Pittsfield Galleries Welcome The Public On July 112:00AM / Monday, June 26, 2006
Pittsfield - The summer's only city-wide open studio day in downtown Pittsfield will be held Saturday, July 1 from noon until 5 p.m..
Visitors will be welcomed into over thirty artist studios and five exhibition spaces, including the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, the Storefront Artist Project, Le Petit Musee, and Gallery Boreas, along with a wide variety of shops, restaurants and cafes, all within easy walking distance of each other.
Pittsfield is located in the center of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, a region known for its rich cultural offerings and natural beauty.
The Downtown Pittsfield Open Studio Day offers visitors a first glimpse at Crispina French’s new workshop for her handcrafted recycled blankets and home furnishing at the former Notre Dame Church at 50 Melville Street, a half a block off North Street.
And it’s the last chance for the public to visit the Storefront Artist Project studio complex at 55 North, which will soon be vacated to make way for the historic cinema complex renovation planned for the location.
Participating artists at 55 North Street include Gabrielle Senza, whose Red Collaborative organization uses art to deal with social issues; Eric Drury, whose work has recently been shown in Italy and New York City; found materials sculptor Phylene Amuso; Christine Heller, who recently had a one woman show at Simon’s Rock College of Bard; jazz tap dancer and artist Stefanie Weber; and artists Gail Downey and Olive Thomas.
ARTonNo, an artist collective on the second floor of 311 North Street, features ten open studios as well as hall galleries. Participating artists include Linda Baker-Cimini, whose delicate and offbeat drawings have been featured in the Berkshire Eagle and elsewhere, Kathy Gideon, Ellen Joffe-Halpern, Margit Hotchkiss, Millie Kellie, Annie Laurie, Dierdre McKenna, Brian Mikesell, Stacia Potter and John Strother.
Next door, above the new Spice restaurant, Maggie Mailer opens her new studio on the fourth floor to the public. In the Wright Building at 255 North Street, artists Susan Hartung, Colleen Surprise Jones, and Fern Leslie open their studios, offering painting and fiber arts.
The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts gallery on 28 Renne Avenue features two shows, “Arboreal,†a show of images of trees presented in collaboration with the Pittsfield Tree Watch, and “For the Birdsâ€, a show of artist-decorated birdhouses organized by the Pittsfield Garden Tour. Working artist studios at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts will also be open to the public, including the studios of Lorraine Abruzzo, Peg Dotchin, Deborah Flavin, Julio Granda, Thomas Hoadley and the ceramics workshop of Jim Horsford.
Around the corner, a group show entitled “Beyond the Mere Matters of Fact†will be on view in the Storefront Artists Project’s Mainspace at 124 Fenn Street as well. Inside Wild Sage, a furniture and collectibles shop at 333 North Street, Le Petit Musee will be exhibiting over 100 artists work in its postcard show. And Pittsfield’s newest downtown gallery, Gallery Boreas at 439 North Street, will be exhibiting the paintings of Icelandic artist Birgir Snæbjörn Birgisson. Douglas Truth, painter and performance artist, will also be opening his new studio at 48 Bartlett Ave. and contemporary artists Monika Pizzichemi and Michael McKay will be showing their edgy work at the Empty Set Project Space at 159 South Street at the corner of West Housatonic Street.
The Open Studio Day was organized by the City of Pittsfield Office of Cultural Development, the Storefront Artist Project, and the Art.On.No collective, and sponsored in part by the following downtown restaurants and merchants: Brix Wine Bar, located at 40 West Street; Bagels Too, at 166 North Street, and featuring the work of Pittsfield Brew Works, located at 34 Depot Street, just off North Street; Digital Blend cafe at 76 North Street, Pasko’s Frame and Gift Center at 243 North Street; Trattoria Rustica, open for dinner only at 26 McKay Street; Bellissimo Dolce at 444 North Street; Spice, located at 279 North Street; House of India, open for lunch and dinner at 261 North Street; Hot Harry’s at 49 North Street; The Lantern Bar & Grill at 455 North Street; soon-to-be-expanded Pancho’s Restaurant at 154 North Street, Sabor at 17 Wendell Avenue Extension, and Twin Hearts Handworks, feature fiber art supplies and classes and one-of-a-kind gifts, at 137 North Street.
Flyers and maps are available throughout downtown Pittsfield and beyond now and on the Open Studios day and can be downloaded at www.culturalpittsfield.com. For more information call 413-499-9348 or email cultural pittsfield@gmail.com.
LIST OF PARTICIPATING ARTISTS (from South to North)
Empty Set Studio 159 South Street
Michael McKay
Monika Pizzichemi
Douglass Truth Studio 48 Bartlett Ave
Douglass Truth
Storefront Artist Project, 55 North Street
Phylene Amuso
Gail Downey
Eric Drury
Christine Heller
Gabrielle Senza
Olive Thomas
Stefanie Weber
Lichtenstein Center for the Arts
Lorraine Abruzzo
Peg Dotchin
Deborah Flavin
Julio Granda
Tom Hoadley
Jim Horsford
Roger Mason Studio 116 North Street, 4th floor
Roger Mason
The Wright Building 255 North Street
Susan Hartung
Colleen Surprise Jones
Fern Leslie
Notre Dame Church Melville Street
Crispina ffrench
ARTonNO 311 North Street, Second floor
Linda Baker-Cimini
Kathy Gideon
Margit Hotchkiss
Annie Laurie
Deirdre McKenna
Ellen Joffe-Halpern
Millie Kelly
Brian Mikesell
Stacia Potter
NT Strother
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