MCLA Green Living Seminar: 'Pittsfield Grey to Green'

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Allison Egan, senior planner at the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, will give a talk titled "Pittsfield Grey to Green: Inclusive Planning for Environmental and Climate Justice" at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 9 at the MCLA Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation, Room 121.  
 
Part of MCLA's Green Living Seminar series, this event is free and open to the public. Please note that masks are required in all buildings on MCLA's campus. 
 
Egan is the emergency preparedness liaison to Berkshire County's town boards of health and is involved in a variety of emergency preparedness activities. She also works on smoke-free environments and smoke-free worksites, and assists on a variety of other public health projects. She has a bachelor's degree in public health and a master's degree in epidemiology, both from University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 
 
MCLA's annual Green Living Seminar Series continues through April, presenting a series of lectures on the theme of "Greening the City." Every semester, the Green Living Seminar Series centers around a different topic, timely and relevant in current sustainability issues. Seminars take place on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. until April 20.  
 
The series is a presentation of the MCLA Environmental Studies Department and MCLA's Berkshire Environmental Resource Center. 
 
Presentations will also be broadcast on Northern Berkshire Community Television Channel (NBCTC) 1302 at the following times: 
  • Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. 
  • Fridays at 4 p.m. 
  • Saturdays at 3:30 p.m. 
  • Sundays at 11:30 a.m. 
  • Mondays at 5:30 p.m. 
Recordings will also be available on the college's YouTube channel. 
 
For more information, visit www.mcla.edu/greenliving or contact professor of environmental studies Elena Traister at 413-662-5303. 
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North Adams UNO Art Club Extends Into Year-Round Community Program

Staff Reports

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Clark Art Institute is expanding the summer program UNO Drop-In Art Club into a weekly, 50-week program for local youth ages 8 to 19, thanks to a new two-year grant from the W.L.S. Spencer Foundation.

Starting Wednesday, Oct. 7, the club reopens its doors at the UNO Community Center (157 River St., North Adams) with extended hours every week from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The UNO Art Club first took root in 2022, founded by local volunteers and supported by the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition (nbCC) as a safe, welcoming space for kids to explore their creativity. In 2024, nbCC sought new partners to keep the program running and joined forces with the Clark and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA).

Over the past two summers, staff from all three organizations have guided kids through hands-on projects—from clay sculpture and origami to collage and self-portraiture—often inspired by ongoing exhibitions at the museums. 

Now, with leadership from the Clark, this grant will allow the program to grow, not only with expanded hours and a year-round schedule, but also to support a paid intern to lead the weekly activities.

Additional benefits of the grant: The Clark will provide rides directly from the UNO Community Center so participants can attend major community events, including First Sundays Free and the annual Community Day. Youth will also take field trips to the Clark, MASS MoCA, and neighboring arts venues across the region.

To learn more about the program or get involved: https://nbccoalition.org/uno-drop-in-art-club/ or contact nbCC at (413) 663-7588, Gabby Glasier - gglasier@nbccoalition.org, or Olivia Brandwein - obrandwein@clarkart.edu.

 

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