PITTSFIELD, Mass. — "Art of the Hills: Narrative," a juried exhibition showcasing the work of local, contemporary artists will open in the museum’s downtown Pittsfield galleries on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020.
"Art of the Hills" will fill more than 2,400 square feet of gallery space with 78 works by 64 artists. The exhibition is curated by jurors Amy Myers and Seung Lee from more than 530 submissions.
Lee is the director of fine arts and graduate studies at Long Island University and an artist whose paintings, drawings, and large-scale installations have been exhibited in the United States and abroad.
Myers is a New York-based artist whose large-scale abstract paintings and drawings referencing particle physics, the human mind, and the mechanics of the universe have been featured in museums across the country including the Berkshire Museum in 2018.
"Art of the Hills: Narrative," which was originally scheduled to open June 6, was first presented this summer in a 3D, virtual model of the museum’s galleries as part of Berkshire Museum@Home. The digital Art of the Hills experience continues to grow as new media is added each week. Site visitors can join Amy Myers and Seung Lee for a recorded tour or hear directly from artists through a series of audio recordings at explore.berkshiremuseum.org/art-of-the-hills-narrative.
The exhibit will remain on view through January 10, 2021
"We are thrilled to present this exceptional exhibition that brings together so many talented artists from around the region," Berkshire Museum Executive Director Jeff Rodgers said. "It has been great to be able to share these works in a virtual format these past months. But there’s something special about experiencing sculptures, paintings, and photographs up-close and in-person – you truly appreciate every texture, color, and brushstroke in a different light."
With the Oct. 10 opening of "Art of the Hills," the community museum will enter Phase 4 of its plan for a safe reopening. During Phase 4, visitors with advance reservations will enjoy a 2-hour Berkshire Museum experience that includes "Art of the Hills: Narrative," the museum’s first floor galleries, and private experience in the aquarium.
Visitors will still be required to follow the COVID Code of Conduct which includes social distancing, face coverings for all patrons 2 and older, sharing information for contact tracing, and more. Reservations during this phase will cost $13 per adult. Berkshire Museum members, EBT cardholders, and children ages 18 and under always visit free. Reservations may be made at berkshiremuseum.org/visit or by calling 413.443.7171 ext. 360.
The 2020 exhibition is the second installment of "Art of the Hills," a series of exhibitions created to celebrate the rich, creative culture of the region by highlighting the works of emerging and established artists that live or work within a 60-mile radius of the Berkshire Museum’s location in downtown Pittsfield. The first Art of the Hills exhibition debuted at the Berkshire Museum in 2018.
Art of the Hills: Narrative includes works by the following artists:
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Pittsfield ConCom OKs Wahconah Park Demo, Ice Rink
The property at 105 Wahconah St. has drawn attention for several years after the grandstand was deemed unsafe in 2022. Planners have determined that starting from square one is the best option, and the park's front lawn is seen as a great place to site the new pop-up ice skating rink while baseball is paused.
"From a higher level, the project's really two phases, and our goal is that phase one is this demolition phase, and we have a few goals that we want to meet as part of this step, and then the second step is to rehabilitate the park and to build new a new grandstand," James Scalise of SK Design explained on behalf of the city.
"But we'd like these two phases to happen in series one immediately after the other."
On Thursday, the ConCom issued orders of conditions for both city projects.
Mayor Peter Marchetti received a final report from the Wahconah Park Restoration Committee last year recommending a $28.4 million rebuild of the grandstand and parking lot. In July, the Parks Commission voted to demolish the historic, crumbling grandstand and have the project team consider how to retain the electrical elements so that baseball can continue to be played.
Last year, there was $18 million committed between grant funding and capital borrowing.
This application approved only the demolition of the more than 100-year-old structure. Scalise explained that it establishes the reuse of the approved flood storage and storage created by the demolition, corrects the elevation benchmark, and corrects the wetland boundary.
Jewish Federation of the Berkshires President Arlene Schiff opened the festivities with a recognition of the victims of Sunday's mass shooting in Australia and praise for a hero who helped stop the killing.
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The Friday morning fire that gutted the Wagon Wheel Inn is still under investigation, and several people who were living at the motel have moved to another one.
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