Berkshire Museum to Offer Community Programming During Renovations

08:02AM / Tuesday, December 10, 2024Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Museum will close for major renovations to its first-floor spaces and galleries starting January 6, 2025.

While the museum undergoes construction, it will produce a lineup of off-site events and educational programs across the Berkshires, utilizing partnerships with local organizations.

This includes the museum's outreach efforts will be its Mobile Museum Units (MoMUs), a series of 11 portable, STEAM-focused displays featuring elements of science, technology, engineering, art, and math. These "mini-exhibitions," already popular in schools and community spaces, will continue to bring curated collections to audiences throughout the region.

"MoMUs have been at the forefront of the Berkshire Museum’s education philosophy since re-opening from the pandemic three years ago, and we continue to expand their reach," said Berkshire Museum Curriculum Developer Joseph Mastronardi. "As they were designed to offer engaging and differentiated field-trip experiences outside the museum walls, we are thrilled to be able to partner with locales throughout the Berkshires to continue showcasing our collection while our building gets its exciting upgrade."

The renovations, set to be completed in 2026, will include a new lobby, gift shop, family activity center, lecture hall, conference room, and reimagined first-floor galleries showcasing art, natural history, and historical objects. A centerpiece of the project will be a new aquarium featuring aquatic and terrestrial life, designed to appeal to visitors of all ages.

"After years of preparation, we are ready to launch the final component of planned upgrades to the 1903 building, focusing on all the first-floor spaces, as well as unveiling a new aquarium," said Kimberley Bush Tomio, Berkshire Museum Executive Director. "The outcome will be a fresh look at the museum’s treasures and opportunities for programs and exhibitions for people of all ages."

Community members can track renovation updates and access programming schedules through the museum's website, berkshiremuseum.org.

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Pittsfield's Christian Center Seeks Community Input on Services, Name

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:57PM / Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Worker Dionisio Kelly, left, board member Kenny Warren, Executive Director Jessica Jones, and Food and Services Director Karen Ryan.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It's a new year, and The Christian Center is looking at how it can serve the area in 2026 and beyond.

This includes a possible new name fueled by community forums in late January and early February.

"We're hoping people will come in and talk about the name, talk about what programs, what services they would like to see from us. What would be most meaningful," Executive Director Jessica Jones said.

"Because the population in this area has changed quite a bit, and we no longer serve just the West Side. We serve people from other parts of Berkshire County. So the hope is just to make it more inclusive."

The Christian Center was a stop on Berkshire Community College and NAACP Berkshires' Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

The nonprofit will hold three input sessions at 193 Robbins Ave. to inform future programs and branding, and ensure that West Side voices are heard.

The sessions will be held on:

Saturday, Jan. 31, from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Thursday, Feb. 5, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 10, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

The center dates back to the early 1890s, when it was the Epworth Mission started by the Methodist Church to serve newly arrived immigrants and help them assimilate. The Christian Center was incorporated in 1974.

Over the decades, it has drifted away from a faith-based organization to a space for anyone who needs a meal, a warm jacket, a place to bring their child, or a meeting place. A space for everyone.

This is what center officials wanted reflected in the name.

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