Berkshire spring wildflowers class
Stockbridge— Berkshire Botanical Garden is offering a “Spring Wildflowers” class from 5 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 4th. This is a hybrid class and will be offered both online and in-person.
Led by botanist Ted Elliman, this class will focus on the wildflowers that grace Berkshire County’s spring woods. The evening program will present an overview of native wildflowers found in several kinds of forest communities in the Berkshires, with a focus on their identification features and particular habitats. The Saturday walk will be in woodlands notable for the beauty, abundance and variety of their spring flora.
Ted Elliman worked for many years for Native Plant Trust as a staff botanist, invasive species program manager and instructor of botany, ecology, and conservation classes. His book, The Wildflowers of New England, an identification guide to much of the region’s native flora, was published in 2016 by Timber Press. Ted founded and directed an environmental education and wilderness adventure center in the Berkshires, and he periodically leads natural history tours to southwest China, where he worked for two years as a teacher and forest ecologist.
The cost of the registration is $55 for members and $65 for non-members. Visit berkshirebotanical.org to register or call 413-298-3926 for more information.
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Current events seminar with Professor Steven Rubin
Pittsfield— On Thursday, May 4th at 10:45 a.m., the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires welcomes Professor Steven Rubin for another one of his in-person series of current events seminars.
The current events seminar gives participants an opportunity to examine and discuss topical and newsworthy national and international issues. For each session, the moderator will suggest readings, introduce topics, and offer discussion questions. The seminar will be conducted in a collaborative and collegial manner, with all participants encouraged to voice their opinions.
This free program will be presented in person as part of the Federation’s Connecting with Community Series presented at Knesset Israel (16 Colt Road in Pittsfield) and will be followed by a kosher hot lunch. Lunch is a $3 suggested donation for adults over 60 years of age or $7 for all others. Reservations are required for lunch and can be made by calling 413-442-2200 before 9 a.m. on the day of the program.
Steve Rubin, Ph.D. (moderator) is professor emeritus and former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
For more on this program and other Federation events, visit our calendar of events at jewishberkshires.org.
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Simon’s Rock spring concert
Great Barrington— Simon’s Rock Madrigal Ensemble, Chorus, and Chamber Orchestra will host their spring concert featuring an eclectic and exciting array of music. This joint program will feature music from the Baroque and Classical eras, including performances of Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus and Alleluia, along with folk, jazz, pop, and musical theater.
The Chorus & Madrigal Ensemble is led by Ryan LaBoy as conductor. Anne Legêne leads the Chamber Orchestra as conductor.
The concert is on Thursday, May 4th, at 7 pm in the Kellogg Music Center on the Simon’s Rock campus. The event is free, and masks are required.
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Fourth installment in visionary architecture on film series
Williamstown— On Thursday, May 4th at 6 p.m., the Clark Art Institute screens Things to Come in its auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center. Presented in conjunction with the Clark’s exhibition Portals: The Visionary Architecture of Paul Goesch, this is the fourth event in the Clark’s five-part series Visionary Architecture on Film. The film series explores themes related to Paul Goesch’s life and work in early twentieth-century Germany.
H.G. Wells wrote Things to Come (1936; 1 hour, 46 minutes) in response to Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927). The film spans 1936–2036 as the citizens of Everytown, England envision the future of their city and debate the role technology should play. It is set in a subterranean cave, the antithesis to Metropolis’s skyscrapers, and includes abstract sequences designed by Bauhaus artist Lászlo Moholy-Nagy. In one scene, a child of the future remembers a bygone city, saying, “What a strange place New York was, all sticking up.”
Free and open to the public; no registration is required. The Clark’s Visionary Architecture on Film series is organized by Ella Comberg, MA ’24 in the Williams Graduate Program in the History of Art. For more information, visit clarkart.edu/events.
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Clock Tower Artists expand open hours
Pittsfield— May through December, Clock Tower Artists will have open studios on the first Friday and first Saturday of each month. The artists will welcome visitors Friday, May 5th, 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, May 6th, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The thirteen artists’ studios are located on the third floor of the Clock Tower Business Center, a historic mill building located at 75 South Church Street, Pittsfield, Mass., close to downtown.
The public, including families and children accompanied by adults, are invited to explore the studios, see original artworks, learn about the processes, observe artist’s tools and techniques, and engage in good conversation in this unique, light-filled space. The artwork ranges from realistic to abstract, and includes wearable art, oil painting, acrylic painting, encaustic, sculpture, performance art, and mixed media. There is ample parking, an elevator, and handicap accessibility.
Clock Tower Artists include Deborah H. Carter, mixed media artist who creates upcycled wearable art; Joanie Ciolfi, oil painter known for her modern, fresh, and colorful imagery; Marion H. Grant, abstract painter working in acrylics and mixed media; Stacey Healy, sculptor and painter of images inspired by animals, especially equines; Caroline Kelley, painter of colorful abstracts inspired by nature; Bruce Laird, abstract artist working in mixed media with colorful and surprising results; Mark Mellinger, contemporary artist working in paint, collage, and sculpture; Linda Petrocine, maker of contemporary landscapes using the ancient technique of encaustic; Shany Porras, abstract painter who translates music into visual imagery; Sally Tiska Rice, watercolor and acrylic artist whose representational works explore color and light; Ilene Richard, fine art painter whose observations of everyday life informs her figurative work; Audrey Shachnow, painter and sculptor, who creates shimmering, gold-leaf sculptures; and Stephanie Weber, dancer and performance artist, who brings energy to every performance.
For more information on the event and artists, please visit clocktowerartists.com or visit them on Instagram @theclocktowerartists.
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Applications due for 2023 parade
Pittsfield— Participants marching in this year’s Pittsfield Fourth of July Parade need to formally apply for acceptance in the event. Applications are now due. The parade is just over three months away kicking off at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 4th. Participants must apply by one of three ways. They can apply at pittsfieldparade.com, by emailing pittsfieldparade@aol.com, or by filling out a paper application. A paper application may be obtained by calling 413-447-7763.
Applications help determine inclusion, order of march and preceding and following units. The parade typically includes over 170 total units including marching bands, floats, balloons, balloon floats, veterans’ groups, elected officials, special guests, community groups, fire departments and specialty vehicles. “It’s quite an involved process,” says parade chairman Peter Marchetti, adding, “it involves dozens of volunteers and a professional national company working together.”
Floats must comply with committee and Pittsfield Fire Department rules for construction and occupancy. After submitting their application, a float representative must attend one of the following workshops: 6:30 p.m. on May 10th at the Polish Falcons Club on Belair Avenue, 7 p.m. on May 22nd at Fr. Leonard Hall at St. Marks Church on West Street, 10 a.m. on May 27th at Fr. Leonard Hall at St. Marks Church, and 6:30 p.m. on June 14th at the Polish Falcons Club.
Donations may be made to the parade to help cover operating expenses through the website, www.pittsfieldparade.com. For more information, please reach out to Patrick Kelly by calling 413-447-7763 or 413-242-8681, or by texting 413-242-8681.
