CATA Announces New Staff

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Community Access to the Arts (CATA) announces the hiring of Nina Boutsikaris as Grants & Communications Coordinator and Jeremy Lovelett as Communications Associate.
 
These new positions will support CATA's Communications department to help grow public awareness and expand financial support for CATA's work. CATA has expanded programs serving people with disabilities in recent years, with an innovative, community-based model rooted in partnerships with disability agencies, day-habilitation programs, residences, and schools. 
 
CATA currently provides more than 2,500 arts workshops annually for 1,250 children, teens, and adults with disabilities in painting, dance, acting, songwriting, drumming, creative writing, juggling, yoga, and more.
 
"We are thrilled to welcome Nina Boutsikaris and Jeremy Lovelett to the CATA team," said Margaret Keller, CATA Executive Director. "These new full-time roles are part of our strategic plan to engage more people with disabilities and expand opportunities for them to explore their talents and express themselves creatively."
 
Nina Boutsikaris (she/her) joins CATA following work as the Developmental Writer & Program Coordinator at the Diverse Future Foundation (Hudson, NY) and Archivist & Librarian at The John Ashbery Resource Center. Nina is a published author and former educator with an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from University of Arizona, and MSLS in Archives Management from Simmons University. In her role at CATA, Nina will support CATA's Communications and Development departments, supporting writing projects including grants, newsletters, and strategic plan and campaign materials.
 
Jeremy Lovelett (he/him) joins CATA following roles as Managing Editor at The Edge (Ithaca, NY) and as Library Assistant in Tech Services at the Berkshire Athenaeum. Jeremy has a Bachelor of Music with Outside Field in Writing from Ithaca College. In his new role at CATA, Jeremy will support CATA's Communications department through a variety of projects, including social media, e-blasts, website maintenance, photography, copy editing, and graphic design.
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Must-Experience Spring Events in the Berkshires

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
The sun has finally risen from the clouds and shines its golden rays on the bare trees bringing the wildlife back to life and awakening the wildlife from their blissful sleep. The snow melts and the sky cries with joy, showering the ground and  filling the air with the smell of petrichor.
 
The grass becomes green, the leaves return, and the flowers pollinate, filling the world with the forgotten color. Nature celebrates the coming of spring and so should you. Here are some events happening this spring to help with your celebration.
 
SpringFest 
Saturday, May 9 
Berkshire Botanical Garden, Stockbridge
 
The 24-acre botanical garden will have free admission family fun designed to celebrate spring and community. The event features food trucks and enough children's activities to keep the youngest visitors happily busy for hours including a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, and more. A traditional maypole dance will add an old-world flourish to the day's lineup.
 
The festival is part of the garden's immersive weekend experience Mother's Day weekend, coinciding with its 49th annual Plants-and-Answers Plant Sale from May 8 through 10.
 
The event was established in 1977 and has become a cherished Mother's Day weekend tradition for gardeners across the region. This year's edition, curated by its horticulture staff, offers hundreds of perennials, annuals, herbs, and vegetables — each selected with an emphasis on diversity and nature-based landscaping.
 
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