Aug. 9 Deadline to Register for ArtWeek Berkshires

07:49AM / Friday, August 05, 2022Print Story | Email Story

BERKSHIRE COUNTY – Artists and cultural organizations from across Berkshire County are invited to register by Aug. 9 for ArtWeek Berkshires 2022, which will go from Sept. 15 to 25.

This free-to-participate, cross-discipline event now in its second year, is led and organized by the county’s five Cultural Districts: Great Barrington, Lenox, North Adams, Pittsfield, and Williamstown; and 1Berkshire.

"The buzz of the summer has quieted down and fall leaf-peeping is on the horizon," explains Lenox Chamber of Commerce director and Cultural District Co-Chair Jenn Nacht. "But for artists, that sweet spot in early fall is when activity picks up again, whether that’s gallery shows in New York or theater, film, and opera seasons around the world. We want audiences to know the Berkshires cultural season is year-round, too, not just in summer."

The ArtWeek Berkshires steering committee has been collaborating since January with a diverse team of artists, chamber of commerce representatives, and small business owners to make the event as successful as it was in year one.

"ArtWeek Berkshires 2022 is not your everyday art fair or music festival," says 2022 co-chair Cecilia Hirsch, "With nearly 70 artists registered and many more expected by the August 9th deadline, this county-wide event encompasses everything from painting and African dance to theater and pottery, with activities that appeal to kids, families, and adults alike. There will be open studios, demonstrations, and hands-on events. It will truly capture in 10 days why the region has always attracted the world’s great creative minds, including the next Edith Wharton and James Van Der Zee."

Carolyn Cole, Mass Cultural Council’s Cultural Districts and Local Cultural Council Program Officer, said these kinds of initiatives can have an impact.

"I talk regularly about our Cultural Districts in the Berkshires being a best practice model for regional collaboration. The strength of this District partnership is a driving force for initiatives such as ArtWeek, successfully aiming to attract artists, cultural enterprises, and tourism to an area by thoughtfully supporting creative entrepreneurship and fostering local cultural development," she said.

To learn more about ArtWeek Berkshires 2022 or to register by the August 9th deadline, visit: https://berkshires.org/artweek-berkshires/.

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Pittsfield Council Revisiting DEI Office Restructure

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:11PM / Tuesday, October 13, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The conversation about the DEI office renaming that was halted by a charter objection will resume on Tuesday.

The City Council will discuss a request from Mayor Peter Marchetti to restructure the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

It proposes to rename the DEI office to the Office of Equity, Access, and Opportunity and merge the Human Rights Commission and Affirmative Action Committee into an Equity, Access and Opportunity Commission.

The Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee supported the changes in August, and in September, Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham delayed the vote with a charter objection.

Pittsfield's City Code prohibits charter states that "if a single member present objects to the taking of the vote, the vote shall be postponed until the next meeting of the city council." It also stipulates that at least four members must object if it is an emergency measure.

Cunningham also submitted a petition, which was referred to O&R under Rule 27, to replace the DEI Office and the Human Rights Commission with an equity, access, and opportunity coordinator in the Department of Community Development, with formal complaints and Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action functions assigned to Human Resources.

At the last meeting, he spent more than an hour querying the mayor and chief diversity officer about functions and effectiveness of the department, wanting more quantitative data. Cunningham proposed an ordinance that he says keeps Pittsfield's commitment to equity, access, and opportunity, "refocuses it on measurable results for our residents, and delivers it at a fraction of the current cost."

Under this petition, the equity, access, and opportunity coordinator would be a $60,000 to $80,000 per year position.

The DEI Office's fiscal year 2027 budget was about $200,000 after cuts during budget season; $106,700 for the chief diversity officer and $58,000 for the administrative assistant. The coordinator would be appointed by the director of community development and the mayor.

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