Jacob's Pillow Adds International Advisor

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BECKET, Mass. — Jacob’s Pillow has announced that Cathy Levy joined the organization’s curatorial team as International Advisor on Sept. 1.

In this new role as a consultant to the curatorial team, Levy will evaluate international artists and companies for commissioning support and inclusion in Jacob’s Pillow’s annual summer Dance Festival, as well as in the year-round Pillow Lab residency program, and digital programming initiatives. Levy will inform the work of Jacob’s Pillow’s Executive and Artistic Director Pamela Tatge and Associate Curators Melanie George and Ali Rosa-Salas.

"I am thrilled I will have this opportunity to work alongside Pam and the Pillow staff to contribute to programming and related projects for artists," Levy said. "I hold the Festival in the greatest esteem and look forward to contributing to – and being inspired by – the dedicated team who create the Festival."

Most recently, Levy has worked as Executive Director for NAC Dance within the National Arts Centre (NAC), Canada’s multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts, headquartered in Ottawa. The NAC is a bilingual, multi-disciplinary home and showcase for the performing arts that presents, creates, produces, and co-produces in various streams and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada and abroad.

"When I found out that Cathy will be ending her 22-year tenure at the National Arts Centre in the near future, I knew that I wanted to see if she might consider working with us in this consulting role," said Tatge. "She is an exceptional curator with a wide network who has commanded the deep respect of artists and companies around the world for decades. She has been a treasured colleague of mine for years, and I so look forward to working with her in this new capacity."

Levy has led the National Arts Centre’s dance department for over two decades and has earned an enviable reputation throughout the Canadian and international dance communities. She annually presented a full season of national and international dance companies and artists and has co-produced over 100 new works. She has also developed an array of outreach and enhancement activities to support artists, students and audiences, such as the NAC-CGI Youth Commission for Dance (2003-2007), the Associate Dance Artists Program launched in 2007, and the Visiting Dance Artist Program launched in 2018. Levy serves on a number of dance committees and boards, and in 2019 was named a Member of the Order of Canada in recognition of her dedication to the field. 


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Hannah Wicklund and Turning Jane Perform at Barrington Hall

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Hannah Wicklund and Turning Jane will take the stage at Barrington Hall on Saturday, bringing a night of rock 'n' roll, self-expression and empowerment as part of their independently produced tour, "Cowards, Kings & Queens of Hearts."
 
The duo is challenging traditional music industry practices by taking control of their careers, bringing live performances to smaller communities, and fostering human connection with the goal of inspiring creativity and individuality, Wicklund said.
 
Having toured since she was 16, the South Carolina native said most of her previous performances were concentrated in major markets.
 
Great Barrington was intentionally selected as a stop on the tour because it "fit perfectly" with the artists' efforts to bring their music to smaller communities, raise awareness of independent artists, and demonstrate alternatives to the traditional, corporate-driven music industry, she said.
 
The tour's name, "Cowards, Kings & Queens of Hearts," combines the titles of songs and albums from its two co-headlining acts: Wicklund's song "Cowards and Kings," from her album "War on Women, Calling All Good Men," and four-piece rock band Turning Jane's album "Queen of Hearts." 
 
The two performers bring contrasting styles to the stage, with Turning Jane delivering a more traditional rock sound and Wicklund adding a psychedelic edge. These different rock styles add variety to the show while sharing a similar passion for music and a strong sense of artistic identity, Wicklund said.
 
"I'm wishing to create [an atmosphere that] is constantly inspirational, and hoping to have people walk away feeling like they want to go home and paint or write or learn guitar, any of the self-expression tools that I know and love," Wicklund said. 
 
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