MCLA's Gallery 51: 'Mothering in Migration'

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass.— MCLA's MOSAIC announces the upcoming exhibition "Mothering in Migration" and opening reception at Gallery 51.
 
"Mothering in Migration" will be on view from July 26 to August 25 at Gallery 51 with an opening reception on July 26 from 5 to 8 p.m. featuring light snacks and refreshments. A reception will also be held during North Adams' First Friday event on August 2 from 5 to 8 p.m. featuring catering, refreshments, and live music from Yo Soy Arte.
 
"Mothering in Migration" is part of an ongoing collaboration between artist Luiza Folegatti and Latinas413 that aims to strengthen local support for immigrant mothers while using image-making as a tool for community building. Through photography sessions, interviews, and workshops, the families and the artist celebrated their connection to the natural landscape of the Berkshires, the networks of mutual support between friends and colleagues, and the intimacy of the mother-daughter relationship.
 
The show is curated by Carolina Porras-Monroy.
 
According to a press release: 
 
Luiza Folegatti is a Brazilian artist based in North Adams who integrates artistic practice, teaching, and social advocacy work around the rights of women immigrants. Her work focuses on gender and migration through photography, video,  performance, and visual anthropology methods. Folegatti strongly believes in the positive impact generated by projects that combine photography, education, and community building. She has taught photography workshops for several years at nonprofits working with immigrants and is currently a visiting faculty member in photography at Bennington College, part-time residency coordinator at MASS MoCA, and Artists At Work grantee. 
 
To learn more about Latinas413 visit https://www.latinas413.org/.
 

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Build or Rent: Communities Seek Options to House Public Safety Departments

By John TownesSpecial to iBerkshires
This is the second of two articles looking at examples of how towns and cities are dealing with a common problem of old and inadequate facilities for their public safety operations, including police, fire and emergency medical services. The circumstances and strategies to provide the buildings and infrastructure that are necessary to maintain modern public safety operations vary widely among towns and cities. Read part one here
 
For many years, the town of Lee has had to struggle with an outdated and crowded Police Department station located in its Town Hall, which was built in 1874. Its nearby fire station was originally constructed to house horse-drawn firefighting vehicles.
 
"The Police Department has been crammed into Town Hall and there is not enough room," said Lee Town Administrator Chris Brittain. "We had to fit the police staff on different floors wherever we can find space. In addition, the station was not designed for the Police Department's current needs. For example, our cells do not meet modern standards."
 
The Fire Department complex, including its main station and adjacent buildings and emergency medical services, have had similar problems. He noted that the town had to purchase customized fire trucks to fit through the doors.
 
To solve these and other issues, the town is currently constructing a new public safety complex to house its police, fire and emergency medical services operations and the Building Department on a site at 49 Railroad St. in the town center. It has also relocated its Department of Public Works operations and equipment from there to a more effective site on Pleasant Street in the southern section of Lee.
 
In the first step of the process, the town in 2022 conducted a feasibility study of possible solutions. The study was funded by $70,000 from cannabis impact revenue.
 
"The town did a complete analysis of its public safety needs, including such factors as staffing, equipment, and what was needed to meet call volumes," explained Brittain. "We also looked at potential locations, and the estimated cost of facilities."
 
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