Stockbridge - This summer, sculptures on the grounds of the Norman Rockwell Museum will be blowing in the wind from July 16 through October 30 with a new exhibition, "Windblown: Contemporary American Weathervanes." An opening reception with the artists and a silent auction of the weathervanes on exhibit will be held at the Museum on Saturday, July 16, from 4 to 6 p.m.
The event is free for Museum members and is $12.50 for the general public. Refreshments will include ice cream, donated by Ben & Jerry's in Pittsfield, a lemonade stand, white wine, donated by Domaney's Discount Liquors, Great Barrington, and cheese and crackers.
Weathervanes, favored by the early American colonists as crowning designs for their meeting halls and public buildings, are enduring symbols of humankind's dependence upon the elements of wind and weather. Norman Rockwell, a weathervane enthusiast, topped his own studio with one. The wide array of weathervanes in the exhibition range from the whimsical to the profound.
"How elementally exciting it is to make something and see it moved by nature's forces," says weathervane artist Ann Getsinger, whose weathervane, Earth Creature, illustrates the integration of the human (earth) creature with the water and air creatures. "There's something magical about wind. We all need it, breathe it, and share it. Its essence-movement--serves as a reminder of the primal connection between all of earth's creatures."
Getsinger is one of 23 artists who have created weathervanes for the exhibition. The other artists represented in the exhibition are Norma J. Anderson, Burton Avery, Peter Barrett, Charles Bonenti, John Elling, Richard G. Griggs, Mark Hungate, Marian Ives, Lizanne Jensen/West Coast Weathervanes, Mary Kate Jordan, George Laye & Frank Polizzi, JoAnn Losinger & Pete's Motors, John S. Manikowski, Susan Manning, Craig Moffatt, Tara Murray, Ellen Murtagh, Patricia Blair Ryan, Angelo Sinisi, John Garret Thew, and Dale Zola.
Commendations for outstanding work will be awarded by a committee of jurors, who include Belle Fox-Martin, owner of the Fox-Martin Fine Art Gallery Inc., Housatonic, MA; Joel Hotchkiss, kinetic sculptor and owner of Hotchkiss Mobiles, West Stockbridge, MA; and Vivian Patterson, curator of collections at the Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown, MA.
Opening Reception
Saturday, July 16, 4 to 6 p.m.
Opening reception with the "Windblown" artists, followed by a silent auction of the works on view. The event is free for Museum members and is $12.50 for the general public.
"Art Comes Alive:
Windblown Weathervanes"
Saturday, July 16, 1 to 4 p.m.
Family tour of the "Windblown" exhibition, starting at 1 p.m. At 1:30 p.m., the Caravan Puppets perform classic tales, using a variety of innovative puppetry techniques. At 2:30 p.m., participants will design a model weathervane. The program is free with Museum admission.
The Norman Rockwell Museum is dedicated to art appreciation and education through new scholarship that illuminates Norman Rockwell's unique contributions to art, society, and popular culture. As a center devoted to the art of illustration, the Museum also exhibits the works of contemporary and past masters in an ongoing series of compelling artist showcases. Previous exhibitions at the Museum have presented the work of Charles Schulz, Winslow Homer, Howard Pyle, J.C. Leyendecker, Maxfield Parrish, Rockwell Kent, Al Hirschfeld, Robert Weaver, and others. Set on a picturesque 36-acre estate in the hometown of America's favorite artist, the Norman Rockwell Museum is one of the crown jewels of the Berkshires.
Norman Rockwell Museum is open daily. General public admission is $12.50 for adults and free for visitors 18 and under (four per adult). Kids Free Every Day is a gift to families from Country Curtains and the Red Lion Inn. The Museum is open daily, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., May through October; from November through April, weekday hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and weekend/holiday hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gallery tours are available daily, beginning on the hour. Antenna Audio Tour of select paintings from the Museum's permanent Norman Rockwell collection is available. Rockwell's studio, located on the Museum grounds, is open May through October.
For more information, the public is invited to call 413-298-4100, ext. 220. Visit the Museum's Web site at www.nrm.org .
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Former Harry's Supermarket Under Construction for Restaurant
Late last month, the Conservation Commission greenlit some tree pruning on the property. New windows and a new door can be seen in the front of the building.
"It's a substantial renovation that's currently underway here," Brent White of White Engineering said, speaking on behalf of the applicant and owner, Huajie Zhu.
A fire gutted the longtime Wahconah Street supermarket in 2023, and the following year, Zhu purchased the property for $460,000 two years ago to build a restaurant with hibachi in the existing footprint of the more than 100-year-old building.
White explained that the project has been ongoing for over a year, and the Community Development Board granted the property a waiver to reduce the minimum required number of parking spaces so that additional spaces aren't needed.
He noted that, looking at the site plan, there is very little room to do so. A mirror will be installed near the sharp turn on Bel Air Avenue to alleviate traffic concerns.
Pruning will be done on trees in the southeast corner of the existing paved parking lot, as a number of branches are hanging over. The new owners also intend to patch, sealcoat, and re-stripe the parking lot.
A fire tore through the building less than an hour after the supermarket closed for the day three years ago. An automatic sprinkler system is required for the new use.
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Jason Codey struck out 13, walked two and allowed just an infield single as the Generals earned a 7-1 win over Wahconah to claim their third straight regional title. click for more
Gracelyn Wright struck out eight, and Genevieve Lagess went 3-for-5 with four runs batted in as the Hurricanes beat Monson, 17-3, to claim their first Western Mass title in four years. click for more
For the boys, Ward Bianchi helped lead the way with a win in the shot put and a second place in the javelin as the Mounties finished 16 points ahead of runner-up Pittsfield (pending the results of the pole vault, which were unavailable at 11 p.m. Friday night). click for more
