Berkshire Museum Wine Auction Raises $242K at Record Breaking Auction

09:26AM / Wednesday, May 30, 2007Print Story | Email Story

Scott Wurcer of Cambridge, Mass., bids at the live auction. (Photo by Gregory Cherin)

The Berkshire Museum raised $242,000 Saturday at its biennial wine auction, â€œThe Art of Wine: Past, Present, and Futures,â€ beating the record set at the previous auction in 2005. Proceeds from the fundraiser benefit year-round educational programs at the Berkshire Museum. â€œWe are thrilled with the show of support from this weekendâ€™s event,â€ said Stuart A. Chase, executive director of the Berkshire Museum. â€œNot only are the funds raised essential to our year-round operation, but the event itself was great fun. We are very grateful to the volunteer committee, to the many businesses and individuals who donated lots to the live and silent auctions, to the event sponsors, to the ticket buyers, and to the bidders.â€ Saturday's total represents an increase of nearly $51,000 over the gross of the 2005 auction. Nearly 300 people attended Saturdayâ€™s event and sipped Taittinger champagne as Jamie Ritchie of Sothebyâ€™s, Inc., auctioned 42 live lots. The top live lot was â€œA Philanthropist for One Year, which was a â€œbid to fundâ€ lot for a total of $20,000. Multiple bidders joined together to give in amounts ranging from $250 to $2500 each for the lot, an opportunity to underwrite â€œConnected for Success,â€ the Berkshire Museumâ€™s educational program for at-risk students. An additional 143 lots were sold at silent auction. In his opening remarks, Chase thanked sponsors Lyon Aviation, Country Dining Room Antiques, Nejaimeâ€™s Wine Cellars, Alanâ€™s Wine Cellar, and Excelsior Printing. He also thanked wine gala co-chairs, Sheila and Mike Chefetz and Heidi and Jim Nejaime, silent auction chairs Judy and Manny Yvars, gift bag chairs Katherine and Lee Abraham, catering chairs Suzanne and Kenneth Nash, and the entire volunteer committee. â€œThe wine auction is a moment to celebrate the illustrious past, remarkable present, and exciting future of the Berkshire Museum, said Sheila Chefetz, event co-chair of the wine auction and president of the Berkshire Museum board, telling the crowd: â€œAs we build for the future of the Berkshire Museum, your support for education is more important than ever. The Berkshire Museum is a leader in education in our region, and this event provides crucial support for this leadership.â€ The wine related festivities continue at the Berkshire Museum into the month of June. The tablescape â€œThe Art of Dining,â€ featuring rarely seen decorative arts from the Berkshire Museum and 24 place settings inspired by famous artists, is on view through May 26. The exhibition The Art of Wine, on view through June 17, comprises original works of art created for wine labels, including works by Sol Lewitt, Francis Picabia, Jody Hewitt, and others. Also on view through June 17 are The Art of Food, featuring art and decorative arts from ancient Rome to the present, and The Photographers of Berkshire Living featuring non-editorial work by five Berkshire photographers. On Sunday, June 3, at 2 p.m., the Berkshire Museum will present the lecture and wine tasting â€œWine Words.â€ Mary Ewing Mulligan and Ed McCarthy, authors of Wine for Dummies, will give an introduction to wine terms at the Berkshire Museum, followed by a tasting at Brix Wine Bar in Pittsfield. The lecture is free with Berkshire Museum admission; the wine tasting is $25 ($20 members) and includes the lecture. Space is limited and reservations are recommended. To order tickets, call 413-443-7171, extension 10. The Berkshire Museum is located at 39 South Street on Route 7 in Downtown Pittsfield. The galleries are open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays noon to 5 p.m. For more information, contact the Berkshire Museum at (413) 443-7171, ext. 10, or visit www.berkshiremuseum.org

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BVNA Nurses Raise Funds for Berkshire Bounty

06:38AM / Wednesday, December 24, 2025

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Massachusetts Nursing Association members of the Berkshire Visiting Nurses Association raised $650 to help with food insecurity in Berkshire County.

The nurses and health-care professionals of BVNA have given back to the community every holiday season for the last three years. The first year, they adopted a large family, raised money, bought, wrapped and delivered the gifts for the family. Last year, they sold raffle tickets and the money raised went to the charitable cause of the winner.

This year, with food insecurity as a rising issue, they chose to give to Berkshire Bounty in Great Barrington.

They sold raffle tickets for a drawing to win one of two items: A lottery ticket tree or a gift certificate tree, each worth $100. They will be giving the organization the donation this month.

Berkshire Bounty seeks to improve food security in the county through food donations from retailers and local farms; supplemental purchases of healthy foods; distribution to food sites and home deliveries; and collaborating with partners to address emergencies and improve the food system.

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