Five Berkshire artists will show their work in an open house gallery show in the home of Thea Baker
Great Barrington— On Saturday, June 1st from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., five Berkshire artists will show their work in an open house gallery show in the home of Thea Baker.
Artists Ann Getsinger, Marge Bride, Thea Baker, Melissa Miller, and Margaret Buchte are following the rich Berkshire tradition of showing art in private Berkshire homes. The public is invited into the home, which has been transformed into an art gallery, and also to explore the surrounding gardens.
A distinct blend of observational and intuitive (sur)realism is apparent in Ann Getsinger’s oil paintings, mixed media drawings, and sculptures. Using traditional skills to expand on the spectrum of abstraction to realism, she allows various streams of consciousness (memory, imagination, and intuition) to play out for maximum freedom in her work. Driven by curiosity, the artist rarely plans a painting in advance, relying instead on following a trail of wondering and discovery. Her work hangs in many private collections.
Marguerite Bride is a watercolorist who paints realistically but painterly. Her images usually depict recognizable scenes, mostly of the Berkshires, New England, and Ireland on both paper and canvas. While she does exhibit in gallery shows, much of her painting life also includes commission work (house portraits especially) and teaching watercolor technique in small group lessons. Bride currently has a two month solo exhibit of 30 watercolors, Jazz Visions ll, on display in the lobby gallery of Hotel On North in Pittsfield, which runs through May 31st.
Thea Baker has been a practicing artist since she was five. She always loved looking at nature and then replicating the vibrant energy and vision. She says, “An artist translates tears, laughter and curiosity itself. For me, art has been a lonely means of creativity, escape, and reflective communication. I love this quote by Guayasamin: ‘My art is a way of praying and crying at the same time…and the highest expression of love and solitude.’”
Melissa Miller has always been drawn to objects that reflect mystery, symbolism, and ritualistic elements. Her work in sculpture/assemblage is made from found objects, recycled glass, wood, metal, fiber, and paper. She draws inspiration from magic, the Tarot, alchemy, and dream memory.
Margaret Buchte works in oils, acrylics, watercolors and pastels with passion, joy and dedication, painting scenes of Berkshires and beyond. She strives to capture the essence and beauty of each scene under dramatic light. She loves to capture the beauty of landscapes, and animals in Berkshire farm life. Streetscapes, rural landscapes and cityscapes are often the subject of her paintings because the human element in many of them tells a story of life in these times. Influenced by the so-called “Ashcan School” and especially fascinated by the hustle and bustle of local street life, Buchte’s paintings depict the contemporary scene as she sees it in her everyday life. Throughout the years Margaret has conducted mini-workshops of drawing/painting sessions. Her artwork has been exhibited in juried shows, many solo shows and in private collections.
The exhibition is on Saturday, June 1st from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the home of Thea Baker at 12 Woodland Hill in Great Barrington. Refreshments will be served.
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Berkshire Museum presents ‘The Wild Indoors: The Animal Art of Julie Bell’
Pittsfield— From June 1st through September 29th, the Berkshire Museum presents “The Wild Indoors: The Animal Art of Julie Bell.”
“The Animal Art of Julie Bell” explores award-winning artist Julie Bell’s paintings of animals in their natural habitats, showing a different side of one of today’s most successful fantasy artists.
After studying art in college, Julie Bell dabbled in children’s book illustration. Later, Bell pursued a career in bodybuilding, becoming a nationally ranked competitor. In 1989 she began modeling for well-known fantasy artist Boris Vallejo and was inspired to return to art. In January 1992 her work appeared on the cover of Heavy Metal magazine. Since then, Bell has created advertisements for numerous companies, designed video game packaging art, and found work in the comic book industry, where she became the first woman to illustrate Conan the Barbarian for Marvel Comics.
The exhibit runs from June 1st through September 29th at the Berkshire Museum on South Street in Pittsfield. There is an opening reception for museum members on Friday, May 31st from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. More information can be found online.
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Spencertown Academy Arts Center presents ‘Spring Affair: Contemporary Art of the Hudson Valley’
Spencertown, N.Y.— From June 1st through June 30th, Spencertown Academy Arts Center presents “Spring Affair: Contemporary Art of the Hudson Valley.”
Curated by Tim Ebneth, the exhibit features sculpture, ceramics, painting, photography, textile art, drawing, and mixed-media pieces by Kim Bach, Mary Breneman, Peter Hoffman, Gretchen Kelly, Joe Mama-Nitzberg, Linda McNutt, Christine Mottau, Robin Rice, Marc Swanson, and Anya Ulinich.
Guest curator Tim Ebneth is an artist, illustrator, designer, and art instructor. For this show, he set out to explore what it means to be a contemporary artist working today. “It was an ambitious task,” he says, “so it proved challenging to limit the exhibition to a small group of artists. I am thrilled that all ten artists agreed to participate and share their unique visions, which include themes of identity, memory and remembrance, joy, nature, and spirituality.”
Featured artist Christine Mottau was educated at the Art Institute of Boston and the Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston. At the Academy, she will exhibit a series of oil paintings about chakra theory-based meditation. “The connection between color, light, and creativity is inherent in chakra theory and spiritual realization,” she says. “The emergence of consciousness through the practice of meditation is presented through the construct of the painting, whereby the painting emerges from itself.”
The exhibit runs from June 1st through June 30th at the Spencertown Academy Arts Center at 790 State Route 203 in Spencertown, N.Y. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, June 1st from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. More information can be found online.
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Dorothy’s Estaminet presents electric guitar trio the InBetweens
Pittsfield— On Friday, May 31st from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Dorothy’s Estaminet presents electric guitar trio the InBetweens.
The InBetweens thrives on improvised tangents, disparate sonic dimensions, rhythmic propulsion, and have been blurring the lines since 2002. Mike Gamble (electric guitar/effects), Noah Jarrett (double bass), and Conor Elmes (drums) developed their deep energetic chemistry with the help of some of the great masters of their instruments and their crafts (Bob Moses, George Garzone, John Lockwood, John Abercrombie) at The New England Conservatory.
As improvisors, they began to “collectively weave melodies and vamps into intricate spider webs of rhythm.” These experiments created a new sound and dimension to the palette of improvisation and experimental music; a sound that is uniquely theirs. Named for their propensity to play “in between” styles, the band takes an approach that is equally edgy and lyrical.
They spent the next 20 years creating a buzz in the New York improvised music scene. They have toured Europe, the Northeast, the Midwest, New Orleans, and the West Coast. New York Times’ Nate Chinen explained “this exploratory trio belongs to a social network of musicians who filter jazz protocols through an indie-rock lens”.
The performance is on Friday, May 31st from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Dorothy’s Estaminet at 438 North Street in Pittsfield. More information can be found online.
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Music at the Southfield Church opens with pianist Irina Nuzova
Southfield— On Saturday, June 1st at 7 p.m., Music at the Southfield Church returns for its 8th spectacular season featuring a line-up of immensely talented headliners which share one thing in common – all reside within the bucolic villages, woods and hills of New Marlborough. For being such a small rural town, New Marlborough boasts an unbelievable number of accomplished professional musicians as its residents.
First up is pianist Irina Nuzova, who will be appearing with her sons, Anton Everts (piano) and Teodor Everts (flute) for a program of solo and four-hand piano, and piano-accompanied flute, featuring works by Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Ravel and Poulenc.
The concert is on Saturday, June 1st at 7 p.m. at the Southfield Church at 234 Norfolk Road in the Southfield Village of New Marlborough. Admission is free; donations will be accepted at the door. A reception on the lawn will follow the concert. More information can be found online.
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Acclaimed cellist Peter Stumpf to open Capital Region Classical’s Summer at Tannery Pond
New Lebanon, N.Y.— On Saturday, June 1st at 7:30 p.m., acclaimed cellist Peter Stumpf, with pianist Xiaohui Yang, will open Capital Region Classical’s Summer at Tannery Pond.
Award-winning cellist Peter Stumpf is the former principal cellist of the LA Philharmonic and former associate principal cellist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. His professional orchestral career began at age 16 when he joined the cello section of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra.
A dedicated chamber musician, Stumpf is a member of the Weiss-Kaplan-Stumpf Trio and has appeared in the chamber music series at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Boston Celebrity Series, Da Camera Society in LA, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Concertgebouw, and Casals Hall in Tokyo. His concerto appearances have been with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the LA and Boston philharmonics, and the Boston, Virginia, and Vermont symphonies, Connecticut String Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of the South Bay, American Youth Symphony, and at the Aspen Music Festival.
He has toured with Musicians from Marlboro, the Casals Hall Ensemble in Japan, and with pianist Mitsuko Uchida in performances of the complete Mozart Piano Trios. He has collaborated with pianists Emanuel Ax, Yefim Bronfman, and András Schiff, and with the Emerson and Guarneri quartets. As a former member of the Johannes Quartet, Stumpf collaborated with the Guarneri Quartet in commissions of William Bolcom and Esa Pekka Salonen.
The concert is on Saturday, June 1st at 7:30 p.m. at The Darrow School’s Shaker Tannery at 110 Darrow Road in New Lebanon, N.Y. Tickets are $40 and free for students and children. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Becket Arts Center to present Douglas Williams in ‘Another Show,’ the sequel to his one-man variety show ‘The Show’
Becket— On Sunday, June 1st from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Becket Arts Center is pleased to present Douglas Williams in “Another Show.”
“Another Show” is a sequel to “The Show,” his outrageous one-man variety show, which was created exclusively for the Becket Arts Center last year.The multitalented Williams will showcase his panoply of hilarious oddball characters, his musical skills, and his delight for the absurd.
The performance is on Sunday, June 1st from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Becket Arts Center on Brooker Hill Road in Becket. There is a $20 suggested donation. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Pride Flag raising ceremony at Pittsfield City Hall
Pittsfield— On Saturday, June 1st at noon, there will be a Pride Flag raising at Pittsfield City Hall.
Come together to celebrate and proclaim June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month with a special address from Mayor Pete Marchetti and recognition of this year’s Community Partner of the Year awardee, Hot Plate Brewing.
After the ceremony, keep the party going by heading over to School Street for an epic block party featuring music by the fabulous DJ Pup Daddy. It’s going to be a day filled with pride, joy, and community spirit that you won’t want to miss. Let’s raise that flag high and show our pride!
The ceremony will be on Saturday, June 1st at noon at Pittsfield City Hall on Allen Street in Pittsfield. It is free and open to the public. More information can be found online.
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Berkshire Pride presents a youth Pride celebration
Pittsfield— On Saturday, June 1st from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Berkshire Pride presents a Youth Pride celebration at the Common Park.
Organized by youth for youth, this event will feature youth entertainment. Get ready to celebrate love, acceptance, and pure joy at Berkshire Pride’s LGBTQ+ Youth Pride Celebration. Join in for an unforgettable afternoon filled with fun, food, games, giveaways, crafts, and endless rainbow vibes!
This vibrant event is free and open to all children in Berkshire County. Bring your friends, bring your family, and celebrate love and positivity.
The event is on Saturday, June 1st from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Common park on First Street in Pittsfield. More information can be found online.
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The Foundry opens Pride month with an evening of multidisciplinary work by local LGBTQ+ artists
West Stockbridge— On Saturday, June 1st at 7:30 p.m., The Foundry opens a month-long Pride celebration with an evening of multidisciplinary work by local LGBTQ+ artists, including music, spoken word, and more.
Featured performers include Nuri, a trans femme multi-instrumentalist musician, writer, Jewish anarchist, and mother. She lives and creates on unceded mahican land known to us as The Berkshires. She believes in the power of creativity to build collective liberation and is dedicated to actively unmaking racist and colonialist structures in the arts. She self-produced her first album in 1999 and actively performed across the region from 2002 to 2012 including shows in NYC and Boston. After a work/child-rearing induced hiatus, Nuri returned to songwriting and composing, having released 10 singles since 2021.
The event is on Saturday, June 1st at 7:30 p.m. at The Foundry on Harris Street in West Stockbridge. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 general admission, with a $10 early-bird discount. Parking is limited at the venue, so be sure to utilize the three public parking lots. Tickets and more information can be found online.
