Scoville Memorial Library presents ‘A Plan of Action to Save our Oceans and Climate’ with Sam Waterston
Canaan, Conn.— On Friday, June 2nd at 7:30 p.m., Scoville Memorial Library presents “A Plan of Action to Save our Oceans and Climate” with Sam Waterston at Housatonic Valley Regional High School.
Sam Waterston, award-winning actor in theater, film, and television, has been serving as Chair of the Board of Oceana since 2001. Oceana is the largest global advocacy organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the world’s oceans. He will discuss the state of the world’s oceans and various efforts to make them healthier and more abundant, while addressing climate change.
Waterston will describe some of the policy approaches and victories in countries that govern much of the world’s marine life. Through collaborative efforts, Mexico, Brazil, and Belize have agreed to publish vessel tracking data for their commercial fishing fleets; California has enacted the boldest plastic pollution reduction policy in the nation; and Spain has created a new waste law that curbs ocean-polluting single-use plastics.
Oceana is participating in global efforts to reduce carbon pollution by acting to prevent the expansion of offshore drilling that can also have devastating impacts on marine ecosystems and wildlife.
You know about his success as an actor. Come hear about Sam Waterston’s leading role in saving our oceans.
The presentation is on Friday, June 2nd at 7:30 p.m. at Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Canaan, Conn. Registration is not necessary. More information can be found by visiting Scoville Memorial Library online.
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Berkshire Black Economic Council and First Congregational Church of North Adams present ‘I Am Afro’, a street fair for all the people, and Raiche with Jasmine Janai, a Juneteenth celebration
North Adams— On Saturday, June 17th, the Berkshire Black Economic Council, Inc (BBEC) partners with the First Congregational Church of North Adams (FCCNA) to host “I Am Afro: A Street Fair for All the People.” This free Juneteenth celebration features performances, pop-up booths, delicious food, and family-friendly activities. No registration is required and anyone is welcome.
From 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., on the lawn of FCCNA (134 Main Street), downtown North Adams will come alive with dance, music, visual and theatre arts, and spoken word by talented local Black residents.
As the sun sets, the celebration continues at the Hunter Center MASS MoCA Way in North Adams, where a ticketed homecoming performance by the soul-pop star and Berkshire County native, Raiche, awaits. The concert is on Saturday, June 17th at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $26 on the day of the concert. Tickets and more information can be found by visiting MASS MoCA online.
Raiche and Jasmine Janai. Image courtesy of BBEC and FCCNA.
“I Am Afro” is supported by the BBEC’s Black Arts Council, an intergenerational cohort dedicated to fostering an inclusive and trustworthy arts sector that responds to the needs of the Black community. By partnering with FCCNA on this inaugural event, the BBEC continues to advance local efforts to promote black artists, entrepreneurship, and culture in the Berkshires.
No matter your ethnicity or background, the BBEC and FCCNA invite you to join in a joy-filled day of fun and cultural exploration. Let us, “All the People,” come together to celebrate afro artists and performers in the streets of North Adams.
More information and updates can be found by visiting Berkshire Black Economic Council online.
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The Foundry presents Julia Scotti, one of the ‘Top Five Transgendered Comedians in the Country’
West Stockbridge— On June 17th at 7:30 p.m., the Foundry presents Julia Scotti.
Julia has been described by colleagues and press as, among other things, “a force of nature,” and “a comedy chainsaw flying through the room.” As Julia says, her comedy always has to be “fearless and honest,” and America can feel both in her performances. She has been named one of the Top Five Transgendered Comedians in the Country by Advocate Magazine, and has performed at LGBTQ events across the country, and was one of the winners of the Laughlin Laugh Festival in Nevada. Simon Cowell said, “you genuinely made me laugh!” and Julia continues to remain a fan favorite of America’s Got Talent audiences around the world.
She is the current host of the podcast Comedy Centric. You can see Julia starring as Joy in the short film drama “Relatable Joy,” in the Judd Apatow/Universal Pictures film “Bros,” starring Billy Eichner and soon to be seen in the upcoming film tentatively titled “Untitled Pregnancy” with Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buteau.
Find out why “Deadline,” the industry magazine, has called Julia ‘Our Next Betty White” on June 17th at 7:30 p.m. at the Foundry on Harris Street in West Stockbridge. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at door. The doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. This is an indoor event. Visit the Foundry online for tickets and more information. Parking is limited at the venue so please utilize the three public parking lots in Town. To avoid a parking ticket, visit the Foundry online for further details.
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Kick off Berkshire Pride Week at Hot Plate Brewing Co. with Karaoke by Temescal Wellness
Pittsfield— On Wednesday, May 31st at 7 p.m., kick off Berkshire Pride Week by singing proudly in Berkshire Pride’s 21+ karaoke event sponsored by Temescal Wellness at Hot Plate Brewing Co.
This event kicks off Berkshire Pride’s “Every Day is Pride” celebration and to make that 365-days-a-year vision come to life, we’re asking for a small donation with every song submission. Temescal is generously donating $1 to Berkshire Pride for every beer poured!
In addition to their handcrafted beers, Hot Plate also serves wine, cider, hard seltzers, and non-alcoholic drinks to create a space where all are welcome. Biggins Diggins Food Truck will be outside Hot Plate during the event serving up delicious eats for sale.
The karaoke kick-off is on Wednesday, May 31st at 7 p.m. at Hot Plate Brewing Co. on School Street in Pittsfield. More information can be found by visiting Berkshire Pride online.
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The OLLI Distinguished Speakers Series presents ‘John C. Mather: Opening the Infrared Treasure Chest with James Webb Space Telescope’
Pittsfield— On Wednesday, June 21st at 7 p.m., the OLLI Distinguished Speakers Series presents “John C. Mather: Opening the Infrared Treasure Chest with James Webb Space Telescope.” This is an online event.
The James Webb Space Telescope was launched on Dec. 25, 2021, and commissioning was completed in early July 2022. With its 6.5 m golden eye, and cameras and spectrometers covering 0.6 to 28 µm, Webb is already producing magnificent images of galaxies, active galactic nuclei, star-forming regions, and planets.
Dr. John C. Mather is a Senior Astrophysicist and is the Senior Project Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Since the project start in 1995, he has led the JWST science teams.
As a postdoctoral fellow at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies he led the proposal efforts for the Cosmic Background Explorer. Dr. Mather received the Nobel Prize in Physics (2006) with George Smoot, for showing that the cosmic microwave background radiation has a blackbody spectrum within 50 parts per million, confirming the expanding universe model to extraordinary accuracy and making the first map of the hot and cold spots in the background radiation (anisotropy).
The talk is on Wednesday, June 21st at 7 p.m. on Zoom. Admission is $10 for OLLI at BCC and Berkshire Museum members, and $15 for the general public. Admission is free for Berkshire Community College students, youth 17 and under, and those holding WIC, EBT/SNAP, or ConnectorCare cards. Pre-registration is required. Register safely and securely online or call 413.236.2190, Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. More information can be found by visiting OLLI online.
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Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition, Q-MoB, and Bard Queer Leadership Project present Berkshire Regional Queer Leadership Summit
Great Barrington— On June 17th from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition (BSCC), the 25 year old coalition of LGBTQ+ regional organizations, in collaboration with Q-MoB (Queer Men of the Berkshires) and the Bard Queer Leadership Project, will be hosting an informal Berkshire Regional Queer Leadership Summit and potluck to bring the leadership teams of the region’s LGBTQ+ organizations together to get to know one another and begin a renewed dialog about how they might collaborate and support one another in the coming year.
Any leader of any LGBTQ+ organization regularly serving the greater Berkshire region (which includes Southwest Vermont, Berkshire County, MA, Hudson Valley, NY, Northwest Connecticut, & the hilltowns 60 miles east or west of Pittsfield, MA), can register for the Leadership Summit & potluck.
“It has been so wonderful to have seen the massive turn outs at recent queer events in the Berkshires,” says JV Hampton-VanSant, Acting President of Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition. “The community has shown, after those years where we were locked inside, that we long for connection, we want to be active, and we want to be able to celebrate. We, as humans, operate at our finest when collaborating with one another. This pride summit will allow us to maximize the amount of good we are able to do and find new ways to collaborate with, uplift, and celebrate each other.”
Bart Church, Q-MoB Interim Executive Director reports, “The Berkshire’s LGBTQ+ community is a small but mighty community able to pull off incredible community building in a rural region that builds on more than 150 years of queer arts & community history. We believe that in the last year the Berkshire Region’s Queer Community has become the fastest-growing and most well-organized rural queer community in the U.S.”
The free summit is on June 17th from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the South Berkshire Friends Meeting House on State Road in Great Barrington. Registration and more information can be found online.
