Spencertown Academy Young Writers’ Contest deadline May 3
SPENCERTOWN, N.Y. — Spencertown Academy Arts Center recently announced its 6th annual Young Writers’ Contest. Held in conjunction with the Academy’s Festival of Books, the contest is open to students in grades 9–12 attending school or homeschooled in, or a resident of, Columbia County, New York or Berkshire County, Massachusetts.
Works will be judged in an anonymous process by published authors and publishing professionals. The top three fiction and nonfiction winners will receive cash prizes ($200, $150, and $100 respectively).
The deadline for submissions is Monday, May 3. Fiction/short stories may be about any subject matter, with a maximum length of 2,000 words. Nonfiction essays or memoirs may also be about any topic and be a maximum of 2,000 words. All submissions must be sent via email attachment, in unlocked document format, such as Word. Work must be formatted in 12-pt type, double spaced, on standard 8 1/2″ x 11″ pages, with one-inch margins. Include a story or essay title on your document, and identify it as fiction or nonfiction. Please do not include any personal identifying information on the document itself. Include your name, address, school, and grade in the body of your email. A phone number is optional, but helpful. One entry per student. Send all materials to story@spencertownacademy.org.
Prizes will be awarded by the end of the 2021 school year. All winners will be invited to read from their work on a Zoom presentation event for friends and family. Additionally, first prize winners may be invited to read live at the Festival of Books in the autumn, depending on state recommendations for public gatherings.
—A.K.
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Health of the Berkshire Nonprofit Sector Survey results
GREAT BARRINGTON — The Nonprofit Center (NPC) of the Berkshires has published the results of its Health of the Berkshire Nonprofit Sector survey. Ninety nonprofits participated in what the NPC describes as an informal look at how nonprofits are faring during the pandemic.
NPC founder Liana Toscanini said, “We were surprised to see that 37% of participating nonprofits had more than six months of operating reserves before COVID hit. We’ve been talking about healthy nonprofits with adequate operating reserves since the financial crisis of 2008, but we didn’t know the extent to which this goal had been achieved. Sadly, 60% have been forced to dip into those reserves.”
Toscanini acknowledged the results may be somewhat skewed because leaders who take the time to answer surveys are generally more curious and engaged, and may be running healthier organizations overall.
“The ‘challenges’ bar chart [shown left] pretty much tells our collective story: increased demand, [fewer] resources, employee burnout,” she said. Other findings: 75% of respondents did not lose any employees (PPP funding provided critical support for retention); 40% lost 20% or less of their revenue; 45% made cuts to their budgets; 68% do not have a succession plan in place. Popular goals include increasing contributed revenue and revenue diversification. Virtual fundraising received mixed reviews.
“Surveys like this one help us plan programming accordingly,” said Toscanini, noting that webinars, roundtables, and trainings are in the works to address some of these issues.
—A.K.
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Berkshire Community College announces new liberal arts course, virtual commencement date
PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Community College (BCC) recently announced the creation of Introduction to Liberal Arts, a first-semester course available this fall for all students declaring liberal arts majors without concentrations.
With a focus on career and educational planning, the course engages students in thinking critically about their academic and/or career plans. Faculty involved in developing course content represent a range of liberal arts disciplines, including communications, biology, music, psychology, English and math.
Liberal Arts Program Advisor Matthew Müller said, “This interdisciplinary approach ensures that students get the best possible introduction to a liberal arts education and build the diverse skills employers value.” Because the introductory class is offered in the first semester of enrollment, it may help guide “undecided” students into various concentrations earlier, he explained.
Dr. Laurie L. Gordy, dean of humanities, behavioral & social sciences, underscored the relevance of a liberal arts education. “Research shows that liberal arts skills, like communication, critical thinking, collaboration, analytical skills, and creativity, are in demand from employers, yet few applicants highlight such strengths on their resumes,” she said.
The new course will culminate in the creation of an online portfolio, which students can build on as they progress in their careers or continue their education.
Additionally, the College announced plans to hold its 61st Commencement Ceremony on Friday, June 4, via virtual broadcast (time and station to be announced at a later date). With the pandemic still posing challenges to holding large gatherings, Tanglewood — the annual host of BCC’s commencement ceremony — has decided not to host certain gatherings at this time.
The College plans to host in-person recognition events for graduates when the opportunity for in-person gatherings may occur more safely. Students who graduated in 2020 and 2021 will be invited to attend.
For more information about the commencement, visit the website or email cnorcoss@berkshirecc.edu.
—A.K.
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BAA College Fellowship Show to be hosted virtually by Berkshire Museum
BERKSHIRE COUNTY — The Berkshire Art Association (BAA) recently announced that its 2021 College Fellowship Virtual Show will be hosted by the Berkshire Museum from Friday, April 2 through Friday, April 30. An awards reception will take place Saturday, April 10, from 6–7 p.m. on the Museum’s Ring Central video conferencing system.
Open to college art students from Berkshire County, studying anywhere in the country, and students studying at Berkshire County colleges, the College Fellowship Show was juried by a panel of artists representing several disciplines. Of the 139 works submitted for consideration, 60 were chosen. View the virtual gallery of the students’ work.
List of BAA Fellowship Recipients, 2021:
J.D. Nālamakūikapō Ahsing, Williams College, from Honouliuli, HI
Eloise Baker, Massachusetts College of Liberal Art, from, from Natick, MA
Dara Etienne, Williams College, from Randolph, MA
Tiffany Ferreira, Massachusetts College of Liberal Art, from Bridgeport, CT
Erinn Goldman, Williams College, from Greenwich, CT
Crystal Ma, Williams College, from Redmond, WA
Bridget Mara-Williams, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, from Pittsfield, MA
Virginia Marr, Williams College, from Chapel Hill, NC
Ian McCarter, Rhode Island School of Design, from South Egremont, CA
Kester Messan, Williams College, from Cambridge, MA
Joseph Messer, Williams College, from Waveland, MI
Ian Mosher, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, from Newport, VT
Diem-Xuan Pham, Williams College, Milton, FL
Javier Robelo, Williams College, from Managua, Nicaragua
Lilia Robinowitz, Williams College, from Katonah, NY
Ashanti Thomas, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, from Manhattan, NY
Thomas Tranfaglia, Endicott School of Visual and Performing Arts, from Lenox, MA
Alexa Wolkowitz, Williams College, from Lucerne, CA
Emily Zheng, Williams College, from Shelbyville, IN
—A.K.
