September First Fridays Artswalk to Feature a Dozen Exhibits

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A dozen art shows and exhibits will be on display during the First Fridays Artswalk from 5 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 2. 

Explore art and meet artists during opening receptions, with most art on display the entire month. 

The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) will present a painting exhibition by Nayana LaFond, "Missing and Murdered Indigenous People", for the month of September. The exhibit will be on view September 2 - 30, and there will be an opening reception and artist talk during the First Fridays Artswalk on September 2 from 5 to 8 pm. The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts is open Wednesdays through Fridays, 11 am to 3 pm, or by appointment.  

The Brothership Building Window at 141 North Street, curated by Berkshire Art Center (formerly known as IS183 Art School of the Berkshires), will feature Arte / Art, September 2-30. The work on display will be from local artists belonging to two Pittsfield-based organizations: Manos Unidas and Roots and Dreams & Mustard Seeds.   

Lee Bank, 75 North Street, will present Custom House Portraits by Marguerite Bride for the month of September. This will be a window display on view throughout the month. Select paintings will also be on view inside the bank during normal bank hours. 

Marguerite Bride has been painting in the Berkshires for about 27 years. In addition to local scenes, one of her specialties is painting custom house portraits. This exhibit features selections of some of the 200 plus watercolors of homes she has completed over the years. 

For the month of September, TKG Real Estate, 137 North Street, will present Finding Gold in West Stockbridge: Unexpected insights into the bucolic heart of quintessential Berkshire County. In this show, artist residents capture the quiet magic of hidden places: a look, a moment of light, a glimpse of another time.   

Featured artists are Doane Perry, photographer; Adrian Holmes, painter; Susan Sabino, photographer; Walt Pasko, painter; Sharon Stanfield, painter; Jamie Levine, painter and Sally Lebwohl, pastels. There will be a reception as part of First Fridays Artswalk on Friday, September 2, 5 to 8 pm. The work will be up during the month of September and can be viewed when TKG Real Estate is open. 

The Artists at the historic Clock Tower will host an open studios event on Friday, September 2, 5 to 8 pm, on the third floor of the Clock Tower at 75 South Church Street. Six established, visual artists will open their new studios to share their art and provide insight into their creative processes. 

The artists at the Clock Tower are Marion Grant, Caroline Kelley, Mark Mellinger, Shany Porras, Ilene Richard, and Sally Tiska-Rice. For more information, visit https://clocktowerartists.gator.site. 

The Marketplace Cafe, 53 North Street, will present framed art from the children's book, The Universe Is Rooting for You by Dan Sadlowski, for the month of September. There will be a reception with the author as part of First Fridays Artswalk from 5 to 7 pm on September 2. 

Dan Sadlowski is a children’s book author dedicated to creating stories that uplift and inspire. Sadlowski’s newest book, The Universe Is Rooting for You is about a little boy who surprisingly discovers everything in the universe and in nature is rooting for him. His first book, Finding Brooklyn - And The Next Great Superhero is beloved by fans worldwide. Sadlowski’s children’s books feature illustrator Allison Pierce, graphic designer Emily Gabriel, and artist Samantha Sadlowski.  

The Beacon Cinema, 57 North Street, will feature artworks by Richard Britell for the September Artswalk. Richard Britell, a career painter, studied at Pratt Institute with Philip Pearlstein and Walter Erlebacher. His first show in NYC at Staempfli Gallery was sold out and reviewed in the New York Times. Britell’s new works revolve around large, dreamy cityscapes tending toward abstraction.  

Hotel on North, 297 North Street, will feature "What Keeps My Heart Awake", paintings by Marita O’Dea Glodt, for the September Artswalk.  

"My journey each season through the Berkshires takes me through farms and orchards, across forests and preserves, inside waterfalls, under trees, on lakes and nearby swamps and streams, past rainstorms, morning light, and sunset and to the edge of riverbanks," says Marita. "It has lifted me through these difficult times and has helped me navigate through the creative process and find joy in the simplest and yet most exquisite things."

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Pittsfield, 175 Wendell Avenue, will present "No Rhyme Or Reason, Back Again" by Amarie for the month of September. There will be an opening reception on Friday, September 2, 5 to 8 pm, as part of First Fridays Artswalk, and the art will be on display through September 25. 

Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. will present Indoors Out! Free Kids’ Paint & Sip on Friday, September 2, 5-7 pm, at the parklet and outdoor seating area at The Marketplace Café, 53 North Street. This free event is best suited for ages 5 to 12, although older children are welcome. All materials, snacks, and juice will be provided. For the September Paint & Sip, children can paint whatever they like! Children must be accompanied by an adult and masks are recommended. The alternate rain location will be at Hot Harry’s covered outdoor seating area at 37 North Street. 

Indoors Out! Free Kids’ Paint & Sip is presented by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. and funding has been provided by the Commonwealth Places Program created by MassDevelopment. This event is presented in partnership with First Fridays Artswalk. 

Other participating venues are ReDefine (5 Melville Street), The Funky Phoenix (441 North Street), Mission Gastropub (438 North Street), and Soma’s Aromas (81 East Street). 

For more information on First Fridays Artswalk, visit firstfridaysartswalk.com or 413-443-6501. Download the Downtown Pittsfield app in the App Store or on Google Play to follow a virtual walking tour of art on your cell phone. 


Tags: Pittsfield Artswalk,   

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Pittsfield Seeks CPA Funds for Bike Racks, AED

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city plans to apply for Community Preservation Act funds for park bike racks and an AED machine at the pickleball fields. 

On Tuesday, the Parks Commission endorsed Pittsfield’s applications for CPA funds. 

"Both of those projects are certainly, relative to CPA funds, low cost but high benefit," Commissioner Anthony DeMartino said. 

Through CPA, bike racks are proposed for a few city parks, and the Berkshire Mountain Pickleball league is looking to place an automatic external defibrillator at the Benedict Avenue pickleball fields. 

Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath and Recreation & Special Events Coordinator Jennifer VanBramer presented the two small project applications, which will go through an eligibility period before full consideration in the spring of 2027. 

During the city’s free, six-week, summer playground program, it was observed that many kids access parks by bicycle. The plan is to buy between six and eight racks to be placed at Durant Park, the Common, and Clapp Park; other parks are being considered as well. 

McGrath explained that the three parks hosting the playground program don’t have bike racks, and they wind up on the ground and sometimes become a distraction. 

"The ancillary benefit to having bike racks is that it encourages that mode of transportation for folks that want to come to the park on their bike," he said. 

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