American Mural Project’s popular ‘Happy Hour Piano Series’ returns with Natalie Hamilton
Winsted, Conn.— On Friday, January 24th at 5:30 p.m., American Mural Project’s (AMP) popular ‘Happy Hour Piano Series’ returns with pianist Natalie Hamilton.
Pianist, singer-songwriter, and producer Natalie Hamilton has been praised by the press for her sophistication and intimacy. She is known for captivating audiences with her sheer artistry, performing both classic jazz compositions and originals. Her latest album is “Live at the Legacy Theater.”
The piano series heightens the experience of AMP’s indoor mural exhibit, a grand-scale three-level artistic tribute to American workers. The piano melodies create an atmosphere that is both reflective and celebratory against the backdrop of the sweeping visuals of the mural. The unique pairing of art and music underscores AMP’s mission to connect people through creativity and collaboration.

“The Happy Hour Piano Series is a wonderful way to connect with music and art in an inviting setting,” said Michelle Begley, AMP’s program director. “This year’s lineup reflects a wide range of styles, from jazz and blues to soul and pop, ensuring there’s something for everyone. Our mural gallery provides a unique backdrop that makes these performances even more memorable.”
The series begins on Friday, January 24th at 5:30 p.m. at American Mural Project, located at 90 Whiting Street in Winsted, Conn. The doors open at 5 p.m. Guests can enjoy a drink from the cash/credit bar, featuring domestic and craft beer, wine, cider, select cocktails, and nonalcoholic beverages. More information can be found online.
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Yiddish Book Center presents ‘Warsaw Testament,’ a virtual conversation with Sam Kassow
Amherst— On Thursday, January 23rd at 7 p.m., Yiddish Book Center, as part of the Great Jewish Books Club, presents “Warsaw Testament,” a virtual engaging conversation with Professor Sam Kassow about his new translation of Rokhl Auerbach’s “Warsaw Testament.”
Based on her wartime writings and participation in the secret Oyneg Shabes Archive in the Warsaw Ghetto, Auerbach’s memoir paints a vivid portrait of the city’s prewar Yiddish literary and artistic community and of its destruction at the hands of the Nazis.

Samuel Kassow, Charles H. Northam Professor of History at Trinity College, holds a PhD from Princeton University and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Jewish Research. From 2006 until 2013 he was the lead historian for two galleries of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, which opened in 2014. Professor Kassow is the author of “Who Will Write Our History? Emanuel Ringelblum and the Secret Ghetto Archive,” which received the Orbis Prize of the AAASS; was a finalist for a National Jewish Book Award; and has been translated into eight languages. A child of Holocaust survivors, Professor Kassow was born in a displaced-persons camp in Germany.
The free conversation is on Thursday, January 23rd at 7 p.m. on Zoom. After a short presentation, Professor Kassow will answer audience questions in a book club–style conversation facilitated by Lisa Newman, the Center’s Director of Publishing and Public Programs. Registration is required. Registration and more information can be found online.
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Friends of Monterey Public Library present memoir writing series
Monterey— On Thursdays, January 23rd and 30th and February 6th and 13th from 10:30 a.m. to noon, the Friends of Monterey Public Library presents professional storyteller and teaching artist Mary Jo Maichack to facilitate a four-part workshop “Presenting the Past: Berkshire Memoirs of Work.”

“Mary Jo led a memoir writing workshop this fall that was well-attended and well-loved” said library director Mark Makuc. Maichack has spent 35 years and some 5,000 programs as a professional storyteller and singer in New England, and from San Francisco to Vienna, Austria. She served as Northeast Regional Director of the National Storytelling Network.
The free 18+ workshop is on Thursdays, January 23rd and 30th and February 6th and 13th from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Monterey Public Library, located at 452 Main Road in Monterey. All writing levels are welcome. More information can be found online.
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Great Barrington Public Theater’s ‘Conversations With’ series returns
Great Barrington— On Tuesday, January 21st at 6 p.m., Great Barrington Public Theater’s ‘Conversations With’ series returns. Join Artistic Director Jim Frangione and Associate Artistic Director Judy Braha in discussion with local theater professionals.

On January 21st, the conversation topic is “Directors Who Love to Work on New Work + Why.” Join Frangione and Braha in conversation with playwrights and directors to discuss the intricate process of developing new plays. Panelists include playwrights Leigh Strimbeck (Dog People,) Anne Undeland (Mr. Fullerton, Madame Mozart.) Jay Sefton (Unreconciled,) director Matthew Penn (Survival of the Unfit,) and director James Warwick.
The series begins on Tuesday, January 21st at 6 p.m. at Saint James Place, located at 352 Main Street in Great Barrington. More information can be found online.
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Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center presents a screening of cult classic ‘Napoleon Dynamite’
Great Barrington— On Friday, January 24th at 7 p.m., the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center presents a screening of cult classic “Napoleon Dynamite.”
This quirky comedy won audiences over with its absurdism and camp and skyrocketed from a low-budget indie film to a cultural phenomenon. Jon Heder plays the title role, an awkward teenager navigating his dysfunctional family and high school politics. With a budget of just $400,000, this indie comedy grossed over $46 million at the box office.

The screening is on Friday, January 24th at 7 p.m. at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, located at 14 Castle Street in Great Barrington. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Berkshire Community College announces workforce and community education workshops from orthopedic massage to Dungeons & Dragons
Pittsfield— Berkshire Community College (BCC)’s Workforce and Community Education department continues to expand its high-quality, affordable personal enrichment and professional development workshops and courses, announcing new offerings for the spring 2025 semester.

With a mission of helping people succeed in the Berkshire County job market, the Workforce and Community Education department offers a wide range of programs, workshops and services designed to meet the needs of job seekers, career changers, and employers.
Workforce training areas include healthcare and social services courses for certified nursing assistants, community health workers, substance abuse counselors, emergency medical technicians, phlebotomy technicians, and more. Online classes are offered for certified paralegals, human resources professionals, HVAC/R technicians and professional bookkeepers, while corporate solutions training workshops are available for area employers. Community education workshops range from Reiki, Tai Chi, art, Dungeons & Dragons, and more. Some workshops begin as soon as January 21st. More information can be found online.