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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Berkshire Art Center Announces Fall 2026 Classes & Workshops

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Berkshire Art Center (BAC) invites artists of all ages and experience levels to participate in  lineup of Fall 2026 classes and workshops.

With programs offered at Citizens' Hall in Stockbridge as well as partner locations including Berkshire Music School, WANDER Berkshires, and the Mass Audubon's Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, BAC's fall season celebrates creativity through ceramics, painting, drawing, printmaking, mixed media, photography, and more.

Ceramics students will find opportunities to develop their skills this fall. Faculty Artist Paula Shalan returns with Tableware: Creating with Soft Slabs, where students create functional pottery such as mugs, tumblers, and bowls, as well as Cut, Add, and Stretch: Creating with Soft Slabs, which explores more contemporary approaches to handbuilding. Jess Cropper-Alt teaches Timeless & Tactile: Handbuilding Traditions, while Donna Bernstein leads Wheel Throwing for All, an all-levels course featuring demonstrations, individualized instruction, and ample studio time.

For those looking to try clay for the first time, Lorimer Burns offers Try Your Hand at the Pottery Wheel, a welcoming two-hour introduction to wheel throwing. BAC also offers fun, social workshops including Wall Pocket Party, perfect for beginners, friends, couples, and families with children ages 10 and up, and Pottery Night: Beer Stein Social, an evening of creativity and community where participants craft their own handmade ceramic beer stein.

Mixed media and printmaking enthusiasts will find an inspiring variety of offerings throughout the season. Jody King Camarra teaches Color Theory Through Collage, Print Lab: Collagraph, Drypoint & Relief, Working in a Series: Creating Cohesive Collages, Monoprint Magic, and concludes the season with the festive workshop Handmade Holidays: Winter Layers in Gel Plate Printmaking.

Additional printmaking opportunities include Eco-Printing: Basics and Beyond with Mallorey Caron, where students create beautiful botanical prints using real flowers and leaves, Gelatin Plate Printmaking with Johanna Merfeld, an introduction to playful experimentation with layering, texture, stencils, and image transfers, and Image Transfers & Mixed Media, where Diane Firtell shares versatile techniques that can stand alone or enhance existing artwork.

Photographers can celebrate autumn alongside Thad Kubis, whose seasonal workshops include Photography of Daniel Chester French's Studio at Chesterwood in Stockbridge and Photographing Fall Colors in the Berkshires at Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary in Pittsfield.

Painters and drawing enthusiasts will discover classes ranging from foundational techniques to expressive exploration. Jill McLean returns with Watercolor Foundations and Watercolor Landscapes at Berkshire Music School, along with shorter, 1-day workshops including Berkshire Polaroids in Watercolor and Handmade Holidays: Watercolor Bookmarks.

Wednesday Nelena Sorokin offers Creative Writing & Abstraction, where students use stream-of-consciousness writing to inspire expressive abstract paintings, along with Painting Basics, Two-Dimensional Composition Workshop, and the popular Abstract Painting: Color, Design and Spirit. Artists looking for a relaxed, supportive studio environment can also enjoy the return of Friday Painting Studio, featuring a new and more accessible tuition rate and experienced facilitators who provide encouragement, feedback, and creative community while participants work on independent projects.

BAC's monthly workshop series at WANDER Berkshires in Pittsfield also continues this fall. Held on the second Saturday of each month, these welcoming two-hour sessions invite participants to sketch, paint, journal, and experiment in a relaxed community setting—no long-term commitment required. The series begins September 12 with Commonplace Visual Journaling led by Kaily Ritz, followed by Mini Nature Assemblage Boxes with Johanna Merfeld on October 10, Indoor Urban Sketching with Jill McLean on November 14, and concludes December 12 with Watercolor Reset for the New Year, led by BAC Executive Director Laura Thompson.

For a complete schedule of classes and workshops or to register, visit www.berkshireartcenter.org/classes.

 

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