Cultural Pittsfield This Week: April 24-30

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Office of Cultural Development | City of Pittsfield
 
 

Friday: Bird Walks at Canoe Meadows

 

Look for migrants of all kinds, especially the beautiful wood-warblers. Walk past wetlands and meadows and through woodlands observing changes in bird species each week. Preregistration is not required. Bring binoculars; beginners welcome.

 

Friday, April 24 | 8am-10am | Canoe Meadows | Holmes Road | 413-637-0320| FREE Members; $3 Non-members 

Friday-Sunday: Sleepwear and Jewelry Sale at The Outlet at Pine Cone Hill

 

Customers can take an additional 50% off exceptional discontinued pajamas and loungewear, including both long sleeve and sleeveless pajama sets, bamboo and cotton blended loungewear, and the ever popular Sheepy Fleece tops and pants.  As an extra treat, The Outlet is also hosting an in-store jewelry clearance sale on Saturday and Sunday. Local silver and costume jewelry wholesaler Saraswati Imports will be selling earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and more at clearance prices.  

   

Friday-Sunday, April 24-26 | 10am-4pm |The Outlet at Pine Cone Hill | 413-629-2314 | 125 Pecks Road | FREE

Friday: WeeMuse Adventures at Berkshire Museum

 

Little ones can explore the Aquarium and three Museum galleries! Each week features songs, stories, scavenger hunts, play time, and more. Check our weekly e-news for each week's theme. This program is geared towards children 18 months to 3 years. Older and younger siblings are always welcome!

 

Friday, April 24 | 11am-11:30am |Berkshire Museum | 39 South Street | 413-443-7171 | FREE with Museum admission

Friday & Saturday: Sleeping Beauty at Berkshire Museum

 

The talented young performers of Berkshire Children's Theater present a family-friendly musical version of the classic tale Sleeping Beauty, adapted by and directed by Kara Demler.

 

Friday & Saturday, April 24-25 | 11am & 2pm | Berkshire Museum | 39 South Street | 413-443-7171 | $15 adult, $8 child or $5 for adult Museum member, $3 for Child Museum member

Friday: Berkshire Paint and Sip Fundraiser

 

Friday features the red poppies painting.  All painting materials and light snack included for this 2 hour painting.  BYOB. Proceeds will benefit Berkshire Healthcare's Mount Greylock activities department.

 

Friday, April 24 | 6pm-8pm | Mount Greylock Extended Care | 1000 North Street | 413-205-8346 | $30

Friday: Berkshire Community College Spring Concert a BCC's Robert Boland Theatre

 

BCC Chorale, Jazz Ensemble, soloists, original compositions, the cast of The Addams Family, the Berkshire Chamber Players, and the announcement of our award recipients! Free, open to the public, FORUM credit available!

 

Friday, April 24 | 7pm| Berkshire Community College |  1350 West Street | 413-442-1562 | FREE

Friday-Monday: Mr.Turner at The Little Cinema

 

Mr. Turner explores the last quarter century of the great if eccentric British painter J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851). Profoundly affected by the death of his father, loved by a housekeeper he takes for granted and occasionally exploits sexually, he forms a close relationship with a seaside landlady with whom he eventually lives incognito in Chelsea, where he dies. Throughout this, he travels, paints, stays with the country aristocracy, visits brothels, is a popular if anarchic member of the Royal Academy of Arts, has himself strapped to the mast of a ship so that he can paint a snowstorm, and is both celebrated and reviled by the public and by royalty.

 

Friday-Monday, April 24-27 | Fri-Mon 7pm, Sun & Mon 1:30pm | Berkshire Museum | Little Cinema | 39 South Street |413-443-717| $5 Museum Members, $7.50 Museum Non Members

Saturday & Sunday: Ragamuffin Workshop at Shire City Sanctuary

 

Ragamuffins are soft, stuffed sculptures made from recycled wool sweaters and were the product that launched Crispina Designs, Inc back in 1987. Learn the process and hand sewing technique to create Dinos, Dollys and Potbelly Ragamuffins. Full days of cutting, folding, rolling and hand sewing that is sure to inspire new ways of seeing stuffed toys and will get you a couple of finished pieces to take home along with a head full of knowledge and inspiration. We supply a hearty collection of recycled materials and hand tools. No experience necessary. Bring an open mind, a yummy bag lunch and your favorite pair of cutting scissors (if you have them).

 

Saturday & Sunday, April 25 & 26 | 10am-4:30pm | Shire City Sanctuary | 40 Melville Street | 413-320-4175 | $195 per day, $350/weekend

Saturday: OLLI Presents A Taste of Korea

  

Join the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) for a varied introduction to Korean culture at Berkshire Community College. You'll enjoy an authentic Korean luncheon, the re-enactment of a traditional Korean marriage ceremony, and films about Korean culture and business. Seats are limited and advance registration is required. To register call 413-236-2190 or email olli@berkshirecc.edu.

 

Saturday, April 25 | 11am | Berkshire Community College |  1350 West Street | 413-442-1562 | $15 for OLLI members, BCC students and staff, and youth 17 years old and under; $20 general public.

Saturday: Kitchen Ka-Boom! at Berkshire Museum

 

Pretend to be a scientist and perform crazy, fun experiments using common household ingredients. Seating is limited, so reservations are requested; call 413.443.7171 ext. 360 to register. Unclaimed reservations will be released 5 minutes before the start of the session and filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

Saturday, April 25 | 11am-12pm |Berkshire Museum | 39 South Street | 413-443-7171 | FREE with Museum admission

 

The Pittsfield Family YMCA and the Northern Berkshire YMCA are celebrating Healthy Kids Day with a free community event for kids and families in the surrounding area. More than 1,900 Ys across the country are taking part in the celebration, meant to kick start physical activity and learning throughout the summer - a critical out-of-school time for kids. Activities include Family Zumba®, family fitness classes, and parachute games. Guido's, Bagels Too and Ayelada Yogurt will also be present with samples. Activities also include bike safety tips from Berkshire Bike & Board, vision screenings from the Lions Club of Pittsfield, blood pressure screenings from Berkshire Health Systems and informational tables from Operation Better Start and Hillcrest Dental Care. Donations will be accepted for Hope Baskets to support those who live in a local transitional home.

 

Saturday, April 25 | 12pm-3pm | Pittsfield Family YMCA | 292 North Street | 413-499-7650×12 | FREE

 

Saturday: The Met Live in HD at the Beacon

 

Opera's most enduring tragic double bill returns in an evocative new production from Sir David McVicar, who sets the action across two time periods but in the same Sicilian village. Marcelo Álvarez rises to the challenge of playing the dual tenor roles of Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana and Canio in Pagliacci. Rae Smith (War Horse) has designed the moodily atmospheric 1900 village square setting of Cavalleria, which transforms to a 1948 truck stop for the doomed vaudeville troupe of Pagliacci. Eva-Maria Westbroek (Cav) and Patricia Racette (Pag) sing the unlucky heroines, and Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi is on the podium.

 

Saturday, April 2512:30pm | The Beacon Cinema | 57 North Street | 413-358-4780 | $25

Saturday: Sondheim Trilogy- Part One at the Whitney

 

This is the cabaret series with Samantha Talora and Ron Ramsay. Seating begins at 6:45pm, the performance begins at 7:30pm. Appetizers and beverages are available to order. Make your reservations now by emailing Tix@theWhit.org.

 

Saturday, April 25 | 7:30pm | Whitney Center For The Arts | 42 Wendell Ave| $20

 

Barnes & Noble welcomes local author Gabriel
Squailia. His book Dead Boys is an ambitious debut novel that mixes the fantastic with the philosophical, a compelling work of weird fiction, recalling the novels of Neil Gaiman and China Mieville.

 

Saturday, April 25 | 2pm | Barnes & Noble | 555 Hubbard Ave | 413-496-9051 | FREE

Saturday: Ralphie May at The Colonial Theatre

 

Ever since Ralphie May made his comedic debut on season one of Last Comic Standing, audiences can't get enough of the larger than life comedian. Voted one of Variety's "10 Comics to Watch," May's record-setting comedy specials and repeated sold out tours prove that his relatable comedic genius is in higher demand than ever. On February 27th, Ralphie May released his first Netflix special, Unruly.   May doesn't shy away from touchy topics, nor does he bite his tongue when society suggests he believes that as long as what he's saying is true, people need to hear it. 

 

Saturday, April 25 | 8pm | The Colonial Theatre| 111 South Street | 413-997-4444 | $35, $45

 

Saturday: Bandit Returns to the A- Shredneck Party!

 

Over 300 people danced their boots off the last time....get there early and don't miss a minute of a rowdy good time! +21

 

Saturday, April 25 | 10pm-1am | Fairways at the A | 303 Crane Ave | 413-442-3585| $5

Sunday: A Will for the Woods at Berkshire Museum

 

What if our last act could be a gift to the planet? Determined that his final resting place will benefit the earth, musician, psychiatrist, and folk dancer Clark Wang prepares for his own green burial while battling lymphoma. The spirited Clark and his partner Jane, boldly facing his mortality, embrace the planning of a spiritually meaningful funeral and join with a compassionate local cemetarian to use green burial to save a North Carolina woods from being clear-cut. With poignancy and unexpected humor, A Will for the Woods portrays the last days of a multifaceted advocate - and one community's role in the genesis of a revolutionary movement. As the film follows Clark's dream of leaving a legacy in harmony with timeless cycles, environmentalism takes on a profound intimacy.  A Q&A session with the directors will follow the screening. Presented in collaboration with Green Burial Massachusetts.

 

Sunday, April 26 | 1:30pm-3:30pm |The Little Cinema | Berkshire Museum | 39 South Street | 413-443-7171 | $5 Museum members, $10 Non-members

Sunday: Town Players of Pittsfield Readings at the Whitney

 

Town Players of Pittsfield will present a reading of "Ariadne" by Richard Matturro, "Chocolate" by Frederick Stroppel and "Wedding Duet" by Lauren Wilson.Richard Matturro will read his own work, "Ariadne", about a strange journey through a labyrinth, which is from his new collection, "Porch of the Maidens".The other two staged readings will be directed by Denise Roller. "Chocolate" depicts a detective investigating the disappearance of a husband and "Wedding Duet" is about a newly married couple on their way to crossing the threshold when it all comes to a screeching halt. The cast includes Kevin Paul Wixsom and Amy Drown

Sunday, April 26 | 2pm | Whitney Center For The Arts | 42 Wendell Ave| $5

Sunday: Fundraiser To Fight Ebola at Fairways

 

Event to raise money to fight Ebola. Featuring food, raffles, powerpoint presentation and t-shirt sale. Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), an organization which is on the ground in West Africa helping to stop the spread of this terrible and deadly illness.

 

Sunday, April 26 | 2pm-7pm | Fairways at the A | 303 Crane Ave | 413-446-9563 | $20 

Sunday: Pop-Up Shakespeare: The Tempest at The Whitney

 

Pittsfield Shakespeare in the Park presents the second in its monthly series of readings throughout the city. THE TEMPEST is Shakespeare's final play, a "romance" which takes place on a magical island inhabited by spirits and monsters and two humans, castoffs from society: a wizard and his island-bred daughter. THE TEMPEST is the story of the old man's revenge...or forgiveness. Featuring Dennis Krausnick as Prospero; Chris Brophy as Caliban
and Doug Seldin as Ariel.   

 

Sunday, April 26 | 7pm | Whitney Center For The Arts | 42 Wendell Ave | $5 Suggested Donation 

Monday: Federation Program  Seth Brown on "How I Spent My 20s Rhyming the Torah" at Congregation Knesset Israel

 

The Jewish Federation presents "How I Spent My 20s Rhyming the Torah" with Seth Brown on 'From G-d to Verse.' Brown will discuss the complete journey of this immense project, a line-by-line translation of the Torah into rhyming couplets, from his background before embarking on the task, to the decade he spent writing the book, to his thoughts on the text now that it is complete.  Brown's childhood gave him experience in Judaism and, especially, in poetry.

 

Monday, April 27 | 1pm-2:30pm | Congregation Knesset Israel | 16 Colt Road | 413-445-4872 | $3

Tuesday: Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser at Fairways

 

The practical Nurses Association of Mildred-Elley is holding a Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser. It will be held at the Fairways at the A, with dinner from 4pm - 8pm. For more information and to purchase tickets, please contact Leslie Potter at (413) 443-7478 or Gabby Williamson at (413) 441-7647. All the money raised from the dinner will assist all members of the Practical Nurses Association with their Pinning Ceremonies.  

 

Tuesday, April 28 | 4pm-8pm | Fairways at the A | 303 Crane Ave | 413-442-3585 | $12 adults, $10 seniors, $8 children 10 & under

Wednesday: Talking Arts @ The Whit

 

Whitney Center for the Arts in the Cultural Pittsfield 's Upstreet Cultural District, is pleased to announce its monthly panel discussion, "Talking Arts" The subject of this talk is: "Primitive, Self-Taught, and Outsider Art, an Inquiry." This discussion marks the conclusion of a show on the same subject. Join us for an Interactive discussion with Ute Stebich, Paul Graubard, and David Eddy, moderated by Lauren Clark of Lauren Clark Fine ArtThe panelists are Ute Stebich who is a well-known collector of Haitian and Outsider art, David Eddy, and Paul Graubard who are widely exhibited self-taught artists. 

 

Wednesday, April 29 | 6pm | Whitney Center For The Arts | 413-443-0289 | 42 Wendell Ave| FREE

Thursday: Play and Learn with Jenn at Berkshire Athenaeum

 

Come hear stories, sing songs and play some games! For ages 1 1/2 - 5. No registration required. Children under age 10 must be accompanied by an adult, age 18 or older, at all times.

 

Thursday, April 30 | 10am | Berkshire Athenaeum | One Wendell Ave | 413-499-9480 | FREE

Calling Young Poets and Spoken Word Artists!

 

WordXWord, in partnership with The Hub, is forming a poetry/spoken word group (team) for young voices, ages 14 - 19. The group will offer a supportive environment and a commitment to fostering the voices of the next generation of poets and change makers with writing, bonding and performance opportunities for young people to explore the power of language.

Participants will attend weekly, peer-driven meetings, May - August, to write, share, explore, bond, collaborate, and celebrate. In an accepting, supporting environment, team members will develop individual and group pieces for a feature program during the WordXWord Festival in August.  Click here for more information.  

 

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

MassDOT Project Will Affect Traffic Near BMC

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Prepare for traffic impacts around Berkshire Medical Center through May for a state Department of Transportation project to improve situations and intersections on North Street and First Street.

Because of this, traffic will be reduced to one lane of travel on First Street (U.S. Route 7) and North Street between Burbank Street and Abbott Street from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday through at least May 6.

BMC and Medical Arts Complex parking areas remain open and detours may be in place at certain times. The city will provide additional updates on changes to traffic patterns in the area as construction progresses.

The project has been a few years in the making, with a public hearing dating back to 2021. It aims to increase safety for all modes of transportation and improve intersection operation.

It consists of intersection widening and signalization improvements at First and Tyler streets, the conversion of North Street between Tyler and Stoddard Avenue to serve one-way southbound traffic only, intersection improvements at Charles Street and North Street, intersection improvements at Springside Avenue and North Street, and the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of First Street, North Street, Stoddard Avenue, and the Berkshire Medical Center entrance.

Work also includes the construction of 5-foot bike lanes and 5-foot sidewalks with ADA-compliant curb ramps.  

Last year, the City Council approved multiple orders for the state project: five orders of takings for intersection and signal improvements at First Street and North Street. 

The total amount identified for permanent and temporary takings is $397,200, with $200,000 allocated by the council and the additional monies coming from carryover Chapter 90 funding. The state Transportation Improvement Plan is paying for the project and the city is responsible for 20 percent of the design cost and rights-of-way takings.

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