MASS MoCA Community Free Day 2026
North Adams— On Saturday, January 24th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., MASS MoCA presents its annual Community Free Day, offering free admission, exhibit activations, tours, art-making, silkscreen printing demos, story time, puppetry, music, Drag Story Hour, a meet-and-greet with community organizations, and more.
Highlights include Alison Pebworth’s “Cultural Apothecary”; hands on printing demos with the artist Al Diaz, an American urban artist among the first generation of graffiti writers in the community; “boiling rain,” devynn emory’s presentation within Jeffrey Gibson’s “POWER FULL BECAUSE WE’RE DIFFERENT”; and “The Declaration Project Submissions Booth,” a collaborative artwork ands place to express your hopes and wishes for our country’s future, centering your personal perspective, experience, and intentions as you imagine the next chapter of our national story.
The event is on Saturday, January 24th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at MASS MoCA, located at 1040 MASS MoCA Way in North Adams. Casita will be serving lunch and dinner, and Lickety Split Café will be debuting a new flavor of ice cream: Coffee Caramel Chocolate Chip. There will also be a reception in the R&D Store from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Reservations and more information can be found online.
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Lich Gate Concerts presents afternoon of chamber music with guest artist mezzo-soprano Helen Karloski
Sheffield— On Saturday, January 31st at 2 p.m., Lich Gate Concerts presents a serene afternoon of chamber music within the historic and sunlit sanctuary of the Old Parish Church in Sheffield
Artistic Director Jorge Ávila has curated an exceptional program that highlights works for Piano Trio (Piano, Violin, and Cello) from the Baroque and Classical periods. The program also features pieces for Mezzo soprano, representing diverse cultures and historical eras. Performing will be Jorge Ávila on violin, Sarah Hewitt-Roth on cello, Adrienne Kim on piano, and guest artist Helen Karloski, mezzo-soprano. Immerse yourself in the exceptional artistry of this distinguished ensemble as they present the elegance and complexity of chamber music, promising a remarkable afternoon of music.
Highly acclaimed mezzo-soprano Helen Karloski’s 2025-26 season includes performances with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Skylark Vocal Ensemble, Clarion Society, Artefact Ensemble, and Voices of Ascension. She made her Lincoln Center debut in Mozart’s “Solemn Vespers” with the Mostly Mozart Festival and her Carnegie Hall debut performing Mozart’s “Mass in C Minor” and Bruckner’s “Te Deum” with the Oratorio Society of New York. Other recent solo appearances include Dvořák’s “Stabat Mater” with the Omaha Symphony, Verdi’s “Requiem” at Carnegie Hall with the Choral Society of Grace Church, Tavener’s “Lament of the Mother of God” with Musica Sacra, Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony” with the American Classical Orchestra, Handel’s “Messiah” with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Copland’s “In the Beginning with Sacred Music in a Sacred Space,” and Mendelssohn’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with the New York City Ballet.
The concert is on Saturday, January 31st at 2 p.m. at Old Parish Church, located at 125 Main Street, in Sheffield. Children under age 18 are admitted free. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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NAACP Berkshire County Branch to host 2026 Freedom Fund Awards Ceremony
Pittsfield— On Saturday, January 24th at 5 p.m., the NAACP Berkshire County Branch will host its 2026 Freedom Fund Awards Ceremony at Berkshire Hills Country Club.
The annual event raises funds to support Berkshire County youth while honoring individuals who have made significant contributions to advancing freedom, equity, and justice in the Berkshires and beyond. The evening will feature elaborate hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, an awards presentation hosted by Master of Ceremonies Roberta McCulloch Dews, and a dance party with music by DJ Jimmy Hall.
This year’s keynote speaker is Tanisha M. Sullivan, president of the NAACP New England Area Conference and a nationally recognized civil rights attorney and equity advocate. A Boston native, Sullivan has led major initiatives advancing racial, social, and economic justice throughout the region. Her background includes leadership roles in the life sciences industry, service as chief equity officer for Boston Public Schools, extensive legal and policy work, and a 2022 campaign for Massachusetts Secretary of State. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a J.D. and M.B.A. from Boston College.
The Freedom Fund Committee is proud to announce the 2026 award recipients who will be honored at the event:
- Tanisha M. Sullivan and Wanda L. Houston — W.E.B. Du Bois Freedom Fund Award
- Robert Mulhall — President’s Community Allyship Freedom Fund Award
- Jay Santangelo — Jahaira DeAlto Freedom Fund Award
- Shannon Holsey — Dorothy “Aunt Dot” Davids Indigenous People’s Freedom Fund Award
- Joey Pisani — Emmett Till Youth Freedom Fund Award
“This event is more than a celebration of achievement—it’s a call to action,” said Dennis Powell, president of the NAACP Berkshire County Branch. “The leaders we honor exemplify courage, commitment, and community, lighting the path toward a future rooted in justice, dignity, and opportunity for all.”
The celebration is on Saturday, January 24th at 5 p.m. at the Berkshire Hills Country Club, located at 500 Benedict Road in Pittsfield. Tickets and more information can be found online. Donations may also be made online or by mailing a check to Berkshire Hills Country Club, 500 Benedict Road, Pittsfield.
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Jewish Federation of the Berkshires presents ‘Unveiled: Inside Iran’s #WomenLifeFreedom Revolt,’ a virtual book talk with acclaimed British journalist Jonathan Harounoff
Pittsfield— On Thursday, January 29th at 7 p.m., the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires presents “Unveiled: Inside Iran’s #WomanLifeFreedom Revolt,” a virtual book talk with acclaimed British journalist Jonathan Harounoff.
In September 2022, a young Kurdish-Iranian woman Mahsa Jina Amini was killed by Iran’s morality police in Tehran for allegedly wearing her hijab too loosely. Outrage triggered nationwide protests. Women ripped off their headscarves, setting them afire. Others cut their hair in open defiance. Key industries were brought to a standstill, and once-revered banners of the country’s Supreme Leader were incinerated. It was the greatest challenge to the Islamic Republic of Iran in its 46-year history and came not from a foreign adversary, but from Iran’s own freedom-seeking women. Women and girls, perhaps for the first time in the history of the modern Middle East, took center stage in a nationwide uprising, clamoring for a freer Iran and chanting the now-viral battle cry of: “Woman, Life, Freedom.”
Jonathan Harounoff serves as Israel’s international spokesperson to the United Nations. He will discuss his book, “Unveiled: Inside Iran’s #WomanLifeFreedom Revolt” with Dr. Robyn Rosen, Professor of History and Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies at Marist University, demystifying the context leading up to these historic protests inside Iran and abroad and examine the potential future ramifications. With much of the global spotlight focused on the Islamic Republic’s dangerous foreign policy agenda, “Unveiled” pays tribute to the people of Iran who have paid the ultimate price for freedom.
The virtual discussion will be on Thursday, January 29 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Registration and more information can be found online.
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Springfield Museums presents ‘MathAlive!’ an immersive exhibition that brings to life all the different types of mathematics at work
Springfield— From January 24th through May 3rd, Springfield Museums presents “MathAlive!”
“MathAlive!” Is an immersive exhibition that brings to life all the different types of mathematics at work, whether in design, application or use, behind the things kids love most–sports, games, design, entertainment, space, and robotics.
Math Alive! uses innovative technologies to create fun experiences that help visitors understand how math is used in countless ways. Highlights include a downhill race in which visitors ride snowboards and a photo stage on which visitors can capture their own image in a 360-degree action photo, in the style made famous in contemporary action movies. Visitors can take the controls to master-engineer various aspects of a modern city, jump into a ‘binary dance party,’ or program and control Curiosity, NASA’s Mars rover. Through a wide range of unique, interactive experiences, the exhibit takes math from its native form into the applied worlds of design, engineering, technology and science.
Institutional collaborators for Math Alive! include NASA, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Society of Professional Engineers, MATHCOUNTS and the Society of Women Engineers. The exhibit is on view from January 24th through May 3rd at the Springfield Museums, located at 21 Edwards Street in Springfield. There is an opening day celebration on Saturday, January 24th. More information can be found online.
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UNICO of Pittsfield to host ‘Souper Bowl’ community food drive
Berkshire— From January 31st through February 7th, UNICO of Pittsfield is hosting a “Souper Bowl” community food drive.
Help UNICO score a touchdown for local food pantries by making a donation of a nonperishable food that can be eaten from a bowl. Soup, pasta, stews, cereal, tuna, noodles, will be collected at the following locations during their business hours: Balderdash Cellars, Berkshire Fitness & Wellness, Berkshire Mazda, Carr Hardware Pittsfield, Haddad Toyota, Subaru and Hyundai; Johns Building Supply, L.P. Adams, L’io Beauty & Wellness, Locker Room Pub, Olde Heritage Tavern, Radiance Yoga, Ready Set Learn, and Zucchini’s Restaurant.
The drive culminates in a community collection day on February 7th from noon to 5 p.m. at Balderdash Cellars, located at 81 State Road in Richmond. All Donations will be distributed to Local Food Pantries. More information can be found online.
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Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and Town of Lenox announce Lenox Affordable Housing Trust strategic planning sessions
Lenox— On Saturday, January 24th at 10 a.m. and Monday, January 26th at 6 p.m. , the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) and the Town of Lenox will host visioning sessions as part of the process of developing strategic plan to address the housing needs of Lenox.
This plan aims to create an updated, in-depth assessment of current and future housing needs and strategies to address those needs. The public is invited to discuss the current state of housing in Lenox and help identify potential strategies for addressing housing challenges through either of two Housing Visioning Sessions.
The forums are on Saturday, January 24th at 10 a.m. and Monday, January 26th at 6 p.m. at the Lenox Community Center, located at 65 Walker Street. Attendance at one of the forums will be sufficient to have your voice heard. For more information, contact Michaela Grady by emailing mgrady@berkshireplanning.org or calling 413-442-1521 ext. 55.
