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Gallery 51 Going, Growing StrongBy Jen Thomas - April 18, 2008
iBerkshires Staff
 | | Gallery 51's Jonathon Secor and Jessica Conzo. |
NORTH ADAMS — It's been a little over a month since Jessica Conzo took over as the program coordinator for the Berkshire Cultural Resource Center but she's already plunged headfirst into helping build a stronger foundation for the center.
Working collaboratively with the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts and the city, BCRC seeks to provide area artists with resources, training and support.
Housed in Main Street's Gallery 51, the center oversees the Berkshire Hills Internship Program, hosts lectures and talks for artists and arts students and is a general go-to, one-stop-shop location for community arts information.
For Conzo and the gallery's Jonathan Secor (also MCLA's director of special programs), what's coming up next will build upon the solid footing the center has already established.
"What we're going to be doing is look at how to grow, where to grow," said Secor. "We're certainly moving forward. In terms of having a foundation, a following, support — we've got it. Now we're just looking specifically at what we can do to continue that momentum."
Conzo, a Boylston native who came to the Berkshires after attending the University of Massachusetts and New York City's The New School, is a vital part of the progress. Taking over for former coordinator Veronica Bosley, Conzo said she came to her new position hoping to find a work that could satisfy her myriad interests.
"In Pittsfield, I had some connections with the art world and when I heard about this opening, it sounded like an absolutely perfect opportunity. It was a mix of everything I wanted to do," said Conzo.
Since coming to the center in March, Conzo has worked primarily to set up this season's B-HIP, which is slated to begin at the end of May and extend into the middle of August. The arts management internship program places between 12 and 14 students from across the country at cultural venues and arts institutions in the county as part of an intensive hands-on eduation. Three students from MCLA and two from Williams College will be a part of the program this year, though it is still unknown where the interns will be placed.
"This program has a solid base. Going into its fourth summer, it's really come into its own, as a course and as an internship," said Secor.
Along with the gallery's mainstay monthly art shows and their recent eight-month lecture/seminar series, plans within the BCRC for the future include using the $40,000 Massachusetts Cultural Council grant the center received earlier this month.
The current point of focus is the Assets for Artists pilot initiative that aims to provide matching grants to qualifying artists looking to become homeowners or who are interested in small-business training. Operating under the auspices of Berkshire Creative, the program is still in the beginning phase with informational sessions in the city and in Pittsfield attracting nearly 100 local artists.
"We're jumping headfirst into Assets for Artists. This could be the beginning of something. There's a lot of interest in helping the independent artists and we're always looking at how to support and help," said Secor.
Assets for Artists is a collaboration of BCRC, Mass MoCA and Pittsfield's Office of Cultural Development.
Also on the agenda for the upcoming year are plans for improvements to the Berkshire ArtStart Web Site, the development of a countywide "Gallery Guide" that will be available in the June issue of Berkshire Living magazine and the creation of a fall "summit," modeled sort of like a four-day mini-conference.
Conzo said she hoped she could expand on an organization that is already standing on solid ground.
"I can bring some organization but my real contribution, I hope, is to bring new perspectives and new ideas," said Conzo. "I'm going to build on what was already here." |
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