For the first half of the Earth, Wind, and Desire series, Kidspace at MASS MoCA was transformed into a Nature Park. Now, for the second half, the gallery morphs into a Wind Farm complete with a sea of metallic, wood, and feathered kinetic sculptures against a backdrop of large photos of wind turbines.
The group exhibition features photographs by Carrie Baker and kinetic sculptures by Tim Prentice, Pedro S. De Movellan, and William R. Bergman.
Visitors to Kidspace will harvest new ideas about wind and wind energy as they walk through the exhibit. The artwork offers myriad perspectives on wind and movement. A resource area for children of all ages will feature books, music, and videos about wind energy, and examples of work by other artists, poets, and storybook writers. And, visitors will be invited to make "moving madness" artwork at tables that offer wonderful views of the Wind Farm art.
Carrie Baker of Montpelier, Vermont, takes evocative photos of wind turbines throughout the country. Her large-scale images give the viewer a vivid sense of just how impressive these giant machines are in real life. Baker's photos are alternately naturalistic -- emphasizing the grace of the wind turbines - and eerie - creating the illusion that the turbines are looming creatures.
Connecticut-based Tim Prentice is known for kinetic works of stainless steel and aluminum. Though crafted from industrial materials, many of his works recall pollen, flower petals, and other natural materials that float on the wind. Pedro S. De Movellan of East Chatham, N.Y.. , creates works in natural materials such as wood, as well as industrial materials such as rough-cast brass, aluminum, and stainless steel. When in motion his pieces recall the movement of the large wind turbines shown in Baker's photographs.
For Wind Farm, both Prentice and De Movellan have created new works. Prentice has built a series of sixteen identical lightweight metal turbines with brightly colored feathers for blades. His piece hangs from the ceiling and is turned by air from heating vents. De Movellan's 50-foot long sculpture is made of painted steel and incorporates an electric air pump to force air to rotate the sculptural pieces propeller-style.
William R. Bergman of Albany, N.Y.. , designs sculptures that take a different approach to kinetic art. His work allows visitors to create wind using innovative mechanical devices and hand cranks to bring his work to life.
A public opening reception for Wind Farm is scheduled for Thursday, March 4, from 3:30 to 6 pm. Refreshments will be served, and visitors will have the opportunity to meet the artists.
About the artists:
Montpelier, Vermont-based photographer Carrie Baker holds a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). She was the artistic director for the Perlata Hacienda Historical Park in Oakland, Calif., where she oversaw art and history programs for at-risk youth. Baker was an arts educator at RISD's museum and a teaching assistant for RISD's photography and illustration courses for adults and high school students. She has exhibited her work in several group shows of emerging Bay Area artists in alternative spaces.
Tim Prentice, a sculptor from Cornwall, Conn., holds a Master's degree in architecture from Yale University. Prentice has been awarded a master craftsman award from the Society of Connecticut Crafts and a certificate of merit from the New York State Association of Architects. His work is in many private collections and has been exhibited in solo and group shows in such galleries, museums, and public spaces as: the New York Public Library, N.Y.; Chesterwood, Stockbridge, Mass. ; Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Becket, Mass. ; Bradley Airport, Hartford, Conn.; St. Peter's Church, New York; and the Aldrich Museum, Ridgefield, Conn.
Pedro S. De Movellan, a sculptor from East Chatham, N.Y., holds a BFA in sculpture from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. His work is in private and corporate collections in the United States, as well as Switzerland, Germany, and Saudi Arabia. De Movellan's work has been exhibited in solo and group shows in such galleries as: the Herter Gallery, University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the Grinnell College Art Gallery, Bucksbaum Center for the Arts. He is represented by the Maxwell Davidson Gallery, N.Y.
William R. Bergman, a sculptor from Albany, N.Y. holds an MFA in sculpture from Alfred University. He is a sculpture technician at the College of Saint Rose, Albany, N.Y. His work has been exhibited in group exhibition in such galleries as: The Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, N.Y.; Chesterwood, Stockbridge, Mass.; The Tang Teaching Museum at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; the Albany International Airport Gallery, Albany, N.Y.; and the Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown, Mass.
About Kidspace:
This March, Kidspace will continue its partnership with the North Berkshire School Union (Clarksburg, Gabriel Abbott Memorial, and Savoy Elementary Schools). The overall focus of the Kidspace program is on movement found in art and nature. In addition to their visit to Kidspace, students will have the opportunity to work with the artists in an extensive residency program funded by a Massachusetts Cultural Council Creative Learning grant.
Through funding from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute grant to Williams College, fourth through eighth grade students will be provided with additional programming to explore wind energy. These students will visit the Searsburg Wind Farm in Searsburg, Vt., with staff from the Center for Ecological Technologies, Pittsfield, Mass. Curriculum materials, educational resources, and programs have been developed by Kidspace staff to complement the exhibition.
Kidspace at MASS MoCA is a joint program of the Williams College Museum of Art, the Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute, and MASS MoCA. Additional funding has been provided in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council (a state agency), the National Endowment for the Arts (a federal agency), the Howard Hughes Medical Institute grant to Williams College, and the Brownrigg Charitable Trust in memory of Lynn Laitman.
From March 4 through June 20, Kidspace's public hours will be Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 4 P.M., plus additional hours on holidays. From June 20 through September 5, Kidspace will be open every day from noon to 4. Please call Kidspace at (413) 664-4481 x8131 for more details on hours, programs, and exhibitions. Admission to Kidspace is free.
MASS MoCA, housed on a 13-acre campus of restored 19th-century factory buildings, is the largest center for contemporary art in the country. During the winter, MASS MoCA's galleries are open every day except Tuesdays, from 11 A.M. to 5 P.M. Admission is $9 for adults, $3 for children 6-16, free for children under 6 and free for members at all times. For additional information, call 413-662-2111 or visit www.massmoca.org .
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Lanesborough Town Meeting to Vote Budget, Bylaws & Vehicle Purchases
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Tuesday's annual town meeting includes a $14 million operating budget, new short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units and sign bylaws, and free cash article appropriations.
Voters will gather at Lanesborough Elementary School on June 9 at 6 p.m. to decide on 20 warrant articles.
The fiscal 2027 budget is up a little over 10 percent. Some of the main increases are the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School: the McCann assessment is up more than 30 percent based on factors including enrollment and the school renovation project, and Mount Greylock's is up 11 percent.
Article 11 is for the town to vote to approve from free cash the sum of $16,298.48 for the McCann Technical School roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget. Article 3 is appropriate $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School assessment.
Another notable increase was in life and health insurance, showing an increase of about 26 percent.
Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. One of the articles asks the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses.
Many town departments are looking for new vehicles. The Fire Department is looking to replace its outdated 1996 fire engine. There are two articles related to the truck at a total of $813,366. Article 12 would transfer $225,000 from free cash into the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund; Article 13 would transfer $605,000 from the fund and authorize the borrowing of $208,366.08.
The total includes a $100,000 contingency cost to cover any additional costs if a 2026 model-year chassis cannot be secured before new emissions standards go into effect in 2027.
The board at its last meeting moved the $225,000 transfer to come before the borrowing article, changing the stabilization number. If the $225,000 is not voted on, then they will amend the next article's number on the floor, subtracting the $225,000. This shows the borrowing number significantly lower.
Article 17 asks for the transfer of $80,000 from free cash to replace a police cruiser.
Police Chief Rob Derksen's aim is to replace one vehicle every other year, meaning the oldest vehicle gets replaced about every 10 years.
He stressed that if delayed this year, the town may have to double up in a future year to get back on schedule, and that paying later usually costs more. The article will ask for $80,000 from free cash, the vehicles used to be funded by the BHRD.
Lastly, the Highway Department is looking to replace a 2014 International dump truck that will be a total of $330,000 and will take two to three years to receive.
Money will be used from last year's approval of $250,000 from free cash for the replacement of a 2012 highway front-end loader that was underspent $49,261. Town meeting is being asked to approve a transfer of $53,274.85 from free cash and the use of $227,464 from funds from the Sale of Town Real Estate to fund the balance.
Other free cash proposals include $1,200 to purchase software to support tracking and ongoing maintenance schedules of town-owned vehicles; $42,000 for the replacement of the Highway Department's storage shed roof, $200,000 to reduce the tax levy.
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