WCMA Announces Closure of Upper Galleries

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA) will close its upper galleries as it prepares for a new purpose-built facility. The closure marks the end of nearly a century of exhibitions in Lawrence Hall, which has undergone multiple renovations and additions over the years.
 
To commemorate this transition, WCMA will host "Last Chance Glance" events on the following dates: Wednesday, Dec. 11, 3-5 p.m.; Thursday, Dec. 12, noon-2 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2-4 p.m.; and Thursday, Dec. 20, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Visitors can view the current exhibitions, including "Teddy Sandoval and the Butch Gardens School of Art," "Pallavi Sen: Colour Theory," "SO–IL \ WCMA: Building A New Museum," "Cracking the Cosmic Code: Numerology in Medieval Art," and "Remixing the Hall."
 
The events will also feature light refreshments, opportunities to talk with staff, and slideshows showcasing the history of the museum's galleries.
 
WCMA is open daily through Sunday, Dec. 22, with holiday hours listed on its website. The museum will reopen on Jan. 6 with a limited footprint featuring "Object Lab," an interdisciplinary exhibit that highlights selections from the collection. Updated visitor hours and programming information are available at artmuseum.williams.edu.

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Williamstown Board of Health Looks to Regulate Nitrous Oxide Sales

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Board of Health last week agreed to look into drafting a local ordinance that would regulate the sale of nitrous oxide.
 
Resident Danielle Luchi raised the issue, telling the board she recently learned a local retailer was selling large containers of the compound, which has legitimate medical and culinary uses but also is used as a recreational drug.
 
The nitrous oxide (N2O) canisters are widely marketed as "whippets," a reference to the compound's use in creating whipped cream. Also called "laughing gas" for its medical use for pain relief and sedation, N2O is also used recreationally — and illegally — to achieve feelings of euphoria and relaxation, sometimes with tragic consequences.
 
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association earlier this year found that, "from 2010 to 2023, there was a total of 1,240 deaths attributable to nitrous oxide poisoning among people aged 15 to 74 years in the U.S."
 
"Nitrous oxide is a drug," Luchi told the board at its Tuesday morning meeting. "Kids are getting high from it. They're dying in their cars."
 
To combat the issue, the city of Northampton passed an ordinance that went into effect in June of this year.
 
"Under the new policy … the sale of [nitrous oxide] is prohibited in all retail establishments in Northampton, with the exception of licensed kitchen supply stores and medical supply stores," according to Northampton's website. "The regulation also limits sales to individuals 21 years of age and older and requires businesses to verify age using a valid government-issued photo ID."
 
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