Health, Hope and Healing Around the Holidays Health Programs at Fairview Hospital

04:10PM / Sunday, November 19, 2023Print Story | Email Story

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Fairview Hospital and Berkshire Health Systems will offer "Health, Hope and Healing Around the Holidays," a series of free health programs to support our community during the holiday season.

The program is offered as part of the Berkshire Health Systems role as healthcare partner and community advocate for improving the region's overall quality of life.

Programs include:

Approaching the Holidays with Better Health in Mind: Nov. 28 4:00 -5:00 p.m. The holidays can be a slippery slope when it comes to staying healthy and avoiding the overindulgence that accompanies the season. Emotions, stress and even exhaustion can lead us to let down our guard. Join Fairview nutritionist Meg McGonagle,RD, for a discussion about common challenges and smart strategies for approaching holiday eating and drinking events, common triggers, and getting back on track when you slip, in order to enter the new year on a healthy note.

Finding Joy - Nov. 30 10:30-11:30 a.m. There really is both physical and mental health benefits associated with laughter, fun and joyful activities. During the holidays, it is especially important to find joy, even if there are moments of loneliness or sadness. BHS Director of Wellness, Maureen Daniels, M.Ed, will lead a discussion over a morning cup of tea. Together, we will explore what brings you joy and create a plan for adding more joy into your life by recognizing the power of simple, small moments that bring joy if we see them.

Coping with the Holidays: Dec. 5 2:00-3:00 p.m. Traditions and celebrations can spark feelings of loss or sadness for many people during the holiday season. Tricia Lewis, LICSW, a health counselor with BMC Healthworks, a member of BHS' Employee Assistance Program, will discuss the importance of recognizing and accepting these feelings and explore ways to navigate this sometimes very difficult time of year.

Resolutions: A NEW You or a BETTER You? Dec. 7, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. It's the time of year we often commit to new goals only to find ourselves with a sense of failure just a few weeks into the new year. To prepare for successful resolutions in the coming year, join Rich Berry, RN, Coordinator of Fairview Hospital's Life Enhancement Program, to learn how to set goals and helpful tips and strategies, and how to restart if you get off track.

Trees of Light, Dec. 12 4:00 - 4:30 p.m. It's the season of light, and no matter what your tradition is or is not, lights are everywhere. We welcome the community as we light a new installation of year-round lighting at Fairview Hospital. Charles Redd, Officer of DEI and author of Berkshire Health Systems' Dignity Posts, hosts this celebration of the lighting and shares his reflection on dignity and light as we turn on the lights of care at Fairview Hospital.

Coping with Cancer During the Holidays: Thursday, Dec. 14, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to facing cancer during the holidays. Join Sue Budz, LICSW, OSW-C, and Shannon Wellauer, RN, OCN of the Phelps Cancer Center for a conversation about how to cope with having cancer or how to care for a loved one with cancer, during the holidays. Learn tips and strategies for planning, prioritizing, and taking care of yourself and others during this holiday season. Most importantly, understand that you are not alone on this journey with the region's trusted cancer caregivers.

Reservations are accepted but not required. For more information, call Fairview Hospital Community Relations at (413) 854-9609.

Tags: BHS,

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Berkshire Art Center Announces Fall 2026 Classes & Workshops

07:51AM / Saturday, August 29, 2026

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Berkshire Art Center (BAC) invites artists of all ages and experience levels to participate in lineup of Fall 2026 classes and workshops.

With programs offered at Citizens' Hall in Stockbridge as well as partner locations including Berkshire Music School, WANDER Berkshires, and the Mass Audubon's Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, BAC's fall season celebrates creativity through ceramics, painting, drawing, printmaking, mixed media, photography, and more.

Ceramics students will find opportunities to develop their skills this fall. Faculty Artist Paula Shalan returns with Tableware: Creating with Soft Slabs, where students create functional pottery such as mugs, tumblers, and bowls, as well as Cut, Add, and Stretch: Creating with Soft Slabs, which explores more contemporary approaches to handbuilding. Jess Cropper-Alt teaches Timeless & Tactile: Handbuilding Traditions, while Donna Bernstein leads Wheel Throwing for All, an all-levels course featuring demonstrations, individualized instruction, and ample studio time.

For those looking to try clay for the first time, Lorimer Burns offers Try Your Hand at the Pottery Wheel, a welcoming two-hour introduction to wheel throwing. BAC also offers fun, social workshops including Wall Pocket Party, perfect for beginners, friends, couples, and families with children ages 10 and up, and Pottery Night: Beer Stein Social, an evening of creativity and community where participants craft their own handmade ceramic beer stein.

Mixed media and printmaking enthusiasts will find an inspiring variety of offerings throughout the season. Jody King Camarra teaches Color Theory Through Collage, Print Lab: Collagraph, Drypoint & Relief, Working in a Series: Creating Cohesive Collages, Monoprint Magic, and concludes the season with the festive workshop Handmade Holidays: Winter Layers in Gel Plate Printmaking.

Additional printmaking opportunities include Eco-Printing: Basics and Beyond with Mallorey Caron, where students create beautiful botanical prints using real flowers and leaves, Gelatin Plate Printmaking with Johanna Merfeld, an introduction to playful experimentation with layering, texture, stencils, and image transfers, and Image Transfers & Mixed Media, where Diane Firtell shares versatile techniques that can stand alone or enhance existing artwork.

Photographers can celebrate autumn alongside Thad Kubis, whose seasonal workshops include Photography of Daniel Chester French's Studio at Chesterwood in Stockbridge and Photographing Fall Colors in the Berkshires at Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary in Pittsfield.

Painters and drawing enthusiasts will discover classes ranging from foundational techniques to expressive exploration. Jill McLean returns with Watercolor Foundations and Watercolor Landscapes at Berkshire Music School, along with shorter, 1-day workshops including Berkshire Polaroids in Watercolor and Handmade Holidays: Watercolor Bookmarks.

Wednesday Nelena Sorokin offers Creative Writing & Abstraction, where students use stream-of-consciousness writing to inspire expressive abstract paintings, along with Painting Basics, Two-Dimensional Composition Workshop, and the popular Abstract Painting: Color, Design and Spirit. Artists looking for a relaxed, supportive studio environment can also enjoy the return of Friday Painting Studio, featuring a new and more accessible tuition rate and experienced facilitators who provide encouragement, feedback, and creative community while participants work on independent projects.

BAC's monthly workshop series at WANDER Berkshires in Pittsfield also continues this fall. Held on the second Saturday of each month, these welcoming two-hour sessions invite participants to sketch, paint, journal, and experiment in a relaxed community setting—no long-term commitment required. The series begins September 12 with Commonplace Visual Journaling led by Kaily Ritz, followed by Mini Nature Assemblage Boxes with Johanna Merfeld on October 10, Indoor Urban Sketching with Jill McLean on November 14, and concludes December 12 with Watercolor Reset for the New Year, led by BAC Executive Director Laura Thompson.

For a complete schedule of classes and workshops or to register, visit www.berkshireartcenter.org/classes.

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