BCHS to Present Exhibit at Lichtenstein Center for the Arts

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire County Historical Society will present an exhibition of works by contemporary artists Jim Jasper and Christopher Volpe, beginning August 5.

The exhibit explores several themes, including the effect of industrialization on the natural world, ethnic stereotypes, queerness and disability. The exhibition runs through August 26 and is being presented at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts in downtown Pittsfield.

"Moby-Dick remains a classic novel because its themes are universal and inspiring," said BCHS Executive Director Lesley Herzberg. "This exhibition allows the public to see the novel through the eyes of two contemporary visual artists whose work explores some of the same themes, each in their own way."

Exhibition Curator Erin Hunt worked with Jasper and Volpe to choose works from two of the artists' large series of works. Jasper’s Moby Dick is a single work comprised of 140 drawings meant to be shown together with each representing a single chapter from Melville’s novel.

Some drawings, such as The Affidavit and The Chart, use imagery from whaling captains’ logbooks and sailors’ journals. It is based on Owen Chase’s drawing of the Essex after it was rammed by a sperm whale. Going Abroad references the stereotypical descriptions of ethnically diverse sailors on the Pequod and other whaling ships of the time. Jasper’s drawing flips the perspective by focusing on the act of viewing as opposed to who is being viewed.

In addition to works from Volpe’s Loomings series of paintings that combine tar, oil paint and occasionally gold leaf, the artist has created new works for the exhibition. The title of Volpe’s Loomings paintings quote or reference Moby-Dick and represents the novel’s apocalyptic vision of the American quest.

"From feature films to Far Side cartoons, there is no lack of visual representations of Melville's enduring novel," said exhibition curator Erin Hunt. "Jasper’s and Volpe’s powerful explorations of the story of the great white whale add unique perspectives to the existing canon of interpretations, and I’m excited to be able to bring their work together here in Pittsfield."

The exhibition and related events are sponsored by Berkshire Bank.


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ADOPTED! Companion Corner: Cali and Kyzer at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

Great news, Kyzer and Cali found a home for Christmas already! Still looking for a new friend for the holidays? There are plenty of dogs and cats and small animals at Berkshire Humane who would love to go home with you.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a bonded dog pair awaiting a new family at the Berkshire Humane Society.

Kyzer and Cali are both poodles. Kyzer is the male and is 7 years old, a quite a bit bigger than his sister Cali, who is a miniature of Kyzer and 8 years old.

Canine adoption counselor Rhonda Cyr introduced us to the two.

"They came from a household that couldn't hold on to them, and it sounds like they may have been abandoned by their previous owner with somebody else, and so they came to us looking for a new home," she said.

The two love to be around you and snuggle. But both are very happy dogs.

"Kyzer is 7 years old, and his personality is that he kind of wants to be in everything. He's very loving, very snuggly, as you can tell. And Callie here, she's 8 years old, and she is kind of like the life of the party," said Cyr. "She wants to tell you everything about her day, and she's a little bit of a little ham."

The two are considered seniors and really like soft treats as Cali just had a few teeth removed and Kyzer has a tooth procedure coming up.

"Currently, they really like soft treats, because they are both on the senior side of things. So they have had some dental work, so they are really in need of something softer. They are not big chewers at this age, really, their main focus right now is just really socializing and cuddling," Cyr said.

The two would love a quiet home with someone who wants to snuggle. They shouldn't go to a home with bigger dogs but if you have a dog, you can bring them in for a visitation with the poodles to see if they will get along. Cats will be fine and the preference is for older and more responsible children so that the pups don't get hurt, as they are senior citizens.

"The perfect home for them would be a quiet home that's not too active. Like I said, they're very social, so they could handle some visitors," she said. "They're very friendly, but I don't think that they would really enjoy any other dogs in the home."

Poodles need to be regularly groomed, and the prospective adopter will have to keep an eye on their health. Kyzer has a heart murmur that needs to be monitored. This doesn't mean he is in bad health, as he could live a perfectly normal life, but he will need to be checked by a veterinary specialist routinely.

"Ideally, he would go to a home that could provide further health care with a specialist in cardiac care. And you know, he could very well live out the rest of his life comfortably and happy," Cyr said. "We just don't have all that information at the moment, but I think that you know the way he's going right now. He's got a good spirit, and he seems to be pretty happy."

The shelter is hoping the to get them a home for the holidays.

"We would love to get them a home in time for the holidays. They've been here since the eighth of November, and they're really, really looking as much as the staff loves them here, we're really looking to get them into a home and somewhere nice and cozy so they can spend the rest of their life together," she said.

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