Spencertown Academy presents indie-folk artist Heather Maloney
Spencertown— On Saturday, October 7th at 8 p.m., Spencertown Academy “Roots & Shoots Concerts Series” presents nationally touring indie-folk artist Heather Maloney.
Finding music during a three-year stay at a meditation center, her music is moored in days of silent reflection and reverence for storytellers like singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, poet Rilke, and filmmaker Ken Burns. The New York Times called her music “utterly gorgeous, visceral” and SPIN Magazine described her as “stunning, breathy, and starkly memorable.”
Her performance at the Academy will focus on songs from her latest album, “Soil In The Sky.” A collage of tremulous folk, existential ballads, and assertive rock, she describes the record as “a collective memory…stitched together from personal and universal ecstasy, loss both intimate and ancient.”
“Heather Maloney is a unique talent who combines brilliant storytelling with a stunning voice,” says Wayne Greene, member of the Academy’s Music Committee. “We look forward to hosting her in an intimate, solo setting. It’s sure to be special.”
The concert is on Saturday, October 7th at 8 p.m. in the Blanche Grubin Auditorium at Spencertown Academy on NY-203 in Spencertown. Tickets are $25 and $20 for members. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Alliance for a Viable Future presents ‘Honoring Native America’ featuring R. Carlos Nakai, Shawn Stevens, and Cheryl Fairbanks
Great Barrington— On Friday, October 6th at 7:30 p.m., the Second Annual Honoring Native America kicks-off Indigenous Peoples’ Day weekend in the Berkshires with distinguished leaders R. Carlos Nakai, the world’s premier performer of the Native American flute; Shawn Stevens, celebrated Mohican storyteller; Cheryl Fairbanks, Esq, renowned Indigenous Peacemaker, and opening words from Lev Natan, Executive Director of Alliance for a Viable Future (AVF).
This unique event goes beyond “performance” into the interactive realm of ceremony and collective prayer. These artists are masters of their respective craft and AVF is humbled by their presence in our Berkshires community. Their offerings will inspire to dream into a conscious future for our community and the world.
The event is on Friday, October 6th at 7:30 p.m. at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center on Castle Street in Great Barrington. Tickets are $15-$60. Ticket prices reflect a sliding scale ethic. Seats are evenly distributed throughout the theater. All proceeds go to AVF’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day programming. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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The Clark Art Institute presents the third and fourth installments of their film series examining the the L.A. Rebellion
Williamstown— On Thursdays, October 5th and October 12th at 6 p.m., the Clark Art Institute presents the third and fourth installments of their film series examining the the L.A. Rebellion, presented in celebration and anticipation of the Clark’s 2023 Conference, “The Fetish A(r)t Work: African Objects in the Making of European Art History, 1500–1900.”
Starting in the late 1960s in Los Angeles, especially in and around the University of California (UCLA) Film School, a group of Black filmmakers began exploring alternatives to the film industry, eschewing Hollywood patterns and embracing international influences, ethnographic study, and African history and mythology. This series of films from the Los Angeles School of Black Filmmakers is better known as the L.A. Rebellion film movement.
On Thursday October 5th at 6 p.m., the Clark presents a screening of “Daughters of the Dust” (directed by Julie Dash; 1991). The first American feature directed by an African American woman to receive a general theatrical release, “Daughters of the Dust” is set in 1902 and tells the story of a “Gullah” family, descendants of African captives who escaped the slave trade to live on islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. Here, many members of the Peazant family are on the verge of a planned migration to the United States. A brilliant cast does justice to the decision the Peazants face: to embrace or abandon the land their ancestors fled. (Run time: 1 hour, 52 minutes)
On Thursday October 12th at 6 p.m., the Clark presents a screening of Sankofa (directed by Haile Gerima; 1993). This film was developed from twenty years of research into the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the experiences of African slaves in the New World. It presents the often-suppressed history of slave resistance and rebellion and represents the enslaved as agents of their own liberation. The film’s narrative structure follows the concept of “Sankofa,” an Akan word that signifies the recuperation of one’s past in order to comprehend the present and find one’s future. (Run time: 2 hours, 4 minutes)
The free screenings are on Thursdays, October 5th and October 12th at 6 p.m. in the Manton Research Center Auditorium at the Clark Art Institute on South Street in Williamstown. More information can be found online.
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Jazz at the Ballroom presents ‘Accentuate the Positive’
Great Barrington— On Saturday, October 7th at 7 p.m., Jazz at the Ballroom presents “Accentuate the Positive”.
Accentuate the positive this fall with music from the American Songbook. Look for the silver lining, walk on the sunny side of the street, and dance cheek to cheek with a swinging line-up including TikTok sensation, Stella Cole, and chair-turning crooner from the TV series “The Voice,” Wyatt Michael with Harry Allen on saxophone, Mike Karn on bass, and Andy Watson on drums.
Inspired by Bing Crosby’s 1944 hit “Accentuate the Positive,” it’s a night of memorable music that kept people company through the ups and downs of the 1920s to 1940s.
The concert is on Saturday, October 7th at 7 p.m. at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center on Castle Street in Great Barrington, Tickets are $28 to $48. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Berkshire County Historical Society to presents programs on architecture, landscape, and archaeology at Arrowhead
Pittsfield— On Saturday, September 30th and Tuesday, October 10th, Berkshire County Historical Society (BCHS) presents programs on historical perspectives on Arrowhead’s architecture and landscape; and an overview of important Massachusetts Archaeological finds.
On Saturday, September 30th at 11 a.m., BCHS presents “Architecture and Landscape at Herman Melville’s Arrowhead”. Tour guide John Dickson will provide a walking tour overview of the architectural features of the Arrowhead and discuss its evolution from the 1780s to the present. This tour is followed by Lesley Herzberg’s walk through the north field and woods where the Melville family cultivated the farm and gardens in the nineteenth century. Her talk will focus on Arrowhead’s cultural landscape. In the event of rain, the event will take place on Sunday, October 1st at 11 a.m.
On Tuesday, October 10th at 5:30 p.m., BCHS presents “Highlights of Massachusetts Archaeology. When you think of archaeology, you might think of Egypt, Ancient Greece, or Mexico before considering Massachusetts, but Massachusetts has some fascinating archaeology and some sites with memorable stories to tell. This free lecture takes you from Boston to the Berkshires showing sites from thousands of years ago to the late-nineteenth century. The lecture is presented by Eric Johnson, PhD, a semi-retired lecturer from the Department of Anthropology at University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
The free programs are on Saturday, September 30th and Tuesday, October 10th at Arrowhead on Holmes Road in Pittsfield. More information can be found online.
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For National Recovery Month, HEALing Communities North Adams hosts the ‘Rally for Recovery’
North Adams— On Saturday, September 30th, For National Recovery Month, HEALing Communities North Adams hosts the “Rally for Recovery” at Colgrove Park.
From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., the community will gather for family fun activities, games and a resource fair showcasing a wealth of information for individuals and families related to prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction. Activities will include speakers sharing information on lived experiences and the upcoming Peer Recovery Center.
At 3 p.m., all are welcome to gather together to walk from Colgrove Park to City Hall in a show of community and group support.
The event is on Saturday, September 30th at Colgrove Park on Church Street in North Adams. More information can be found online.
National Recovery Month, which started in 1989, is a national observance held every September to promote and support treatment and recovery practices, the nation’s strong and proud recovery community and the dedication of service providers and communities who make recovery, in all of its forms, possible.
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Stockbridge Grange community dinner
Stockbridge— On Sunday, October 8th, Stockbridge Grange is having a community dinner featuring a stuffed chicken breast, mashed potatoes, vegetable, with dessert choices of chocolate cream pie or apple pie.
Dinner is $15.00 per person, take-out only with a noon to 1:30 p.m. pickup window at Stockbridge Grange Hall on Church Street in Stockbridge. Orders may be made by calling 413-243-1298 or 413-443-4352. Reservations must be made by Thursday, October 5th.
