Renowned Artist helps people with disabilities paint using lasers

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Community Access to the Arts Presents Annual Art Show: I'm A Part of A.R.T. Gt. Barrington - Community Access to the Arts (CATA) welcomes Artist Tim Lefens for a painting residency with CATA participants with severe disabilities. Lefens' stay will culminate in CATA's annual art show -- I'm a Part of A.R.T. -- August 20th at the CATA Gallery, 40 Railroad St., Gt. Barrington, from 5-7 pm and featuring a talk with Lefens at 6:30 pm. Lefens' non-profit organization -- Artistic Realization Technologies (A.R.T.) -- has pioneered the use of lasers to help people with disabilities create amazing large-scale paintings. Trained studio facilitators, Lefens refers to as trackers, will execute the visions of CATA participants with laser-guided tracking and other exacting technologies. According to Lefens, clients indicate precise selections concerning tools, materials and placement of these materials, and trackers follow these directions with absolute fidelity. Lefens will work with four CATA participants with developmental disabilities that are non-ambulatory and require wheelchairs for mobility; two of them have visual deficits that severely compromise their field of vision. All of the participants have limited use of their upper extremities, making holding a paintbrush in a traditional way either very difficult or impossible. Deborah Caiola, Director of Berkshire County ARC's Center for Development - a day program in which three of these individuals participate -- explains that this population "requires an adaptive approach for success." Caiola, in anticipation of Lefen's residency, stated: "Creative, outside the ordinary, adaptive art…what could be better?" The paintings created during Lefens' residency will be displayed during CATA's annual art show -- I'm A Part of A.R.T -- along with a selection of other work from the 2004-'05 program year completed under the direction of CATA Faculty Artists Cynthia Atwood, Susie Hardcastle, Pat Hogan, Leslie Klein, Marlene Marshall, Caitlin Nash, Senta Reis, Gabrielle Senza, Janice Shields & Michael Wolski. Artistic Realization Technologies has been featured on CNN, CBS Evening News, in The New York Times, and in American Artist magazine.
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Friends of Great Barrington Libraries Holiday Book Sale

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Friends of Great Barrington Libraries invite the community to shop their annual Holiday Good-as-New Book Sale, happening now through the end of the year at the Mason Library, 231 Main Street. 
 
With hundreds of curated gently used books to choose from—fiction, nonfiction, children's favorites, gift-quality selections, cookbooks, and more—it's the perfect local stop for holiday gifting.
 
This year's sale is an addition to the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce's Holiday Stroll on this Saturday, Dec. 13, 3–8 PM. Visitors can swing by the Mason Library for early parking, browse the sale until 3:00 PM, then meet Pete the Cat on the front lawn before heading downtown for the Stroll's shopping, music, and festive eats.
 
Can't make the Holiday Stroll? The book sale is open during regular Mason Library hours throughout December.
 
Proceeds support free library programming and events for all ages.
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