Sunday, June 15, 2025

News and Ideas Worth Sharing

HomeLife In the Berkshires

Life In the Berkshires

THEN & NOW: The Truman Wheeler House (AKA the Great Barrington Historical Society)

With the expensive “help” of a bank mortgage, the Great Barrington Historical Society saved the 1.4-acre property for use as their headquarters and town museum.

BITS & BYTES: Berkshire Pulse at The Foundry; Sabina Sciubba at Race Brook Lodge; ‘Recycled Runway’ at American Mural Project; ‘Sewn, Thrown, & Blown’...

The Berkshire Pulse Young Choreographers Workshop and Initiative were established as a platform for students works that give voice to the issues affecting their generation and address important topics such as anxiety, body image, isolation, and joy.

BITS & BYTES: Community Access to the Arts at Shakespeare & Company; Weekend of music at The Colonial; Anita Kunz at Norman Rockwell Museum;...

Community Access to the Arts presents “Kaleidoscope,” a vibrant performance by artists with disabilities at Shakespeare & Company.

THEN & NOW: A lost glacial erratic boulder in East Lee

The enormous rock was visited by sightseers and picnickers, but over time, its isolated location was forgotten. This columnist and tenacious big-rock hunter Jim Moore of Pittsfield were determined to find it.

BITS & BYTES: Great Barrington Public Theater Berkshire Voices; Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Spring Fest; Guild of Berkshire Artists at The Colonial Theatre; Cantilena Chamber...

On May 6th, there is a reading of ‘The Play Where Nothing Happens’ by Maizy Broderick Scarpa and directed by Leigh Strimbeck.

BITS & BYTES: Count Basie Orchestra at The Colonial Theatre; WAM Theatre at Hot Plate Brewing; ‘Daddy AF’ at MASS MoCA; ‘Water Rites’ at...

The legendary Count Basie Orchestra. under the masterful direction of Scotty Barnhart, continues to set the gold standard in jazz, recently earning their 18th Grammy Award.

BITS & BYTES: Mixed media at Berkshire Art Center; New England Mosaic Society at Becket Arts Center; Group exhibit at Art on Main; MCLA...

This is your chance to experiment freely, break the rules a little, and create art that’s totally, uniquely YOU.

The right plants in the right places: A profile of NatureWorks

"[W]hat I want to tell people is, 'We want our lawns and our home landscaping to be alive. We want ladybugs, we want butterflies. We want earthworms. We want birds. You want to step out of your back door and not worry that you're exposing yourself to carcinogens,'" said NatureWorks owner Rich Lassor.

NATURE’S TURN: Re-awakening awe

Let’s go out to greet the first ephemerals before their brief exuberance concludes as trees leaf out.

Henry Cho at The Colonial; Benny Sharoni Quartet at Old Town Hall; Bidwell House Museum presents Robert J. Allison; Jewish Federation presents novelist Maya...

Whether he’s sharing anecdotes from his Korean-American upbringing in Tennessee or riffing on everyday absurdities, Henry Cho’s comedy is sure to resonate with everyone.

BITS & BYTES: Pilobolus at The Mahaiwe; The Humanist Project at The Foundry; Berkshire Music School presents Matt Cusson; OtherWords poetry reading; Stargazing over Baldwin...

Testing the limits of human physicality to explore the beauty and the power of connected bodies since 1971, Pilobolus has performed on Broadway, at The Oscars, and at the Olympics.

BITS & BYTES: Olga Dunn Dance at Saint James Place; Berkshire Opera Festival spring recital; Women of Spirit in the Berkshires gathering; Francisca Oyogoa...

In its fifth decade, the Olga Dunn Dance Company continues to encourage dance through professional-level training and creation of new works.

BITS & BYTES: Musical Petting Zoo at The Carle; Pittsfield CityJazz Festival; ‘Matilda The Musical JR.’ at The Colonial Theatre; Close Encounters with Music...

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Art presents a Musical Petting Zoo, a traveling exhibit of musical instruments, with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.

THEN & NOW: The Pease/Comstock Mill in Stockbridge

In the late 1700s and well into the 1800s, this area was a busy, industrial location. The steep drop in elevation of Kampoosa Brook provided the power needed for at least five saw, planing, and grist mills.

The People’s Pantry: Fresh food, local support

How The People’s Pantry supports Great Barrington with community-driven food assistance.