Wednesday, March 19, 2025

News and Ideas Worth Sharing

BITS & BYTES: American Ballet Theatre at Fisher Center; ‘Glow Forest Sound Bath’ at Future Lab(s) Gallery; W.E.B. DuBois Legacy Festival; W.E.B. DuBois Memorial Event at Simon’s Rock; ‘Black Girl Magic’ at The Carle

Two of New York’s finest artistic training programs join forces as the talented graduate musicians of TŌN welcome the exceptional dancers of American Ballet Theatre Studio Company to the Fisher Center at Bard.

Fisher Center presents The Orchestra Now and the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company

Annandale-On-Hudson, N.Y.— On February 28th at 7:30 p.m. and March 1st at 7:30 p.m., Fisher Center presents The Orchestra Now and the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company. 

Two of New York’s finest artistic training programs join forces as the talented graduate musicians of TŌN welcome the exceptional dancers of American Ballet Theatre Studio Company to the Fisher Center at Bard. Enjoy works by George Balanchine, Kevin McKenzie, Gerald Arpino, and others set to music by Verdi, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and more performed live by a full symphony orchestra.

The highly mobile ABT Studio Company serves as an ambassador for American Ballet Theatre. In recent years, ABT Studio Company has performed in such international cities as London, Athens, Manila, Hong Kong, and St. Petersburg.

The performances are on February 28th at 7:30 p.m. and March 1st at 7:30 p.m. at the Fisher Center, located on Manor Avenue in Annandale-On-Hudson, N.Y. Tickets and more information can be found online. 

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Future Lab(s) Gallery presents a ‘Glow Forest Sound Bath’ and dance party 

North Adams— On Saturday, February 22nd from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., Future Lab(s) Gallery presents a ‘Glow Forest Sound Bath’ by Sarah and Sonia Cohen, an unparalleled experience of sound and energy healing against the backdrop of the “Glow Forest” exhibit. 

At 7 p.m., the “Glow Forest” exhibit closes with a dance party. If you haven’t yet entered the “Glow Forest,” this is your final chance. A luminous world of glowing trees, surreal landscapes, and bioluminescent creatures awaits. Under black lights, the gallery transforms into a dreamlike forest where every brushstroke, sculpture, and detail comes alive in a whole new way. Wear neon or white to become part of the installation. Channel fluorescent moss, a glowing deer, or let your imagination run wild. There will be an electronic performance and a high-energy DJ set. Expect glowing vibes, cozy-core softness, and a night of movement, connection, and light.

Courtesy Future Lab(s) Gallery.

The events are on Saturday, February 22nd from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Future Lab(s) Gallery, located at 43 Eagle Street in North Adams. More information can be found online.

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W.E.B. DuBois Legacy Festival in Great Barrington

Great Barrington— On Sunday, February 23rd, Du Bois’ birthday, the W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Day Celebration, the official holiday observation of W.E.B. Du Bois Day in Great Barrington, will take place. 

Courtesy W.E.B. DuBois Legacy Festival.

At 9 a.m., the Macedonia Baptist Church, located at 9 Rosseter Street, will hold a special convocation honoring Dr. Du Bois’ birthday. Guest pastor Reverend Traci Jackson will deliver the convocation. Participants will join a processional Legacy Walk after the convocation, arriving for the birthday celebration at the Mason Library, located at 231 Main Street at 11 a.m. Guest speakers will include Victoria Christopher Murray, Gesel Mason, and Dr. Amma Y.Ghartey Tagoe-Kootin. Also, an artifact copy of “Black Reconstruction” from Du Bois’s personal library will be on view. A lunch reception will follow. More information can be found online. 

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Bard College at Simon’s Rock presents 28th annual W.E.B. DuBois Memorial Event 

Great Barrington— On Tuesday, February 25th at 6:30 p.m., Bard College at Simon’s Rock presents the 28th annual W.E.B. DuBois Memorial Event entitled “Farewell to the Rock, but Not to the Dream: W.E.B. Du Bois and the Future of Early College Education” led by Simon’s Rock Professor Felix Kaputu.

Historically presented as a lecture, the Great Barrington community is invited to enjoy an evening of celebrating an enduring educational legacy and farewell to a longstanding community on the Simon’s Rock campus.

Felix U. Kaputu. Courtesy Simon’s Rock.

Felix U. Kaputu is an accomplished international scholar. Kaputu’s academic career spans decades and continents, beginning in 1988. His research has continually evolved, addressing key global issues such as the comparative power of imagery, gender, and cultural studies, cultural management, identity construction in a global context, community development, and the artistry of writing. His current research adopts an interdisciplinary approach, combining education, community development, and Black/Africana Studies, with a focus on African diasporas, memory, and continuity. Anthropological, psychological, and literary perspectives within the human rights framework enrich his work. Kaputu has received numerous awards and fellowships throughout his career, including a Fulbright Scholarship at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Other awards facilitated his studies and research in Japan, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Poland. The Open Society, the Flemish Academic Fund, and the Dutch Academy Awards supported his fieldwork in Africa.

The lecture is on Tuesday, February 25th at 6:30 p.m. in the McConnell Theater at Bard College at Simon’s Rock, located at 84 Alford Road in Great Barrington. It is free and open to the public. More information can be found online. 

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Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art presents ‘Representing Black Girl Magic with Contemporary Picture Books’

Amherst— On Saturday, March 1st from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art presents “Representing Black Girl Magic with Contemporary Picture Books.”

In this program, Clark University Master of Arts in Teaching Faculty, Raphael Rogers, will share details about his latest book, “Representing Black Girl Magic with Contemporary Picture Books.” The book focuses on the wave of recently published picture books by Black women writers that push back against negative beliefs, counter negative stereotypes, and represent the beauty, joy, magic, and diversity of Black girls and their families. The book features the voices and perspectives of more than two dozen Black women writers.

Ashleigh Corrin, artwork for ‘Joy Takes Root’ by Gwendolyn Wallace (Kokila). © 2023 Ashleigh Corrin. Courtesy The Carle.

Two featured writers, Stephanie Seales and Gwendolyn Wallace, will join Raphael to discuss the representation of Black Girl Magic in their picture books. Stephanie is the writer of the 2025 Caldecott Honor Book “My Daddy is a Cowboy,” and Gwendolyn has published two picture books, “Joy Takes Root” and “The Light She Feels Inside.”

The event is on Saturday, March 1st from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, located at 125 West Bay Road in Amherst. It is free with admission. There will be a book signing to follow the program. More information can be found online. 

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