Free storytelling community workshop with Paloma McGregor
Pittsfield— On Thursday, July 27th from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Jacob’s Pillow, with NAACP-Berkshire County Branch and the Common Room at Zion Lutheran Church, presents a free Storytelling Community Workshop with Paloma McGregor.
This interactive workshop is rooted in story-telling and building community. Come prepared to write, move, remember, listen, and feel. The Fishtrap Method is a collaborative creative process developed by Paloma McGregor as part of her decade-long exploration of her father’s vanishing fishing tradition and three driving questions that emerged after she left her ancestral home, St. Croix: What do we take with us? Leave behind? Return to reclaim? Participants should bring something to write with, clothes to move in, and an object or photo that has cultural, familial, and/or a personal significance.
The free workshop is on Thursday, July 27th from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Zion Lutheran Church of Pittsfield on First Street in Pittsfield. It is open to all. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged. Registration and more information can be found by visiting Jacob’s Pillow online.
Jacob’s Pillow is committed to creating accessible spaces and experiences. Please contact community@jacobspillow.org with accessibility questions or accommodation requests.
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Jacob’s Pillow presents a free screening of ‘LIFT’ featuring New York Theatre Ballet’s Artistic Director, Steven Melendez, as part of its PillowTalk series
Becket— On Saturday, July 22nd at 4 p.m., Jacob’s Pillow presents a screening of “LIFT” (2022) featuring New York Theatre Ballet’s Artistic Director, Steven Melendez, as part of its PillowTalk series. This award-winning documentary captures dancer/choreographer Steven Melendez from his childhood in a homeless shelter to becoming the Artistic Director of the New York Theatre Ballet, now empowering kids like himself through ballet.
Filmed over ten years, “LIFT” shines a spotlight on the invisible story of homelessness in America through the eyes of a group of young homeless and home-insecure ballet dancers in New York City. After performing all over the world, ballet dancer Steven Melendez returns to the Bronx shelter where he grew up to give back to his community, offering a New York Theatre Ballet workshop to children. His traumatic reaction to the shelter from his childhood sends him on an unexpected journey with three kids to reckon with a past he had escaped from through ballet. As young dance students, Victor, Yolanssie, and Sharia face the same chasm of home insecurity that long separated Steven from his audience and makes the arts inaccessible to so many kids who share his background. The children he mentors offer him insight into turning a hidden trauma into dance and together they make an aristocratic art form into an expression all their own.
The free screening is on Saturday, July 22nd at 4 p.m. in Blake’s Barn at Jacob’s Pillow on George Carter Road in Becket. It is open to the public. The film runs 87 minutes and is followed by a Q&A. Tickets and more information can be found by visiting Jacob’s Pillow online.
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Guild of Berkshire Artists exhibits ‘Earth Wax and Fire’ featuring artists Amy Pressman, Pat Hogan, and Margie Skaags at Art on Main Gallery
West Stockbridge— From July 25th through August 6th, the Guild of Berkshire Artists exhibits “Earth Wax and Fire” featuring artists Amy Pressman, Pat Hogan, and Margie Skaags.
The opening reception is Saturday, July 29th from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Art on Main Gallery on Main Street in West Stockbridge. Gallery hours are Thursdays through Sundays noon to 5 p.m. More information can be found by visiting the Guild of Berkshire Artists online.
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Berkshire Botanical Garden presents ‘Family Fridays’
Stockbridge— From July 28th through August 25th, Berkshire Botanical Garden’s summer family programming continues with “Family Fridays”. This series includes four programs on animals large and small and explores the lives of mammals, animal habitats, and birds of prey. Presenters will encourage an innate curiosity about the natural world and promote a deeper connection to the Berkshire landscape and world at large.
On July 28th, the program is “Wild World of Reptiles” with Joy Marzoff. Join environmental educator Joy Marzolf as she answers the following questions: What is the difference between a lizard and a snake, or a crocodile and an alligator? Can turtles really leave their shells like they do in the cartoons? Are snakes really slimy? Learn more about these regional scaly friends and meet some special reptile guests!
“Family Fridays” run from July 28th through August 25th at the Berkshire Botanical Garden on West Stockbridge Road in Stockbridge. Family Fridays are free with admission. For a complete list of “Family Fridays” programs, visit the Berkshire Botanical Garden online.
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Bousquet’s second annual Mountain Day will include an outdoor recreation summit with Commissioner of Department of Conservation, Brian Arrigo
Pittsfield— On Saturday, July 22nd, from 1p.m. to 3 p.m., Bousquet presents an Outdoor Recreation Summit with the new Commissioner of the Commonwealth’s Department of Conservation and Recreation, Brian Arrigo, as part of its second annual Mountain Day.
Commissioner Arrigo will offer welcoming remarks to attendees at the Second Annual Berkshire Outdoor Recreation Summit, the conference portion of Saturday’s Mountain Day event at Bousquet Mountain in Pittsfield. After the Commissioner’s opening remarks, several organizations will share information about new outdoor recreation investments. Presenters include Berkshire Community Rowing, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, the Hoosic River Watershed Association, Mass Audubon, the Western Mass Backcountry Alliance, and the Western Mass Climbing Coalition.
The free summit is on Saturday, July 22nd, from 1p.m. to 3 p.m. at Bosquet on Dan Fox Drive in Pittsfield. It is open to the public. A full conference agenda, tickets, and more information can be found by visiting Bousquet online.
The ticketed portion of Mountain Day follows the summit from 3 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and includes live music, a “Vendor Village” with over twenty retailers offering product demos, clubs, and non-profit organizations, as well as several scheduled activities including yoga and guided hikes. To learn more about Mountain Day, visit Bousquet online.
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Pittsfield Let It Shine! Public Art Partnership is seeking artists to paint four murals in Pittsfield
Pittsfield— The Pittsfield Let It Shine! Public Art Partnership is seeking artists to paint four murals in Pittsfield by Saturday, September 9th, the day of a community celebration, “Let It Shine! A Celebration of Public Art.”
These murals are intended to beautify downtown and the West Side of Pittsfield by reflecting and celebrating the communities, history, environment, and future of Pittsfield.
The call for artist submission closes on July 26th and the muralists will be selected by July 31st. To apply, artists should visit Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. online to view the full criteria and submit their application.
A mural consultant, Common Wealth Murals, will be guiding the organizers to ensure an equitable process and installation insurance.
