Joyce Burnstein speaks on "Grave Matters: The Epitaph Project"

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IS183, Art School of the Berkshires will present the second in its spring series of monthly studio talks on Sunday, May 18, at 4 pm. The talk, entitled "A Blank Slate: The Epitaph Project" by New York sculptor Joyce Burnstein, is free and open to the public. IS183's ongoing artist talk series are co-sponsored by Berkshire HomeStyle Magazine. Joyce Burstein's Epitaph Project is an interactive sculpture - a blank slate-lined tombstone with chalk and an eraser available - that encourages observers to write their own epitaph. The Project is permanently installed in cemeteries in California and Ohio, and has had temporary installations at the Socrates Sculpture Park in New York and other venues. The Epitaph Project challenges the pervasive taboo on confronting death by literally providing a blank slate on which to consider impermanence, selfhood, history, and absurdity with both humor and high seriousness. Through discussion, a slide show, and a portable version of the project (attendees are invited to write their own epitaphs!) she'll explore aspects of permanence and ephemerality, collaboration and conviviality, and participatory art. Joyce Bernstein has an MFA in sculpture from the San Francisco Art Institute, and is the recipient of a Pollack-Krasner Foundation grant. She served as the administrative director, funded in part by a Warhol grant, of the quirky Museum of Jurassic Technology in Los Angeles, memorialized in the best-selling book, Dr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder, by Lawrence Weschler. She is currently at work on a book documenting The Epitaph Project. Next month, on Sunday, June 22nd, IS183's monthly studio artist talk series features a slide-illustrated talk by Yura Adams, entitled "Moving through Boundaries," a retrospective of her work over the past two decades, ranging from performance art and set design to new music, painting and drawing, computer generated imagery and more. Yura Adams is the Painting and Drawing Department Head at IS183, where she teaches collage, painting and drawing. Her work incorporates paint, sculpture and computer graphics and takes a painterly attitude towards photography, performance, new music and installation. She is the recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts grants, and has created many sets for Shakespeare on the Hudson in Athens, New York. All Sunday Studio Artist Talks are free and open to the public, and are held at IS183's historic schoolhouse home in Stockbridge, located at 13 Willard Hill Road, off Route 183 via Trask Lane. For more information, please call 413-298-5252 or visit their website at www.is183.org.
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Friday Front Porch Feature: A Charming House Like New

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

The home prior to renovations.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. Are you looking for a newly renovated home with great space? Then this might be the perfect fit for you!

Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing 100 Autumn Drive.

This three-bedroom, two-bathroom split level was built in 1965 and is 1,396 square feet on 0.32 acres.

The house was completely renovated recently. It includes a one-car garage, and comes with appliances including a dishwasher and stove/oven, and other major appliances.

The house is listed for $359,500.

We spoke with owners Michael Zeppieri and Chris Andrews, who did the renovations. Zeppieri is an agent with Alton and Westall Real Estate Agency.

What was your first impression when you walked into the home?

Zeppieri: I purchased this home to do a full renovation flip and saw tremendous potential in this mid-century split level home that had not been updated since it was built in the 1960s, in a great North Adams neighborhood.

 

Andrews: The house was a much different house when we first purchased it in 2022 (photo attached is from about 2010.)  The interior was painted all in dark colors and we brightened it up with neutral colors. The transformation makes you feel like you are in a totally different house.  

 

 

What were the recent renovations, any standout design features?

 

Zeppieri: The house has had a complete reconfiguration including new kitchen with high-end appliances, ceramic tiled baths, hardwood floors, new windows and roof ... just to name a few.  All a buyer has to do is move in and enjoy.

 

Andrews: Yes, we renovated the entire house.  New windows, new roof, all new custom black gutter system, new blacktop driveway, hardwood floors were installed through out the house. New kitchen and bathrooms as well as painting the exterior and interior of the house.  New paver patio in the back yard.

 

What kind of buyer would this home be ideal for?

 

Zeppieri: The buyer for this home could be a first-time homebuyer or a retiree ... the location is close to attractions in North Adams ... and the property is located in Autumn Heights, which is a very small residential development with several long-term owners.

 

Andrews: This home is truly ideal for a variety of buyers. Whether a first-time homebuyer, a small family or even someone looking to downsize from a larger home.

 

 

What do you think makes this property stand out in the current market?

 

Zeppieri: The location, price and move-in condition of this home make it a true market leader in the North Adams Market.

 

Andrews: This house is completely renovated and in a desirable location of North Adams. The natural light in the home really makes the interior pop. And with all the upgrades the home stays quite cool in the summer months.

Do you know any unique stories about the home or its history?

Zeppieri: This home was built for the Gould family in 1969 and they lived there till 2010. It was always a family home during that time in which the Goulds had two children ... and Virgina Gould managed Mohawk Forest Apartments and was a very active resident of North Adams.

 

Andrews: Built in about 1965.

 

What do the current owners love about this home?

 

Zeppieri: As the current owner it was a fun project to transform this home and get it ready for its next adventure with a new family to enjoy for many years.

 

Andrews: No one has lived in the house since we purchased the home. The new owners would be the first to live in the house since the renovations have been completed.

 

 

What would you say to a buyer trying to imagine their life in this space?

 

Andrews: I would suggest seeing the house either on a sunny day or at twilight to really get a vision of how special the home feels.  

 

You can find out more about this house on its listing here.

*Front Porch Feature brings you an exclusive to some of the houses listed on our real estate page every week. Here we take a bit of a deeper dive into a certain house for sale and ask questions so you don't have to.

 

 

 

 

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