Young Writers invited to enter Spencertown Academy’s writing contest
Spencertown, N.Y. — Spencertown Academy Arts Center announces its eighth annual Young Writers’ Contest. Held in conjunction with the Academy’s Festival of Books, the contest is open to students in grades 9 through 12 (including homeschoolers) in Columbia County, NY, and Berkshire County, MA. This also includes high school students residing in these counties during the 22-23 school year who studied online elsewhere. Works will be judged in an anonymous process by published authors and publishing professionals, volunteering their services for this contest. The top three fiction and nonfiction winners will receive cash prizes ($250, $150, and $100 respectively).
The deadline for submissions is Monday, May 1, 2023. Full details, as well as samples of prior winning entries, can be seen at www.spencertownacademy.org.
Prizes will be awarded before the end of the 2023 school year. All winners will be invited to read from their work at the Festival of Books in the autumn.
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Roots Rising adds André and Julia Mark to its Board of Directors
Pittsfield— André Lynch and Julia Marko have been elected to three-year terms on Roots Rising’s Board of Directors.
André Lynch is the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at BART Charter School. He holds a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership, with an emphasis on higher education. In Mr. Lynch’s last post at Wells College, he facilitated a university read of “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria: And Other Conversations About Race”, culminating with a discussion with world renowned author and thought leader, Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum. Mr. Lynch and his wife have organized and led protests in NYC after the murder of George Floyd. Mr. Lynch and his wife have 7 children, but he still finds time for fishing, hunting migratory birds, and planting herbs and vegetables.
Julia Marko has been a volunteer with Roots Rising for several years, working on multiple committees. She is currently the Director of Finance and Operations at BART Charter public School, and prior to that worked in the Business Office of the Pittsfield Public Schools. She is a first generation college student and a lifelong learner. She holds a BA in Cultural Anthropology and Museum Studies from Hampshire College and an MBA from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Ms. Marko has 10+ years experience in K-12 school finance and HR and has also managed an organic blueberry farm, worked on organic farms in Hawaii, and worked in sustainable building and higher education fundraising.
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Apply to the Berkshire Artist Residency program
Stockbridge— Berkshire Art Center is now accepting applications for its 2023 Berkshire Artist Residency program! This is the third year Berkshire-based artists can apply for a summer residency at two local institutions – The Red Lion Inn and Chesterwood. Selected artists will spend three months creating work inspired by the history, landscape, culture, and construction of those institutions.
The Summer 2023 program begins on Memorial Day, May 29, and runs through Labor Day, September 4. Artists selected receive access to the buildings and grounds of their site and support for the development, creation, and exhibition of their work. Each artist will receive an honorarium, the opportunity to give an Artist Talk, invitation to teach a course or workshop through Berkshire Art Center, and invitations to special events held at their site. Additional benefits, such as meal stipends and a studio space, are site specific. Each residency closes with a reception and exhibition of the artist’s work.
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Berkshire Pulse welcomes new members to its Board of Directors
Housatonic— Berkshire Pulse, South County’s dynamic dance and performing arts education center located in the heart of Housatonic, announced Gail Belmuth as their new Board President, alongside new Board member Alex Bloomstein and returning Board member Dr. Jerome F. Errico.
Gail Belmuth has 30 years of experience in communications and marketing for a wide range of corporate, political, and nonprofit clients. Currently, she runs a communications consultancy, with a focus on helping organizations through major transformations, including mergers and acquisitions, automation and digitization, and other drivers of rapid expansion.
Alex Bloomstein, current ballet faculty at Berkshire Pulse, joins the Board of Directors. Bloomstein was a full scholarship and fellowship student at The School at Jacob’s Pillow. Bloomstein was the artistic director of Ballet Arts Studio in Beacon, New York, from 2006 through 2020. At Ballet Arts, Alex taught ballet technique, pointe, variations, repertory, and modern dance.
Dr. Jerome F Errico is a founding Board of Directors member, participating from 2005 until 2010 when he stepped into an advisory role. He is returning to the Board of Directors this year.
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Simon’s Rock announces B.A. degree for LGBTQIA+ leadership
Great Barrington— Bard College at Simon’s Rock announces the Bard Queer Leadership Project (BQLP), a B.A. degree program designed for and by LGBTQIA+ college students, aiming to elevate LGBTQIA+ college graduates into leadership roles in fields across the workforce. The BQLP is envisioned to expand to a complete college serving traditional age and transfer students over the next few years and would be the first intentionally queer-serving college in the world.
The BQLP aims to increase the presence of LGBTQIA+ individuals leading at higher levels within organizations, while serving as a space for envisioning and actualizing educational practices designed for LGBTQIA+ students to thrive.
The Bard College at Simon’s Rock campus was rated 4.5 out of 5 stars as of December 2022 on Campus Pride Index, the national listing of LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges & Universities. In addition, the school is honored to be part of the Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals.
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Michelle R. Sisk joins CHP Berkshires
Great Barrington— CHP Berkshires welcomes to its nutrition team Michelle R. Sisk, RDN, LDN, CDN.
In her new role, Sisk will work primarily as a culinary nutritionist with the CHP Nutrition Club, which provides nutrition services to patients of Berkshire Fallon Health Collaborative (MassHealth). She will counsel patients mainly through telehealth, and will also lead culinary nutrition and education programs.
In addition to her work at CHP, Sisk is a nutritional counselor at Millbrook School in Millbrook, N.Y. and Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Conn. She also designed and taught an elementary school nutrition curriculum at Salisbury Central School in Lakeville, and she has also provided private in-home nutritional counseling to patients. She also worked as an outpatient dietitian affiliated with Manchester Memorial Hospital in Connecticut and has worked as a yoga instructor, cross-country coach, and English teacher.
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New gastroenterologist joins Berkshire Health Systems
Pittsfield— Berkshire Health Systems announces the appointment of Ira J. Schmelkin, MD, a board-certified and fellowship-trained Gastroenterologist to the medical staff of Berkshire Medical Center and the provider staff of Gastroenterology Professional Services of BMC. Dr. Schmelkin had previously served at Berkshire Medical Center as chief of the division of gastroenterology from 2004 to 2011. He is accepting new patients in need of Gastroenterology care and is partnered with Drs. Jason Bratcher, Jeffrey St. John, Ketisha De Roche and Mark Sterling, and Brittney Alexander, FNP, Shawn Bunnell, NP, Heather Fusick, NP, Cyndi Goodrich, PA-C, Christina Lima, NP-C, and Crystal Shaw, NP at Gastroenterology Professional Services of BMC.
His area of expertise is capsule endoscopy (camera pills), and clinical interests include small bowel disease, inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer screening, clinical research and general gastroenterology.
Dr. Schmelkin returns to the Berkshires after a ten-year tenure at Baystate Medical Center and Baystate Noble Hospital and served as the chief of gastroenterology at Baystate Health. He previously worked at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn, NY, and North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System, where he was in private practice.
For an appointment with Dr. Schmelkin, ask your primary care provider for a referral, or more information, call Gastroenterology Professional Services of BMC at 413-499-8590.
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Learn about how to work with high school interns
Stockbridge— The MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board will lead sessions for employers/organizations interested in working with high school interns on the following dates from 9-10:30AM:
- Wednesday March 15, 2023 at the Red Lion Inn, Main St. Stockbridge, MA
- Wednesday April 26, 2023 at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA), North Adams, MA
- Friday May 12, 2023 at Berkshire Health Systems Hillcrest Campus, 165 Tor Ct. Pittsfield, MA
These identical workshops will provide tips, guidance, and strategies for providing internships to high school students. They are open to professionals interested in starting an internship at their company or looking to enhance their current internship program.
To register, email Kat@masshireberkshire.com or call 413-442-7177 x 120.
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Berkshire Bach Society receives grant from Massachusetts Cultural Council
Great Barrington—The Berkshire Bach Society is pleased to announce that it has received a grant of $16,140 from the Massachusetts Cultural Council as part of $31M in Cultural Sector Recovery Grants that the state awarded to 1,218 cultural organizations. “We are delighted and grateful that we have received this award,” said Terrill McDade, Interim Executive Director of the Berkshire Bach Society. “It helps us get back on our feet after a few very difficult years and makes it possible for us to continue doing what we love: presenting Baroque music performed by world-class musicians to audiences in our region.” Berkshire Bach plans to use the funds to support programming going forward.
