Berkshires Beat: Chesterwood Installation, Louison House Help
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Remember this: Chesterwood is hosting a site-specific installation by New York conceptual artist Marko Remec, currently on view in the Studio Field through Oct. 2.
The work, titled "Remember What (Field Totem)," is the latest in Remec's "Totem Series" and is a reconfiguration of a portion of his installation "Can’t Hear You (Fat Totem)," which was exhibited at Mass MoCA in North Adams from June 15, 2013, to June 19, 2016. The installation features 128, 32-inch dome mirrors arrayed in the pattern of a chessboard gone awry. Each mirror reflects 180-degree views of Chesterwood's lush landscape along with fleeting views of those observing the work.
In part, the installation addresses Chesterwood’s history, said Remec. Chess, a "war game," references Abraham Lincoln, the president, as well as Daniel Chester French's iconic sculpture of the seated figure of Abraham Lincoln (1911-22) for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Remec is a conceptual sculptor living and working in New York City with his wife and two children. Born in 1958, Remec graduated with degrees in Studio Art and Chemistry from Williams College and earned his MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. His most recent work uses wry yet playful wit to examine systems of power and how they affect our perceptions and realities.
Help wanted: After a fire at the Adams Louison House shelter in June, residents have now moved into the Flood House, 149 Church Street, North Adams. There is much needed for the next few months while necessary repairs and renovations are completed at the shelter in Adams.
These are some of the current needs for 149 Church St. location:
· Help moving furniture and supplies this week from the Adams location and donations from Pittsfield and North Adams. Trucks are especially needed to move beds, desks and other furniture.
· Help cleaning upstairs rug and setting up new area for women’s dorm
· Help creating a nice outside place for residents with cleaning and repairs to existing outside furniture.
· Grill in good shape that can serve for up to 22 people.
· Area rugs of various sizes; towels (bath, hand, washcloths, dish towels and dish cloths); freezer for food storage; fans (for any and all rooms); lamps, especially standing lamps to put in rooms with limited or no overhead lights; end tables, matching set for common living room and some for bedrooms to put lamps on; refrigerators, energy efficient, one regular size and one smaller one; dishwasher.
· Big Y gift cards for food
· Monetary donations to help with costs such as setting up phone, internet and cable at new house.
To assist in these efforts, please contact Louison House staff at 413-663-6323.
Ride it: A free shuttle service will be offered again this year for people attending the Live on the Lake Concert Series on Wednesday evenings at Onota Lake in Pittsfield, sponsored by Greylock Federal Credit Union and Live 95.9.
Participants may park at Taconic High School's parking lot. Shuttle service begins at 5 p.m. and continues throughout the evening.
The Pittsfield Police Department would like to remind those who attend that alcohol is not permitted at Burbank Park during these concerts and no parking is allowed on Lakeway Drive Extension (located off Pecks Road). The Pittsfield Police Department will be on patrol during these shows and parking violations will be cited.
Playing around: Pittsfield's Summer Parks Playground Program is in operation now through Aug. 19. The program's hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; playground leaders are stationed at Clapp Park, Deming Park and The Common in the city.
The Summer Playground Program offers a variety of recreation activities to children ages 6 to 13 at no cost. Playground leaders create safe, supervised and fun-filled environments with activities including sports, games, arts and crafts, and nature activities. The program is designed to provide "drop-in" activities for children and is not a substitute for day camp or child care.
In addition to the activities, the program helps to foster self-esteem, friendships and provides participants with positive and caring role models. For more information, contact Becky Manship, Recreation Activities Coordinator, at 413-499-9370.
Write on: Berkshire Festival of Women Writers presents a four-day writing workshop, Aug. 1-4, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Bard College at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington, led by experienced authors and educators Jennifer Browdy and Jana Laiz.
In this intensive, hands-on writing workshop, participants will be guided to turn their passions—whether it’s the environment, food, fashion, humor, politics, health issues, women’s issues or parenting—into powerful, hard-hitting prose. Over the course of the four-day workshop, each workshop participant will hone her message, target her audience, and explore different genres and publishing or media platforms.
Tuition is $350; register at berkshirewomenwriters.org or email info@berkshirewomenwriters.org.
