Artscape Pittsfield Calling Artists for 2022 Mural Project

PITTSFIELD, Mass. —  Artscape Pittsfield will oversee a new mural project in the city in the early Fall of 2022 and is looking for artists for the project. 

The call is open to all US-based artists. Artists from the Berkshires are strongly encouraged to apply.

Artists will be responsible for providing all their materials required, including paint, to complete their design. Proposals should be submitted by September 9th 2022. 

If traveling from out of the area, transportation and housing is at the artist’s expense. The mural will be located in a prime, highly visible location in Downtown Pittsfield at street level.

Mural Specifications are 11'4" height x 12'11" width. Scaffolding and/or tall ladders will be needed if covering the entire vertical area. 

Candidates must be professional artists, designers, or fabricators or partnered with professional artists, designers, or fabricators; eligible to work in the United States; and age 18 and older. The artist must be available to oversee the installation of the mural.

Color sketch of proposal, sample of previous work should be provided. The total budget for the mural is $5,000

Proposals will be reviewed by a jury comprised of Artscape and other project stakeholders who may include building owners, renters, funding donors, and other community members.

Timeline:

? RFP Published: 8/12/22

? RFQ Deadline: 9/2/22

? Selected Artists Notified: 9/16/22

? Project Deadline: 11/1/22

Artscape is a volunteer-led committee that sponsors, plans and oversees annual juried exhibitions of public art in Pittsfield. Artscape’s mission is to enhance the overall character of the city’s downtown and attract visitors by installing and promoting works of art in various accessible outdoor locations throughout Pittsfield’s Upstreet Cultural District.

Current Artscape initiatives on display include murals, paintboxes and sculptures. The Artscape walking tour is an outdoor gallery that changes each year. Come experience Pittsfield through its artists and their works.

This mural is generously sponsored by Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. If you would like to sponsor an Artscape project please let us know at artscapepittsfieldma@gmail.com.

Pittsfield Council Gives Preliminary OK to $82M School Budget

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:31PM / Thursday, May 23, 2024

State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, with Superintendent Joseph Curtis, says the Student Opportunity Act if fully funded this year. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council left no stone unturned as it took four hours to preliminarily approve the school budget on Monday. At $82,885,277, the fiscal year 2025 spending plan is a $4,797,262 — or 6.14 percent — increase from this year.

It was a divisive vote, passing 6-4 with one councilor absent, and survived two proposals for significant cuts.  

"I think we have fiduciary responsibility to the citizens of Pittsfield and to have a budget that is responsible, taking into consideration the huge increase in taxes that it had the last couple of years, the last year in particular," said Councilor at Large Kathy Amuso, a former School Committee chair, who unsuccessfully motioned for a $730,000 reduction.

Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren responded with a motion for a $250,000 cut, which failed 5-5.  

The Pittsfield Public School budget is balanced by $1.5 million in cuts and includes about 50 full-time equivalent reductions in staff — about 40 due to the sunsetting of federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds. With 27 FTE staff additions, there is a net reduction of nearly 23 FTEs.

This plan does not come close to meeting the needs that were expressed throughout the seven-month budget process, Superintendent Joseph Curtis explained, but was brought forward in partnership with all city departments recognizing that each must make sacrifices in financial stewardship.

"With humility, I address the council tonight firmly believing that the budget we unveiled was crafted admits very difficult decisions, struggles, along with some transformative changes," he said.

"It is still important though that it did not even come close to accommodating the urgent requests we received throughout the entire budget process."