Cultural Pittsfield This Week: Oct. 7-13

10:24AM / Friday, October 07, 2016Print Story | Email Story

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October 7 - October 13, 2016

Friday, October 7 Is First Fridays Artswalk!

Enjoy over fifteen different art shows featuring work by more than 15 regional artists in Pittsfield's bustling Upstreet Cultural District during the First Fridays Artswalk and all month long!

In most venues, artists will be present from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, October 7.

Enjoy a free guided tour beginning at 5 p.m. at the Intermodal Center at 1 Columbus Ave.

There will be free, live music with John Davidson and Chad Tarves beginning at 6 p.m. at the BOOM Room at 137 North St.

The fun doesn't stop there! A free Afterwalk Party begins at 8 p.m. at the Whitney Center for the Arts at 42 Wendell Ave.

Click here for a First Fridays Artswalk Guide.

MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE

FRI+ Pittsfield City Jazz Festival

The 12th annual Pittsfield City Jazz Festival kicks off on Oct. 7 with Jazz About Town, comprising a jazz crawl and other events throughout Pittsfield's Upstreet Cultural District. The Festival runs Oct. 7-16, and features local and touring musicians, a jazz prodigy concert, and an exhibit by award-winning photojournalist Ken Franckling - Jazz In The Key Of Light at The Whit. The crawl continues Friday and Saturday evenings, and is capped by a jazz brunch on Sunday, Oct. 9. The full schedule for the festival, including details on the Jazz Prodigy concert (Oct. 13) and the headline weekend that features Scott Robinson (Oct. 14), Karrin Allyson, and the U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors big band (Oct. 15) can be found online.

Plus...

FRI Tango Milonga at The Funk Box Dance Studio | FRI Lady Di and The Dukes at Hotel on North | FRI Blue Light Trio at Rainbow | FRI The Riverside Brothers at Mission | SAT Liz Longley at The Colonial | SAT Natalia Bernal & Jason Ennis play Latin jazz at Mission | SAT Warren Sieme at Rainbow | SAT Circle of Stone at The A | SUN Johannes String Quartet & Richard Stoltzman at South Mountain Concerts | MON Games on North at Hotel on North | TUE Craft on North at Hotel on North | TUE Trivia Night at Rainbow | WED Gruppo Mondo at Rainbow | THU The Everly Brothers Experience at The Colonial | THU Nathan Farrell Jazz Concert at The Berkshire Athenaeum | THU Free Monthly Comedy Show at Dottie's

FAMILY FRIENDLY

MON The Raptor Project at Berkshire Carousel

The Raptor Project is an outstanding array of birds of prey - eagles, hawks, falcons and owls - displayed in a natural habitat. This exciting presentation and exhibit has won the attention and hearts of millions of people throughout the U.S. Showtimes at The Berkshire Carousel are at 1 & 3 p.m. Free.

Plus...

ONGOING The Berkshire Carousel

| FRI WeeMuse: Adventures at Berkshire Museum | SAT WeeMuse: Art Lab at Berkshire Museum | SUN Kids' Hip Hop 101 Class begins at Berkshire Yoga, Dance & Fitness | TUE WeeMuse: Littlest Learners at Berkshire Museum | WED WeeMuse: Parent/Child STEM at Berkshire Museum | THU Pre-school Play & Learn at Berkshire Athenaeum

WELLNESS

FRI Early Morning Cardio & Strength at BYDF

Join Shiobbean Lemme of the Berkshire Running Center at Berkshire Yoga, Dance & Fitness for an 8-class series held Monday and Friday mornings from 5-6 a.m. from Oct. 7-Oct. 31. $40 for the series or $10 to drop-in.

Plus...

TUE Chair Yoga at Berkshire Yoga, Dance & Fitness | THU Prenatal Yoga at Berkshire Yoga, Dance & Fitness

GET CREATIVE

SUN Paint A Leaf Lantern Fundraiser at The A

Paint Autumn Leaf Lanterns to raise funds for "Save our Shakespeare at Taconic" with Berkshire Paint & Sip at Tavern at The A from 2-4 p.m. Decorate two Mason jars for $35.

Plus...

FRI Paint "Pumpkin Patch" at The Dirty Brush | FRI Paint "October Moon" at Berkshire Paint & Sip | SAT Paint "Tea for Two" at The Dirty Brush | TUE+THU Paint Your Own Pottery at The Dirty Brush | TUE Craft on North at Hotel on North | WED Paint "Olive Branch" at The Dirty Brush

PERFORMANCE

NOW Camping with Henry & Tom at Barrington Stage

Barrington Stage Company presentsan exploration of friendship, politics and leadership - a comedic and dramatic clash of two great minds and one great heart of the 20th century inspired by an actual event. In 1921, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and President Warren G. Harding took a camping trip together into the Maryland woods to escape civilization; what they couldn't escape was each other. St. Boyd-Quinson Mainstage at 30 Union Street.

COMMUNITY

SAT Learner's Lab: Halloween Makeup at The Museum

Berkshire Museum presents Rachel Fedderly, who will teach the tricks of applying professional-quality spooky makeup, just in time for Halloween. The class is included with regular Museum admission. 10-11 a.m.

Seating is limited, so reservations are requested. Please call (413) 443.7171, ext. 360.

Plus...

SAT

Harvest Craft Fair at South Congregational Church |

SAT

Wings, Wheels, Warbirds at Pittsfield Municipal Airport |

SAT

Harvest Supper at Hancock Shaker Village | SAT Downtown Pittsfield Farmers Market |

TUE

Lunch Break on North at Hotel on North

LEARN

WED Public Art Process Workshop at The Lichtenstein

The UMass Arts Extension Service (AES) presents a free Introduction to the Public Art Process workshop. Public Art projects, whether they're free-standing works or community-engagement projects, are opportunities for Western Mass. artists to expand their vision, be paid to make art, build their portfolio, and have their work seen by a diverse audience within our region and beyond.

Open to artists of all mediums interested in creating public art projects, participants will receive an overview of the issues, skills needed, and steps required to create a competitive public art project application at the local and national level. 5:30-8 p.m. at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Ave.

Plus...

ONGOING

West African & Caribbean Drumming Classes at The Lichtenstein |

SAT

Intro to Sewing Workshop at Shire City Sanctuary |

SAT

Lyme Disease Treatment Options at Berkshire Athenaeum |

MON

The Process of Aging at Knesset Israel |

THU

Breast Cancer & The Jewish Community at Knesset Israel

FILM

The Salt of the Earth

at The Little Cinema

This film documents the life and work of photographer Sebastião Salgado, who has spent forty years documenting deprived societies in hidden corners of the world.

Click here for more information.

Plus...

ONGOING

See What's New at The Beacon Cinema

What's Showing at The Licht

Pittsfield's city-owned community arts center, the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, features nine working artist studios, a ceramics studio, a community room and an art gallery with changing exhibitions, classes, performances + more!

28 Renne Ave. | Wed-Sat, 11-4

The Visual Poetry of Suburban Pittsfield, oil on canvas paintings by artist Morris Bennett, will be on view October 7 through October 29 at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts.

Opening Reception during First Friday Artswalk: October 7 from 5-8 p.m.

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Pittsfield Affordable Housing Initiatives Shine Light, Hope

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
07:08AM / Saturday, December 20, 2025

Housing Secretary Edward Augustus cuts the ribbon at The First on Thursday with housing officials and Mayor Peter Marchetti, state Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The holidays are here and several community members are celebrating it with the opening of two affordable housing initiatives.

"This is a day to celebrate," Hearthway CEO Eileen Peltier said during the ribbon-cutting on Thursday.

The celebration was for nearly 40 supportive permanent housing units; nine at "The First" located within the Zion Lutheran Church, and 28 on West Housatonic Street. A ceremony was held in the new Housing Resource Center on First Street, which was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.

The apartments will be leased out by Hearthway, with ServiceNet as a partner.

Prior to the ribbon-cutting, public officials and community resource personnel were able to tour the two new permanent supported housing projects — West Housatonic Apartments and The First Street Apartments and Housing Resource Center.

The First Street location has nine studio apartments that are about 300 square feet and has a large community center. The West Housatonic Street location will have 28 studio units that range between 300 to 350 square feet. All units can be adapted to be ADA accessible.

The West Housatonic location is still under construction with the hope to have it completed by the middle of January, said Chris Wilett, Hearthway development associate.

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