Lynniah Falwell accepted the award for Sophia Nguyen who was unable to attend.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Jazz and Mayor Linda Tyer honored the winners of the 12th annual student art contest on Tuesday morning.
The annual event is organized by art teacher Colleen Quinn at Pittsfield High School and asks students to create jazz-inspired pieces of work.
Sophia Nguyen took home this year's first prize, Megan Francoeur took home second, and Antonia Bedard Torres came in third.
"It is really a thrill to have our art teachers here today to help us celebrate this accomplishment. The artwork is remarkable," Tyer said.
The city also noted honorable mentions of Nolan Degrof, Jazlyn Rodriguez, Lynniah Falwell, Paige Webster, and Abby Cohan.
The work of more than 100 students has been hanging in the hallway of City Hall for the last few weeks. This year's judges included painters Marguerite Bride and Scott Taylor, and designer Tom Buckley.
The contest is intended to engage students in a "cross-genre creative activity" during the national Jazz Appreciation Month of April, according to Berkshire Jazz President Ed Bride. The contest is hoped to spread interest in jazz to the larger community.
National Jazz Appreciation month began by the Smithsonian Institution in 2002. Berkshire Jazz not only presents live jazz concerns but also promotes the musical genre.
Art Niedeck, a jazz musician and music educator, and co-chairman of the Education Committee of Berkshires Jazz Inc., heads the project for Berkshire Jazz as well as helping to organize the Pittsfield CityJazz Festival.
The non-profit Berkshire Jazz is supported by ticket sales from the festival, as well as donations from individuals and sponsors, which this year include Greylock Federal Credit Union, the Feigenbaum Foundation, The Berkshire Bank Foundation, TD Bank, and the Banulis Family Foundation.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths.
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
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