Friday, September 13, 2024

News and Ideas Worth Sharing

BITS & BYTES: Baye & Asa at Adams Theater; Side Project Gallery inaugural exhibition; Haitian DJ series at The Clark; New queer walking group; Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration

“The physical aggression in our choreography is a symptom of our political rage, and a yearning to personally implicate ourselves.”

Adams Theater presents movement art and dance company Baye & Asa

Adams— On Saturday, September 7th at 7:30 p.m., the Adams Theater presents movement art and dance company Baye & Asa.

The company, directed by Amadi ‘Baye’ Washington and Sam ‘Asa’ Pratt, will present two thought-provoking and impactful pieces, “Suck it Up,” a duet confronting the violent fallout of male insecurity and entitlement; and “Second Seed,” a short film responding to D.W. Griffith’s 1915 silent film “The Birth of a Nation,” based on Thomas Dixon’s novel “The Clansman.” It confronts the myth of Griffith’s “helpless white minority,” and the cult of white-victimhood’s enduring impact on American polity.

“We met when we were 6 years old. The physical aggression in our choreography is a symptom of our political rage, and a yearning to personally implicate ourselves. We use our choreography to create political metaphors, interrogate systemic inequities, and contemporize ancient allegories; we build theatrical contexts that celebrate, implicate, and condemn the characters onstage,” said Baye & Asa.

The presentation is on Saturday, September 7th at 7:30 p.m. at the Adams Theater at 27 Park Street in Adams. A Q&A will follow. Tickets and more information can be found online.

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Side Project Gallery presents ‘Repetitions,’ its inaugural exhibition 

Great Barrington— From September 7th to October 7th, Side Project Gallery presents “Repetitions,” its inaugural exhibition. 

“Repetitions” will be a group show bringing together six artists (Kalina Winter, Owen McCarter, Bart Elsbach, Henry Murphy, Hazel Elsbach, and Andrea Seltzer) working between the Berkshires, New York, and Philadelphia whose work explores repetition as a conceptual and compositional tool in paintings, drawings, and photographs. Repetition is an integral part of our lives, which are inherently cyclical. Whether carefully constructed routine or mindless habit, we often cling to the familiar without thinking where it may lead us. 

Courtesy Side Project Gallery.

The exhibit runs from September 7th to October 7th at Side Project Gallery at 152 Main Street in Great Barrington. There is an opening reception on Saturday, September 7th from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

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Clark Art Institute presents series of free DJ sets featuring Haitian electronic musicians

Williamstown— This September, the Clark Art Institute presents a series of free DJ sets featuring Haitian electronic musicians who blend traditional Haitian music forms with contemporary rhythms as the sun sets in celebration of the Kathia St. Hilaire: Invisible Empires exhibition.

LDER. Courtesy The Clark.

The series begins with LDER on Wednesday, September 4th at 6 p.m. Ludjy Derisier, also known as LDER, is a Haitian-American music producer from Boston. Drawing inspiration from the electronic drum and bass beats of Cartoon Network’s anime block Toonami, LDER blends upbeat percussion and melodic sounds with samples of beeps and blips. He was the organizer of East Meets Beats at EMW Bookstore in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and currently organizes the “Beats on the Beach” program for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay in Boston.

The free events begin on Wednesday, September 4th at 6 p.m. Bring a picnic and a blanket. More information can be found online. The series continues with Gardy Girault on September 11th, Ashley Venom on September 13th, and Val-Inc on September 18th

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New queer walking group to builds community and reduces chronic illness 

Pittsfield— Q-MoB is launching a new weekly walking group in September to visit some of the most important historical and ecological sites in the region. These walks are offered in collaboration with Housatonic Heritage, Mass Department of Conservation and Recreation, W.E.B. Dubois National Landmark, Institute for American Indian Studies, and BCC’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

Courtesy QMob.

The walks are designed to help rural queer men, who tend to be more isolated and at higher risk for chronic illness, have fun developing a weekly walking habit and building community connections throughout the fall and winter, when both physical activity and community engagement drop.

The four walks and two easy hikes occur throughout Greater Berkshire Region to be accessible to far flung rural queer men, and men are encouraged to get coffee or have a meal after each walk to build connections.

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Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration in Downtown Pittsfield 

Pittsfield— From September 8th to October 12th, celebrate Housatonic Heritage Month in Downtown Pittsfield. 

This celebration will honor the stories, cultures, and contributions of community members of the Berkshires who have heritage from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

The celebration includes activities planned through the two month period including:

  • September 8th 5 p.m. Dance class and performance lead by Andres Ramirez, owner of The Funk Box Studio at Dunham Mall
  • September 15th 5 p.m. Cumbia at Placita Latina with “Media Noche” a Berkshire based Cumbia band.
  • September 22nd 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Salsa and Bachata classes with Luana Dias in Dunham Mall
  • September 27th 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. An art workshop in Spanish led by Katunemo Art Collective at THECOLLAB community space.
  • October 2nd 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Storytelling and open mic in Spanish hosted by Latinas413 at Hot Plate Brewing.
  • October 12th 7 p.m. Tornado Musical Music Performance at Tito’s Mexican Bar and Grill.
Courtesy Downtown Pittsfield, Inc.

Berkshire County’s Latin American and Hispanic immigrant population is growing. This celebration aims to honor, recognize and support the contributions of the Hispanic population in the district and county by sharing music, dance, and food with the community. It also seeks to foster a sense of belonging and create opportunities for new immigrant business owners and artists.

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The Edge Is Free To Read.

But Not To Produce.