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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Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'
DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 
 
The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.
 
"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.
 
"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 
 
Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 
 
Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 
 
Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.
 
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