodcock love is in the air. Wet meadows and fields are transformed into a “runway” for the beautiful aerial courtship displays of this intriguing bird. At this indoor presentation, learn about the natural history of the American Woodcock, including where and why they dance, and where to view this local spectacle.
On March 15th from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Lime Kiln Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Sheffield and March 19th from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Post Farm Marsh in Lenox, the lecture is on “Skydance of the American Woodcock.” Listen and watch for the woodcock’s performance on their breeding grounds. Viewing the woodcock’s sky dance is a natural spectacle that should not be missed.
The events are on March 12th, 14th, 15, and 19th in Lenox, Adams, and Sheffield. Registration and more information can be found online.
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Lichtenstein Center for the Arts inaugural Artist-in-Residence program application open
Pittsfield— The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts inaugural Artist-in-Residence program application is now open.
The program offers an exciting opportunity for an artist to gain creative space and exposure while engaging with the local arts community, providing a free six-month studio space at the Lichtenstein, starting in April 2025, and participation in a group exhibition in October 2025. The residency is designed to foster artistic development and collaboration, allowing the artist to focus on creating new work or refining existing pieces while interacting with arts professionals. It’s a wonderful chance to immerse oneself in the vibrant arts community of Pittsfield and make lasting connections.
Open to full-time residents of Pittsfield ages 21 and up, who are emerging and experienced artists with prior experience exhibiting their work, the application deadline is March 19th. To apply, email cultural.development@cityofpittsfield.org.
