Start anew with the Berkshire Festival of Women Writers
West Stockbridge — Lean In with the Berkshire Festival of Women Writers invites women writers of all ages and in any stage of their writing journey to read a short piece of their work (500 words max) in a welcoming, nurturing environment. The theme of the Sunday, January 11 meeting is “Starting anew,” and will take place from 3 – 5 p.m. at the Shaker Dam Coffeehouse and Stanmeyer Gallery, 2 Main Street, West Stockbridge.
The writing event is co-hosted by Anastasia Stanmeyer, editor of Berkshire Magazine, and Jennifer Browdy, foundingdirector of the Berkshire Festival of Women Writers.
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— H.B.
Writing Warrior Workshop with Winter Miller
Great Barrington — Want to begin a project but you’re terrified? Can’t make the time? The minute you sit down to write, you think your ideas are horrible or someone’s already written it better than you ever will? Feeling vulnerable? Then you’re in the right place.
On Saturday, January 31, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., join the Berkshire Festival of Women Writers for a one-day writing intensive with Winter Miller, the acclaimed playwright of the WAM Theatre hit In Darfur.
Come in with nothing, or just the seed of an idea for your next project. Wear comfortable clothes so you can move around and breathe freely, and bring your own lunch.
Start out on Saturday morning with an open mind, and leave at 5 p.m. with a direct path into your next writing project.
Open to writers of all genders in all genres (must be over 16 years of age). At Embody Healing Arts, 33 Rossiter Street, Great Barrington, co-sponsored by the Berkshire Festival of Women Writers, WAM Theatre, Jan Seward of Embody Healing Arts and Barbara Newman.
Space is limited and this workshop is almost full—register here.
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Berkshire Festival of Women Writers First Annual Book Expo
Pittsfield — Book your table now for the Sunday, March 29 Book Expo in the grand ballroom of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Pittsfield from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., featuring “a select group of writers and the vendors who love them.”
The day will begin with an interview with Mary Pope Osbourne, the best-selling author of the Magic Treehouse series and many other books for children and adults, hosted by local writer Jenny Laird.
See the Festival website for information on reserving your table.
— H.B.
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Jana Laiz hosts writers workshop at Arrowhead
Pittsfield — Author Jana Laiz, writer-in-residence at the Berkshire Historical Society’s Arrowhead, will host a special workshop at Herman Melville’s Arrowhead, home of the Berkshire County Historical Society, on Saturday January 17 for a maximum of 10 authors. Applications are being accepted now for the workshop which will be an all-day event with a provided lunch and will result in a second event on Saturday, April 11 when the workshop members will be giving a public reading of works created as a result of the January work session.
Using the theme “A Berkshire Point of View” Laiz will be inspiring her group of authors through looks at the work of Herman Melville, her own books, and the work of other, celebrated Berkshire writers. The day-long event will include a tour of Arrowhead with some “back-stage” glimpses into the working of the Historical Society, time outdoors (weather providing) and a lengthy writing session in Herman Melville’s study with its famous winter views of both Mount Greylock (Melville’s inspiration for the whale in Moby-Dick) and October Mountain.
— D.S.
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Out of the Studio exhibit at Lichtenstein
Pittsfield — Eight local artists have worked diligently to craft artwork reflective of themselves and their environment in studio spaces within the city of Pittsfield’s Lichtenstein Center for the Arts. In a new exhibit, the Lichtenstein gallery will be transformed to present the work of these painters, sculptors and dancers in an exhibit entitled Out of the Studio on display from Friday, January 9 to Saturday, January 31. An opening reception takes place Saturday, January 10, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., hosted by the artists themselves and featuring live music with an appearance by Gypsy Layne Cabaret & Company.
Visual and performing artists Mario Calouri, Peg Dotchin, Julio Granda, Jim Horsford, Sean McCusker, Nicole Rizzo, Michael Rousseau and Stefanie Weber each contribute original artwork spanning multiple genres—from oil and water color paintings to burlesque dancing—in a show intended to exemplify the city’s vibrant arts community.
A former professor at Berkshire Community College, Mario Calouri retired about 11 years ago from teaching, including writing, literature, various humanities courses and painting. Calouri is primarily an abstract artist, practiced in painting, drawing, two-dimensional design and printmaking.
For Peg Dotchin, the changing of seasons, contrasts, light, color and atmosphere presents an endless challenge, particularly in the paths and roads of the Berkshires. Peg earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Massachusetts in 1994
New York, N.Y., native Julio Granda received his art training there at the School of Visual Arts and Cooper Union, but not before serving two tours of duty in Korea with the U.S. Navy in the 1950s. Later, Granda earned his Masters in Fine Arts in painting at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Jim Horsford ventured into pottery on the wheel beginning at University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1972, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education. His next 30 years were spent as an art teacher at Herberg Middle School in Pittsfield, working mainly with clay and slab work. Horsford earned a Masters degree in Creative Arts and Learning at Lesley College in 1993, furthering his love of teaching the technique of throwing to beginners. Currently, he offers wheel-throwing classes here at the ceramic studio in the basement of the Lichtenstein to people with ability levels ranging from beginner to advanced.
Living in the quiet town of Middlefield, Mass., Sean McCusker grew an affinity for his quaint surroundings in its quiet, hilly landscape, focuses his work on developing striking surreal landscapes full of color and mystery.
A lifelong performing artist, Nicole Rizzo studied dance and theatre in her formative years, earning a Bachelors Degree in Theatre Arts at the prestigious Circle in the Square Theatre Conservatory in New York City. Rizzo is the artistic director for the Berkshires’ first homegrown cabaret and burlesque troupe, Gypsy Layne Cabaret & Company.
Michael Rousseau is a Pittsfield native. His attention to detail is evident in all of his paintings, from his figures to his landscapes and still life compositions. His explorations into the history of oil painting materials and techniques have led him to adopt methods from the High Renaissance to modern masters. A double graduate of Rhode Island School of Design (BFA, MAT), his work is collected internationally.
Stefanie Weber is an artist, educator, performer and choreographer. Presently she is on the faculty at Community Access to the Arts and Kinesphere Movement Arts Studio. She is working with collaborating artist Monika Pizzichemi on They Dance for Rain, an on-going dance making and photography project in Nairobi, Kenya. Stefanie is also the founder and artistic director of the Creatures of Habitat Physical Poetry Public Performance Project which was featured during First Fridays Artswalk in September.
Out of the Studio can be viewed at the city-owned Lichtenstein Center for the Arts Wednesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Located at 28 Renne Avenue in Pittsfield’s Upstreet Cultural District, the gallery is free and open to the public. For more information, visit discoverpittsfield.com or call 413-499-9348.
— D.S.
