North Adams Notes

By Mark E. Rondeau12:00AM / Friday, June 06, 2003Print Story | Email Story

At a recent meeting someone noted that people work very hard to present First Friday in North Adams, but the attendance often could be better. I went to First Friday last month and found the events to be interesting and fun. So in a bit of naked boosterism, here are several announcements of events coming up this Friday. You are urged to attend. See you downtown! First Friday evening performance at Papyri Books: Warren Phinney, singer, guitarist, songwriter and poet, will be performing from 7 until 8 p.m. at Papyri Books in downtown North Adams on Friday, April 4. His repertoire features rock-inflected renditions of anonymous traditional classics, a style he calls "hard folk," plus his own roots-based songs and the odd beat-inspired spoken-word piece. Phinney began gigging in earnest in the early '70s when he co-founded the wildly experimental Berkshire rock band Stony Ledge. Since that time he has lived and performed in the San Francisco Bay Area, Germany, and the Virginia Blue Ridge, where he fronted the Timber Rattlers and played in acoustic duo Lean & Mean. The performance will be followed by an open Acoustic Song Swap, from 8 until 10 p.m.; all are welcome to participate or attend. The evening event will take place as part of the North Adams downtown First Friday event, this month featuring First Friday in Paris with various art, music, food and other enticements. Art exhibit opens at on First Friday: Artist Wanda Zenger will be displaying her work at Papyri Books on Main Street, North Adams, throughout the month of April. The exhibit will open as part of the newly instituted Art Walk, part of the First Friday events in downtown North Adams, with a reception and refreshments on Friday, April 4, from 7-9 p.m. Zenger is an experienced artist who has studied art in the USA and Europe. In New York City she studied painting with Richard Pousette-Dart. Wanda has recently moved to the Berkshires from California where she exhibited her work extensively. Most of her paintings are beautiful geometric abstractions. You can also find delicate found objects incorporated into her colorful paintings. Art opening, writers' & artists' gathering, at Inkberry on April's First Friday: On Friday, April 4, First Friday festivities will include a special artists' and writers' gathering at Inkberry, co-hosted by the Contemporary Artists Center and Images Cinema. The gathering will be from 8-10 p.m., and is open to all writers and artists; a donation of $3 is requested to help cover the cost of refreshments. "Do you keep hearing about that burgeoning arts community in North Adams, but don't know where to find it? You're not alone - or at least you won't be, very soon," says Inkberry artistic director Emily Banner. The gathering will be an informal evening of food and drink and conversation. Meet other area artists and writers, exchange ideas, brainstorm about projects and collaborations, and justify all that "North Adams art scene" buzz. Inkberry will also be a part of the First Friday Art Walk; at 7 p.m. they will host an opening for Gabrielle Senza's "Between the Lines," an exhibition of two- and three-dimensional works which include text. Senza's work addresses the ambiguous lines between visibility/invisibility, trust/betrayal, pride/shame and freedom/oppression. Much of Senza's artwork focuses on the sense of isolation and shame experienced by subjects of incest, rape and domestic violence. By breaking silence about her own experiences and originating community-based audience-participatory art collaborations, Senza continues to create opportunities for participants to share their stories. "Between the Lines" will feature several of Senza's recent drawings and sculptural works, as well as a traveling work-in-progress known as "The Collaborative Scroll: From Isolation to Community," on which visitors are invited to share their own thoughts, experiences or observations on the physical, emotional and social traumas experienced by so many in today's society. Senza was awarded a 2002 Public Interest Grant from the Puffin Foundation for her work with "The Collaborative Scroll." Senza has exhibited widely throughout the United States, Cuba, and Europe. Her work is in several public collections, including The Whitney Museum of American Art, MoMA-New York, and others, as well as several private collections around the world. "Between the Lines" will be on display at Inkberry through April. Learn more by calling 664-0775, or visit Inkberry online at www.inkberry.org. Contemporary Artists Center announces April ArtWalk: The Contemporary Artists Center (CAC) announces the opening of its third ArtWalk, in conjunction with Downtown North Adams' First Friday event on April 4, 7-9 p.m. The ArtWalk pairs local artists with local businesses to create a new context for art to be seen and enjoyed. The artwork will remain on view until the end of April. Artists who are participating were asked to explore the theme "Between the Lines" when making and selecting artwork to be included. The organizers of the event chose the theme because it is broad and can be widely interpreted, but can also be explored in more specific ways. The artist/store pairs are as follows. o Wanda Zenger will show new paintings at Papyri Books. o Victoria Cabrera and Adam Radelski will present new paintings at Everything Art. Cabrera will hang a fragment of a fifty-panel work-in-progress. She describes them as paintings that depict oddly beautiful moments in still spaces that serve as a pause in the structured pace of everyday life. Radelski paintings are meditations on group mechanics and the role of the individual in the flow of history. Both artists are recent graduates from the Minneapolis College of Art & Design. o Gabrielle Senza will show text-based two and three-dimensional works at Inkberry. o Josh Pisano will exhibit new watercolor paintings at Galadriel's. Pisano is a North Adams resident and is also the drummer for the band, The Flying Garbanzos. o Amy Lapidow is a book artist and will present work at Stonewood Artisans. Lapidow is interested in historical structures and combines traditional book-making techniques with modern materials. Lapidow graduated from the bookbinding program at the North Bennet Street School in Boston. o Mikael Petraccia will be showing etchings, aquatints, and charcoal prints on Japanese paper at Joga. Petraccia chooses everyday objects such as lamps or ceiling fixtures to explore how an object's visual qualities can convey meaning. He expresses an interest in objects we use everyday but hardly notice except in passing. o Megan Hack will be presenting new painted works at Skiddoo. Hack, a recent BFA graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design, makes large and small-scale works that depict the ups and downs of life on the couch. Skiddoo will also be the host of a one-night-only video projection by David Lachman. Lachman's current work ranges from drawing and painting, to video and installation. He explores the tensions and consequences that arise as we perceive, misperceive, and negotiate our external and internal worlds. His projection will be shown on the window of Skiddoo. o Erin McKenny's work will be shown at The Market. McKenny's work investigates whether or not language has a place in the natural world. She expresses a specific interest in the line between indoors and outdoors. McKenny currently lives in Bennington, Vermont and works at Bennington College. She will be a resident at the Vermont Studio Center, in Johnson, Vermont in May. o Laura Christensen will present small-scale sculptures at Eziba. Like many poems and fairy tales, Christensen's sculptures evoke complex allegories. Subjects include death, longing and memory, as well as social perceptions, photography, collage, and illusion. Her work incorporates antique studio portraits altered with sandpaper, pencils, and/or paint. Support for First Friday is provided by the Infinite Capacity Partnership. The April First Friday event has a Parisian theme. Refreshments with a French flair will be available at store locations courtesy of Gramercy Bistro. Maps with a list of participating ArtWalk artists and their locations can be found at each downtown store involved. For more information about how to participate in an upcoming ArtWalk, please contact the CAC at 663-9555 or info@thecac.org. Other interesting announcements: Benefit dinner to aid local line dance competitors: Four area line dancers recently returned from East Rutherford, N.J. and the Big Apple Country Dance Festival. Three of them - JoAnn Aubin, Isabel Bosley, and Steve Lescarbeau - all were competing for the first time as solo dancers, each in a different division. The fourth dancer, Elizabeth Grull, is in her second season competing, having made the top ten at the Worlds Championships in January. There will be a benefit spaghetti dinner on Friday, April 11, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Eagles Hall on Curran Highway, to help with the financial expenses of competing. Tickets are available for $5 and will include spaghetti with a no meat marinara sauce for those observing lent, and meatballs for those who aren't, tossed salad, bread and butter, and coffee. Seniors over 62, and children under 13 are $4. Desserts will be available for sale. Anyone interested in donating any baked goods for the bake sale can contact JoAnn Aubin at 664-6833.Tickets can be purchased from any of the dancers and from the Eagles Hall. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door. In the line dance world, there are divisions that separate the dancers according to their age, and also according to their dance experience. Each category has five dance styles that each competitor can enter in their division. The five dance styles are: Rise & Fall, Lilt, Smooth, Cuban, and Funky. Rise & Fall is a waltz and is the core dance that all must do to qualify for overall status. Lilt, has the beat of either an East Coast Swing or a Polka. Smooth can refer to either a Two-Step or Nightclub Two-Step. Cuban is your Latin style dances such as a Cha-Cha or Rhumba. And the Funky category is more of a hip-hop, modern style of dancing. These dances are equal to Olympic-caliber, and are very impressive to watch. Aubin, who competed in the Female Newcomer Silver Division, did all five of the dance styles, taking a 2nd in the Rise & Fall, 1st in Lilt, 2nd in Smooth, 1st in Cuban, and 2nd in Funky for an overall 1st place finish in her division. Bosley competed in the Female Novice Silver Division, also doing all five of the dance styles, taking a 1st in the Rise & Fall, 1st in Lilt, 2nd in Smooth, 1st in Cuban, and 2nd in Funky for an overall 1st place finish in her division. Grull competed in the Female Novice Diamond Division, doing all five dance styles, taking a 1st in Rise & Fall, 3rd in Lilt, 3rd in Smooth, 2nd in Cuban, and 3rd in Funky for an overall 2nd place finish in her division. Lescarbeau competed in the Male Novice Diamond Division, also doing all five dance styles, taking a 2nd in Rise & Fall, 2nd in Lilt, 2nd in Smooth, 2nd in Cuban, and 1st in Funky for an overall 2nd place finish in his division. When asked about their accomplishments, all of the dancers agreed that they went into the competition with no expectations other than to just have fun. It seems that their strategy paid off. Their goal was for each of them to place in the top five of their divisions so that they could work towards the World Championships that will be held this January, in Nashville, Tenn. Each competitor must place in three different events to qualify. With one competition over, and each of them qualifying, they are on track to reach their goal. Their next event will be in Raleigh, N.C. at the end of May. Each of the dancers would like to express their gratitude for the support they have received from the area. Come Celebrate the 125th Birthday of North Adams: Quoting from North Adams and Vicinity Illustrated published in 1898: "The growth of the town was exceedingly slow until the fine water-power was put to use and manufacturing enterprises inaugurated. Since the introduction of various lines of industry the individual development of both villages, has been uniformly steady - but the water-power of the north branch gave the upper village a great advantage over its older sister, and it soon outstripped her in population and wealth. The diverse interests of the villages and the inconvenience to voters led to the division of the town which was accomplished in April, 1878, nearly a century after the incorporation of the town." The villages were, of course, Adams and North Adams, which means that the "upper village" is celebrating its 125th birthday this month. Editors H.G. Rowe and C.T. Fairfield go on to say: "The first town meeting in North Adams was held April 24, 1878, in Armory (now Odd FellowsÅ’) Hall and A.W. Preston was chosen moderator. The following were elected: clerk of the town, A.D. Cady; selectmen, R.G. Walden, J.H. Flagg, George French; school committee, J. Rockwell, O.A. Archer, S. Proctor Thayer; treasurer, E.S. Wilkinson; assessors, S.W. Brayton, W.M. Burton, R.R. Andrews; town agent, S. Thayer." In honor of the 125th anniversary of this special occasion when the north village broke away from the "mother town" and elected its first public officials the North Adams Historical Society invites local citizens to join them on Sunday, April 27, at Steeples Restaurant in the Holiday Inn on Main Street. The NAHS annual meeting begins with dinner at 4 p.m. Forms to register for the meal are available in the March 2003 issue of Hoosac Trails recently mailed to all society members. Registration forms, which should be returned by April 12, may also be picked up at the North Adams Museum of History and Science Building 5A Western Gateway Heritage State Park during Spring hours Thursday-Saturday 10-4 and Sunday 1-4. Seating will be available for those who wish to join for the meeting and commemoration only, beginning at 5:15 p.m. with the welcome by President Charles Cahoon. Although not required, registration for the meeting would be appreciated, so that sufficient seating can be arranged. Please call the Museum at 664-4700 if you plan to arrive by 5:30 to hear guest speaker Mayor John Barrett III. Following the mayor's remarks, he will cut the 125th birthday cake for all to join in celebration. The North Adams Garden Club held their regular monthly meeting on March 26: Tomato seeds in three varieties were distributed to the members taking part in the "Tomato Challenge 2003". Participants are to grow plants from seed, and may start them at any time, making note of the date started. More than one plant of the variety they intend to enter in the challenge may be grown, but only one plant per category is to be selected by the member as the "challenge" plant at the August meeting. For plants grown in pots, the entire pot should be brought to the meeting; for the Early Pick variety, four to six tomatoes should be picked, to fill a nine inch plate provided by the Club. Plans are being formulated for a tour of the Edith Wharton house and gardens. The cost is $12 for an hour. If 15 people sign up, they will have a guide. Tentative date of the tour is September 10th, and the tour will start at 11 o'clock. Further information will be forthcoming at future Club meetings. The annual plant sale will take place on Main Street, on May 17th. The District Flower Show is June 14 and 15 at Ventfort Hall in Lenox, and the title is "The Gilded Age Revisited". The next meeting will be April 16th at 6 o"clock in the the evening, at American Legion Hall. The North Adams Community Tennis Association, a member organization of the United States Tennis Association, has been newly formed. Its mission statement is "to promote, encourage and foster the development and growth of the sport of tennis at both the youth and adult level, and to improve the community's tennis facilities for the enjoyment of all". Its programs will be offered to residents of North Adams and surrounding communities. Under the direction of a Board of Directors made up of founding members John Hockridge, Dot Houston, Whitney Suters and Corissa Bryant, the North Adams CTA plans to offer several USTA programs in 2003. One of the highlights of program offerings planned for 2003 is "Rally Ball," a fun youth USTA tennis program for kids 12 & under similar to the T-Ball concept for baseball. Other tennis programs planned include "USA Tennis Free For All," offering an introduction to tennis for new players and to get former players back playing & enjoying the sport again Ë† "USA Tennis 1-2-3," an introductory instructional program "USA Team Tennis," an opportunity for boys and girls to play on teams in leagues that emphasize fun, fitness and friends "USA League Tennis," the country's largest recreational tennis league, providing organized, structured tennis matches for adults of all ability levels - and "USA School Tennis," designed to introduce kids to tennis through in-school and after-school programs. The North Adams Community Tennis Association is registered with the USTA, and is in the process of incorporating with the state of Massachusetts as a non-profit organization. The North Adams CTA will soon be offering membership to North Adams residents and the surrounding communities. Annual membership fees are free for children 12 & under - $10.00 for 13-18 year old students - $15.00 for adults - and $25.00 for family memberships. Membership fees will be used to offset expenses. Membership in the North Adams CTA will provide discounts in tennis program offerings, as well as being included on a newsletter mailing list to be kept notified of upcoming events & programs. Tennis facilities open to the public in North Adams are the city courts at Noel Field, and the MCLA courts at Joseph Zavattaro Athletic Complex on West Shaft Road. The North Adams Community Tennis Association will be seeking to upgrade these tennis facilities through USTA, federal & state grants and local civic & business community support. For more information on the North Adams Community Tennis Association and its planned tennis programs for 2003, you may contact one of the Board of Directors or call the North Adams CTA at (413) 663-5380. The mailing address is North Adams CTA, P.O. Box 123, North Adams, MA. 01247.

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MCLA Announces Four Finalists for Next President

03:46PM / Thursday, April 02, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts announced four finalists for the position of president, following a national search.

The finalists were selected by the MCLA Presidential Search Committee and will participate in on-campus visits scheduled for the weeks of April 6 and April 13.

The successful candidate will replace President James Birge, who is retiring at the end of the term.

The four finalists are David Jenemann, Michael J. Middleton, Sherri Givens Mylott, and Diana L. Rogers-Adkinson.

David Jenemann

David Jenemann is dean of the Patrick Leahy Honors College and professor of English and film and television studies at the University of Vermont, where he oversees recruitment, retention, curricular innovation, and advancement for an interdisciplinary college serving undergraduates from across the university, including UVM's campuswide Office of Fellowships, Opportunities, and Undergraduate Research.

An internationally recognized scholar, he has published three books and numerous articles, with research spanning intellectual and cultural history, mass media, and the intersection of sports and society.

He holds a doctor of philosophy from the University of Minnesota and completed the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education.

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