Bits & Bytes: ‘Meet the Inventors’; Paul Krugman at Simon’s Rock; GB traffic advisory; Lee Library comic jam; Diana Felber Gallery opening; senior center fundraiser

‘Meet the Inventors’ at Berkshire Museum

Pittsfield — On Saturday, May 21, visitors to Berkshire Museum’s Spark!Lab and newly updated Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. will be able to “Meet the Inventors” to see demonstrations of products invented in the Berkshires and speak with the inventors about their creative processes.

Architects Tessa Kelly and Chris Parkinson will be discussing their designs for five writing studios to be built and installed as part of “The Mastheads,” a writers-in-residence project planned for fall of 2017. Lisa Chamberlain will display models and a video explaining the work done by her company, the Chamberlain Group, to produce anatomically accurate medical models that capture the consistency and response of living tissue. Michael Taylor of Berkshire Innovations, LLC, the inventor of the Brød & Taylor knife sharpener and compact folding bread proofer, will demonstrate his kitchen products. Educators from Hancock Shaker Village will talk about significant Shaker inventions such as the flat broom, seed packets, and a version of the circular saw. Student inventors from Berkshire Country Day School will show their inventions, including projects using tiny hydraulic systems and special connecting rods. Inventions created in Berkshire County will be on display in the BerkshireNow Gallery and will include the PocketBra, invented by Sherry Goff; and the Chemex Coffeemaker, invented in 1941 by Peter Schlumbohm.

‘Meet the Inventors’ will be included with regular Museum admission. For more information, call the Museum at (413) 443-7171.

–E.E.

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Paul Krugman to give Simon’s Rock’s commencement address

Dr. Krugman was the sole recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his work on international trade theory. As one of the founders of the “New Trade Theory,” he was awarded the John Bates Clark medal by the American Economic Association in 1991, a biennial prize given to an economist under 40 who has made a significant contribution to the field of economics. During the Reagan administration, he worked at the White House as the senior international economist for the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. A Distinguished Professor at the City University of New York’s (CUNY) Graduate Center, Dr. Krugman is also a centenary professor at the London School of Economics. He received his B.A. from Yale University in 1974, and his Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1977. Before joining the New York Times in 1999, he was a columnist for Fortune Magazine and published articles in the New Republic, Foreign Policy, Newsweek, and the New York Times Magazine. He named his New York Times blog after one of his 23 books, “The Conscience of a Liberal.” He is a fellow of the Econometric Society, a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a member of the Group of Thirty.

–E.E.

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Construction traffic advisory

Great Barrington — Department of Public Works Superintendent Joe Sokul reports that two construction projects will occur this week, putting detours and a road closure into effect with minor traffic delays expected.

On Thursday, May 19, Taconic Avenue, between West Avenue and Brainard Avenue, will be closed for the continued drainage improvement project. The Great Barrington Department of Public Works and Wilkinson Excavating will be involved in the work.

Earlier this week, Lane Construction completed the final paving of the Great Barrington section of Alford Road. On Friday, May 20, it will be working on smoothing the transition at the intersection of Alford Road and Division Street. This work is expected to take a few hours and police officers will be on site directing traffic. Lane Construction will also finish driveway aprons and road edge work on Alford Road over the next two weeks, but this work is expected to have minimal, if any, effect on traffic.

Residents should direct questions to the Department of Public Works at (413) 528-0867.

–E.E.

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Lee Library comic jam

Lee — The Lee Library will host a comic jam on Saturday, May 21, from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. with artist and educator Ira Marcks. A comic jam is a collaborative storytelling adventure for cartoonists of all ages and abilities, at which artists contribute to one another’s comics to create unexpected and exciting stories.

The event is free and open to the public. Contact the Library for more information at (413) 243-0385.

–E.E.

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Diana Felber Gallery presents opening show

West Stockbridge – The Diana Felber Gallery will host a grand opening reception on Saturday, May 21, from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Opened by longtime Berkshire art aficionado Diana Felber on May 1, the first show in the multimedia gallery features works from Paul Chaleff, Murray Hochman, Kathleen Cammarata, Petula Bloomfield, Shawn Baker, Nava Grunfeld, Naomi Grossman, and Birgit Blyth.

For more information, email diana@dianafelbergallery.com.

–E.E.

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Theatre fundraiser for Sheffield Senior Center

Sheffield – Aglet Theatre Company will present two short plays, “It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie” by Jason Miller and “Save Me a Place at Forest Lawn” by Lorees Yerby, on Monday, May 23, at 7 p.m. at the Sheffield Senior Center. Tickets are $15 per person and proceeds will help to fund the finishing of the Senior Center’s lower level. For more information or to reserve tickets, call the Senior Center at (413) 229-7037.

–E.E.