Tuesday, June 24, 2025

News and Ideas Worth Sharing

BITS & BYTES: Elijah River Dion at Lauren Clark; Seven artists at Childs+Clark Gallery; Rachel Bloom at WTF; Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at The Mahaiwe; ‘Yidstock’ at Yiddish Book Center; Go to BCC for free

Much of Dion’s work includes the humble metal folding chair in various positions and situations; these chairs may be empty but nevertheless have much to say.

Lauren Clark Fine Art presents ‘Restless, Irritable, and Discontent,’ paintings in oil by Elijah River Dion

Great Barrington— Through August 5th, Lauren Clark Fine Art presents “Restless, Irritable, and Discontent,” paintings in oil by Elijah River Dion.

Fairly new to the Berkshires, this young artist brings an impressive background with him, degrees in painting and art history as well as solo and group shows in New York and Boston. Much of Dion’s work includes the humble metal folding chair in various positions and situations. These chairs, whether within a landscape or a background of geometry may be empty but nevertheless have much to say.

Elijah River Dion, RID2.1, oil on rag board, 15″ x 10”. Courtesy Lauren Clark Fine Art.

The exhibit is on view through August 5th at Lauren Clark Fine Art at 684 Main Street in Great Barrington. Hours are Thursday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. There is a reception on Saturday, July 13th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. More information can be found online. 

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Childs+Clark Gallery presents ‘Six of Seven,’ fresh art, glass, and sculpture

Great Barrington— Through August 5th, Childs+Clark Gallery presents “Six of Seven,” fresh art, glass, and sculpture.

The work of three fine artists, all based in the Northeast, Jeannie Celata, Jane Cooper, and Joan Hayes will be gracing the walls. Glass sculpture by three prominent artists in their field, Nancy Callan, Natalie Tyler, and Jen Violette will also be featured; all three artists exhibit nationally and internationally. Last but not least, sculptor DeWitt Godfrey, nationally known for his monumental outdoor metal sculptures, miraculously scaled his work down to fit the gallery.

Childs+Clark Gallery presents ‘Six of Seven.’

The exhibit is on view through August 5th at Childs+Clark Gallery at 684 Main Street, Unit 1, in Great Barrington. Hours are Thursday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. There is a reception on Saturday, July 13th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. More information can be found online.

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Williamstown Theatre Festival presents Rachel Bloom’s ‘Death, Let Me Do My Show’

Williamstown— Through July 14th, Williamstown Theatre Festival presents the Rotten Science production of Rachel Bloom’s “Death, Let Me Do My Show,” directed by Seth Barrish. 

Rachel Bloom. Courtesy WTF.

From the co-creator and star of television’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” comes a one-woman musical comedy that is definitely NOT about the ever-present specter of death. Rachel Bloom’s new show is filled with raunchy and escapist material that will in NO way explore the pandemic and all the tumultuous events that ensued in her personal life. NOTHING will stop Rachel from partying like it’s 2019!

The show runs through July 14th at Williamstown Theatre Festival at 1000 Main Street in Williamstown. Tickets and more information can be found online.

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Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center presents Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Great Barrington— On Friday, July 12th at 8 p.m., the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center presents Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. 

Since its formation in the early nineties, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has toured virtually nonstop, performing on average over 150 shows a year, and has produced a sizable catalog of recorded music, with sales of over 2 million albums to date. They reminded the world, in the midst of the grunge era no less, that it was still cool to swing. The band was at the forefront of the swing revival of that time, blending a vibrant fusion of the classic American sounds of jazz, swing, and early styles, with the energy and spirit of contemporary culture. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s original horn-infused music and legendary high energy show introduces the genre to a new and younger generation while remaining cognizant and respectful of the music’s rich legacy.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Photo by Eugenia Bu. Courtesy The Mahaiwe.

The concert is on Friday, July 12th at 8 p.m. at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center at 14 Castle Street in Great Barrington. Tickets are $15 to $60. Tickets and more information can be found online. 

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Yiddish Book Center presents ‘Yidstock: The Festival of New Yiddish Music’

Amherst— On July 11th through July 14th, Yiddish Book Center presents “Yidstock: The Festival of New Yiddish Music.”

Kicking off with a sold-out concert by internationally acclaimed, Grammy Award–winning modern klezmer outfit The Klezmatics, the weekend continues with performances from today’s leading voices in Yiddish and klezmer music, including vocalist Judy Bressler and pianist Hankus Netsky, joining forces for an intimate, cabaret-style performance, Levyosn, a new Boston-based quartet making their Yidstock debut, Socalled’s Gephilte, a jam-band experiment in Yiddish funk from renowned Canadian Yiddish hip-hop provocateur Josh Dolgin, multi-instrumentalist Daniel Kahn coming together with master fiddler Jake Shulman-Ment and the legendary klezmer percussionist Richie Barshay, and Basya Schechter and Avi Fox-Rosen, whose set will bring Yiddish poet Itzik Manger’s khumesh lider (Bible stories) to life. Yidstock 2024 will conclude with a sold-out concert by the soulful and inimitable Yiddish vocalist Eleanor Reissa, joined by the great Klezmer Brass Allstars to explore the world of Yiddish song.

‘Yidstock: The Festival of New Yiddish Music.’

The festival is July 11th through July 14th at Yiddish Book Center at 1021 West Street in Amherst. Tickets and more information can be found online. 

For those who aren’t able to attend in person, virtual access is offered to all seven concerts by purchasing a Yidstock Livestream Concert Pass. Each concert will be streamed in real time allowing guests to be part of the excitement as it happens. The Livestream Concert Pass is $64 and $45 for members. Livestream Concert Passes can be found online.

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Berkshire Community College offers series of free college information sessions

Pittsfield— Berkshire Community College (BCC) will hold a series of “free college” information sessions specially designed for students over the age of 25 and for nursing students of any age. The sessions are as follows:

  • Thursday, July 11th from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Berkshire South Regional Community Center, 15 Crissey Road, Great Barrington, 
  • Thursday, July 25th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Berkshire Community College’s One Stop Center, 1350 West Street, Pittsfield, and 
  • Wednesday, August 7th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at North Adams Public Library, 74 Church Street, North Adams.
Berkshire Community College.

To register for a session, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/freecollege

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But Not To Produce.