Third annual 413Heart festival to combine music, art
Dalton — Grow Dalton will present the third annual 413Heart Music & Arts Festival Thursday, Aug. 16, through Sunday, Aug. 19, at the Stationery Factory. With a goal of including all forms of creative expression, the festival supports and showcases the creative fabric of the Berkshires.
The Thursday, Aug. 16, opening night of the festival is devoted to dance. The evening will begin at 7 p.m. and include a performance of “Spindown,” a piece inspired by the sculptures of Michael Boroniec, by the Albany Berkshire Ballet; “Professor Sleepwalker and The Magic Pusher,” an intergalactic collusion of sound and movement; and a screening of the documentary film “Moving Stories,” which follows six dancers as they travel the world to work with at-risk youth. The performances will be preceded by a spirits tasting with Silver Bear Distillery. Friday evening will feature a 7 p.m. live performance by Johnny Irion, who will celebrate the release of his new album, “Driving Friend.” The concert will be preceded by the 413Heart Music Awards. Saturday’s activities will include a boutique fine arts and crafts show from 1 to 7 p.m.; the interactive activity “Make a Miniature Planet” with the Berkshire Museum; a complimentary wine reception featuring vocalist Sherri James Buxton and pianist Bob Shepherd; and a staged reading of the new play “Tamarack House” by Michael Dowling. On Sunday, the art show will continue from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with performances by the Dalton Ballet School and Youth Alive Performance Arts.
Individual event tickets range from $15–$45. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar.
–E.E.
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Berkshire South gala to honor Pignatelli
Great Barrington — Berkshire South Regional Community Center will host its annual fundraising gala Friday, Aug. 17, at 5:30 p.m., at which it will honor Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli, D-Lenox.
Gala guests will enjoy spirits, hors d’oeuvres, dinner, and both silent and live auctions. The Edwin A. Jaffe Award, which honors an individual or group who has exhibited an extraordinary commitment to building community and common purpose within the Berkshires, will be presented to Pignatelli during the evening.
Pignatelli is serving his eighth term representing the 20 communities of the 4th Berkshire District. Pignatelli was first elected to the Lenox Planning Board in 1987, on which he served for five years. In 1992 he was elected to the Lenox Board of Selectmen, and was elected chairman on four different occasions, serving until May 2003. He also served from 1995–99 as a Berkshire County commissioner including two years as chairman of the board. He is the House chairman of the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.
Tickets start at $175. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact Berkshire south at (413) 528-2810 or info@berkshiresouth.org.
–E.E.
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Williams College professor, author to discuss Russian cuisine
Pittsfield — The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College’s 2018 Distinguished Speakers Series will present Williams College Russian professor emerita, food historian and “A Taste of Russia” author Darra Goldstein Wednesday, Aug. 15, at 3 p.m. at the Berkshire Museum. Goldstein will explore Russian national identity and cuisine from the 18th century to the present.
Ever since Peter the Great opened his country to the West, Russia has struggled with ambivalence toward outside influences, alternately embracing and rejecting Western foods. Today, following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and Crimea, the economic sanctions imposed by Europe, Australia and the U.S. have led Russia to ban imports of meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and dairy products. The resulting shortages have led to a revival of artisanal production that is transforming Russia’s gastronomic landscape.
Goldstein is professor emerita of Russian at Williams College and the founding editor of Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture. In addition to serving as editor-in-chief of the James Beard Award-nominated “Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets,” she is the author of five cookbooks. Goldstein has consulted for the Council of Europe as part of an international group exploring ways in which food can be used to promote tolerance and diversity. She did her undergraduate work at Vassar College and holds a doctorate from Stanford University. She currently serves on the National Museum of American History’sKitchen Cabinet and on the advisory board of the Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts.
Tickets are $15 for the general public, $10 for OLLI and Berkshire Museum members, and free for BCC students and youth 17 and under. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact Berkshire OLLI at (413) 236-2190 or olli@berkshirecc.edu.
–E.E.
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Panel discussion to highlight the importance of river protection
Stockbridge — On Wednesday, Aug. 15, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., the River Art Project will host “The Critical Role of River Keepers,” a panel discussion featuring the directors of the three area organizations speaking about their proactive efforts to protect water and air.
Moderated by Ruth Dinerman, Riverkeeper President Paul Gallay, Housatonic River Initiative director Tim Gray and the Housatonic Valley Association’s Berkshire director Dennis Regan will discuss what has been accomplished and the future of river awareness and protection. There will be time for questions from the audience after the talk and refreshments will be served.
The discussion is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the River Art Project at (413) 298-5163.
–E.E.
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Artful Mind Gallery to host discussion with Carolyn Newberger
Lenox — The Artful Mind Gallery will host “Drawing and Writing from Life,” a talk with artist and Edge contributor Carolyn Newberger, Wednesday, Aug. 15, from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
In her talk, Newberger will share her approach to drawing including her materials; the challenges of drawing from life; and how, with words and images, to capture performers in action with their rhythms, flow, intensity and meaning.
Newberger is an artist, child psychologist and musician whose deep concerns for people and their lives drive her work. Newberger attended to Sarah Lawrence College and received her doctorate from Harvard University, after two years in Burkina Faso with the Peace Corps. As a psychologist, Newberger developed an influential theory of parental consciousness that continues to frame family studies and efforts to prevent child abuse. Called often as an expert on television news, she appeared twice on the Oprah Winfrey Show and has published widely in both the scientific and popular press.
The talk is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. For more information, contact the Artful Mind Gallery at (413) 85404400 or artfulmind@yahoo.com.
–E.E.
