Tanglewood Learning Institute presents Ulysses Owens Jr. and Generation Y
Lenox— On Friday, November 7th at 7 p.m., Tanglewood Learning Institute presents Ulysses Owens Jr. and Generation Y.
Three-time GRAMMY™ Award-winner Ulysses Owens Jr. is a powerhouse drummer, producer, and educator known for his thrilling performances and innovative approach to jazz. Touring with his band Generation Y, he has wowed audiences worldwide.
The concert is on Friday, November 7th at 7 p.m. at the Linde Center for Music and Learning at Tanglewood, located at 297 West Street in Lenox. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Norman Rockwell Museum presents ‘Drawn to Jazz,’ a dazzling evening inspired by the golden age of jazz and opening of ‘Jazz Age Illustration,’ a major new exhibition exploring interwar years and the Harlem Renaissance
Stockbridge— On Saturday, November 8th from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Norman Rockwell Museum presents “Drawn to Jazz,” a dazzling evening inspired by the golden age of jazz and opening of “Jazz Age Illustration,” a major new exhibition exploring interwar years and the Harlem Renaissance.
Guests will be treated to an unforgettable evening that captures the energy and elegance of the Roaring Twenties. The night begins with a first look at “Jazz Age Illustration” followed by live jazz music that will set the tone for an evening of rhythm, style, and celebration. Partygoers can dance the night away as the DJ keeps the party swinging. Signature cocktails, featuring Prohibition-era favorites with a modern twist, will keep spirits high, complemented by elegant, artfully prepared hors d’oeuvres.There will be vintage-inspired photo backdrops offering the perfect setting to capture the glamour. Guests are encouraged to embrace the theme and dress to impress from 1920s glam to festive 2025 style, think fringe, feathers, velvet, sequins, bow ties, or a modern take on Gatsby-era elegance.
The event is on Saturday, November 8th from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Norman Rockwell Museum, located at 9 Glendale Road in Stockbridge. Tickets and more information can be found online. Proceeds from the evening benefit the Museum.
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Berkshire Botanical Garden presents ‘Rooted in Place,’ an immersive ecological symposium
Stockbridge— On Sunday, November 9th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Berkshire Botanical Garden presents “Rooted in Place: A Day of Stories, Seeds and Stewardship,” an immersive ecological symposium exploring the deep connection between culture and biodiversity.
Gardeners, farmers, educators, and nature lovers are welcome to explore how biodiversity and cultural heritage intertwine and how we can all become stewards of both. Through powerful storytelling, seed-saving wisdom and living history, “Rooted in Place” offers a day of inspiration, learning, and connection.
Renowned horticulturist, author and cultural storyteller Abra Lee will deliver a keynote presentation based on her upcoming book “Conquer the Soil: Black America and the Untold Stories of our Country’s Gardeners, Farmers, and Growers.” With humor, history, and heart, Lee weaves a tapestry of ecological and cultural resilience. Lee will illuminate the rich and often overlooked legacy of Black Americans in horticulture, sharing captivating stories of early 20th-century plant shop owners, Harlem Renaissance intrigue, and beyond.
Featured speakers include Co-founder of Hudson Valley Seed Company K Greene and Author of “The Cook’s Garden” Kevin West. There will also be a screening of the documentary “Farming While Black” followed by a panel discussion. The day closes with “Cherishing Place,” a grounding community meditation led by Sandrine Harris of Emergent Nature, reflecting on the land, learning. and connections formed throughout the day.
The symposium is on Sunday, November 9th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Berkshire Waldorf High School, located at 6 Main Street in Stockbridge. Lunch is included with registration. Registration and more information can be found online.
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MASS MoCA presents a conversation with Vincent Valdez and Evan Garza
North Adams— On Saturday, November 1st at 2 p.m., MASS MoCA presents a conversation with Vincent Valdez and Evan Garza.
Vincent Valdez returns for a public conversation with MASS MoCA Curator, Evan Garza, to talk through select bodies of work on view in his first career survey exhibition, “Just a Dream…” on view through April 5, 2026.
Working across painting, video, drawing, sculpture, lithography, and multimedia installation, Valdez deftly addresses the failings and triumphs of contemporary American society with a reverential focus on collective memory and overlooked political histories. Valdez states, “I create images as instruments to probe the past in order to reveal an immediacy to what is occurring today. I am alarmed by the denial of history. I will continue to create counter-images to impede the social amnesia that includes our fateful desire to repeat it.”
Valdez and Garza will talk through select bodies of work on view in the exhibition, detailing the personal and cultural variables which led to their creation. In the process, Valdez and Garza will examine uniquely American values and legacies, unpacking the ways in which cultural differences make us more interconnected than we’re often led to believe.
The conversation is on Saturday, November 1st at 2 p.m. at MASS MoCA, located at 1040 MASS MoCA Way in North Adams. Valdez will be available following the talk to sign the “Just a Dream…” exhibition catalogue. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Bidwell House Museum presents ‘What a Glorious Crash They Made: Musick of the Revolution,’ a candlelight harpsichord concert with musician and historian R. Franklin Donohue
Monterey— On Friday, November 7th at 5 p.m., Bidwell House Museum presents “What a Glorious Crash They Made: Musick of the Revolution,” a candlelight harpsichord concert with musician and historian R. Franklin Donohue.
While playing the harpsichord and dressed for the 18th century, Donohue will perform a selection of songs that were published and performed in New England between 1765 and 1783. From the time of the Stamp Act through the British surrender at Yorktown, New England’s seditious colonists used these songs to foment rebellion, commemorate victory, and give thanks for preservation. Mr. Donohue will explore this fiery repertoire that in the words of John Adams “cultivated the sensations of Freedom.”
This concert will take place by candlelight in the dining room of the Bidwell House Museum and you will be transported to the 18th century when the Bidwell family enjoyed music in this same space.
The concert is on Friday, November 7th at 5 p.m. at the Bidwell House Museum, located at 100 Art School Road in Monterey. A wine and cheese reception will follow. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Jewish Federation of the Berkshires hosts an open house for the Massachusetts launch of the Mobile Museum of Tolerance
Pittsfield— On Wednesday, November 5th from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires hosts an open house for the Massachusetts launch of the Mobile Museum of Tolerance.
The Mobile Museum of Tolerance, an educational initiative of the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, is a self-contained classroom on wheels offering immersive technology and facilitator-led workshops that use the lessons of history to combat hate and promote greater tolerance. At a time of increasing division, using the lessons of history to teach tolerance is more urgent than ever.
This milestone marks the launch of the mobile museum’s first stop in Massachusetts, bringing its interactive and educational programs to local students and residents. The open house is on Wednesday, November 5th from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 196 South Street in Pittsfield. More information can be found online.
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Berkshire South Regional Community Center is expanding the free community supper program to support those losing SNAP funds in November
Great Barrington— Beginning November 3rd, Berkshire South Regional Community Center is expanding the free Community Supper program to support those losing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds in November.
This timely increase is the result of over a year of dedicated planning and fundraising to strengthen food security efforts and to expand access to nutritious meals for all. Plans were accelerated when the news of the SNAP benefits being held for the upcoming month were announced. Funding for these meals is generously provided by Greylock Federal Credit Union, Fallon Health, the Jewish Women’s Foundation of the Berkshires, and the Pepita Foundation.
Beginning November 3rd, the free community suppers will be available at Berkshire South every Monday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Berkshire South Regional Community Center, located at 15 Crissey Road in Great Barrington. Some weeks, the meals will be in-person only and some weeks, they will be take-out only. For those seeking additional food resources, Berkshire South also maintains a list of food pantries and meal sites in Berkshire County. More information can be found online.
