Great Barrington’s 13 most-Instagrammed places
Kingston, N.Y. — Bard College at Simon’s Rock is Great Barrington’s most photographed place on Instagram, according to a social media study conducted by marketing agency Kingston Creative.
More than 1,300 pictures were geo-tagged at the college between February 2016 and 2017. The study did not count posts by the businesses or institutions themselves.
“The results of this research have applications for tourism, economic development and quality of life,” said Kingston Creative strategy director Alex Panagiotopoulos. “Every place on the list is photogenic in some way, provides great experiences, and is popular with millennials and visitors. People want to brag that they were there.”
The URJ Eisner Camp was second on the list with more than 500 photos and the Prairie Whale restaurant was third with over 300 pictures.
An online list of all 13 places is available.
–E.E.
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Eva Sheridan to helm human resources at Main Street Hospitality Group
Stockbridge — Main Street Hospitality Group CEO Sarah Eustis has announced that former MountainOne Financial senior human resources office Eva Sheridan has been appointed vice president of people and human development.
Sheridan started her career at MountainOne Financial as director of human resources in 2005 and ascended to senior vice president, senior human resources officer in 2013. While there, she had oversight of all key human resources efforts and worked closely with the CEO as part of the leadership team.
Sheridan currently serves as president and chair of the Berkshire County Regional Employment Board, vice chair of 1Berkshire Strategic Alliance, secretary of the Berkshire Hills Youth Soccer Club and governor of the Stockbridge Golf Club’s board of governors, as well as having had senior roles on a number of other community boards including chair of the Berkshire Visitors Bureau’s board of directors and being a member of the Stockbridge Properties Commission, HospiceCare in the Berkshires’ board of directors and the Berkshire Leadership Program’s steering committee.
A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, Sheridan holds a Master’s of Arts degree in human resource development from American International College in Springfield. She lives in Stockbridge with her husband and two daughters.
–E.E.
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Berkshire Humane Society to open art gallery
Pittsfield — On Friday, April 28, Berkshire Humane Society will celebrate the official opening of its new art gallery, underwritten by the Appelbaum-Kahn Foundation. The gallery is presented in collaboration with and curated by the Richmond-West Stockbridge Artists’ Guild. From 5:30 to 8:00 p.m., the public is invited to peruse the art while enjoying light refreshments. At 6:00 p.m., guild president Karen Carmean and artist, shelter volunteer and guild member Keith Emerling will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
A wildlife photograph of Arabian horses by Mitch Greenwald will be available by purchasing raffle tickets at the door and a wildlife photograph of herons by Sheli Ronnen will be given away as a door prize.
The exhibit, which lines nearly 120 linear feet of wall space around the shelter, is open during normal shelter hours. The guild will curate the space with shows changing every three months. Art is for sale and a portion of the proceeds will benefit BHS. The collaboration resulted from several meetings involving BHS, Kim Gerber of Animal Life magazine, Emerling and Carmean. The hanging system used in the gallery was researched and selected by guild member Anne Auberjonois and installed by Rudi Bach of Moving Art Co.
–E.E.
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Williams College biology professor receives NSF CAREER grant
Williamstown — Williams College assistant professor of biology Matt Carter has been awarded a CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation. The five-year, $586,000 grant, awarded to junior faculty, will support Carter’s research into sleep and wakefulness.
Carter’s research project, titled “Bidirectional Control of Sleep and Wakefulness by the Hypothalamic Arcuate Nucleus,” studies two populations of neurons to better understand mammalian sleep. Preliminary evidence from his lab shows that one population of neurons maintains sleep while the other promotes wakefulness. His research project is using cutting-edge optogenetic and pharmacogenetic methods in conjunction with electroencephalography and behavioral analyses in mice to test the necessity and sufficiency of the neurons in promoting sleep or wakefulness.
The project will provide research experience and laboratory training to several Williams students. Additionally, Carter will develop a course on the science of sleep that will use active learning strategies to provide a better understanding of sleep science to undergraduates, including a lab module based on his research. Carter’s students will also partner with Williams’ Center for Learning in Action to design and present seminars about sleep to local communities.
Carter has taught at Williams since 2013 and holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Stanford University. He received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Whitman College.
–E.E.
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Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation tops $3 million in spring grants cycle
Sheffield — Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation has announced the recipients of its first round of grantmaking for 2017. The foundation distributed nearly $380,000 in grants to individuals, school communities and nonprofits in the four-county region it serves, and over $2.7 million in grants from donors with charitable funds at the foundation.
Education and Enrichment: Grants to regional schools, school districts, teachers and organizations with educational programs in Berkshire County totaled nearly $20,000. Select grants include $950 to purchase an Apple TV for students at Lanesborough Elementary School; $1,000 for the robotics program at Lenox Memorial Middle and High School; and $480 for a mentoring workshop at Richmond Consolidated School.
Arts and Culture: Grants to local artists, arts organizations and arts programs totaled nearly $36,400. Select grants include $4,750 to SculptureNow for its annual sculpture exhibition at the Mount in Lenox; $1,100 for a student-run recording studio at Lenox Memorial Middle and High School; and $500 for a spoken word poetry unit for eighth graders at Richmond Consolidated School.
Health and Human Services: Grants to nonprofits and programs providing social and human services totaled $12,400. Select grants include $6,000 to the Haiti Plunge for students to finish building a four-room school in Haiti; $600 to create a video promoting exercise for students at Lanesborough Elementary School; and $200 for students at Lenox Memorial Middle and High School to package and send food to children in developing nations.
Environment: Grants to environmental organizations and projects totaled $6,300. Select grants include $2,000 to Berkshire Botanical Garden for an agricultural-based youth development program; $2,000 to Mass Audubon for an environmental literacy program for third- through sixth-grade students; and $1,000 for Housatonic Valley Association’s water curriculum for fifth graders at Lanesborough Elementary School.
Nonprofit Capacity Building: In partnership with Harvard Business School, BTCF selected George Mercier of Mount Carmel Care Center in Lenox to attend HBS’s Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management program. Taught by a team of Harvard faculty members who specialize in nonprofit management, the intensive six-day program is for nonprofit CEOs, presidents or executive directors who are responsible for shaping the direction, policies and major programs of their organizations.
Six area funds and anonymous Columbia County donors contributed a total of $70,000 for eight nonprofit organizations to participate in BTCF’s Nonprofit Learning Program, an intensive training course for executives and board leaders to learn best practices in governance, management and fund development. Led by internationally recognized nonprofit management consultant Simone Joyaux, the team-based program is comprehensive in scope with five group training sessions, 12 hours of private consultation and a $2,000 implementation grant. The participating Berkshire County organizations are Child Care of the Berkshires, Community Access to the Arts, Elder Services of Berkshire County and Greenagers.
A full online list of regional grants is available.
–E.E.
