3rd.Thursdays returns May 21st to Downtown Pittsfield!

On Thursday, May 21, the streets and sidewalks of downtown Pittsfield will fill with live music, street performers, food and craft vendors and thousands of people as 3rd.Thursdays returns for its third year. The free monthly downtown afterhours event, whose lead sponsors are the City of Pittsfield and Berkshire Living magazine, attracts as many as 10,000 people each month to downtown Pittsfield on the third Thursdays between May and October, from 5pm to 8pm and well beyond.

Greylock Federal Credit Union is the lead sponsor of May’s 3rd.Thursdays, whose theme is Celebrating Youth, and there will be youth performances, art exhibits and events galore. 3rd.Thursday’s 3rd birthday will be celebrated with a gigantic birthday cake custom made by Mary McGinnis of Mary’s Carrot Cake Café and served to one and all on Union Street beginning at 5:30pm. (Union Street will be closed to traffic for one-half block from North Street to Northrup Alley from 1pm to 9pm.) Union Street is also home to the brand new art.on.no Gallery, which will be celebrating its grand opening on 3rd.Thursdays with new art, refreshments, and live music by Vicki True beginning at 8pm.

MUSIC AND DANCE EVERYWHERE

The Artabout Stage will also be on Union Street and will feature a bevy of youth performers, including Irish Idol Liam Geddes, who will be performing Saturday night at Barrington Stage, Youth Alive Step Dance & Drum Line, Terpsichore Dance School students, a youth drum circle, the Conte Community School chorus, and more. 3rd.Thursday’s unofficial house band, the Berkshire Bateria, bring their zesty Brazilian rhythms back to North Street on the St. Joseph Church lawn, along with routines by the Catholic Youth Center cheerleaders and Rhythms’ B-Boys dancers.

There will be magic and cabaret at Sottile Park, featuring Johnny Mystic and the Berkshire Music School's Cabaret-to-Go troupe. Dottie’s Coffee Lounge features music savant Evan Randall along with a chocolate fountain of youth by Pooja’s Petals. Rebel Sounds Records back room hosts an all ages alt music concert featuring the return of Berkshire-Brooklynites Ten Minute Turns, Art Decade, and other bands, beginning at 7pm. The sophisticated sounds of Lurid Details, a new Latin jazz band featuring some of the Berkshires’ best jazz musicians, including Jeff Link, Charlie Tokarz, and Fran Curley, can be heard on North Street in front of Hot Harry’s, and the mysterious Berkshire Morris Men will show up in the most surprising places to welcome spring and summer to the Berkshires with their distinctive British folk dance.

NEW ART ON VIEW
The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts is hosting the opening reception for the annual Art in Our Schools exhibit, featuring creative work by middle and high school students from Pittsfield’s public schools. In addition, the winners of the Pittsfield CityJazz Festival’s poster contest for high school students will be announced and a selection of the entries will be on display. A block away the beautiful new Berkshire Community College Art Gallery in the Intermodal Center hosts an opening for a show of work by BCC art students, as well as featuring culinary delights by BCC cooking students.

And get a sneak preview of Ferrin Gallery’s latest show: FRESH, a group exhibition of works in all media, including artists new to the gallery and new works by current gallery artists. The show features an installation called re.sound: a collaborative, experimental, site-specific work of sound-based, borderline performance, installation art by Michael Boroniec and Brian Sweener. Both Pittsfield natives and current residents, they are some of the growing number of artists who have chosen to set up a studio in Pittsfield during the past two years, and are fueling the energetic scene among the creative talent involved in the region's theater, music and art community emerging in Pittsfield, the "Brooklyn" of the Berkshires.

ESPECIALLY FOR YOUTH

Berkshire County arts organizations will be featured at an outdoor Summer Arts Fair at Palace Park (in front of the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts) showcasing their many offerings for youth and families during the summer months, including classes, workshops, and camps. Participating organizations include Berkshire Museum, Barrington Stage Company, Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Berkshire Music School, Rock On Band Camp, Norman Rockwell Museum, Bisque, Beads, and Beyond, Clothespin Puppets, Nutshell Playhouse, Storefront Artist Project and more.

The City’s Community Development and Police Departments are sponsoring a bike rodeo to be held on Melville Street near North Street (Melville Street will be partially closed from North Street to North Pearl Street.) Bring your bike for a free tuneup and safety check! The YMCA will hold an open house featuring open swim, gym games and our new Sports Wall. The Piston Poppers will be out in force showcasing their vintage cars on North Street for your enjoyment, and down the street at the Common you’ll find the annual Memorial Day Weekend Carnival.

DOWNTOWN SHOPPING & DINING

The May 3rd.Thursdays will debut the Berkshire Made Artisan Market, featuring the best Berkshire craft artists around selling locally made jewelry, pottery, handbags and more in front of the YMCA on North Street. Browse the best of local artisans right on North Street.North Street’s unique locally-owned businesses will be open late for your browsing pleasure, including Museum Facsimiles, featuring hand letter-pressed cards, frames and unique gifts; Studio Addict, featuring exquisite clothing and a Pilates studio; Berkshire Masquerade with all your costuming needs and a terrific party room; Aerus-Electrolux’s vacuum cleaners and one-of-a-kind gifts at RGile Engravers.

Further down North Street you’ll find Ordinary Cycles with all your bicycling needs; Pasko Gift and Frame; Paul Rich & Sons Fine Home Furnishings; the Ancient Languages collection of locally designed and created yoga wear; Rebel Sound Records, featuring alternative music on CD and vinyl; RJ Stohr’s Diamonds and Fine Jewelry, which will be offering 50% off almost everything in the store for one day only; and Chapters Bookstore, featuring a live DJ, free face painting, 20% off all audiobooks, and magazines for every taste.

Participating downtown restaurants that will be open late for your dining pleasure include Brix Wine Bar & Bistro; Hot Harry’s, the Highland Restaurant, Pittsfield Brew Works; Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant, Bagels Too, Jae’s Spice, the Press Box, Mary’s Carrot Cake Café; Mission Bar & Tapas, Dottie’s Coffee Lounge and the Lantern Bar & Grill. In addition, street vendors will be selling a wide variety of food to enjoy as you walk around the streets and enjoy all that 3rd.Thursdays has to offer.

The next 3rd.Thursdays will be held June 18, in concert with the City of Pittsfield’s first Green Expo, with the theme, “It’s Easy Being Green.” The Electric Junkyard Gamelan, a world music group that plays instruments made out of recycled objects, will perform on the main stage. July 16th’s 3rd.Thursdays will once again feature the very popular North Street Beach at Palace Park, and the Motown sounds of Solid Smoke, among other performers. August 20th’s 3rd.Thursdays celebrates the 40th anniversary of Woodstock and the era of peace and lovebeads, and is sponsored by Berkshire Bank. The September 17th 3rd.Thursdays’ has an all things aquatic theme, sponsored by the Housatonic River Museum, and brings back 3rd.Thursdays favorites Hector on Stilts, all the way from New York City. And Quality Printing Company sponsors the final 3 rd.Thursdays of the year on October 15, celebrating the 5th anniversary of the Pittsfield CityJazz Festival with a free performance by the Industrial Jazz Group, all the way from the West Coast.

3rd.Thursdays are a free downtown festival held on the third Thursday of every month from May through October in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. 3rd.Thursdays is made possible by the support of downtown Pittsfield’s business and arts organization partners, and the following generous sponsors: Berkshire Living Magazine, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Berkshire Bank, Quality Printing Company, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Pittsfield Tourism Commission, and Downtown Inc.

For more information on participating in 3rd.Thursdays as a volunteer, sponsor, performer or vendor, please contact the City of Pittsfield’s Office of Cultural Development at 413.499.9348 or http://mail.pittsfieldch.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.mainstreetmail.com/clickthru.php?story=23898%26subID=270213. Full event schedules and maps for each 3rd.Thursdays will be distributed at 3rd.Thursdays, and are also posted online at http://mail.pittsfieldch.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.mainstreetmail.com/clickthru.php?story=23899%26subID=270213 and sent to subscribers to the Cultural Pittsfield This Week email list. The email newsletter is free and can be subscribed to by visiting culturalpittsfield.com.

John Stritch Poster Sale

The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts is home to many artists in Pittsfield. Few people may actually know this, but above and below the gallery located on the main floor there are many art studios housing the work of painters, photographers, and mixed media artists. Stationed in the basement of the gallery, John Stritch keeps an archive of all of his posters and artistic pieces. With over 50 years of art under his belt, Stritch has a lot to offer. On Saturday, June 6th from 1pm to 4pm, the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts will host a John Stritch Poster Sale showing all of Pittsfield what Stritch has developed over the years.

John Stritch uses a specific art style to produce his poster called silk screening. Similar to stenciling, silk screening uses a fine mesh that outlines the printable area. Stritch has produced posters for Tanglewood, the Josh Billings Run Around, Jacob’s Pillow and other Berkshire institutions. Most recently, his work has been featured in The Press Box as well as Pittsfield Brew Works. Back in March 2007, the Lichtenstein celebrated 50 years of his art by showcasing him in a solo show featuring his work throughout the years.

Even at 84 years of age, John Stritch still has much to show. With tons of work to sale and a personality that no one can help but love, this poster sale is sure to be a good one.

Event
Saturday, June 6 @ 1pm-4pm

Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue

DreamArt Classes

Dreams can sometimes be hard to grasp. Occurring in the subconscious, most images that appear in a dream require much thought and interpretation before they can even be fully understood. Some dreams are beautiful and presents the dreamer with images that they could possibly never imagine during a conscious state. Other dreams maybe frightening but may help to create a much-needed awareness. With so much happening during someone’s slumber, it could be extremely difficult to articulate any of the thoughts, emotions, or images that were perceived.

Kellie Meisl is a dream specialist. In fact, she offers classes that assist people in articulating their dreams through what she likes to call, “DreamArt.” Meisl is an artist and a teacher who uses shamanic practices to understand dreams more clearly. By creating art derived from dreams, a further understanding can be made.

Kellie Meisl takes control of the subconscious and provides instruction for bringing artistic dreams to life. By instructing people in her methods of identifying and dissecting dreams, beautiful art can be made. Her uses of Dream Theme and Dream Reflection helps to allow people to not only comprehend their dreams but also to articulate it to others.

Sessions are as follows:

Session 1~ Working With Our Dreams: Guidelines & Dream Reflections, Dream Journaling, Identifying Our Dream Themes & Mapping Our Dreams

Session 2~ Honoring Our Dreams: Dream Reflections, Learning to Revisit our Dreams, Learning to Place Dream Intentions

Session 3~ Creating Our Dreams: Dream Scribble Exercise, Dream Art Project

Session 4~ Acting Our Dreams: Dream Sculpting, Understanding Our Dream Metaphors

Session 5~ Sharing Our Dreams: Paired Intuitive Sharing, Working With Our Dream Guides

Session 6~ Our Personal Dream Journey: Creating a Personal Dream Spiral Line, Holding a Dream Ritual

Session 7~ Growing Our Dreams: Planting a Dream Seed, Growing a Community Dream

Session 8~ Manifesting Our Dreams: Making a Plan for our Dreams to Take Flight, Healing With Spiritual Light, Wrapping Each Other In a Dream

Class
May 6 – June 24
Wednesdays @ 6pm

Prices
$15 per class
$100 for all 8 weeks

Classes are held at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue

Contact Kellie at 413-329-4021 or, kellie.meisl@gmail.com with any questions you have or if you are interested in taking a class.

For more information about Kellie Meisl and her methods, click here.

Call to Artists! Public Art Exhibition in Downtown Pittsfield

Submissions are being accepted for the 2009-2010 Artscape Exhibition in downtown Pittsfield! Pittsfield is the largest city in culturally rich Berkshire County in western Massachusetts, attracting several million visitors and second home owners each year.Artscape is an annual outdoor exhibition of public art. Each piece selected will be displayed in downtown Pittsfield for one year and will receive a $1,000 honorarium. Artscape is open to all artists, nationally and internationally. We look forward to receiving YOUR submission!

The deadline to enter a submission is June 30, 2009.

For more information visit:
http://www.pittsfield.com/subpage.asp?ID=412

Youth Alive on to Perform on BET

Strength. Power. Precision. Speed. Style. These are the words that come to mind when someone hears the name “Youth Alive.” It’s almost hard to believe that such a recognizable and successful team is composed of such a young cast. Since 1996, The Youth Alive Step Team has been family to many teenagers and younger children of the Pittsfield community. Founded by Akilah Edgerton and directed by her mother, Shirley Edgerton, this step team has helped further develop Pittsfield as a community. Currently in its 13th year of operations, Youth Alive has made a name for itself by performing at venues such as Jacob’s Pillow, Williams College, MCLA, the State House in Boston, and at Coney Island in New York City. As the team continues to impress at each performance, opportunity presents itself once more.

Spreading their energy and good spirits, Youth Alive will soon be taking another trip to New York City to perform at BET’s 106 & Park. They are scheduled to perform on June 24th at the Wild Out Wednesdays competition where two teams from across the U.S. battle it out for recognition. However, that’s not the only thing that Youth Alive is looking to accomplish by heading into to this televised encounter. In fact, this city’s very own step team has dreams of representing Pittsfield on a grand scale in order to broadcast to all of America what Pittsfield has to offer.

Youth Alive is requesting that everyone be a part of this breakthrough event and tune into BET on Wednesday, June 24th from 6pm to 8pm. Support those who represent us and vote!

Follow the links below to view some of Youth Alive's performances.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW-HeGy0hSE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc1IPVYxckk

BAA Fellowship Show 2009

Every month, the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts presents a new show to the Pittsfield community that everyone could enjoy. This month is no different— The Berkshire Art Association Fellowship Show is an annual exhibit that recognizes college-level achievement in art. This show gives students the chance to showcase their talents and earn cash awards. This year, the BAA awarded eleven students with the opportunity to put their work on display here at the Lichtenstein.

The BAA Fellowship Show could best be described as vivid in color, bright, and imaginative. Each of the eleven students brings something completely different to the gallery. Along the beautiful white walls of the Lichtenstein, each painting, photo, textile, and sculpture pops right off of the wall forcing viewers to take notice without being so visually overpowering. Indeed, the exhibit is aesthetically pleasing and stimulates the eye quite possibly more than any other exhibit has within the past four months.

The art throughout the show varies on so many different levels. With eleven participating artists come eleven different art styles. Pieces vary in shape, size, color, and overall appearance. Quickly glancing at the wall, there are deep and vivid hues of red, blues, and greens. To mention only one piece would not do the exhibit as a whole justice because each painting, photo, textile, and sculpture work as a whole to create an overall feel of aesthetic pleasure. This show is definitely something that every art enthusiast should personally experience.


This year’s featured artists are listed below:

Beverly Acha, Williams College
Medium: encaustic and monoprints

Claire Briguglio, Macalester College
Medium: silkscreen

Nicole Campanale, Tyler School of Art
Medium: textiles

Merritt Fletcher, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
Medium: painting

Elena Gil-Chang, Williams College
Medium: prints and painting

Maya Lama, Williams College
Medium: painting

Beth Links, Williams College
Medium: textile sculpture

Silvia Juliana Mantilla Ortiz, Williams College
Medium: digital and mixed media

Omar Mendez, Williams College
Medium: painting

Kristen Parker, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
Medium: photography

Sofia Torres, Williams College
Medium: digital photography


April 18 - May 16 | 12noon-5pm | Wednesdays - Saturdays | Lichtenstein Center for the Arts | 28 Renne Avenue | 499-9348

Cultural Pittsfield Television!

Written by MCLA student B-HIP intern, Jamal Ahamad

The City of Pittsfield is the central hub of culture for the Berkshire County. With a plethora of galleries, restaurants, and other venues in its downtown area, this city really does deserve massive recognition. With the establishment of the Office of Cultural Development, the City of Pittsfield has seen nothing but bustling activity and continues to do so under the benevolent diligence of its director, Megan Whilden. Her innovativeness has brought upon such great new features to Pittsfield including The Cultural Pittsfield Newsletter, the Jazz Festival, and Third Thursdays. Now, to add on to those elements of success, Whilden and her staff of dedicated Pittsfield residents have started their very own television show. With the assistances of Pittsfield Community Television (PCTV), the Office of Cultural Development releases Cultural Pittsfield Television (CPTV).

“CPTV on PCTV,” as it is referred to amongst the staff of the Cultural Development team, is the manifestation of the almost overwhelming Pittsfield occurrences. This new television show is designed to inform members of the Pittsfield community and Berkshire County of the vast amount of events and happenings throughout Pittsfield. As a result, CPTV acts as a correspondent to the Cultural Pittsfield This Week. Both are designed to inform, however the major difference here and beneficial aspect of each is the ability to attract and reach different audiences while having the ability to cover different yet related material.

The staff of the Office of Cultural Development along with committed volunteers from the Pittsfield community comes together to form the operating staff of CPTV. Each member fulfills an important role and plays a crucial part in producing the show. The show is made up of Producer, Megan Whilden; Director, Ryan Weightman; Co-hosts, Mary Domenichelli and Javier Dominguez; and current cameraman, Jamal Ahamad. Each show follows a basic structure in which there is welcoming commentary from the Co-hosts followed by a prerecorded video segment complete with voiceovers, afterwards the Co-hosts will make a brief commentary and then interview a featured guests, subsequent to that interview, another video segment will play followed by updates and closing commentary.

CPTV is scheduled to premiere on Friday, April 17 at 3pm. Following the premier, the show will air Friday nights at 6pm, Saturday nights at 7pm, and Sundays at both noon and 7pm. For more information, visit www.pittsfieldtv.org and click on CityLink Show Search at the bottom of the page and look for Cultural Pittsfield TV.

Stay up to date with Pittsfield by tuning into CPTV on PCTV!

Berkshire Fools Festival 2009

The Berkshire Fool's Festival marked the 33^rd anniversary of the Greasepaint Treaty of 1976, signed in Pittsfield, which marked the end of the Clown Wars, the catastrophic conflict between clowns and mimes that began in the 1960s.

The Fools Festival brought together artists, organizations and businesses in a multi-media, multi-venue, always surprising celebration with more than a dozen exciting events that took place from April 1-5. The festival included theatre, music, art exhibitions and activities that were engaging for all ages.

To start off the festival, the Office of Cultural Development pulled a city-wide prank on the citizens of Pittsfield by releasing a Cultural Pittsfield This Week newsletter that was presented as the very last. The newsletter stated:

"Pittsfield's Office of Cultural Development has been diligent in informing citizens about the many fun Pittsfield events that occur every day via Cultural Pittsfield This Week. Unfortunately, the ever-increasing number of cultural activities has led to the newsletter's downfall. City Hall's IT department has informed us that we have overwhelmed available memory space on the shared server. There is no longer room to store the dozens of new events and activities happening each week in Pittsfield. Therefore Cultural Pittsfield This Week will no longer be published until further notice. "

Surprisingly, no one noticed the little note at the bottom of the newsletter informing readers that all of this was a joke and performed in the good spirit of April Fools. The city went into a frenzy. The Office of Cultural Development received both very concerned and angry phone calls, e-mails, and in one case, a disgruntle letter to the Mayor! Even the IT Department down at City Hall took this joke to heart. Indeed, the staff of the Office of Cultural Development has something to be proud of; a successful city-wide prank is definitely something that is hard to accomplish.

As for the actual festival, many members of the Pittsfield community enjoyed themselves despite the rain by attending various events. Throughout the five day event, there were special gallery exhibits, lectures, plays, and parties. With events like these, every day in Pittsfield must be a good day!

Inspiriation Italy Exhibit

Art Show Evokes the Colors and Textures of Italy at the Lichtenstein

A trio of women artists journeyed together in 2007 to the sunbathed town of Cortona in the heart of Tuscany and captured the beauty of the region on paper and canvas. Now on display at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts through April 11, the show Inspiration Italy: 3 Women Paint the Heart of Tuscany features plein air paintings in watercolors and oils that enliven the spirit with the colors and light of Tuscany.

The exhibit features work by artists Karen Arp-Sandel, Carol Acquilano and Leigh Ann Smith, who share their love of Cortona, Italy through a rich array of paintings, offbeat mixed media and shrines, sketchbooks and text. Cortona is perhaps most widely known as the setting of the bestselling book, Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes. The exhibit captures the exuberance of their encounter with the art, history and spirituality of this remarkable Tuscan town, perched atop Mount Sant’Egidio. Inspiration Italy is part of the first annual Berkshire Festival of Women in the Arts.

An opening reception will be held on Saturday, March 21, from 4pm-6pm, and will be catered by Chef Christine Buchholz, owner of Viva Fresh Pasta in Northampton, Massachusetts. Christine will entice the viewers with the smells and tastes of Italy. She visited the artists during their artist retreat in Cortona, bringing her passion for Italian cuisine to the experience. The reception is free and open to the public.

In addition, on Saturday April 11, at 11am, the artists will present an artist talk on plein air (or outdoor) painting along with a gallery tour of the exhibition. This final presentation of the exhibit will also be free and open to the public.

Celebrating Community Exhibit

The City of Pittsfield Office of Cultural Development, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) African American Biography Project, the Samuel Harrison Society, and the Upper Housatonic Valley African-American Heritage Trail are joining forces to present an exhibition celebrating Pittsfield’s African-American culture and heritage. “Celebrating Community: Pittsfield’s African-American Heritage” will be on display at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts in downtown Pittsfield from Wednesday, Feb. 11, through Sunday, March 8.

An opening reception will be held Saturday, Feb. 14, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and is free and open to the public. The opening reception will have a special focus on collecting images and stories of love, family and relationship within the Berkshires’ African-American community in honor of Valentine’s Day.

The “Celebrating Community” exhibition is in two parts. First, is an installation designed by MCLA Graphic Designer Leon Peters that serves as a guide to African-American history and sites in downtown Pittsfield. This installation coincides with the release of a new brochure that features African-American heritage sites in Pittsfield. The second half is a collection of photographic portraits of contemporary members of Pittsfield’s African-American community by Pittsfield photographer Ernie Kirk.

“Celebrating Community” also includes the opportunity to collect memories, images, and oral histories from the Pittsfield community by videographer Mati Kin in order to continue and expand the story of Pittsfield African-American community, which has had a history and presence here since the Revolutionary War.

Pittsfield has been home to a number of prominent African-Americans. The city was the birthplace of Ulysses “Frank” Grant, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame who is widely considered the best African-American baseball player of the 19th century. Pittsfield also was home to the renowned clergyman and civil rights advocate and author, the Reverend Samuel Harrison, who successfully fought for equal pay for African-American Union soldiers during the Civil War. The city also is the childhood home of astronaut Stephanie Wilson, the second African-American woman in space.

Community, church and school groups who wish to schedule a day to visit the exhibit and/or contribute oral histories are encouraged to send an e-mail to culturalpittsfield@gmail.com. Please include the group or organization name, preferred day and time, as well as a contact name and phone number. There will also be an opportunity to scan family photographs and share family recipes and stories.

Artscape Spotlight this Week: "A Story of Solitude"

Artscape is a public outdoor art exhibition that spans the entire downtown Pittsfield area. The exhibition has been ongoing for a number of years, with exciting new additions in each new year. Artscape includes sculptures, banners, and street signs that energize and add whimsy and beauty to our city.

Notable this week: "A Story of Solitude" by Lydia Musco

Standing on North Street between the St. Joseph's Church and the Greystone building is a tall lonesome structure. At seven foot three, such an object would be hard to miss, but it is odd knowing that so many people walk right by it without giving it much thought. Rightly named "A Story of Solitude," artist Lydia Musco put together a sculpture that places emphasis on structure, foundation, weight, time, and existence. The Artscapes around Pittsfield are quite impressive; to stand the test of time and weather is more than noteworthy considering that every artist who participated had to take such factors into account during the construction of each of their pieces. The work that Lydia Musco put together is no exception. At a glance, the sculpture looks to be nothing more than a column of reds, browns, and some greens. On the contrary, it is much more than that. The structure is composed of a stack of irregular slabs of concrete that display an imperceptible yet invoking presence. When studied up close, there are visual cracks and breaks in the structure possibly from weathering, but it still stands tall and independently regardless of which. It seems to exist by its own will despite its appointed state of solitude. Such a figure is epic.

Below is Musco's statement:

"Although this work is influenced by urban environments, it is equally fed by a connection to the rural, wooded landscapes I explored while growing up. My process is informed by methods associated with pouring building foundations, ancient Greek construction of columns, the formation of sedimentary layers, and the work of gravity. I'm thinking about the forms inherent in the accumulation and passage of time, specifically focusing on layers and the building up of a larger form with the stacking of multiple elements."

You can read more about Musco here: www.lydiamusco.com

Artscape Spotlight this Week: "Macresco"

Artscape is a public outdoor art exhibition that spans the entire downtown Pittsfield area. The exhibition has been ongoing for a number of years, with exciting new additions in each new year. Artscape includes sculptures, banners, and street signs that energize and add whimsy and beauty to our city.

Notable this week: "Macresco" by Drew Goerlitz

Right outside of the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority, there is an unexpected work of art. Composed out of an unlikely duo of materials, paper and steel, this sculpture demonstrates an amazing display of strength and balance. Artist, Drew Goerlitz, built this piece from the ground up and entitled it, "Macresco." It's name is just as powerful and appealing as the actual sculpture. Through sunshine, rain, sleet, and snow it stands tall and unmovable.

Below is Goerlitz's statement:

Through my sculpture I explore the synthesis of line, negative shape, mass, and stability. My sculpture remains simplistic, although there is a complexity, not in its appearance but contained within the struggle of weight and balance. This combination evokes a feeling of tension and suggests utility. The function of these sculptures is social, political, and most of all personal. It can be one or all of these things. Its elements, paper and steel, force upon us the idea of our society and the roles that industry and communication take in our lives.

You can read more about Gorelitz here: www.drewgoerlitz.com

Conneticut's Avery Ensemble Performs Ancient and Modern Music Celebrating and Making Light of Love

Saturday, February 21 at 7:30 pm Avery Ensemble will appear in the second concert of their series entitled All’s Fair in Love and War?! at the Lichtenstein Arts Center, 28 Renne Ave., in downtown Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Individual tickets are $20 (student and children’s tickets are half-price). The ensemble’s regular personnel, Adriana Jarvis—harpsichord, Annie Trépanier—violin, Steve Larson—viola, and Hans Twitchell—cello & bass viol, will be joined by special guests mezzo-soprano Hai-Ting Chinn and violinist Victoria Ferris.

Featuring music for harpsichord, baroque violin, bass viol, mezzo-soprano, strings and electronics by Rameau, Monteverdi, Caccini, Carlo Farina, Mahler and John Adams, this February concert, Fools Rush In, considers the risks of impulsive commitments to love or aggression in a light, fast-paced and humorous program.

The first half features the ensemble in its guise as an early music consort beginning with Rameau’s Quatrieme Concert—a dazzling virtuoso showpiece for Ms. Jarvis at the harpsichord with baroque violin and bass viol accompaniment. The early baroque set of love songs, as well as Mahler’s Rheinlegendchen, later in the program, will feature glamorous guest mezzo-soprano Hai-Ting Chinn.

Carlo Farina’s hilarious and wonderful 1627 Capriccio Stravagante will introduce the fiery guest violinist Victoria Ferris in a work that mocks extravagant caprices of amorous or military nature with onomatopoetic invocations of everything from Il Pifferino della Soldatesca e il tamburo to the peculiar sound made by cats during a certain phase of their hormonal cycle.

John’s Book of Alleged Dances (1994) by America’s most popular living composer of art music, John Adams, is an electronically enhanced romp with which the ensemble celebrates dance’s role in courtship. It is a Saturnalia of syncopation unsurpassed by the best of America’s funk and soul music tradition. The string quartet is accompanied by prerecorded rhythm loops.

The Strad praised the “eloquence of [Avery Ensemble’s] tone and phrasing. . . in every bar.” They have been hailed as "an utter delight" by the Hartford Advocate and as "simply outstanding" by Classical Voice of New England. Classical.net calls their playing “gorgeous… almost mad with excitement” with “a wonderful feeling of collaboration…even as their hearts are aflame.”

Tickets will be available at the door. To order advanced subscriptions or tickets, call 860-523-8931, email [ mailto:info@averyensemble.org ]info@averyensemble.org, or send a check to Avery Concerts, 143 Maplewood Ave., West Hartford, CT 06119. Checks should be made payable to Avery Concerts. Please include a phone number and/or an email address to receive a confirmation. Tickets will be held at the indoor unless otherwise requested. For more information about the Avery Ensemble, please visit www.averyensemble.org.

Pittsfield Goes to the Inauguration!

A chartered bus took Pittsfield and Berkshire celebrants all the way to DC Tuesday to attend the inauguration of President Obama. Pictured are Youth Alive Director Shirley Edgerton and three Youth Alivers. Also attending the inauguration in DC were Pittsfield VISTA volunteers Marla Robertson and Cassandra Ynocencio and Pittsfield Cultural Development Director Megan Whilden.

Artscape Spotlight this Week: "Standing Ovation"

Artscape is a public outdoor art exhibition that spans the entire downtown Pittsfield area. The exhibition has been ongoing for a number of years, with exciting new additions in each new year. Artscape includes sculptures, banners, and street signs that energize and add whimsy and beauty to our city.

Notable this week: "Standing Ovation" by June Bisantz

Right across the street from the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, there isn't much to take notice of other than a private parking lot and a light post. At a glance, no one would really think anything of the two... after all, they're just part of the urban landscape, right? Wrong. The light post is actually a low-key piece of art on display that blends in perfectly with the urban streets of Pittsfield. Attached to the light post there is a box that reads, "PUSH BUTTON FOR APPLAUSE" along with a yellow and black graphic of clapping hands. If a member of the community chooses to correspond to this command, they will be welcomed with an overwhelming round of applause!

The City of Pittsfield has artist, June Bisantz, to thank for such a wonderful piece of art.

Below is Bisantz's artist statement:

Standing Ovation is a customized pedestrian traffic button that generates a thunderous round of applause when pushed. At first glance, the Standing Ovation applause button appears to be “normal” feature of the urban landscape, but it actually offers an interactive experience quite outside the norm. Inspired by my love of New England’s post-industrial towns with their splendid architecture and rich histories, Standing Ovation is designed to give Pittsfield a well-deserved round of applause for having the vision and foresight to welcome art to its streets, allowing creativity to play a central role in revitalizing its downtown. The Standing Ovation applause button seeks to stimulate awareness and laughter, while delivering a serious message about the power of creative action to boost morale, inspire curiosity and connect people to their environment and one another.

You can read more about June Bisantz at her blog: http://www.junebisantz.com/

While art enthusiasts and members of the Pittsfield community are out experiencing this wonderful instrument of positive feedback, they should also stop by the the Lichtenstein to view the new show, "CATA Art on Tour." Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 12 noon to 5pm.

Commonwealth Awards Ceremony

The Commonwealth Awards is a ceremony that is designed to display appreciation for those devoted to the arts and culture within the state of Massachusetts. The award ceremony was quite memorable; with what seemed to be hundreds of people and an appearance by Pittsfield native, Elizabeth Banks, the Massachusetts' State House almost felt overwhelming. There was music, dancing, and delicious bite-size cannolis! However, despite the impressive performances of both the O'Shea-Chaplin Academy of Irish Dance and the Longwood Symphony Orchestra, the real highlight for members of the Pittsfield community was when Mayor James Ruberto received the Creative Community Award on behalf of the City of Pittsfield. It was a proud moment indeed for both Mayor Ruberto and the Director of Cultural Development, Megan Whilden.

Mayor Ruberto's speech personified the promise and determination of the City of Pittsfield that has been present these past few years.

View the opening and closing of Mayor Ruberto's acceptance speech below:

OPENING



CLOSING

IS183 classes in Pittsfield

The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts in downtown Pittsfield is VERY happy to collaborate with IS183 Art School to bring more visual art classes to Pittsfield this winter.

Coming up we have:

WATER SOLUBLE OILS, Monday mornings starting January 26, 9:30am-12:30pm


WATERCOLOR, Thursday mornings beginning February 5, 9:30am-12:30pm


FREE ARTMAKING TOGETHER FOR KIDS, Saturday, February 7, 10am-12 noon


FEBRUARY WINTER FILM CAMP for grades 5-9pm, February 16-20, mornings


For even MORE info, click here:http://www.is183.org/calendar.phpcategory=event&record=85

Barrington Stage Company makes The List!

Congratulations to Barrington Stage Company for standing out in the Northeast theatre scene!

The Boston Globe wrote an end of the year piece on on the top theatre companies. Here is the article:

Small companies with big ambitions

By Louise Kennedy
Globe Staff / December 28, 2008

Maybe it's the economy, maybe it's the weather, or maybe it's just me, but as I look back at the year in theater, it's hard to find a lot of truly bright spots. Yes, there was some very good work on local stages, and there were some promising new arrivals on the scene - Peter DuBois at the Huntington Theatre Company, Diane Paulus in the wings at the American Repertory Theatre, a new home for the Nora Theatre Company and Underground Railway Theater in Central Square - but moments of theatrical transcendence seemed few and far between. At best, solid admiration, not transporting thrill, is the prevailing mood.

What's striking is that a lot of the year's best work was done by smaller companies. Perhaps because they're driven more by artistic interests than by the need to appeal to a broad audience, or perhaps because they're more tightly focused and more passionate, or perhaps just by chance, the city's smaller troupes this year, by and large, outshone their larger siblings. From the sweeping two-part presentation of "Angels in America" by Boston Theatre Works last season to this fall's hauntingly spare "In the Continuum" by Up You Mighty Race and Company One's incisive "Voyeurs de Venus," big ambitions paid off for small companies.

Except that, of course, they didn't quite - the saddest news of the year, perhaps, being that Boston Theatre Works went on hiatus shortly after "Angels," having consumed all its resources with that grand effort. And with the departure of artistic director Jason Southerland for Chicago, BTW's "hiatus" is now most likely a permanent slumber. That's too bad, not just because the company did some fine work but because its failure to build a sustainable program does harm to the actors, designers, and audience members who had come to rely on its presence.

What's also unfortunate is the dearth of productions from the big resident companies on my Top 10 list. Yes, Nicholas Martin's completely charming revival of "She Loves Me" made the cut - but that's the only Huntington show that did, and I'm sorry to say that nothing from the American Repertory Theatre is here, either. Both companies offered a few solid but unspectacular productions, and both also served up a couple of my least favorite evenings of the year. How I wish they'd also hit one or two out of the park - especially when it comes to new work.

The good news, though, is that there were a few terrific new plays at other venues, both in town and in the Berkshires over the summer. Locally, Boston Playwrights' Theatre delivered two genuine pleasures, and Melinda Lopez had a hand in both of them: She wrote "Gary," a rocking coming-of-age story, and she starred in "The Oil Thief," Joyce Van Dyke's sharp and moving story of love on the (literal) rocks.

Out west, the Williamstown Theatre Festival had a fine clutch of new plays in Martin's first season as artistic director (and it also, of course, had its own run of his "She Loves Me"). Theresa Rebeck crafted a wickedly funny backstage piece, "The Understudy," and Ellen Melaver's "Not Waving" received a particularly well crafted staging. But it's "Broke-ology," a story of a beleaguered and loving family by the astonishingly talented Nathan Louis Jackson, that lingers most powerfully in the mind.

New work is also percolating nicely in Pittsfield, at Barrington Stage Company's Musical Theatre Lab. Both "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick," a haunting little tale adapted from a picture book by Chris Van Allsburg, and "See Rock City," a collage of musical postcards, felt fresh and promising, if musically still a bit unfinished. But that's the virtue of the Musical Theatre Lab: You know, going in, that you're seeing a work in progress, and having audiences involved from the beginning provides a vital source of feedback to the shows' creators.

Closer to home, Tony Estrella's adaptation of Friedrich Schiller's "Don Carlos," at the Gamm Theatre in Pawtucket, wins the dubious distinction of Play I Most Regret Not Seeing. As painful as it can be to sit through a bad play, it always feels much worse to fail to sit through a good one.
And, of course, you really never do know until you're in the theater which kind of night you're going to have. That's a lesson I had to relearn this year, because not once but three times I set out in low spirits to see a musical that I truly felt I never had to see again, and not once but three times I was surprised to be delighted. It's a good kind of surprise to have, and I'm grateful to "My Fair Lady," "A Chorus Line," and "Chicago" for letting me have it - and, of course, to their presenter, Broadway Across America-Boston, which must be at least as disappointed as I am that one of its big hopes for this past season, "Brigadoon," fell through, along with Harry Connick Jr.'s Gershwin project, "Nice Work If You Can Get It."

I'm also grateful to Scott Edmiston and SpeakEasy Stage for mounting a production of "The Light in the Piazza" that put a musical I had previously despised in the best possible light. Edmiston and SpeakEasy get another helping of gratitude for "The History Boys," which in their hands was a smart and touching piece of work.

So too was "Eurydice" as staged by Rick Lombardo at Watertown's New Repertory Theatre. His sensitive, musically rich handling of Sarah Ruhl's play only underscored the sense of loss at the news that he'll be shortly heading west to take the helm at San Jose Repertory Theatre.
Oh, but let's not end on a sad note. Instead, and because Top 10 lists tend to skew toward the Serious and Significant, here's a joyous whoop to some shows that gave me what we all may need most in a year like 2008: a good, solid laugh.

To wit, in no particular order: "The Little Dog Laughed" at SpeakEasy Stage; "Medea" and "Whizzin"' from the Gold Dust Orphans; "The Drowsy Chaperone" at the Opera House (Broadway Across America - Boston); "Pageant" at Stoneham Theatre and "Pageant Play" at Berkshire Theatre Festival; Carrie Fisher's "Wishful Drinking" at the Huntington; and "Gutenberg! The Musical" at New Rep.

May we all have more laughs, and more joy, in the year to come.

Louise Kennedy can be reached at kennedy@globe.com.

Pittsfield wins Commonwealth Award

(Actress Elizabeth Banks, Pittsfield native)

Pittsfield has won the Creative Community Award, one the prestigious Commonwealth Awards, given out by the Massachusetts Cultural Council!

Here are two great articles about the award from the Boston Globe and the Berkshire Eagle:

Banks a lot
By Mark Shanahan and Paysha Rhone
Globe Staff / December 20, 2008

Actress Elizabeth Banks (above) will wing in next month to help present an award to her hometown at the State House. Pittsfield mayor James Ruberto will accept the Creative Community award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which yesterday announced the winners of its biennial Commonwealth Awards, the state's highest honors in arts and culture. Other winners include: the Worcester Cultural Coalition, Peabody Essex Museum, the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, the Behrakis Foundation, Louis Casagrande, the Boston Children's Museum, and the Codman Academy Charter Public School. Banks will give the keynote speech at the Jan. 13 awards ceremony. She recently starred in "W" and "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," and just signed a $1 million annual contract to be a spokesmodel for L'Oreal Paris. She joins the glamorous ranks of Beyonce Knowles, Diane Keaton, and Eva Longoria Parker.

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Pittsfield culture wins prestige
By Dick Lindsay, Berkshire Eagle Staff

Thursday, December 18

PITTSFIELD — Pittsfield has joined the likes of cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Shakespeare & Company and Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival as a cultural force in Berkshire County.

The city is receiving one of the six Commonwealth Awards being handed out for 2009 by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Pittsfield will be honored with the other winners during a ceremony at the Statehouse on Jan. 13.

Actress and Pittsfield native Elizabeth Banks will speak at the event.

"This is really important recognition, showing we are a creative community," said Megan Whilden, Pittsfield's cultural development director. "We've been working in Pittsfield the past five years to promote and grow a cultural community."

That's evident by the revitalization of the Colonial Theatre, the addition of Barrington Stage Company, and the continuing growth of the Berkshire Museum and Hancock Shaker Village, according to Council Executive Director Anita Walker.

"Pittsfield is investing in its natural cultural resources," Walker said. "You can't recreate these things."

Walker said Pittsfield was an unanimous choice out of the 69 nominations in the creative community category. The other categories are creative economy catalyst, leadership, individual achievement creative learning and cultural philanthropy.

Walker said the awards, given every two years, was paired down from 10 categories in order to broaden the nomination process.

Pittsfield joins previous Berkshire winners Yo-Yo Ma, Shakespeare & Co., its founder Tina Packer, Jacob's Pillow, choreographer Marge Champion, Mass MoCA Executive Director Joseph Thompson, and arts patron Jane Fitzpatrick.

While Williamstown to the north and Lenox and Stockbridge to the south have been the mainstays of the Berkshire's cultural community, Whilden said Pittsfield is ready to lead the way.

"By Pittsfield stepping forward, it benefits the rest of the county," Whilden said.
Walker praised both Whilden and Mayor James M. Ruberto for making cultural tourism part of the city's economic development.

"You have a leader who really gets it," said Walker of Ruberto. "Megan's work is exemplar and how it should be done."

Whilden said she's finding more and more people discovering Pittsfield's cultural side, thanks in part to the Third Thursday events. The block party-style events are held each month from May through October.

"People used to skip Pittsfield," Whilden said. "The perception of the city and reality have changed."

Cultural Pittsfield This Week newsletter is up and out!

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