Wednesday, November 13, 2024

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Bits & Bytes: ‘Unfinished Business’ at Bernay Fine Art; Berkshire Museum’s ‘Visual Voice’; garden design talk; traditional music concert

The illustrated talk will focus on practical techniques for creating and managing naturalistic plantings at a size that’s feasible for the home gardener in terms of both labor and expense.

Bernay Fine Art to open ‘Unfinished Business’

Great Barrington — Bernay Fine Art will open “Unfinished Business: A Women’s Show” Saturday, June 27. This show is named to highlight the status of the Equal Rights Amendment. There will be no public reception for the artists due to concerns over COVID-19.

The show includes the work of eight women artists: Stephanie Anderson displays her drawing skills in her new graphite-on-clayboard piece, “Clique”; Diane Ayott uses spatial relationships and vibrant colors in contemporary patterned paintings; Roselle Chartock contributes mixed media collages that showcase women’s figures; Hawaiian textile artist Chenta Laury uses bark cloth, raw wool, silk and bamboo to create three pieces; hyper-realistic painter Nadine Robbins contributes two portraits of women; Dee Shapiro presents colorful mixed media pieces on panel; Sonya Sklaroff, working from her apartment in New York City, shares several COVID-19-themed paintings; and Amelia Toelke’s sculpture “Home Sweet Home” is on display on Bernay Fine Art’s front lawn, in addition to her addition to the show of several gold-plated pieces.

Prospective viewers are advised to check the gallery’s website for details on open hours. The large gallery space can accommodate up to 12 people at a time according to Massachusetts regulations; private appointments are also available. For more information, contact Bernay Fine Art at (413) 645-3421 or paula@bernayfineart.com.

–E.E.

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Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield High School amplify voices of the class of 2020

‘Inside the Bottle’ by Hannah Wheeler, part of Berkshire Museum’s ‘Visual Voice: Portfolios from Pittsfield High School’ online exhibit. Image courtesy Berkshire Museum

Pittsfield — The Berkshire Museum exhibit “Visual Voice: Portfolios from Pittsfield High School” opened to the community June 15, as part of Berkshire Museum@Home. This partnership between Pittsfield High School and the museum will remain on view through Friday, July 31.

Showcasing the senior portfolios of 10 artists in the PHS 2020 AP Art class, the virtual show includes glimpses into the lives of local youth; commentaries on the world through their eyes; and depictions of friends, strangers, idols and the artists themselves through a variety of media including black-and-white photography, pencil drawings, paintings and collage.

Select works are also on view in downtown Pittsfield storefronts for the enjoyment of passers-by. PHS art instructor Lisa Ostellino teamed up with Jen Glockner, director of Pittsfield’s Office of Cultural Development and Pittsfield Public Schools Superintendent Jake McCandless to secure spaces in empty storefronts and the adult learning center to showcase student art in the physical world. Works can be found at 78, 90, and 141 North St. through the end of July.

–E.E.

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Robert Clyde Anderson to discuss ‘Naturalistic Planting on a Domestic Scale’

Robert Clyde Anderson. photo courtesy Spencertown Academy Arts Center

Spencertown, N.Y. — Spencertown Academy Arts Center will present a virtual talk by Robert Clyde Anderson titled “Naturalistic Planting on a Domestic Scale” Sunday, June 28, at 4 p.m. via Zoom. The lecture will run about an hour, followed by a question-and-answer session with participants.

The illustrated talk will focus on practical techniques for creating and managing naturalistic plantings at a size that’s feasible for the home gardener in terms of both labor and expense. Using part of his own garden as the example, Anderson will share failures and successes in the development, over three seasons, of a wet meadow-style planting. Topics addressed will include site selection and preparation, plant material sources, choices and acquisition, installation tips, and seasonal care.

Anderson found his way to the Hudson Valley after a New York City career in illustration and book design. A native of Louisiana, he is a lifelong gardener and has designed and maintained gardens in Columbia County, as well as serving as right-hand man for eight years at the former Loomis Creek Nursery in Claverack. In 2012, Anderson was hired to launch the retail division of Pondside Nursery in Hudson. In 2017, he resigned his position to concentrate on garden design, writing, teaching and public speaking, although he remains associated with Pondside as a consultant and designer. Anderson makes his home in Stuyvesant, where he maintains a 2-acre “laboratory” garden that includes shrub borders, a sunny terraced xeric garden, a shady wooded streamside area, a moist meadow, a kitchen garden, and a small flock of chickens.

Tickets are $10. Registration is required. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact Spencertown Academy Arts Center at info@spencertownacademy.org.

–E.E.

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Bidwell House museum to present online concert with Diane Taraz

Diane Taraz in a recent concert at the Bidwell House Museum. Photo courtesy Bidwell House Museum

Monterey — On Saturday, June 27, at 7 p.m., the Bidwell House Museum will livestream “She Called him Adonijah,” a concert by musician Diane Taraz.

Through a selection of 18th-century folk songs, Taraz will explore the world in which Adonijah Bidwell grew up, and his eventful life as a teacher, shipboard chaplain, husband of three, father of four and minister of Township No. 1 (now the towns of Monterey and Tyringham). Taraz will wear the clothing of the time and accompany her singing on an instrument similar to the now-extinct English guitar played by Colonial ladies.

A Pittsfield native, Taraz has long made her home in the Boston area, performing extensively throughout New England. She is the director of the Lexington Historical Society Colonial Singers, a longtime member of the Gloucester Hornpipe and Clog Society, and sings with 12-member a cappella Renaissance choir Vox Lucens.

The concert is free and open to the public. Registration is required. For more information or to register, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact the Bidwell House Museum at 413-528-6888 or bidwellhouse@gmail.com.

–E.E.

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The Edge Is Free To Read.

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