Saturday, June 14, 2025

News and Ideas Worth Sharing

Bits & Bytes: ‘Mothers and Sons;’ Lino Taglipietra exhibit; student art show; ‘Montgomery Place: An American Arcadia;’ 350Mass Berkshires meeting

The historic property of Montgomery Place in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, part of Bard College since 2016, encompasses over 300 acres and features notable architecture, richly furnished interiors, exceptional vistas, orchards, woodland trails and gardens.

Ghent Playhouse to stage ‘Mothers and Sons’

Wendy Spielmann, left, and Ely Loskowitz in 'Mothers and Sons.' Photo: Cindy Smith
Wendy Spielmann, left, and Ely Loskowitz in ‘Mothers and Sons.’ Photo: Cindy Smith

Ghent, N.Y. — The Ghent Playhouse will present the regional premier of “Mothers and Sons” Friday, March 17, through Sunday, April 2.

Written by award-winning “Love! Valor! Compassion!” playwright Terrence McNally, “Mothers and Sons” was a 2014 Tony Award nominee for Best New Play and tells the story of a Dallas matriarch who pays an unexpected visit to her late son’s former partner, now married to another man and raising a young son. Forced to consider the life her son may have had, the woman must now come to terms with her own life choices and how society has changed around her. The play features Wendy Power Spielmann of Kinderhook in the role of Katherine Gerard, Paul Murphy of Troy as Cal Porter, Dylan Widjiono of Stockport as Will Ogden, and Ely Loskowitz of Valatie as Bud, and is directed by Cathy Lee-Visscher,

Tickets are $20 general admission, $17 for Playhouse members and $10 for students with ID. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or call 1 (800) 838-3006.

–E.E.

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Schantz Galleries exhibit Lino Tagliapietra in New Jersey

'Angel Tear' by Lino Tagliapietra.
‘Angel Tear’ by Lino Tagliapietra.

Morristown, N.J. — Showcasing more than 30 sculptures, “Lino Tagliapietra: Maestro of a Glass Renaissance” is on view through Sunday, June 18, at the Morris Museum. The exhibition highlights Tagliapietra’s place in the art historical canon as both a champion of the Muranese tradition and an innovative force among contemporary artists working in glass.

“Lino Tagliapietra: Maestro of a Glass Renaissance” showcases Tagliapietra’s works from the past two decades. Featuring works from private and the artist’s own collections, the exhibition features Tagliapietra’s blown glass vessels as well as fused glass panels. The exhibition is being co-curated by Museum curator Alexandra Willis and Jim Schantz of Schantz Galleries in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

–E.E.

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‘Reimaging the Four Freedoms’ student art show

Stockbridge — The Norman Rockwell Museum has teamed up with Capital Area Art Supervisors for the second year in a row to present an exhibition of student artwork exploring the meaning of freedom in the 21st century. “Reimagining the Four Freedoms” will be on view at NRM Saturday, March 18, through Sunday, April 9, with a closing reception for the artists and public to be held on Sunday, April 9, from 2 to 4 p.m.

“Reimagining the Four Freedoms” will display nearly 125 original artworks created in a variety of mediums by high school students from New York’s capital district. Each work will relate to a freedom most important to its individual student creator. Participating school districts include Berne-Knox-Westerlo, Bethlehem, East Greenbush, Guilderland, Mohonasen, Niskayuna, North Colonie, Scotia-Glenville and Shenendehowa.

For more information, call NRM at (413) 298-4100.

–E.E.

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‘Montgomery Place: An American Arcadia’

Montgomery Place.
Montgomery Place.

Salisbury, Conn. — On Saturday, March 18, at 4 p.m., the Scoville Memorial Library will present curator and consultant Kate Eagen Johnson who will give a presentation titled “Montgomery Place: An American Arcadia.”

The historic property of Montgomery Place in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, part of Bard College since 2016, encompasses over 300 acres and features notable architecture, richly furnished interiors, exceptional vistas, orchards, woodland trails and gardens. During the era running roughly from 1800 to 1945, four energetic and creative female owners played key roles in shaping the property. Johnson will discuss the stories of Janet Livingston Montgomery, Louise Livingston, Cora Barton and Violetta Delafield and their interactions with those who helped them fashion the showplace, including leading 19th-century American designers Alexander Jackson Davis and Andrew Jackson Downing.

Kate Eagen Johnson.
Kate Eagen Johnson.

Johnson is a freelance curator and museum consultant, writer, and lecturer at HistoryConsulting.com. From 1993 to 2011, she served as curator and director of collections at Historic Hudson Valley. She writes for Antiques & the Arts Weekly and other publications. Her book “The Hudson-Fulton Celebration: New York’s River Festival of 1909 and the Making of a Metropolis” won a New York City Book Award.

For more information, contact the Scoville Memorial Library at (860) 435-2838 or scovlibn@biblio.org.

–E.E.

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350Mass Berkshires to hold monthly meeting

Pittsfield — 350Mass Berkshires will hold its monthly meeting on Wednesday, March 15, at 6 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church. Group members will give brief presentations on local climate-related conferences they’ve attended. There will be time for announcements as well as breakout sessions on the main work streams for the year, decided in January: 100 percent renewable towns, outreach/education and legislation. There will also be time for those attending to speak about climate related meetings, readings, events or discussions they’ve participated in recently. A snack potluck will precede the meeting at 5:30 p.m. Those interested in attending the meeting are asked to RSVP online.

–E.E.

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The Edge Is Free To Read.

But Not To Produce.