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

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Pittsfield Affordable Housing Initiatives Shine Light, Hope

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
07:08AM / Saturday, December 20, 2025

Housing Secretary Edward Augustus cuts the ribbon at The First on Thursday with housing officials and Mayor Peter Marchetti, state Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The holidays are here and several community members are celebrating it with the opening of two affordable housing initiatives.

"This is a day to celebrate," Hearthway CEO Eileen Peltier said during the ribbon-cutting on Thursday.

The celebration was for nearly 40 supportive permanent housing units; nine at "The First" located within the Zion Lutheran Church, and 28 on West Housatonic Street. A ceremony was held in the new Housing Resource Center on First Street, which was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.

The apartments will be leased out by Hearthway, with ServiceNet as a partner.

Prior to the ribbon-cutting, public officials and community resource personnel were able to tour the two new permanent supported housing projects — West Housatonic Apartments and The First Street Apartments and Housing Resource Center.

The First Street location has nine studio apartments that are about 300 square feet and has a large community center. The West Housatonic Street location will have 28 studio units that range between 300 to 350 square feet. All units can be adapted to be ADA accessible.

The West Housatonic location is still under construction with the hope to have it completed by the middle of January, said Chris Wilett, Hearthway development associate.

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