PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the safe return of two paintings that were stolen from a gallery within Methuselah Bar and Lounge earlier this month.
The oil paintings by Pittsfield-based artist Edward Pelkey were taken from the Tartell Gallery in the rear of the restaurant on Jan. 8 around 4:30 p.m., according to video surveillance.
The footage shows a man entering through an abutting, vacant storefront that shares a bathroom with the bar and gallery, turning on the lights, taking the artwork, and turning off the lights before exiting.
Due to the image quality, details of the man's features cannot be made out but the video has been shared on Facebook in hopes of someone recognizing him.
"We're just eager to get the artwork back if possible," owner Yuki Cohen said.
The Pittsfield Police Department has turned the investigation over to its detective unit for a more in-depth analysis of the video and a search for other footage.
Cohen noted that the person had keys to enter from the neighboring space and seemed familiar with the gallery, as the whole incident took less than a couple of minutes.
Methuselah is closed on Sundays.
While all parties hope to track down the person who did this, the main goal is to get Pelkey's artwork back.
"The New Gunfighter in Town" features a man in a red shirt shooting through saloon doors and is 30 by 24 inches. "The Cubist Bounty Hunter" shows a figure in Mandalorian style armor shooting a gun with vibrantly colored action lines around it and is 18 by 14 inches. Both are oil on canvas.
The abutting storefront at 393 North St. has formerly housed Shire Glass and Omega 1 African Fashion.
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Bianchi-Barbarotta Foundation Bestows Annual Honors
Community submission
PITTSFIELD, Mass. – The Bianchi-Barbarotta Foundation Friday recognized nine winners of the organization’s annual awards for contributions to sports in Berkshire County.
The honorees were recognized at a dinner at the Polish Falcon Club.
Paula and Dick Rivers received the foundation’s Living Legends Award. Peter White took home the Connie Bianchi Memorial Award of Merit. Ben Knute was honored as the Volunteer of the year. And recent Pittsfield High School grads Jack Reed and Ella Bassi are recipients of the 2025 Vera Barbarotta Sportsman Scholarships.
For the first time this year, the foundation added male and female Athletes of the Year and Coach of the Year recognition in girls and boys sports.
Wahconah’s West Dews is the male Athlete of the Year, and Hoosac Valley’s Ashlyn Lesure is the Female Athlete of the Year. The coaches are Mount Greylock girls track and field coach Brian Gill and Monument Mountain boys basketball coach Randy Koldys.
“It was a wonderful evening with some awesome speeches,” Bianch-Barbarotta Foundation President John Barbarotta said. “The kids were outstanding.”
Woody Vaspra was one of several Vietnam veterans who talked about that sacrifice and the war's impact on countless family members back home who lost their loved ones in the war.
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During its anniversary in June, Jake's Java dedicated a bench painted by a local artist to Marine Capt. Ross Reynolds, a Leominster native.
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With a motorcade that stretched for a mile and dozens of volunteers ready to help with the erection process, the Vietnam Traveling War Memorial arrived at War Memorial Field on Thursday afternoon. click for more
City Planner Kevin Rayner again pointed out that "short-term rentals aren't actually legal" in the city currently, because there is no governing ordinance.
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