Peter Cote, president of Cascade School Supplies, thanks the students, art department, his staff and Waterman Excavating for making the project successful.
Art teacher Phoebe Pepper, left, poses with Cote, Cascade Vice President Todd Shafer, art teacher Cheryl Wildermuth and a $1,000 donation.
Mayor Richard Alcombright glances at the students' work.
Drury High School students added 20 more paintings to the Cascade School Supplies front wall.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A second row of paintings created by Drury High School students were added to Cascade School Supplies' building this week.
"We are very, very proud to be hosting this mural in progress," said Peter Cote, president of Cascade, at a celebration on Wednesday. "Our vision was to improve the look of our 100-plus-year-old building and to fit into the emerging culture of our city, while incorporating the incredible talents of the students in the Drury art department."
The first row was installed last spring on the Brown Street side of the building.
Fourteen students from Cheryl Wildermuth's studio art class and seven students from Phoebe Pepper's advanced art class created the paintings that were recreation of masterpieces including "Sunflowers" by Van Gogh, "Blue Morning Glories" by Georgia O’Keefe and "Jacqueline with Flowers" by Picasso..
"Nobody wanted them to leave the building but they were already spoken for," Pepper joked.
But now outside of Drury High School the art is now exposed to the entire community — as well as the expected visitors who will park on and around Brown Street for this weekend's Solid Sound Festival.
This is the second year of the project. Pepper said the project began after Cote and vice president Todd Shafer approached Drury about adding art to the west side of the building. After bouncing some ideas around, the mural project was chosen.
Cascade also presented a $1,000 check to the art department and will donate art supplies of the department's desire.
Mayor Richard Alcombright thanked Cascade for the donation and its work in the community — including outside the art spectrum — and the students.
"At the end of the day this doesn't happen without the artists," Alcombright said.
Pepper said next year's plan is to finish the third of four rows with 24 more paintings. Cote said he hopes to include the Route 2 side of the building to add more visibility from the busy street and thinks the mural will one day be added to the walking tour route.
The art was installed by the Cascade staff with a lift borrowed from Waterman Excavating.
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Companion Corner Grey Boy at No Paws Left Behind
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — There's a cat No Paws Left Behind still waiting for his forever home.
iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home. He was previously highlighted but he now has new information.
Grey Boy is 10 years old and is a gray and white domestic shorthair and was previously highlighted on Companion Corner.
The shelter's Executive Director Noelle Howland introduced us to him and his long journey to be ready for adoption.
"He's been here a couple months. He was a transfer from a rescue in Bennington. They were out of space, so we had taken him in with a few other cats. So he's been here a couple months. He came in with what we believed was a respiratory infection," she said. "So it took us a little bit to get him ready, and then he also needed a dental. So he has nice, clean teeth. He had some teeth removed, and then he has to go back in and have one more dental. So he'll be all ready to go."
It was previously thought that he has feline herpes but he was recently diagnosed with a palette fracture because of how bad his dental disease was, which is what is causing his sneezing. He can now go home with cats, a cat-savvy dog and children.
"He has had two dentals since being with us. Due to the palate fracture he will be sneezy for the rest of his life, not contagious sneezing, but that doesn’t stop him from living a perfectly happy life. He should be on wet food with chunks due to this and since he has had many teeth removed," Howland said.
Grey Boy loves to play with toys and enjoy treats. He would also love to have a window to lounge or bird-watch in.
"He is not afraid of anything. He's very curious, so I'm sure he'd love if you have windows for him to look out of. He still plays, even though he's 10 it does not stop him. So any home would be a good fit for him."
Now that he is ready to be adopted, he is excited. When you walk into the room with him he will rub up against your leg introducing himself and asking to be pet.
"Usually, I would say, when you're walking, he'll bonk into you so he might catch you off guard a little bit. He constantly is rubbing against you," Howland said. "He really, I would say he's lazy when you want him to be, and he's active when you want him to be. He'll play with toys. He's usually lounging away. And then when he comes out he'll play. He loves it. So, very friendly, easy going cat."
He is now perfectly healthy with his dentals all done and veterinary care up to date and is ready to find his forever family.
"I would say the friendliest, easiest cat you could have. He's just, he's just gonna be a little sneezy sometimes, but that doesn't stop him from doing anything," she said.
Grey Boy's adoption fee is sponsored by Rooted in Balance Counseling LLC.
Cassidy Flynn scattered five hits in a complete-game effort in the circle as Lenox upset top-seeded Hoosac Valley, 3-2, in the quarter-finals of the Division 5 State Tournament. click for more
Brayden Durant struck out seven and walked one in a complete-game effort on the mound Saturday to pitch the Drury baseball team to a 6-0 win over Keefe Tech in the quarter-finals of the Division 5 State Tournament at Joe Wolfe Field. click for more