Bard College To Close Simon's Rock Campus

Staff Reports 03:27PM / Tuesday, November 19, 2024Print Story | Email Story

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Bard College announced Tuesday plans to close its Simon's Rock campus in Great Barrington and consolidate to Bard's Massena Campus in Barrytown, NY, starting in fall 2025.

The decision, made by Bard's Board of Trustees and Simon's Rock's Board of Overseers, responds to challenges including declining enrollment and increased competition in early college programs.

"Departing from our beloved Great Barrington campus is heartbreaking — the campus has been my professional home for more than twenty years and my literal home for nearly five," wrote Provost John B. Weinstein. "It is full of memories for so many people. But this move is the only course of action for the school to preserve the viability of a residential early college experience in an unpredictable time for institutions of higher education nationwide. I feel so many conflicting emotions as I share the news with you."

Weinstein continued that during the school's 60-year history in Great Barrington, Simon's Rock has graduated more than 6000 students.

"We are fortunate to be able to continue our mission and uphold the legacy of our founder Elizabeth "Betty" Blodgett Hall at our new campus," he wrote. "Betty Hall was a pioneer in education with the radical idea that curious and independent adolescents deserve a new path to college in a fast-changing world. Betty was the founder of the early college movement and we will continue to honor her vision by offering students a safe and creative intellectual haven."

Current students will be supported through the transition, with the option to complete their studies at the new campus or explore transfer opportunities. Applications for fall 2025 are now open for students to begin their studies at the Barrytown location.

"We will work with faculty and staff to assist them in their next steps in the coming months, including helping students who are unable or unwilling to make the move to the New York campus identify suitable alternatives in Massachusetts," wrote Weinstein.

Simon's Rock, a private liberal arts early college, was founded in 1960s. Bard College acquired the college in 1979. The school is located on a 275 acre campus in Great Barrington and is named after a large glacial erratic rock located in the woods on campus.

Tags: bard college, school closures,

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Great Barrington Public Theater Appoints Artistic Director

09:57AM / Monday, December 29, 2025

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Great Barrington Public Theater announced that Associate Artistic Director Judy Braha will now join Jim Frangione at the helm as Artistic Director of Great Barrington Public Theater.

"We at Great Barrington Public Theater are thrilled that Judy Braha will assume the role of Artistic Director alongside myself. I couldn't have asked for a better partner to help advance the interests of the theater as we move into the next phase of growth as the region's premiere developmental theater," Founder & Artistic Director Jim Frangione said. "Judy brings a tremendous amount of experience and value to our company and has, in just a few short years, grown and greatly enhanced GB Public Theater's signature program, Berkshires Voices, where playwrights develop their work, leading to public readings and in some cases workshops and full productions. I look forward to working more closely with Judy to select the next generation of plays to be presented under the GB Public banner. It's a "Bear" of a job! But we feel great about the direction of our theater."

Judy Braha joined the GB Public artistic leadership team in 2023 as the Associate Artistic Director after 2 years directing for the company. She has since then been collaborating with Founder and Artistic Director Jim Frangione on the selection of new work for readings and full productions in the summer season. Her impressive portfolio of credits and accomplishments strengthened Great Barrington Public's creative programming and offered new perspectives to the body of works and events produced each year.

Judy Braha has been a career director, actor, teacher and artist for social justice for over four decades with directorial credits in theaters and universities throughout New England. She led the M.F.A. Directing Program at Boston University's School of Theater, retiring in 2022 after 29 years of service at BU.

"Judy has the strength of commitment, leadership and passion for theater and how it affects communities that fit hand-in-glove with our founding mission and core beliefs," Founder and Producing Director Deann Halper Simmons explains. "Her artistic integrity, sense of stage esthetic and ability to make important choices that craft life from the script continues to be a great asset to our company and growth."

"Judy's distinguished artistic voice has significantly contributed to the exceptional growth of GB Public in recent years," Managing Director Serena Johnson added. "We are truly excited to have her stepping into this leadership role in the 2026 season."

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