The Egremont Barn presents Harvest & Rust – A Neil Young Experience
Egremont— On Friday, February 23rd from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., the Egremont Barn presents Harvest & Rust – A Neil Young Experience.
From the chart-topping “Harvest” material (Old Man, Heart of Gold, etc.) and the electric explorations of “Rust Never Sleeps” (Hey Hey My My, etc.) to songs from Neil’s time in Crosby Stills Nash & Young and Buffalo Springfield, you’re in for a night of “complete Neil.”
Based in Western Massachusetts, Harvest & Rust band members include Matt Cahill, Andy Gordon, John Kiernan, Garrett Lechowski, and Jim Reynolds. From Crazy Horse to all of your acoustic favorites, Harvest & Rust plays a wide-array of Neil Young’s influential material in one show, often augmenting their show with specialty musicians to reproduce every era of Neil Young’s music.
The concert is on Friday, February 23rd from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at the Egremont Barn on Main Street in Egremont. Doors open for dinner at 5 p.m. Tickets are $20. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Williams College Museum of Art presents ‘Emancipation: The Unfinished Project of Liberation’
WIlliamstown— On Friday, February 23rd at 6 p.m., Williams College Museum of Art celebrates the opening of “Emancipation: The Unfinished Project of Liberation.”
Conceived as a commemoration of the 160th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, “Emancipation: The Unfinished Project of Liberation” visualizes what freedom looks like for Black Americans today and the legacy of the Civil War in 2023 and beyond.
“Emancipation” highlights the perspectives of contemporary Black artists, featuring commissioned and recent works by Sadie Barnette, Alfred Conteh, Maya Freelon, Hugh Hayden, Letitia Huckaby, Jeffrey Meris, and Sable Elyse Smith.
The artists responded to John Quincy Adams Ward’s bronze sculpture “The Freedman” (1863) from the Amon Carter Museum of American Art’s collection. Initially sculpted by Ward before the end of the Civil War, the figure is depicted on the cusp of liberation, having ruptured his bonds, though they are still present as a reminder of his enslavement.
Supplemented by loans of Civil War materials from national and local institutions, and historically relevant objects from WCMA’s collection that further enhance our understanding of past representations of Blackness, “Emancipation” demonstrates how historical art collections can serve as a resource and inspiration for contemporary artistic practices.
The opening is on Friday, February 23rd at 6 p.m. at Williams College Museum of Art on Lawrence Hall Drive in Williamstown. The reception will be followed by a conversation with the curators at 7 p.m. More information can be found online.
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The Cornwall Library presents Roxana Robinson, author of ‘Leaving: A Novel,’ in conversation with Gillian Blake
Cornwall Conn.— On Saturday, February 17th at 4 p.m., the Cornwall Library presents award-winning novelist and biographer Roxana Robinson, author of ‘Leaving: A Novel,’ in conversation with Gillian Blake, editor-in-chief at Crown Publishing and a Trustee of the Cornwall Library.
Released on February 13th, Oprah listed “Leaving” as one of her “most anticipated books of 2024.” It is an indelible story about the moral demands and responsibilities of love. With sparkling prose and deep understanding, Robinson illuminates the currents between desire and loyalty.
Roxana Robinson is the author of 11 books; seven novels, three collections of short stories, and the biography of Georgia O’Keeffe. She has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the McDowell Colony and the Guggenheim Foundation. Her books have been named Notable Books of the Year by The New York Times, a Top Ten Books of the Year by the BBC, and a Five Best Fiction Books of the Year by The Washington Post. She is a President Emeritus of the Authors Guild, and is currently a member of their Council. Her books have been published in England, France, Spain, Germany and Holland. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Nation, Harper’s, Best American Short Stories, and The Cornwall Chronicle.
Gillian Blake, SVP, is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief at Crown, a division of Penguin Random House. She has edited many bestsellers, including Elizabeth Kolbert’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “The Sixth Extinction,” Michelle Obama’s “The Light We Carry,” Rachel Maddow’s “Prequel,” Tina Brown’s “The Palace Papers” and Matthew McConaughey’s “Greenlights.” She has worked with many distinguished authors, among them Andy Cohen, Sheila Heti, Rob Lowe, Jaron Lanier, Anthony Doerr, Kate Walbert, Peggy Orenstein, Harold Bloom, George Howe Colt, and Adrian Nicole LeBlanc. She is a Trustee of the Cornwall Library.
The conversation is on Saturday, February 17th at 4 p.m. at the Cornwall Library on Pine Street in Cornwall, Conn. Copies of the book will be available for sale. Registration is required. Registration and more information can be found online.
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New Marlborough cultural council awards 2024 grants
New Marlborough— The New Marlborough Cultural Council (NMCC) announced it has awarded twenty-nine grants, totaling more than $16,000 to grant applicants for local arts, sciences, humanities, and cultural activities and programs centered in New Marlborough and the surrounding local area.
In addition to funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, NMCC received generous contributions from the local New Marlborough community which tripled its available grant money, allowing for additional support for art shows, dance performances, concerts, educational programs, and even a locally produced public television show.
The following New Marlborough-based individuals and organizations received grants from NMCC:
- Steve Butler, “The Garage” – PBS program
- Jane Burke, Flying Cloud Institute – art and science community education in STEAM
- New Marlborough Historical Society – digital preservation of community history
- New Marlborough-Monterey PTA – live entertainment, field trips with Greenagers, and educational partnership with Berkshire Botanical Garden benefitting New Marlborough Central School
- New Marlborough Village Association – music, art, lectures, and art presentations at the Meeting House
- Tess Reed, Family Camp in the Wild – environmental education
- United Church of New Marlborough – choral music at the Southfield Church
Additionally, grants were awarded to community programs like Greenagers, Shakespeare & Company, Berkshire Bach Society, and many other deserving organizations in south Berkshire County.
Members of the New Marlborough Cultural Council include Lauri Aibel, Eugene Cleary, Sherri Gorelick, Shaun P, Kelleher, Jane Maser, Wendy Miller, Marjorie Shapiro, Klea Simakis, Didi Sinclair, and Louise Yohalem. If you would like to join, the New Marlborough Cultural Council is always seeking new members.
The New Marlborough Cultural Council will seek grant applications again in Fall 2024. More information can be found online.
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Images Cinema seeking submissions for Berkshire Student Film Festival
Williamstown— Images Cinema will present its inaugural regional student film festival over the first weekend in May.
The festival is seeking submissions from high school and college students at schools within a 25-mile radius of Images Cinema, including Williamstown, North Adams, Pittsfield, and Bennington.
Submissions are being accepted through March 17th. More information can be found online.
