October 07 Cultural Happenings in Pittsfield
October 6, 2007 | 1 Comment
HayMan!, Pittsfield MA Now-October: 90+ Scarecrows downtown!
Don’t mis HayMan! in downtown Pittsfield, featuring over 90 one-of-a-kind scarecrows created by the community! Look for a headless horseman, Elvis Presley, Batman, a jazz musician, a leprechaun, the pair from American Gothic by Grant Wood, a hippie, Dorothy & Toto, and many other fun characters! A map and treasure hunt are coming soon.
Now-October | throughout downtown Pittsfield from the Colonial Theatre to Maplewood Condominiums | FREE
Click here to learn more about Mike Melle and his straw projects.
Saturday night: Bach Society at the Colonial
The inimitable Berkshire Bach Society, in collaboration with the Colonial Theatre, presents a night of classical music featuring the prolific violinist Ani Kavafian playing Vivaldi’s “Seasons”. Other virtuoso soloists include Marsha Heller and Gerald Reuter, oboes and Kenneth Cooper, harpsichord. Pieces featured in the concert include JS Bach’s “Cantata 53” and Handel’s “Concerto No. 15 in D minor for Harpsichord & Strings”.
Saturday October 7th | 8 pm | The Colonial Theatre | 111 South Street | 997-4444
Click here for a chance to get the full scoop on Anu Kavafian:
Sat & Sun: 25th Annual Berkshire Quilt Festival
Berkshire Quilt Festival
Quilts, wall quilts, and other quilted items are featured at this year’s Berkshire Quilt Festival this weekend at the Berkshire Community College. Whether you are a beginner to lifelong quilter, come enjoy quilt block contests, gallery talks, storytelling and much more. You can even learn how to make your own quilt and get the supplies to create your first colorful masterpiece!
Saturday October 6th & Sunday October 7th | 10 am- 5 pm | Susan B. Anthony Center @ Berkshire Community College | 443-4397 | $6 per adult and $2 per child (11 and under)
Click here to enter the wonderful world of quilts and get you started on your first quilt!
Saturday October 6th & Sunday October 7th Enjoy a Shaker Supper
For a different kind of flavor, head out to the Hancock Shaker Village and enjoy a real Shaker Supper served by hosts in traditional Shaker dress. The menu varies, making use of fresh, seasonal ingredients and recipes from The Best of Shaker Cooking by Amy Bess Miller. A program of Shaker music completes the evening. And don’t forget to check out the Spinning and Weaving Week at the Shaker Village!
Saturday October 6th & Sunday October 7th | Hancock Shaker Village | Route 20 | 413-443-0188 | pre-registration required ; $50 for members; $60 for non-members
Click here for a full menu and more info about the Shaker Supper!
Sunday October 7, 3 pm South Mountain chamber concert
The last South Mountain Concerts of this year brings together two accomplished names in music: the St. Lawrence String Quartet and pianist Menahem Pressler. With a reputation for imaginative, spontaneous music making, the St. Lawrence String Quartet has established itself as one of today’s leading chamber ensembles. Guest artist Menahem Pressler is a founding member and award-winning pianist of the Beaux Arts Trio.
Sunday October 7th | 3 pm | South Mountain Concerts | Route 7 & 20 (South Street) | 442-2106 | $33 ; $15 for students with a valid ID
Click here and enjoy the musical world of the St. Lawrence String Quartet:
Sunday October 7th The Male Intellect: An Oxymoron
Robert Dubac’s The Male Intellect is a hilarious examination of male-female relationships in which the playwright attempts to answer the impossible question: “What do women want?” taking audiences on a provocative and funny journey through the gender gap.
Sunday October 7th | 4 pm & 8 pm | The Colonial Theatre | 111 South Street | 997-4444 | $22-$40
Click here for an interactive journey through Dubac fs play:
Monday October 8 Happy Birthday Wally!
This Monday, the Berkshire Museum in downtown Pittsfield celebrates the 10th “birthday” of Wally, the stegosaurus on the front lawn, with a free family day! Festivities include roaming magician and balloon artist Mr. Twisty, face painting, and hands-on art-making which include making a headdress inspired by Wally. At 2 p.m. guests will gather to sing “Happy Birthday,” followed by cake.
Monday October 8 th | 1-3 pm | Berkshire Museum | 39 South Street | 443-7171, ext. 10 | FREE
Click here for more information about this birthday celebration!
Tuesday October 9th & Wednesday October 10th Free Berkshire Days at Arrowhead
The Berkshire Historical Society welcomes Berkshire residents with free admission to the historic home of Herman Melville at Arrowhead. Highlights include tours of the Melville house museum and visits of the special exhibition, Fertile Ground: Berkshire Artists and Writers: 1846-1861, which exhibits personal items of Melville, Hawthorne, William Cullen Bryant, and many other!
Tuesday October 9th & Wednesday October 10th | beginning at 10:30 am | Melville’s Arrowhead | 780 Homes Road | 358-3201 | FREE for Berkshire residents with a VALID ID
Click here to learn more about Melville’s Arrowhead and the Berkshire History Society:
October 9th, 16th and 23rd Digital Photography class at the Lichtenstein
Designed for those somewhat familiar with their cameras who want to move beyond the ‘auto’ setting, this three-day intensive hands-on workshop will focus on learning the essential technology to take control of the digital photography process. Topics include in-depth discussions on basic and advanced settings, digital technology and image capture, and workflow and creativity. Taught by photographer Jason Houston, a contributing photography editor at Berkshire Living.
October 9th, 16th and 23rd | 6-9pm | Lichtenstein Center | 28 Renne Ave | 298-5252 x100 to register | $90 | Offered by IS 183 Art School
Click here to learn more about Jason Houston’s work
Thursday October 11th Drum expo at BCC
For percussionists, drummers & those who love rhythm, the Berkshire Drum Expo features drummers Randy Kaye, Connor Meehan, Kalibaba McConnell, Peter Putnam, Bill Chapman, Fran Curley, Derek Rodgers, Brendan Ryan and G. Winnard, plus the Afro-Cuban ensemble, KDZ. The Drum Expo is a non-profit event and all proceeds will be donated to the Pittsfield High School Music Department.
Thursday October 11th | 7 pm | Robert Boland Theatre @ Berkshire Community College | 413-395-0822 or mack7982@hotmail.com | $10
Berkshire Theater Festival October 2007
October 6, 2007 | Comments Off
Berkshire Theater Festival presents a reading of Sharon’s Circle by Diane Pearlman and Jeffrey Diamond
Work-in-progress is a tribute to former Berkshire Museum director Sharon Blume
who died of breast cancer in 2005
Stockbridge, MA—Berkshire Theatre Festival will present a reading of Diane Pearlman and Jeffrey Diamond’s new one-act play, Sharon’s Circle, directed by Marc Geller on Saturday, October 27, 7:30pm at the Unicorn Theatre. A reception with the artists will follow the reading.
Sharon’s Circle is based upon the experiences of Sharon Blume and the community of friends that blossomed in the face of her terminal illness. Blume was a shoot from the hip, creative non-profit director who knew how to get things done with style, knew how to party, and knew how to pick friends. Of all the collections she curated during her museum career, none was done with more finesse or purpose than her selection of friends—she not only chose them carefully, but also grouped them, as one would group an exhibition.
Playwrights Diane Pearlman and Jeffrey Diamond were honored to be part of Blume’s circle, as was BTF Artistic Director Kate Maguire. Pearlman and Diamond interviewed 24 of Blume’s close friends, asking about stories, feelings, and personal thoughts and then set about writing a play that would speak not just to their community, but to everyone who has lost a loved one to cancer.
Diane Pearlman and Jeffrey Diamond are long-time collaborators who have written and produced content for film, television, and theatre. Their current work includes a family comedy genre feature film script, Max Art, several children’s television projects, including Maddie’s World, Franice’s Toy Box Theatre, and Stink Monkeys, an adaptation of James Thurber’s Many Moons, and a science fiction thriller series titled Dreamwatcher.
Marc Geller most recently directed Two-Headed at BTF and the world premiere of the critically-acclaimed play Ascension at the Lion Theatre on Theatre Row in New York. His other New York directing credits include productions at Judith Anderson Theatre, Harold Clurman Theatre, Samuel Beckett Theatre, INTAR, and Hudson Guild Theatre.
Patricia Buckley will play the title character, Sharon. Buckley appeared in The Heidi Chronicles at BTF in 2006. Her Off-Broadway and regional credits include productions at New York Theatre Workshop, Westbeth, Actors Shakespeare Company, Coconut Grove Playhouse, and La Jolla Playhouse.
Roots Music from Matt Munisteri at Mass MOCA 10-13-07
October 6, 2007 | Comments Off
Runnin’ Round in the Wilderness: Roots Music from Matt Munisteri
For this Alt Cabaret singer, songwriter, and good friend of MASS MoCA Matt Munisteri and his band Brock Mumford will fill an evening with “the lost music of Willard Robison.” Robison composed sophisticated rural/religious-themed tunes in the 1920s, sang, played piano, and conducted a live orchestra - all at once!
This cabaret has been in a long time in the making and is really a labor of love for Matt. The only way for him to collect Robison’s works was through rare 78 RPM records which he sought out through auctions, conventions, ebay, and more.
You can get a preview on WAMC’s Dancing on the Air with Jay Unger and Molly Mason when Matt joins them as a guest on their show on Wednesday, October 11 at 8 PM. Then listen to Matt on the radio again on WAMC on Performance Place, Michael Eck’s wonderful live radio show on Thursday, October 12 from 11:20 - noon.
Join MASS MoCA, Matt Munisteri and Brock Mumford on October 13th at 8 PM in Club B-10.
Kidspace It’s Rude to Stare Now Open
It’s Rude to Stare features sculpture and drawings by English-born, Vermont-based artist Richard Criddle. In a personal ‘archaeological dig’ into his childhood fears and stories, Criddle interprets his memories on a larger-than-life scale presenting his autobiography in the form of oversized sculptures made from wood, bronze, fabricated steel, and found objects including wooden blinds, furniture components, a furnace shovel, and heavy-duty industrial hardware. Kidspace’s public hours are Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 P.M
Architecture Audio Tour
Download your own audio tour of MASS MoCA’s architecture and long term installations. Architects Henry Moss and Simeon Bruner of Bruner/Cott & Associates talk about what they considered as they designed the gallery space you see today. Don’t own an MP3 player, we’ve got the tour on players that you can rent at the box office for just $3.
Prefer a live guide? Visit the galleries and take a free (with admission) tour. Tours given every weekday at 2 PM and every Saturday and Sunday at noon and 3 PM
Art:21 Check out the second installment of Art:21 at the Clark on Monday, October 10 at 7 PM.
This program titled Ecology introduces viewers to four artists whose works pose questions about the relationships between nature and culture. Artists featured in the segment are Ursula von Rydingsvard, Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle, Robert Adams, and Mark Dion.
MASS MoCA curator Denise Markonish will join Clark assistant curator of education Danielle Steinmann and Williams College assistant professor Ondine Chavoya in engaging the audience in a discussion about the episode. Markonish came to MASS MoCA in July from Artspace New Haven an artist- and volunteer-run contemporary arts non-profit where she had been the curator since 2002. Her first major MASS MoCA exhibition Badlands: New Horizons in Landscape will open in May 2008.
Learn more
Green House Tour this weekend
The Center for Ecological Technology has organized a Green Buildings tour for Saturday, October 6 which MASS MoCA is a part of from 10 AM - 1 PM. We’ll be showing off our 228 photovoltaic panels on the roof of Building 5 which produced 1500 kilowatt hours per week in the summer. We’ll also have the first part of a new work by Michael Oatman in our lobby — a work commissioned in conjunction with the solar panels. For more about the tour and the other locations throughout the county, check the CET website.
