Pittsfield Galleries Welcome The Public On July 1

12:00AM / Monday, June 26, 2006Print Story | Email Story

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 Frenchâ€™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 itâ€™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 Simonâ€™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, â€œArboreal,â€ a show of images of trees presented in collaboration with the Pittsfield Tree Watch, and â€œFor 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 â€œBeyond the Mere Matters of Factâ€ will be on view in the Storefront Artists Projectâ€™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 Pittsfieldâ€™s newest downtown gallery, Gallery Boreas at 439 North Street, will be exhibiting the paintings of Icelandic artist Birgir SnÃ¦bjÃ¶rn 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, Paskoâ€™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 Harryâ€™s at 49 North Street; The Lantern Bar & Grill at 455 North Street; soon-to-be-expanded Panchoâ€™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

iBerkshires.com Text Ads

Greylock Youth SummerFest

Come join in on the wealth building fun! August 3-8. Click for event details. Insured by NCUA.

www.greylock.org

rk MILES Blding Materials

Are You Ready to Update Your Home? Start With rk MILES. 4 Locations (800)670-7433

www.rkmiles.com

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Friday Front Porch Feature: Luxury on Pontoosuc Lake

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:25PM / Friday, August 21, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Are you looking for a private estate right on the lake? Then this might be the home for you.

Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing 140 Hancock Road.

This house was built in 2015 and has eight bedrooms and seven bathrooms. It is 7,494 square feet on a little over an acre.

The house sits on Pontoosuc Lake and includes private lake access and a heated pool with an expansive deck.

The kitchen is equipped with Wolf and SubZero appliances and there is a full outdoor kitchen as well. The property has three additional separated living quarters, each with a kitchen and its own living room.

The house also includes a big garage for multiple cars or more. Included in the garage is your very own elevator that leads to the in-law apartment.

It is on the market for $3,900,000.

We spoke with listing agent Katie Soules and Jeff Astore from William Raveis

What do you think makes this property stand out in the current market?

What truly makes this property stand out is that you simply don't find this combination very often in the Berkshires. It's an extraordinary lakefront setting, incredible scale, and a lifestyle that's hard to replicate. You have the lake, the mountain views, the pool, the dock, amazing entertaining spaces, and the flexibility to accommodate family, friends, and guests. It feels less like simply owning a beautiful home and more like owning your own private Berkshire retreat.

What would you say to a buyer trying to imagine their life in this space?

I'd tell them to stop thinking of it as just a house and imagine what life here could actually feel like. Mornings on the lake, afternoons on the water or by the pool, evenings entertaining friends and family with the mountains as your backdrop. This is a place where everyday life can feel like a vacation and where you can create the kind of memories that stay with you for years.

How would you describe the feel or atmosphere of the home?

The home has a really special feel, elegant and impressive, but at the same time warm, relaxed, and incredibly inviting. There's a natural connection to the lake and the outdoors throughout the home, so it never feels like luxury for the sake of luxury. It feels like a place designed to be lived in, enjoyed, and shared with family, friends, and plenty of unforgettable moments.

View Full Story