Spencertown Academy Arts Center presents ’Still Here: A Survival Story of Indigenous People”’ with Heather Bruegl
Spencertown— On Sunday, November 5th at 2 p.m., Spencertown Academy Arts Center presents “Still Here: A Survival Story of Indigenous People” with public historian, activist, and decolonization education consultant Heather Bruegl.
Bruegl is an Oneida Nation of Wisconsin citizen and first-line descendent Stockbridge Munsee. She is a graduate of Madonna University in Michigan and holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in U.S. History. Her research comprises numerous topics related to American history, legacies of colonization, and Indigeneity, including the Dakota War of 1862, the history of American Boarding Schools, and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. She is currently a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, where she studies First Nations Education, focusing on creating inclusive historical narratives for teaching.
She has presented her work at academic institutions, including the University of Michigan, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Bard College, Vassar College, and Brooklyn Law School.
“We invite our community to learn about the people who loved the land we now live upon. We’re honored to present Heather Bruegl at the Academy. Her presentation is sure to be illuminating,” says Madaline Sparks, Academy board member.
The free concert is on Sunday, November 5th at 2 p.m. at Spencertown Academy Arts Center on 790 NY-203 in Spencertown. Reservations and more information can be found online.
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Images Cinema to debut Inaugural Indigenous Peoples Film Festival, envisioning an annual celebration
Williamstown— Beginning on Friday, November 10th, marking a milestone in the celebration of Indigenous narratives, Images Cinema is elated to announce its inaugural Indigenous Peoples Film Festival. A heartfelt collaboration with representation of the Stockbridge-Munsee tribe has culminated in this festival, which commits to championing Indigenous artistry year after year.
A paramount showcase of this festival is the film “Thunderheart”, chosen with intention to honor the outstanding contributions of Indigenous actress and Stockbridge-Munsee tribal member, Sheila Tousey. The other four feature films in this inaugural lineup showcase the best in current cinema from tribes indigenous to North America, premiering at top festivals SXSW, TIFF, Tribeca, and Sundance.
Additionally, audiences will have the opportunity to learn more about Stockbridge-Munsee history through short films accompanying features throughout the festival, including a new animated short about the life of Electa Quinney. The festival transcends mere film screenings, marking a significant step in recognizing and revering Indigenous artists and their stories.
The festival begins on Friday, November 10th at Images Cinema on Spring Street in Williamstown. Tickets, a complete list of showings, and more information can be found online.
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Royal Academy (RA) celebrates the opening of an exhibit of work by accomplished painters Keith Boadwee and Michael Wetzel
Great Barrington— On Saturday, November 4th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Royal Academy (RA) celebrates the opening of an exhibit of work by accomplished painters Keith Boadwee and Michael Wetzel.
Keith Boadwee is a conceptual artist and painter, with a previous performative practice exploring identity and the queer body. His ‘Enema Paintings’ from the nineties earned him a reputation as a bad boy and an integral part of the West Coast subculture scene. RA will feature a series of new easel paintings focused on portraits of ‘Smoking Frogs’ and ‘Emo Youth’ that Boadwee adopts to portray aspects of gender, class, and a pathos of contemporary youth culture.
Michael Wetzel employs unconventional collaging of food signage and the printing of actual fast foods to portray narratives of urban wanderlust and collective corporate takeover. Neon figures walk beyond everyday domestic boundaries into the nocturnal depths of urban cityscapes where body and storefront assimilate and each become a chameleon of the other.
The work comments on the absurdity of the various lives we live and the fact that many of us are living more than one.
The exhibit opens on Saturday, November 4th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Royal Academy (RA) on Railroad Street in Great Barrington. It will be on view through December 30th. Viewing hours are Thursday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
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The Mad Rose Gallery celebrates the opening of ‘Harper Blanchet: Action & Field’
Millerton— On Saturday, November 4th from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., the Mad Rose Gallery celebrates the opening of “Harper Blanchet: Action & Field”, a show of the abstract paintings of Harper Blanchet, created over a forty-year period.
Harper Blanchet has been a committed artist since his first experience taking photographs at the age of seven under the tutelage of his father. His “meditations through the lens” have informed his artistic vision – an aesthetic that prizes beauty above all, specifically beauty found in nature, in the human form, in the play of light and shadow, and in motion and stillness.
The abstract paintings on display at the gallery are a contrast in styles. Blanchet’s “action” paintings are dynamic and positive expressions of his aesthetic; those of the “field” genre are more contemplative and restrained with an underlying strength. Both reveal an artist of skill and thoughtfulness whose craft, actual wizardry, has been refined by constant work married to reflection.
The exhibit opens on Saturday, November 4th from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. with a festive celebration at the Mad Rose Gallery on North Elm Avenue in Millerton, N.Y. the exhibit runs through November 14th. More information can be found online.
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Sheffield Historical Society presents ‘The Descendant’s Voice: William Jones and the Mass 54th’ as told by his niece, Jocelyn Jones Arnold
Sheffield— On Sunday, November 5th at 3 p.m., Sheffield Historical Society (SHS) presents “The Descendant’s Voice: William Jones and the Mass 54th” as told by his niece, Jocelyn Jones Arnold.
You’re invited to an afternoon of storytelling, history, and celebration of the unveiling of the untold story of 54th Mass veteran, William Jones, and the enduring patriotism and contributions of the Jones family. A lifelong Sheffield resident, William Jones enlisted in the war at the age of 45 alongside two of his nephews, Henry Jones and Samuels S. Jones, both 19-year-old Pittsfield natives. Jones’s unwavering commitment to the Union’s cause and the fight for freedom was nothing short of inspirational.
Jocelyn Jones Arnold, William’s niece, will lead us through the historical and genealogical research that led to the discovery of the remarkable life of her uncle and aims to shed light on his life and service in the 54th as well as the family’s connections to notable Berkshire-based African Americans including W.E.B Dubois, Samuel Freeman, and Ulysses Franklin Grant. Through Ms. Arnold’s passionate account of her family’s legacy of patriotism and community service, we will discover how William Jones’ dedication to the Sheffield community and the country continued to influence and inspire generations of the Jones lineage. This conversation promises to be an educational and deeply moving experience, offering a fresh perspective on the fight for American freedom and the profound, yet undertold impact, of one of the nation’s earliest free African-American communities.
The hybrid event will be held on Sunday, November 5th at 3 p.m. at the Dan Raymond House at the Sheffield Historical Society on Main Street in Sheffield. The limited seating is first offered to members of the Sheffield Historical Society. The event will also be on Zoom. More information can be found online.
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Berkshires Jazz, Inc. presents the second annual ‘Fall Jazz Sprawl’, a full week of events in venues across central Berkshire County
Berkshire— From November 6th through November 12th, Berkshires Jazz, Inc. presents the second annual “Fall Jazz Sprawl”, a full week of events in venues across central Berkshire County culminating with the Django Festival Allstars.
On Sunday, November 12th at 8 p.m., Berkshires Jazz, Inc. brings the legendary Django Festival Allstars to Barrington Stage Company’s Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center. It’s the only New England appearance of this group who will be en route to their residency at the annual Django Reinhardt New York Festival at Birdland. Tickets and more information can be found online.
The Sunday concert takes place within the grande context of the second annual “Fall Jazz Sprawl”, seven days, seven venues, seven groups, plus the culminating concert. Rather than concentrating all the events into a narrow space on the calendar, jazz is sprawling throughout central Berkshire (Lenox, Stockbridge, and Pittsfield) for the whole week.
The festival runs November 6th through November 12th in Lenox, Stockbridge, and Pittsfield. More information including the full schedule of performances can be found online.
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The Crandell Theatre presents ‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’
Chatham— On Sunday, November 5th at 1 p.m., the Crandell Theatre presents “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” (NR | 113 min | Drama).
In conjunction with the Columbia County Libraries Association (CCLA) 2023 Columbia County Community Read, the Crandell is pleased to be screening “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind”, based on this year’s selected book by William Kamkwamba. The book and film tell the true story of a young Malawi boy who, after seeing an example in a library book, taught himself how to construct a windmill to generate electricity and pump water to save his drought-stricken village. The film stars Oscar-nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor who also wrote and directed the film.
“Exhibiting a dexterity that suggests far more extensive directorial experience, Ejiofor proves himself a master of impact. His visual approach is expansive and evocative, thanks also to the fine work of cinematographer Dick Pope,” said Elizabeth Weitzman of The Wrap.
The free screening is on Sunday, November 5th at 1 p.m. at the Crandell Theatre on Main Street in Chatham. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Ribbon-cutting ceremony for the official opening of The Ruins at Sassafras Museum
New Lebanon— On Saturday, November 4th at 4:30 p.m., there is a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the official opening of The Ruins at Sassafras Museum, the newest Shaker site to be designated as a museum by the New York State Board of Regents.
The property was home to the Shaker Second Family who worked and lived here from the 1790s to 1940. The settlement included a complex of massive and very impressively built stone and wood buildings including the dwelling where 67 Shakers slept, a brethrens’ workshop, a sisters’ workshop, a cow and grain barn, an ice house, a cemetery, and a five-story, 15,000 square foot chair factory, where the Shakers crafted their renowned chairs.
Owners Carol Reichert and Jerome Shereda, have lovingly restored the ruins and the remaining buildings including the last standing Shaker chair factory in the world. Phase One of the renovation is complete and the museum is now officially open to the public for tours and events.
The ceremony will take place on Saturday, November 4th at 4:30 p.m. at The Ruins at Sassafras Museum located at 194 Darrow Road in New Lebanon. The ceremony will be followed by a tour and a Shaker Dinner & Barn Dance fundraiser. More information can be found online.
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The Guthrie Center welcomes Reverend Joni Carron back to lead Praise Sunday every first Sunday
Great Barrington— On Sunday, November 5th from 11 a.m. to noon, Praise Sunday returns to the Guthrie Center. All are welcome to come and join in this interfaith service.
“Since its founding, the Guthrie Center has sought to provide spiritual service to the community, and Praise Sundays are a key part of that. Being an interfaith service, we encourage everyone to attend. In the words of our founder, Arlo Guthrie, this is a ‘Bring Your Own God’ service and the doors of the Guthrie Center are open to all,” said Guthrie Center Director Shivadas Guthrie.
Reverend Joni Carron is an Interfaith Minister ordained in 2009 after completing her studies at One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in New York City. She is a Spiritual Counselor with HospiceCare in the Berkshires and has also worked in the field of Substance Use Disorders for many years, from coast to coast in many different capacities. Curiosity brought her to the doors of the Guthrie Center 18 years ago. Her love of live music and desire to serve others, has kept her here as a volunteer, a member, and more recently as the pastor.
The next Praise Sunday is on Sunday, November 5th from 11 a.m. to noon followed by the first Sunday of every month at the Guthrie Center on Van Deusenville Road in Great Barrington. Praise Sundays will be live streamed on the Guthrie Center’s Facebook page for those who are not able to attend in person. More information can be found online.
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Berkshire Museum Pajama Night
Pittsfield— On Saturday, November 4th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Berkshire Museum, in partnership with the Berkshire Athenaeum, hosts its popular Pajama Night!
Families are invited to an evening celebrating the love of reading. Readers will be stationed throughout the gallery spaces to enrich hearts and minds with beloved children’s books.
The free event is on Saturday, November 4th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Berkshire Museum on South Street in Pittsfield. More information can be found online.
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Berkshire Bounty Mobile Food Drive
Berkshire— On Tuesday, November 7th from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Berkshire Bounty will host its next Mobile Food Drive.
Berkshire Bounty volunteer drivers will go to donors’ homes to pick up canned and/or packaged goods left by donors on their doorstep. Food donors may also drop their food donation at Hevreh of Southern Berkshire or at People’s Pantry.
Donations of Thanksgiving related items such as gravy, turkey broth, mushroom soup, mashed potato flakes, cornbread mix, cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, and canned pumpkin will be collected.
The drive is on Tuesday, November 7th from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. If you are interested in participating as a donor or driver, please email jenny@berkshirebounty.org. Include your street address, email address, and best contact telephone number.
