Berkshire International Film Festival and Triplex Cinema’s Environmental Film Focus Series continues with a screening of ‘Farming While Black’
Great Barrington— On Friday, November 15th at 7 p.m., Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF) and Triplex Cinema’s Environmental Film Focus Series continues with a screening of “Farming While Black.”
“Farming While Black” examines the historical plight of Black farmers in the United States and the rising generation of Black farmers reclaiming their rightful ownership to land and reconnecting with their ancestral roots.
Leah Penniman, co-founder of Soul Fire Farm, reflects on the plight of Black farmers in the United States. From the height of Black-owned farms at 14 percent in 1910 to less than 2 percent today, Penniman, and other compatriots help propel a rising generation of Black farmers finding strength in the deep historical knowledge of African agrarianism — and its potential to save the planet.
The screening is on Friday, November 15th at 7 p.m. at The Triplex Cinema, located at 70 Railroad Street in Great Barrington. A conversation with Naima Penniman and BIFF programmer, Lillian Lennox, will follow the screening. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Clark Art Institute hosts a lecture by Sarah Elizabeth Lewis, best-selling author and Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University
Williamstown— On Saturday, November 16th at 3 p.m., the Clark Art Institute hosts a free lecture by Sarah Elizabeth Lewis, the John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Humanities and Associate Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University and bestselling author and public intellectual, writing for the New York Times and The New Yorker, among others.
In this presentation, Lewis will read from her new book, “The Unseen Truth: When Race Changed Sight in America,” which explores how the fight for independence in the Caucasus that coincided with the end of the U.S. Civil War revealed the instability of the entire regime of racial hierarchy and domination. Images of the Caucasus region and peoples captivated the American public but also showed that the place from which we derive “Caucasian” for whiteness was not white at all.
In tracing these fault lines, “The Unseen Truth” illuminates how visual culture, from paintings to photographs to maps, was used to mask the fictions in the formation of race itself. Ultimately, a new regime of visual literacy came to obscure the specious grounds that legitimated racial hierarchy in America. Lewis discusses what this critical moment in the history of race and sight can tell us, and offers the tools to critically examine the silences in visual culture of all kinds.
The free lecture is on Saturday, November 16th at 3 p.m. at the Clark Art Institute, located on South Street in Williamstown. More information can be found online.
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Mill Town Foundation presents the second annual Wandering Dance Festival
Pittsfield— From November 17th through the 23rd, the Mill Town Foundation presents the second annual Wandering Dance Festival.
This vibrant, week-long celebration of movement, rhythm, and culture invites individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to participate. Held throughout downtown Pittsfield, the festival will showcase a diverse array of dance styles, including contemporary, hip-hop, swing and salsa, providing a rich tapestry of artistic expression.
Festival attendees can take part in free workshops, learn from esteemed choreographers, and showcase their own talents during open dance sessions. Olivia Martin, Coordinator of Wandering Dance Society, said, “This week is welcoming to everyone and anyone who wants to learn, connect, and grow together. Dance is a universal language and during this week we are all going to be speaking the same language.”
On Saturday, November 23rd at 7 p.m., the festival will conclude with a showcase performance at The Colonial Theatre. Featuring both local and nationally recognized dance artists, this event promises to be a memorable experience for the entire community. Tickets to this performance can be purchased online.
A full schedule of workshops, classes, and performances can be found online. Mill Town Foundation is dedicated to making its events as accessible as possible for everyone. Most activities are free, and financial assistance is available upon request. For more information, please email info@milltownfoundation.org.
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Spencertown Academy Art Center presents ‘Small Works 2024: Regional Fine Arts and Crafts’
Spencertown, N.Y.— From November 16th to December 15th, Spencertown Academy Arts Center presents “Small Works 2024: Regional Fine Arts and Crafts,” featuring more than 150 small artworks by 73 regional artists, including acrylic, gouache, oil, pastel, and watercolor paintings; pen and ink and charcoal drawings; encaustics, ceramics, printmaking, collage, mixed media, photography, fiber art, wood, metal, and basketry.
“This is a different format for a Spencertown Academy exhibition. In many of our shows, the larger works take over. Here, we are allowing the smaller works a center stage,” says Curator Meryl Enerson. “The combination of 2D and 3D works, including an array of fine crafts, presents a great diversity of media.”
The show runs from November 16th to December 15th at Spencertown Academy Arts Center, located at 790 NY-203 in Spencertown, N.Y. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, November 16th from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. More information can be found online.
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Berkshire Waldorf School’s 52nd Annual Holiday Handcraft Fair
Great Barrington— On Saturday, November 16th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Berkshire Waldorf School invites the community to the 52nd Annual Holiday Handcraft Fair.
Teachers and families transform classrooms into festive winter adventures, including the Little Peoples’ Shop, a storyland where children choose their own treasures. The Handcraft Room offers a large selection of cozy, handmade items. Berkshire Country Store stocks one-of-a-kind gifts and gourmet treats. Snacks, desserts, and lunch, including vegetarian and gluten-free options, are available in Rudy’s Diner. There will also be an auction room and a raffle room.
There will be puppet shows, handcrafts, jump rope making, a dress-up photo booth, silk dyeing, beeswax candle dipping, a very special “Sweet Spot” game with live musicians (winners take home dessert,) and the Pocket Fairy, whose many pockets are filled with small surprises; and other gifts to make and give, all by hand.
The fair is on Saturday, November 16th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Berkshire Waldorf School, located at 35 West Plain Road in Great Barrington. Admission and parking is free. More information can be found online.
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Becket Arts Center presents a felting workshop with Tina Sweet
Becket— On Saturday, November 16th from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the Becket Arts Center will offer a felting workshop with Tina Sweet.
Tina Sweet has been felting for 18 years. Her commissioned work includes stylized gnomes, personalized penguins, life-sized chickens, and a superhero. In this beginner-friendly class, participants will be introduced to the tools and techniques of needle felting, and then will create a small sculpture of their own.
The class is on Saturday, November 16th from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Becket Arts Center, located at 7 Brooker Hill Road in Becket. The fee includes all materials and tools. More information can be found online.
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Berkshire Community College to offer info sessions on free community college
Pittsfield— If you are a Massachusetts resident without a bachelor’s degree, attend a free college information session to learn how you can attend Berkshire Community College (BCC) for free, including free books and supplies.
BCC will hold three free informational sessions:
- Tuesday, November 19th from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Lee Library, 100 Main Street in Lee
- Wednesday, December 4th from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at North Adams Public Library, 74 Church Street in North Adams
- Tuesday, January 14th from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Berkshire Community College, 1350 West Street in Pittsfield
Participants will learn how to enroll at BCC, how to start the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process, and how to determine eligibility for free community college through the Commonwealth’s MassEducate and MassReconnect programs. Registration and more information can be found online.
