“Imprinted: Illustrating Race” to open at Norman Rockwell Museum June 11
STOCKBRIDGE — Norman Rockwell Museum (NRM) will open “Imprinted: Illustrating Race,” Saturday, June 11. This exhibition examines the role of published images in shaping attitudes toward race and culture. More than 150 works of art and artifacts of widely circulated illustrated imagery will be on view, produced from 1590 to today.
“Imprinted” explores harmful stereotypical racial representations that have been imprinted upon us through the mass publication of images and the resulting noxious impact on public perception about race. It culminates with the creative accomplishments of contemporary artists and publishers who have shifted the cultural narrative through the creation of positive, inclusive imagery emphasizing full agency and equity for all. A concurrent marquis installation debuts recent paintings by award-winning illustrator and author Kadir Nelson. Conceptualized and created during the COVID-19 pandemic, these works capture the artist’s reflections on today’s national and world events.
“Imprinted” is co-curated by guest curator Robyn Phillips-Pendleton and the NRM deputy director/chief curator Stephanie Haboush Plunkett. Phillips-Pendleton is the interim director of the MFA in Illustration Practice program at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), and University of Delaware Professor of Visual Communications. The exhibit will be on view through October 30, 2022.
—A.K.
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Spring Art Walk to be held June 11–12 in Lenox
LENOX — On Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12, the town of Lenox will host its 2022 Spring Art Walk event. The event is a collaboration with the Lenox Chamber of Commerce, the Lenox Cultural District, and Gordon Fine Arts. The event will run Saturday from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
This is the 4th Lenox Art Walk, a curated show of artists and artisans showcasing their work throughout downtown. Tents will be set up along the Main Street sidewalk and into Lilac Park. A wide range of artists representing various mediums will display their artwork and artisan products over the two-day event. Offerings include paintings, drawings, photographs, ceramics, fiber arts, jewelry, and clothing.
The event, which began in Fall of 2020, has grown to include more than 70 artists. As part of the event, food vendors and entertainment will be featured in Lilac Park, with tables and chairs set up for visitors to enjoy the outdoor space. This section will include artisanal products such as olive oils, charcuterie, French pastries, and more.
—A.K.
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The Mount presents SculptureNow, “The Garden of My Soul” exhibits
LENOX — The Mount recently opened its 2022 SculptureNow exhibit, featuring new, juried outdoor sculptures by 30 regionally, nationally and internationally recognized artists. On Sunday, June 12, from 2-5 p.m., SculptureNow will host a special Meet the Artists event. The sculptors of the 2022 exhibition will be in person at The Mount to talk about the inspiration and process of their large-scale artworks.
This year’s artists are Craig Anderson, Tomer Ben-Gal, William Bennett, Micajah Bienvenu, Joseph Chirchirillo, Michael Cochran, Peter Dellert, Christopher Froehlich, Anthony Garner, Linda Hoffman, Ann Jon, Fitzhugh Karol, Hugh Lassen, Madeleine Lord, Phil Marshall, Thomas Matsuda, Binney Meigs, Martina Angela Müller, Miller Opie, Gary Orlinsky, Bob Pavlik, Sarah Peters, Don Porcaro, Tim Prentice, David Skora, Brendan Stecchini, Mary Taylor, Michael Thomas, Robin Tost, and Lee Williams. The exhibit runs through October 19, 2022.
The Mount also announces it has obtained an assortment of personal items collected by the late French scholar and Edith Wharton biographer Claudine Lesage, which are now on display at the Lenox home designed and built by Wharton in 1902, in “The Garden of My Soul: Edith Wharton in France.”
After Lesage’s death in 2013, her husband, Jean Claude Lesage, began sending items gathered during their many years of research, including postcards, photos, vintage guidebooks, and other ephemera relating to Wharton’s life in France. Some of these items are clothes believed to have belonged to Wharton: a silk dress, an embroidered jacket, and several beaded purses. Personal items of Wharton’s are very rare. These textiles, china, silver, and a velvet-lined jewelry box are some of the items on display, personalizing Wharton’s years in France.
A highlight of Wharton’s life in France were the gardens she created; the normally very private Wharton even invited the general public to view them. The exhibit displays photos of her gardens and details her relationships with other famous gardeners, and her own staff, without whom neither her gardens nor her writings would have been possible. The exhibit also includes a flat-screen slideshow of old postcards, interactive displays of books and other ephemera, and a short film of Jean-Claude Lesage discussing his late wife’s work.
Claudine Lesage, who wrote several books in French on Wharton, died before she could publish her last manuscript: a work on Wharton’s life in France intended for an American audience. The Mount’s executive director, Susan Wissler, edited and published that work, “Edith Wharton in France,” in 2018.
—A.K.
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Berkshire Bounty mobile food drive set for June 7
GREAT BARRINGTON — Berkshire Bounty’s next Mobile Food Drive will be held Tuesday, June 7 from 9-11 a.m.
Volunteers will again be collecting canned and/or packaged goods to be delivered to The People’s Pantry in Great Barrington. Volunteers will come to donors’ homes on June 7 between 9–11 a.m. Donations should be left on the doorstep by 9 a.m. Donations may also be dropped off at Hevreh of Southern Berkshire or The People’s Pantry.
Please consider a) donating canned and/or packaged food or b) driving to pick up food at donors’ home. If you are interested in participating, please email Berkshire Bounty at info@berkshire-bounty.org and include what would like to do, your street address, email address, and best contact telephone number.
Foods in most demand are hearty soups, pasta, pasta sauce, cereal (preferably low sugar), cooking oil, and summertime snacks for kids. If donating from your own pantry, please check expiration dates.
—A.K.
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IS183 Art School rebranded as Berkshire Art Center
STOCKBRIDGE — IS183 Art School has announced its new name, Berkshire Art Center (BAC), accompanied by a new logo designed by Moho Design Creative.
Founded in 1991 and growing to be the leading provider of high quality, hands-on instruction in the visual arts year-round at sites throughout Berkshire County, IS183 Art School (then Interlaken School of Art) was founded as a place where “people who love art, regardless of age or ability, can gather to experience creative expression.” After conducting a series of focus groups over the last year, involving a community of current and past students, teaching artists, staff, local artists, and volunteers, the majority felt that the organization’s name needed to be an embodiment of its mission and more closely represent what the organization is about.
“This rebranding is as much about our past as it is about our future,” said Executive Director Lucie Castaldo. “It’s an affirmation of all that we do in the Berkshires. We are a center for the visual arts, offering classes, professional development, exhibitions, residencies, and events.”
The organization has evolved to reach over 2,500 students each year through studio-based classes, artistic events, and out-of-school engagement programs. Over the last two years, it has developed a new curriculum for after-school programs across the county, ARTcentric Berkshires.
Berkshire Art Center continues to be a space for all — regardless of age, skill level, background, economic status, or education — and a beacon of creativity in the Berkshires. The organization continues to create relationships within the community, including through new partnerships with the Berkshire Potters Collective, and with Manos Unidas and Roots & Dreams and Mustard Seeds on projects that will center around highlighting the many BIPOC and immigrant artists in the region.
—A.K.
