MASS MoCA celebrates Community Day 2025 with free admission
North Adams— On Saturday, June 21st from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., MASS MoCA celebrates Community Day 2025 with free admission.
Celebrate the start of summer with museum tours, gallery activations, art-making, author talks, artist-led workshops and conversations, community organization fair, story time, and more, all free of charge. Highlights include a “Roots & Rhythm” vocal workshop with Martha Redbone, a Cultural Apothecary activation in ‘The Prow” with Alison Pebworth, a talk on Ecstatic Aesthetics and Queer Mysticism with Transdisciplinary artist and educator MX Oops, a reading of “Super Gay Poems.”
The free event is on Saturday, June 21st from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at MASS MoCA, located at 1040 MASS MoCA Way in North Adams. Lickety Split Cafe will be offering a Grab and Go Picnic that includes a fried chicken sandwich, cole slaw, potato chips, and a chocolate chip cookie while supplies last. There will also be a post-event reception from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. More information can be found online.
***
‘Of Water and Ice: Echoes from the Edge of Antarctica,’ a substantial new collection by Gabrielle Senza
Great Barrington— From June 20th through July 6th, for the first time in over two decades, Gabrielle Senza, aka Terra Luna, will present a substantial new collection of original drawings, paintings, and sculptural studies in the Berkshires.
Inspired by Senza’s 2022 expedition to Antarctica and created during her Knob Hill Artist Residency, this exhibition explores the intimate intersection where external landscapes transform our internal worlds, evoking memory, presence, and deep connection.
The two-week exhibition benefits the Alliance for a Viable Future’s Climate Leadership Cohort Scholarship Fund and features a variety of community events blending art, ritual, sound, and storytelling. Opening day activities include an opening reception on Friday, July 20th from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and a Solstice Meditation for Global Peace & Climate Resilience led by Dan Ruderman with ambient Earth music by Terra Luna at 2 p.m. Additional activities include films, music, and conversation with Alliance for a Viable Future co-founder Lev Natan; forest bathing, a cacao ceremony, a sound bath, and “In/Visibility Lab” workshop, and a silent art auction.
The exhibit is on view from June 20th through July 6th at Studio Lab Eleven, located at 11 Railroad Street in Great Barrington. More information, including a schedule of events, can be found online.
***
Hancock Shaker Village celebrates eight new exhibits for 2025 season
Hancock— Now through November 30th, Hancock Shaker Village will feature exhibits by eight Shaker-inspired artists installed in four of the historic buildings.
On Saturday, June 21st from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Kathleen Lynch, Curator and Collections Director, will host a wine and cheese reception to welcome all the artists and give members and visitors an opportunity to view their work and hear more about how they were influenced and inspired by the Shakers.
The eight exhibits include:
- “City of Peace: Photographs by Dylan Kubis” — A collection of photographs taken by Dylan Kubis of the Village over the past year. Kubis, who has Down Syndrome, states that “Hancock Shaker Village speaks to me as a photographer in many ways.
- “Simple Gifts: Visual Translations of Shaker Hymns and Copland Music” — Artist Shany Porran explores the intersection of sound and sight through a collection of mixed media paintings, drawings, and watercolors.
- “Elements of Harmony” — Rugs from Hancock Shaker Village’s extensive collection are featured alongside Kathy Greenwood’s textile sculptures, which were made with deep consideration of Shaker designs, techniques, and materials.
- “1Couture from the World: Inspired by the Shakers” — The Shakers referred to the non-sect members as “people of the world”. As women of the World, Deborah Carter and Joanie Ciolfi, inspired by Shaker iconic elements and the Shaker Design postage stamps, create three stunning dresses that bring the past to the present.
- “Steve Careau: Chaste” — Steve Careau creates sculptures that appear tool-like and device-like through their physical attributes, yet seem paradoxically to serve no obvious function in his Chaste exhibit.
- “Imagining Shaker Sisters” — Laura Christensen uses antique photographs to create sculptures, textiles and weavings which explore the industries, images, and lives of early Shaker women.
- “All Around the Room” — Interdisciplinary artist and Shaker researcher Mari Moltenis’ immersive installation brings a recorded trance experience of young Shaker “visionist” Ann Mariah Goff into playful ephemeral form.
- Meet summer artist-in-Residence Katie Rubright, who will exhibit her work at the Village in the fall.
The exhibits run through November 30th at Hancock Shaker Village, located at 1843 West Housatonic Street in Pittsfield. More information can be found online.
***
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center presents ‘Shawn Colvin and Rodney Crowell: Together on Stage’
Great Barrington— On Saturday, June 21st at 8 p.m., The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center presents “Shawn Colvin and Rodney Crowell: Together on Stage.”
Shawn Colvin stopped the industry in its tracks with her arresting 1989 debut, “Steady On.” The following spring, Colvin took home the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album, establishing herself as a mainstay in the singer-songwriter genre. In the ensuing 30 years, Colvin has won three Grammy Awards, released thirteen superlative albums, written a critically acclaimed memoir, maintained a non-stop national and international touring schedule, appeared on countless television and radio programs, had her songs featured in major motion pictures and created a remarkable canon of work.
Rodney Crowell is the songwriter’s songwriter and an icon among giants. Crowell is a multi-Grammy Award-winning troubadour with fifteen number one hits. Over the course of his career, Crowell has gracefully blended his own mainstream success as an artist with a prolific catalog of songs cut by the likes of Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Keith Urban, and more, making him a master among his peers.
The concert is on Saturday, June 21st at 8 p.m. at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, located at 14 Castle Street in Great Barrington. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
Garrison Keillor’s ‘A Prairie Home Companion’ at Tanglewood
Lenox— On Saturday, June 21st at 7 p.m., after a national tour in celebration of its 50th anniversary, Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion,” is pleased to again be taking the stage at Tanglewood.
Joining Garrison are guest performers, music director Rich Dworsky and the Royal Academy of Radio Actors (Tim Russell, Sue Scott, and sound-effects wizard Fred Newman.)
The event is on Saturday, June 21st at 7 p.m. in the Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood, located at 297 West Street in Lenox. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
PS21 Chatham presents ‘PORT(AL),’ an epic new work co-created by the GRAMMY Award-winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus
Chatham, N.Y.— On Saturday, June 21st at 8 p.m., PS21 Chatham presents “PORT(AL),” an epic new work co-created by the GRAMMY Award-winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Jad Abumrad (Radiolab,) Paola Prestini, Jessica Grindstaff, Ogemdi Ude, and a chorus of more than 50 young singers.
A mesmerizing new choral theater experience, “PORT(AL)” opens a hidden doorway to the past, and a history of women’s work in New York, within the depths of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Ebbing, flowing, and interweaving throughout this immersive piece are the voices of the youth chorus speaking to their relationship to their very own time and place —and their future. Dive into the currents of time and discover the hidden depths of the Navy Yard’s past, where the trailblazing spirit of machinist and drag king Rusty Brown, played by performance artist Cynthia Hopkins, and the pioneering voice of mezzo soprano Eugenia Farrar surge like tidal waves.
“PORT(AL)” is not just a performance; it’s an immersive passage through time, transforming the PS21 Pavilion Theater into a space where the boundaries between eras dissolve, audience members traverse the stage, and the enduring spirit of the human story sets sail.
The performance is on Saturday, June 21st at 8 p.m. at PS21 Chatham, located at 2980 Route 66 in Chatham, N.Y. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
Taconic Music’s 9th summer festival opens with a harp quintet and a Beethoven triple concerto
Manchester, Vt.— On Saturday, June 21st at 7 p.m., Taconic Music’s 9th summer festival opens with a harp quintet and a Beethoven triple concerto.
The concert begins with Scottish composer Savourna Stevenson’s (b.1961) “Quintet for Harp and Strings,” inspired by Scottish traditional music from Burns songs to órain luaidh, or “waulking songs,” of the Hebridean tweed industry. New England-based Scottish harpist Rachel Clemente will be the featured guest, performing with Taconic faculty Heather Braun and Joana Genova, violins; Ariel Rudiakov, viola; and Tom Landschoot, cello.
For the evening’s second piece, “Beethoven’s Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano in C Major, op. 56,” (known familiarly as the “Triple Concerto”), Genova and Landschoot will be joined by pianist and fellow faculty member Drew Peterson, winner of the 2018 Avery Fisher Career Grant.
The concert is on Saturday, June 21st at 7 p.m. at the Riley Center for the Arts at Burr and Burton Academy, located at 143 Seminary Avenue in Manchester Center, Vt. There will be a pre-concert reception at 6:30 p.m. The concert will also be live-streamed online. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
Music at the Southfield Church presents ‘Timeless Classics and New Voices,’ a dazzling celebration is Broadway and jazz with Rebecca Brudner and Dan Rubins
New Marlborough— On Saturday, June 21st at 7 p.m., Music at the Southfield Church presents “Timeless Classics and New Voices,” a dazzling celebration of Broadway and jazz with soprano Rebecca Brudner and pianist Dan Rubins.
Prepare to be swept off your feet at this show-stopping intertwining of the glamour of Broadway and the soulful charm of jazz standards with the added sparkle of fresh creations by gifted young songwriters from Hear Your Song, showcasing the future of music and the indomitable power of storytelling.
Rebecca Brudner has sung on stages around the world, from the canyons of Utah to the hills of Scotland. She has led more than a dozen musical theater productions off-Broadway and regionally. Her performance as Thea Laguardia in the Berkshire Theatre Group’s production of “Fiorello!” which transferred to New York City, was praised in the New York Times for its “delicate feeling… beautiful tone and emotional clarity.” Brudner is also the co-founder and Board President of Hear Your Song, a nonprofit organization that empowers kids and teens living with serious illnesses and complex health needs to make their voices heard through songwriting, giving power and choice to kids whose health conditions often deprive them of agency in their daily lives.
Dan Rubins is a supreme multi-hyphenate: pianist, composer, educator, theater critic, podcast host, and co-founder and Executive Director of Hear Your Song. Before launching Hear Your Song, Dan worked for several years as a teacher and as a curriculum designer for the Metropolitan Opera’s Education Department. He believes deeply in the power of kids’ voices and stories, and in the power of music to help them share those stories.
The concert is on Saturday, June 21st at 7 p.m. at the Southfield Church, located at 234 Norfolk Road in New Marlborough. Admission is free, and a retiring collection will be taken to benefit the artists. There will be a post-concert reception.
At 2 p.m. on the same day, Music at the Southfield Church presents a concert for children featuring celebrated violist Eva Gerard and acclaimed pianist Manon Hutton-DeWys. The program has been thoughtfully curated to inspire curiosity and joy in young listeners while showcasing the mesmerizing sounds of the viola and piano. This is a concert for kids who wiggle, for families who appreciate creativity, and for anyone eager to explore the viola’s rich voice and the piano’s elegance. Don’t miss this afternoon of musical discovery and delight. More information can be found online.
***
The Foundry presents ‘A Eulogy For Roman,’ a uniquely immersive theatrical experience
West Stockbridge— On Friday, June 20th at 7:30 p.m., The Foundry presents “A Eulogy For Roman,” a uniquely immersive theatrical experience.
After an acclaimed world premiere in Edinburgh and an Off-Broadway debut in 2023 that was nominated for a Drama Desk Award, “A Eulogy For Roman” will return for one night only at The Foundry.
Meet Milo, a nervous young man who shares the stage with an urn. But things aren’t as dark as they seem. Milo is trying to give a eulogy for his friend Roman, but the ceremony proves unexpectedly difficult, and attendees are voluntarily enlisted to help him complete the memorial. Together, they celebrate life, confront death, and make a promise of their own.
The performance is on Friday, June 20th at 7:30 p.m. at The Foundry, located at 2 Harris Street in West Stockbridge. The doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
Adams Theater presents comedian Usama Siddiquee
Adams— On Saturday June 21st at 7:30 p.m., the Adams Theater presents comedian Usama Siddiquee.
Siddiquee is a Bengali-American stand-up comedian and actor based in New York. His act is an energetic (bordering on frenetic) and intelligent (bordering on genius) romp through his own life experiences. He can be seen on Netlifx’s “Inventing Anna,” HBO’s “And Just Like that,” Comedy Central’s “Nora from Queens,” and FX’s “Better Things.” He was also featured on the 2020 season of “America’s Got Talent” and last year made his late night television debut on “The Late Show” with Stephen Colbert. He is also a regular at the world famous Comedy Cellar in Manhattan.
The show is on Saturday June 21st at 7:30 p.m. at the Adams Theater, located at 27 Park Street in Adams. The show may contain adult themes; audience discretion is advised. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
Ventfort Hall presents a summer salon lecture series with historian Louise Levy
Lenox— Beginning on Saturday, June 21st at 11 a.m., Ventfort Hall presents a summer salon lecture series with historian Louise Levy.
Louise Levy is a graduate of Syracuse University with a BA in Art History. She worked as a tour guide at Chesterwood in Stockbridge for 15 years, giving tours and specialty talks ranging from cemetery symbolism to the civil rights movement. She joined the staff at Ventfort Hall over two years ago where she gives lectures on American art and history.
On June 21st, the lecture is titled “Calling All Servants.” Take a look at the hidden world of the men and women who served the great families of the Gilded Age. Learn about the call boxes and speaking tubes that helped them communicate and walk through the house looking for signs of servant life. The series continues on June 28th with “Looking Through The Lens Of Time.”
The series begins on Saturday, June 21st at 11 a.m. at Ventfort Hall, located at 104 Walker Street in Lenox. More information can be found online.
***
Clark Art Institute celebrates the 2025 Summer Solstice with series of free outdoor activities and ritual events
Williamstown— On the evening of Saturday, June 21st, the Clark Art Institute celebrates the 2025 Summer Solstice with series of free outdoor activities and ritual events.
Activities include an interactive foraging walk, a flower crown workshop, mystical tarot Readings, spirit drawings with artist Alison Pebworth, and community singing, drumming, dancing, merriment, and solstice rituals, including a smoke and bell cleanse and more.
The free celebration is on the evening of Saturday, June 21st, the Clark Art Institute, located at 225 South Street in Williamstown. Cider from Berkshire Cider Project available for purchase. More information can be found online.
***
Berkshire HorseWorks and Berkshire Yoga Dance & Fitness present an outdoor sound bath with horses
Richmond— On Friday, June 20th from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Berkshire HorseWorks and Berkshire Yoga Dance & Fitness present an outdoor sound bath with horses.
Step into serenity on the scenic grounds of Berkshire HorseWorks for an evening of relaxation, connection, and sound healing with equines. Immerse yourself in a tranquil outdoor experience designed to calm the nervous system and nourish the spirit.
The evening begins with a gentle meet-and-greet with the resident herd followed by a restorative Sound Bath led by experienced practitioner Nora Fenner, overlooking the horses offering a peaceful, grounding presence. You will be guided through an immersive sound journey using crystal singing bowls to help restore balance and quiet the mind. Open your heart, quiet your mind, and let the harmony of horses, sound, and nature restore your soul.
The event is on Friday, June 20th from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Berkshire HorseWorks, located at 101 Patton Road in Richmond. Registration and more information can be found online.
