CATA Mass Audubon Present 'Second Nature' Exhibit

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LENOX, Mass. — Community Access to the Arts (CATA) and Mass Audubon present "Second Nature," an exhibit of work by artists with disabilities inspired by the natural landscape of the Berkshires. 
 
The exhibition will be on display at the historic barn at Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary from October 17-November 19. 
 
The gallery, located at 472 West Mountain Road in Lenox, is open daily from 9am-4pm (admission to the exhibit is free).
 
A free, opening reception will be held on Tuesday, October 24 from 3-5pm. RSVP's are requested at CATAarts.org/MassAudubon2023.
 
"We're thrilled to partner with Mass Audubon to celebrate the work of CATA artists with disabilities," said CATA Executive Director Margaret Keller. "CATA artists have been working with naturalists from Berkshire Wildlife Sanctuaries to explore local flora and fauna through tactile nature walks and open air art-making. From those encounters, they've created a stunning collection of paintings, drawings, photographs sharing their perspectives on our beautiful Berkshire landscape."
 
Many of the works were created on-site at Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary as part of an ongoing partnership between CATA and Mass Audubon. CATA artists toured Pleasant Valley's "All Persons Trail," working with naturalists from Berkshire Wildlife Sanctuaries as they created paintings en plein air and captured stunning photographs of the natural environment. Mass Audubon's 15 All Persons Trails go beyond Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and include universally accessible interpretive features such as handrails, braille and tactile features, audio tour stops, wildlife viewing boardwalks and platforms, and seating.
 
"Just like art, nature should be accessible to all who seek out its beauty and restorative properties," said Regional Director of Mass Audubon's West Region Becky Cushing Gop. "We're honored that our breathtaking Pleasant Valley sanctuary can serve as the backdrop for the creation of such inspiring works from these artists."
 
The exhibit also includes work created by CATA artists at day programs and residences serving people with disabilities across the Berkshires. The exhibit includes botanical studies, landscapes, abstract paintings, photography, prints, and cyanotypes ranging widely in stylistic expression and scale of size.
 
All works are professionally matted, framed, and available for sale, with proceeds supporting commissions for the individual artists.
 
Second Nature is sponsored in part by Frames on Wheels, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and other generous supporters. The exhibit is part of CATA's "Art on Tour" program, where original works of art created by CATA artists travel throughout the year to museums, galleries, community centers, and other venues in Berkshire and Columbia counties.
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A Boutique Hotel is Bringing Guests a Luxury Stay in Lenox

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

LENOX, Mass. — A new Inn is bringing a boutique-style stay for visitors and locals to enjoy.

Owners, Sullivan Capital LLC, purchased the property, located on 135 Main Street, in 2024. After a year or renovations, Garden Gables Inn is open for business. 

"Garden Gables started off as one of the many Berkshire cottages, 1790 was the date on that, and it's always operated as an inn," said Hospitality Manager Yvonne Walton. "It's just a great gathering place and relaxation spot for people to come and get the feel of Lenox, and just slow down and enjoy the nature and the surrounding area...get culture and art and see some great concerts. I think it'll be a wonderful place, definitely does more of the upper-scale hospitality." 

Owners Niko Giallouis and Eric Sullivan bought the property from the former owner. Sullivan had his eye on Lenox since attending a wedding almost 10 years ago.

"I came to a wedding in Lenox, probably six or seven years ago. Personally, just kind of fell in love with the area, and I guess that's kind of how it got on my radar. So you know from that perspective, as we got into the hotel business out towards an area, it was a place I was kind of monitoring and waiting for the right property to show up."

After purchasing the two underwent a full renovation, a project that cost around $1.5 million. The building, first built in 1780, required some TLC. Sullivan's wife, Jessica, who owns Jessica Sullivan Design, designed the inn.

Sullivan said they installed a new roof, repainted everything, renovated the bathrooms, installed new floors, a new HVAC system, and new plumbing.

"We really touched everything from the outside...I mean, all the aesthetics and layouts changed a bit," he said. "As I said, put about a million and a half into it. All new furniture, fixtures, everything. The design's completely different. It wasn't a full gut, but it was a heavy, heavy renovation."

The two like to collaborate with local businesses, and they make a point to direct visitors to local restaurants, businesses, and attractions.

"If guests are asking for recommendations, our customer service team, our guest services team, will relay that kind of information. Even if we can call and make a reservation for somebody, happy to do it," he said. "We aren't doing breakfast, but what we do is we have partnerships with a lot of the breakfast places downtown. We actually purchase a gift certificates for each person each day, so that they can use that to go downtown."

Sullivan hopes that guests don't see their inn as just a place to sleep and dump their bags, but make it an experience for anyone who stays.

"We really focus on kind of the experience side of things, so again, we want to give you the best experience you can have here...and we want that not just to be the place you put your bag and go do things. It's important to think of everything," he said.

Sullivan said partnerships are important to their business and are a way to connect with locals.

"The local partnerships, I can't stress that enough, because no matter how much and how great the room is, people are still going to want to go do other things," he said. "So, I think it just benefits everybody if we're all working together and so forth, and supporting the community, being neighborly too, because we are surrounded by residential homes...But we really try to put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, a lot of love into the building, all the details, really care about the senses," Sullivan said.

The Inn's check-in and reservations are completely online. When guests arrive, all they have to do is check in online and receive their code that they will use to enter their room. Sullivan hopes this helps create less stress for guests and gets them to their room as fast as possible, especially after a long trip.

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