Pittsfield First Fridays Artswalk Features Exhibits, Studios

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A dozen art shows and exhibits will be on display during the First Fridays Artswalk on Friday, Oct. 7 from 5 to 8 , with most art on open for viewing all month long.

The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue, and the Berkshire Art Association will present RE*Fresh, a Juried Biennial Show, for the month of Oct.. The exhibit will be on view Oct. 7 through Nov. 26, and there will be an opening reception for the public during the First Fridays Artswalk on Oct. 7 from 5 to 8 p.m.

RE*Fresh speaks of the challenges, inspirations, and new possibilities presented to all of us over the past two years. These issues are expressed and explored by 33 artists from the Northeast United States. In this juried show, 44 works, including paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, and graphic design are represented, offering wide ranging interpretations of the theme. 

Berkshire County artists included in RE*Fresh are Carolyn Abrams, Karen Bognar-Khan, Marguerite Bride, Joan Burkhard, Kasha Cooper, Kit Curry, Margaret Dotchin, Patricia Frik, Adrian Holmes, Marion Grant, Sarah Horne, Karen Kane, Ronald Maitland, John Mancia, Mark Mellinger, Alan Papscun, Ivor Parry, Barbara Patton, Janet Pumphrey, Ilene Richards, William Riley, Stacey Silkey Schultze, Ilene Spiewak, Kyle Strack, Scott Taylor, Jay Tobin, Jesse Tobin McCauley, Diane Wespiser, and Terri Wise.

Artists from the greater Northeast region include Evelyn Addante, Carrie Crane, Lydia Kinney, Julie Eisen-Lester, Joan Lengel, Kristina McComb, Janell O’Rourke, and Meg Rogers Eldredge.

RE*Fresh opens on Friday, Oct. 7, and there will be an awards reception on Saturday, Oct. 8 from 3 to 5 p.m. Gallery hours during the 6 weeks of the show are by appointment. Admission is free. To view this show virtually or in person after Oct. 8, call 413-499-9348 to schedule an appointment.   

Hotel on North, 297 North Street, will feature Puzzle Pieces by J J Tobin for the Oct. Artswalk. There will be an opening reception with the artist on Friday, Oct. 7, 5 to 8 p.m., and the show will be on view through Nov. 30.

Tobin’s paintings have been influenced by Asian art, in particular calligraphy and folding screen painting. Puzzle pieces are used as an abstract design element or a kind of calligraphy. The work on display dates from 2018 to 2022, and features acrylic, collage, and polyurethane on canvas or wood.

Join Berkshire Art Center (BAC) at their new Pittsfield location at 141 North Street for creative family fun! Each month, BAC will offer Free Family Drop-Ins on the First Friday (5:30 to 7:30 p.m.) and Third Saturday (10 am to 12 p.m.) of every month. There will be a rotating set of projects for families to participate in at their own pace, with the guidance and support of a Faculty Artist, during this ART-tastic drop-in event. Free Family Drop-Ins are open to the public and all children must be accompanied by an adult. No registration is required.

For the month of Oct., TKG Real Estate, 137 North Street, will present Looking at Favorite Places Through Different Eyes. In this show, plein air artists from The Guild of Berkshire Artists have painted Berkshire landmarks in new and different ways. These artists see different perspectives, colors, and images: a novel view of familiar sights. 

Presenting artists are Emily Bunnell, Kinney Freylinghuysen, Joan Gluck, Jenny Hensell, Caroline Medina, Walt Pasko, Susan Sabino, Sharon Stanfield, and Joan Stark.

There will be a reception as part of First Fridays Artswalk on Friday, Oct. 7, 5 to 8 p.m. The work will be up during the month of Oct. and can be viewed when TKG Real Estate is open.

The Marketplace Cafe, 53 North Street, will present Fine Art Photographer and Digital Artist, Nicole March, for the month of Oct.. There will be a reception with the artist on Friday, Oct. 7 from 5 to 7 p.m., and the work will be on view throughout the month.

Nicole March is an emerging artist born and raised in the Berkshires. "Creation begins with shooting pictures, often nature-related on a macro level, emphasizing fine details easily overlooked," says March. "I then digitally adjust components of the image including hues and slayers… and the unconventional result is paired with an equally unique medium, metallic printing."

The Artists at the historic Clock Tower will host an open studios event on Friday, Oct. 7, 5 to 8 p.m., on the third floor of the Clock Tower at 75 South Church Street. Five established, visual artists are settling into their new studio spaces and have been joyfully working on new projects. Stop in to share their art and provide insight into their creative processes.

The artists hosting open studios at the Clock Tower during the First Fridays Artswalk are Marion Grant, Caroline Kelley, Mark Mellinger, Ilene Richard, and Sally Tiska-Rice. For more information, visit https://clocktowerartists.gator.site.

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Pittsfield, 175 Wendell Avenue, will present PHOTOGRAPHIC VIEWS by W Katherine Hoak for the month of Oct.. There will be an opening reception with the artist on Friday, Oct. 7, 5 to 8 p.m., as part of First Fridays Artswalk, and the art will be on display through Oct. 23.

"The photographs being presented in this show indicate what I have always been drawn to, a love of animals, wildlife, and the beauty of nature," says Katherine. "My longing to see wild-life spurred my husband and I to go where we could see it. Wanting to hold on to those experiences led me to a deep involvement with photography."

Lee Bank, 75 North Street, will present paintings by Sally Tiska Rice for the month of Oct.. 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.

Sally uses spontaneity to compose artwork. She focuses on blending and layering to achieve depth and dimension. She also experiments with light and color to create a piece that will be enjoyed. Sally employs many different techniques into her paintings, using acrylic, watercolor, pastels, and oils. She also creates many beautiful commission pieces for customers internationally.

There will be drop-in art activities at ReDefine, 5 Melville Street, during the First Fridays Artswalk on Oct. 7 from 5 to 8 p.m. Their Endless Possibilities Pop Up Market will have a variety of artists and vendors, and there will be free community paint and creativity activities available.

Other participating venues are The Funky Phoenix (441 North Street), Mission Gastropub (438 North Street), The Beacon Cinema (57 North Street), and Soma’s Aromas (81 East Street). 

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.

For more information on First Fridays Artswalk, visit firstfridaysartswalk.com or call 413-443-6501.

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

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.