Berkshire Community Youth Art Gallery opening
Great Barrington — Railroad Street Youth Project (RSYP) will host the Berkshire Community Youth Art Gallery opening on Saturday, July 18 from noon to 4 p.m. The exhibit will be on display at the RSYP center at 60 Bridge St. The event began as a proposal to the RSYP’s Youth Operational Board by Austen Dupont and Warren Pond III, who recruited other local young artists to take part in a show that gives youth opportunities to explore their artistic values and display their works for the community.
Featured artists include Charlotte Anstett, 18; Emily Curtis, 18; Maia Stanton, 14; and Warren Pond III, 21. Light refreshments will be offered. Contact the Railroad Street Youth Project for more information at (413) 528-2475.
–E.E.
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Tracy Reese trunk show at Louisa Ellis
Great Barrington — Louisa Ellis boutique will host designer Tracy Reese at a special presentation of her pre-fall collection on Saturday, July 18 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. A graduate of Parsons School of Design, Reese worked at prominent fashion houses before launching her own clothing line in 1996. She serves as a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America with a key role in its charitable initiatives. Reese’s designs are featured in the wardrobes of American icons including First Lady Michelle Obama.
The event is free. Fitting room reservations are accepted but not required. Contact the boutique at (413) 528-3388 for more information.
–E.E.
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‘The Mohican Influence on Jonathan Edwards,’ a Bidwell House history talk
Tyringham – On Saturday, July 18 at 10 a.m., Professor Rachel Wheeler will give a talk on the Reverend Jonathan Edwards and the Stockbridge Mohicans as part of the Bidwell House Museum History Talks series.
Jonathan Edwards was a philosopher, theologian, and preacher and is considered one of America’s foremost intellectuals. From 1751 to 1757, he served the congregation in Stockbridge and wrote some of his most influential works there. Rachel Wheeler, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Indiana University, has researched Edwards’ relationship with the Mohican community then living in Stockbridge and how Edwards was influenced in his preaching style and application of his theology by his encounters with the Mohican people.
The Bidwell House Museum History Talks are held at Tyringham Union Church, 128 Main Rd. in Tyringham. There is a suggested contribution of $15 for the general public and $10 for members of the museum. For more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or call the Bidwell House at (413) 528-6888.
–E.E.
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That Main Street Look: Stockbridge’s Main Street as place, idea, and image
Stockbridge – On Saturday, July 18 at 4 p.m., volunteers from the Stockbridge Library Museum & Archives will present the second cemetery tour of the 2015 season: “That Main Street Look: Stockbridge’s Main Street as Place, Idea, and Image.” Discover what “that Main Street look” is and learn about the people who created, preserved, and presented that look to the larger world.
The tour will gather at the cemetery gate on Main Street. Parking will be available at the old Town Hall across from the gate. A $5 donation is requested. For more information, contact the Stockbridge Library at 413-298-5501.
–E.E.
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Fedora Horowitz reads from her historical novel ‘Jaffa Beach’
Pittsfield – At 10:45 a.m. n Monday, July 20, the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires presents author Fedora Horowitz for a reading and discussion of her novel “Jaffa Beach.” The program at Congregation Knesset Israel is part of the Federation’s Connecting With Community series.
“Jaffa Beach” is a work of historical fiction that tells the story of Shifra, who is born into a strict Orthodox Jewish family and betrothed to a much older man. She flees to Jaffa Beach and begins a romantic affair with Musa, a young Arab man. Fedora Horowitz is a professional musician and writer born in Romania. Living among Arabs and Jews in Israel inspired her to write her 2013 novel Jaffa Beach.
For more information, please call the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires at (413) 442-4360, ext. 10.
–E.E.
