First Fridays Artswalk to Feature New Art Shows

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There will be brand new indoor art shows during the First Fridays Artswalk on Friday, Nov. 5, from 5 to 8 pm. 
 
Download the Downtown Pittsfield app in the App Store or on Google Play to follow a virtual walking tour of art, including all of Pittsfield's Paintboxes, on your cell phone. 
 
 Hotel on North, 297 North Street, will feature "WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE" by Scott Taylor for the November Artswalk. "WHEN WORLDS" COLLIDE is a sampling of the work Taylor created during the pandemic.
 
According to a press release, many of the paintings speak of containment, some visually looking outward, some inward. Some return to a simpler time that we once knew hoping to find comfort in our own existence.
 
There will be a reception with the artist on Friday, Nov. 5, 5 to 8 pm, as part of First Fridays Artswalk.  
 
The Brothership Building Window at 141 North Street, curated by IS183 Art School of the Berkshires, will feature "Little Kids, Big Issues" by Stephanie VanBramer, Nov. 5-28. 
 
According to a press release, regularly taking inspiration from personal experiences, conversations, thoughts about everyday life, and the lessons she has learned along the way, VanBramer creates artwork that sparks reality checks and speaks out, making it known that it has something to say. She creates little characters with big personalities and even bigger ideas.  
 
Artists in the Guild of Berkshire Artists will show their work in a show entitled "Plein Air in the Berkshires" during the month of November at TKG Real Estate, 137 North St. There will be a reception as part of First Fridays Artswalk on Friday, Nov. 5, from 5 to 8 pm. The work will be up during the month of November and can be viewed when TKG is open. Featured artists are Sally Lebwohl, pastels; Jorie Latham, watercolors and mixed media; and Debbie Schneer, photography. 
 
MCLA Pittsfield at 66 Allen Street will feature an art show of faces by Dana Schildkraut from Nov. 5-30. Schildkraut is an award-winning artist and educator who resides in Southern Vermont, working in mixed media: paper mache, watercolor paint, and polymer clay. 
 
There will be an opening reception as part of First Fridays Artswalk from 5 to 6:30 pm on Nov. 5. After the opening, Schildkraut's work can be viewed by appointment Monday through Friday, 9 am to 4 pm. To make an appointment, please call 413-662-5576 or 413-662-5422. 
 
The Berkshire Art Association will present "DISTILLATIONS," An Art Show, at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue, through Nov. 28. 
 
"DISTILLATIONS" features work by artists Peg Dotchin, Jesse Tobin McCauley, and Ilene Spiewak.
 
According to a press release: artists who have met the chaos, confusion and concerns of this moment in their artistic processes with a great passion for art and design. The gallery will be open on Friday, November 5, 5 to 8 pm, during First Fridays Artswalk. Additional gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday, 11 am to 3 pm, or by appointment.   
 
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Pittsfield, 175 Wendell Avenue, will present a show by mother-daughter team, Kerry and Kamille Hylton, for the month of November. Kerry and Kamille enjoy creating artwork targeting all age groups. Works on display will be acrylic paint on canvas. There will be a reception with the artists on Friday, Nov. 5, 5 to 8 pm, as part of First Fridays Artswalk.  
 
The November Artswalk will also highlight art celebrating Cultural Appreciation Week 2021 in the windows of Berkshire Juvenile Court, 190 North Street. The virtual tour will guide you to murals downtown including: "The Sun Will Rise" by Jesse Tobin McCauley, Jay Tobin and Stephanie Quetti at 443 North Street and "Gaia" on Melville Street by Mike Carty. Also highlighted will be all of Artscape's Pittsfield Paintboxes. 
 
All art exhibits are on display in participating venues throughout the month. For more information on First Fridays Artswalk and to view a listing and map of all participating artists and locations, visit www.FirstFridaysArtswalk.com. 
 
First Fridays Artswalk is supported in part by a grant from the Pittsfield Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. The Downtown Pittsfield app is made possible by a grant from the Feigenbaum Foundation.  
 

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Colombian Artist Celebrates Immigrant Stories in New Pittsfield Mural

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

Artist Laura Barrios explains the  inspiration of the mural, of immigrants building new lives in the Berkshires.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The walls along the Intermodal Center's train platform are a little more colorful following the unveiling of Let It Shine's third mural at that location, transforming a space once surrounded by bare concrete into a vibrant display of public art.
 
The unveiling on Thursday, marks the close of Let It Shine's 2026 outdoor public art season and the third year of its emerging artist program, said Mill Town Foundation Program Director Andy Wrba. 
 
Let It Shine's Emerging Artists Mentorship program was established in 2024 to support aspiring artists in the community by providing guidance, hands-on experiences, and opportunities to create large-scale public art.
 
"This mural, along with all the murals, as part of this emerging artist program, and even more broadly, all the murals that you see downtown throughout Pittsfield shows that we care about the cultural scene and we care about the creative people that live and work in our city," Wrba said.
 
The new mural, painted by Colombian artist Laura Barrios, celebrates immigrants who have built lives and found a sense of home in Berkshire County.
 
Barrios has been working on the piece for the last two months alongside mentor artist, Jesse Tobin McCauley. 
 
"It's a homage to the immigrants who work and make a home in the Berkshires … this is a very personal experience too because I am an immigrant," Barrios said in her speech.
 
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