BTG to welcome Adam Ezra Group to the Garage
Pittsfield — Berkshire Theatre Group (BTG) will welcome roots-rock band the Adam Ezra Group to the Garage on Friday, April 1, at 8 p.m.
Boston native Adam Ezra has been making music for 15 years. The Adam Ezra Group has grown gradually from a solo acoustic act to a touring band featuring six musicians: Ezra on vocals and guitar, Corinna Smith on fiddle, Turtle on hand percussion, Josh Gold on keys, Francis Hickey on bass, and Alex Martin on drums. For many years the band has been rewriting the rules of the music business by offering their CDs for whatever a fan can afford to pay, and making playing benefits and fundraisers a priority despite a grueling 200 shows-per-year tour schedule.
Tickets to the Adam Ezra Group are $10 in advance and $12 on the day of the show. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact the Colonial ticket office at (413) 997-4444.
–E.E.
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April First Fridays Artswalk
Pittsfield — The April 1 First Fridays Artswalk will encompass over a dozen different art shows featuring the work of regional artists. The Artswalk will kick off with opening receptions and artists present throughout the “walk” from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. A free, guided walking tour will begin at 5 p.m. at the BRTA Intermodal Center. The evening will culminate with a free after-walk party at the Whitney Center for the Arts from 8 p.m. – 10 p.m., featuring an acoustic-metal performance by Sifer band members Aimee Gelinas and Dan Cohen.
Shire City Sanctuary will present “Draw Them In,” a rock poster retrospective showcasing 100 pieces that span two decades of the work of Dan Blakeslee. The Whitney Center for the Arts will present “Temptations,” a group show heralding the arrival of warmer seasons, curated by Leo Mazzeo and featuring artists Nayana Glazier, Paul Graubard, Julian Grey, Tom McGill, Sara Farrell Okamura, Joan Mietz Rooks, Karen Schiltz, and Marney Schorr. Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. will feature artwork created by students at the College Internship Program as well as an autism resource fair with booths from local autism organizations. Pittsfield’s Park Square, City Hall, and other businesses along North Street will also be showing their support of autism awareness with blue lights.
New shows from local artists will also be displayed at Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, Berkshire Paint and Sip, Unusual Wedding Rings & More, the Marketplace Café, the Berkshire Museum, the Kinderhook Group, and Bagels Too.
For more information on First Fridays Artswalk, call (413) 443-6501.
–E.E.
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Joe Goodwin solo show at the Berkshire Museum
Pittsfield — The Berkshire Museum will present “Liminal Artifacts: Recent Paintings by Joe Goodwin,” a solo show by the Berkshire-based artist, in the Museum’s Ellen Crane Memorial Room Saturday, April 2, through Sunday, June 19. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, April 2, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Goodwin’s abstract paintings reflect atmospheric images that reference natural phenomena. Goodwin works in acrylic paints mixed from dry pigments and polymer emulsions and applied in an innovative layering process involving additives such as marble dust and silica. Goodwin holds BAE and BFA degrees from Oklahoma State University and an MFA from the University of Illinois. He served as studio assistant to Leon Polk Smith in the early 1980s and, from 1997 to 2003, was an adjunct faculty member for the Duke University program Leadership and the Arts – A Semester in New York. He established a studio in New York City in 1978 and then in the Berkshires in 2004. Goodwin’s work are part of the collections at the deCordova Museum in Lincoln, Mass.; Neuberger Museum of Art in Purchase, N.Y.; the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio; the Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings, Mont.; and the Berkshire Museum.
Tickets to the reception are $10 for adults, $5 for children, and free for Museum members. Those planning to attend are requested to RSVP by calling (413) 443-7171 x313.
–E.E.
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BIFF to screen ‘Sambene!’
Great Barrington — The BIFF (Berkshire International Film Festival) REEL FRIENDS Film Society and the Triplex Cinema will present a screening of “Sembene!” on Thursday, March 31, at 7 p.m. at the Triplex. The feature-length documentary “Sembene!” tells the story of the “father of African cinema,” self-taught novelist and filmmaker Ousmane Sembéne, who fought a 50-year battle to give African stories to Africans.
Tickets for “Sembene!” are $15 for REEL FRIENDS and $20 for the general public. A wine and cheese reception will precede the film at 6 p.m.
–E.E.
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‘A Mitzvah for Berkshire County Kids’ Place’ art exhibition
Pittsfield – Thirteen-year-old Paige Wright will present “A Mitzvah for Berkshire County Kids’ Place: An Exhibition and Fundraiser,” at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge Friday, April 1, through Saturday, April 16.
The public is invited to join Paige and other guests for an opening reception Friday, April 1 from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Over 50 works of original art in all media have been donated by local, regional, and national artists for view and sale with all proceeds benefitting Berkshire County Kids’ Place.
“A Mitzvah for Berkshire County Kids Place: An Exhibition and Fundraiser” originated in Paige’s studies for her upcoming bat mitzvah, particularly tikkun olam, a practice literally translated as “world repair” that has come to signify social action and community involvement.
An online sneak peek at some of the donated works is available. The works will be available for purchase at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge through the Saturday, April 16 closing reception, which will also feature musician Andy Wrba and Darrow School music students and take place from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
–E.E.
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Berkshire South to hold 5k run/walk
Housatonic — Berkshire South Regional Community Center will hold its fourth annual 5K Run/Walk and Breakfast fundraiser on Sunday, April 3, at 9 a.m. at the Housy Dome, 1064 Main St. All funds raised will support Berkshire South’s TONE (Teen Outreach Nutrition Exercise) program as well as other youth health wellness wellness programs.
Participants may register until 5 p.m. on April 1 for $25; after that time registration will be $30 per participant. Children ages 7 and under may participate for free alongside a registered parent or guardian. Same-day registration will also be accepted beginning at 8 a.m. All fitness levels are welcome.
Following the race all race participants will be invited back to Berkshire South for breakfast and an award ceremony. Breakfast will be served at 10 a.m. and noon and will be complimentary for all participants; guest tickets are $2 per child and $4 per adult.
For more information contact Emerson Badessa at (413) 528-2810 x15.
–E.E.
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Bird walk at Canoe Meadows
Pittsfield – On Friday, April 1, from 8 a.m. – 10 a.m., Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary will host a bird walk led by Jonathan Pierce, caretaker of Lenox’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary and leader of the Hoffmann Bird Club. Participants will walk past meadows and through woodlands, keeping an eye out for migrants like wood-warblers and observing the changes in bird species.
The cost of the walk is $3 for nonmembers and free for members. Beginners are welcome and participants are encouraged to bring binoculars. For more information call (413) 637-0320.
–E.E.
