The Berkshire Museum will be closed three months for renovations.
PITTSFIELD – The city's downtown arts center will be the home away from home for the Berkshire Museum over the next few months.
The museum will close Tuesday, Jan. 1, to begin Phase II of its $9 million renovation project. Some of its exhibits and activities will be featured at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts through March.
The 104-year-old museum is installing a high-tech, climate-control system. The project also will include classroom space, an addition for offices, improved handicapped access, including an elevator, renovation of the first-floor galleries and a new gallery, named the Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation in honor of Donald and Armand Feigenbaum, who own General Systems Co. The brothers have pledged $1.2 million to the museum's capital fund drive. The hall will exhibit Berkshire inventions that have influenced the nation.
The 3,000-square-foot hall is scheduled to open March 29.
The museum has already restored the South Street building's roof and moved its gift shop into the former Cottage shop on the corner of Bank Row. The gift shop will remain open.
"We are thrilled to be at this stage in the renovation, eagerly anticipating the reopening and the premiere of the Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation," said Stuart A. Chase, the museum's executive director. "We thank everyone who has donated to the capital campaign, 'A Wider Window,' and hope that others will be inspired to give to help us secure the half-million-dollar Kresge Challenge Grant. In the meantime, we hope our members and others in the community will enjoy the programs we are able to offer nearby and are happy to be working with such great organizations as the Lichtenstein Center, the YMCA, Berkshire Community College, and the Berkshire Theatre Festival."
Programs Moved
The Lichtenstein Center, at 28 Renne Ave., will host an exhibition devoted to the Mohican people and the preschooler program "Aquarium Adventures" at 10 a.m. on Fridays from Jan. 4 to March 28. The program includes toddler playtime and a story, followed by a live animal encounter. Admission is $5 adults, $4 seniors, and $3 children 3-18. Museum members and children under 3 are admitted free. A schedule of animals for each week is available at www.berkshiremuseum.org.
From Jan. 19 through March 8, "Berkshires' First People: The Mohicans," modeled after the museum's Mohican Room, invites visitors to discover how clothing, hunting tools, and games tell the story of daily life of the Mohicans. Visitors may try on clothing, examine animal furs, and play games and native instruments. The exhibition will also include artwork made by first-graders from Silvio O. Conte Community School, inspired by the "Sky Woman" creation myth of the Iroquois.
The hands-on art course "Looking for Red in All the Right Places" on Saturdays, Jan. 19, Jan. 26, Feb. 2 and Feb. 9, from 10 to noon will be led by artist and museum educator Melanie Mowinski. The course, for children ages 7 to 10, will explore how artists use the color red as they create painting, drawings and sculpture. Registration for the four-part course is $60 ($40 members). To register, call 413-443-7171, Ext. 10.
On Monday, Jan. 21, from 1 to 4 p.m., museum will offer its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, "I Have a Dream," at the center. The program includes readings from King's famous speech, a performance by Youth Alive, and soul food. Admission is $5 adults, $4 seniors, $3 children 3-18. Museum members and children under 3 are admitted free.
On Sunday, Feb. 3, at 3 p.m., the new Little Cinema series "Film Feasts" will feature food-related films, discussions with food experts and dinner a Pittsield restaurant. Flims will be shown in the Koussevitzy Hall, K-111, at Berkshire Community College.
The Feb. 3 film is "Big Night." Guest speaker will be Francine Segan, author of "Movie Menus." Since the film takes place in an Italian restaurant, dinner will be at Trattoria Rustica. Admission to the film and lecture is $15 ($10 members). Dinner price is based on entree ordered. Film Feasts are made possible in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Endowment for the Humanities.
In partnership with BTF PLAYS! the year-round educational program of the Berkshire Theatre Festival, the museum will present the family performance "Aesop's Network: Broadcasting Theatrical Fables" at the YMCA auditorium, 292 North St.
Performances will be daily at 11 a.m. from Monday, Feb. 18, through Saturday, Feb. 23. The play retells Aesop's fables, such as "The Tortoise and the Hare," in the style of a sports highlights show. Tickets are $10 adults, $7 children 3-18 ($5/$3 members).
The climate control system being installed will bring the facility to current museum standards for temperature and humidity control. The HVAC will be operational when the museum reopens. In April, the museum will unveil new installations of its permanent collection, including a new American Indian gallery featuring art and artifacts from the extensive collection that has not been on public view in many years because of the lack of climate control.
For more information, contact the Berkshire Museum at (413) 443-7171, Ext. 10, or visit berkshiremuseum.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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