Arion Press Books Exhibition Opens at Robert Frost Stone House Museum

BENNINGTON, Vt. — The Robert Frost Stone House Museum will present the exhibition "Gold Dusted: The Artistry of Arion Press Books" from May 8 to Oct. 31, 2025.

The exhibition will feature a collection of fine edition artist books from Arion Press, a San Francisco-based publisher that collaborates with contemporary artists and bookmakers to reimagine literary classics. Each book has an edition of 250 copies.

Erin McKenny, Director of the Robert Frost Stone House Museum, noted Robert Frost's appreciation for compatible illustrations in his poetry volumes, citing his long collaboration with artist J.J. Lankes.

The books are on loan from the Crossett Library at Bennington College. Oceana Wilson, Dean of Library at Bennington College, emphasized the opportunity for visitors to interact directly with the collection. The collection was donated to Crossett Library by Cameo Wood ’21.

Sixteen Arion Press artist books will be displayed, including Patti Smith's "Woolgathering" with artwork by Christian Marclay, Zora Neale Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God" with artwork by Kenturah Davis, Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five" with artwork by Vincent Valdez, Octavia E. Butler's "Kindred" with artwork by Alison Saar, and Shirley Jackson's "The Sundial" with artwork by Miles Hyman.

The exhibition will also feature a new interpretation of Aesop’s Fables, created to commemorate Arion's 50th anniversary in 2024. This edition includes modern morals by Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket) and artwork by Sandow Birk, María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Enrique Chagoya, Kenturah Davis, Marcel Dzama, Natalie Frank, Tim Hawkinson, Audrey Niffenegger, Barry Moser, Michele Oka Doner, Alison Saar, Joel Shapiro, Vincent Valdez, Richard Wagener, and Kara Walker. The edition is presented in a sculptural box by Kiki Smith.

The opening reception for the exhibition will take place on Thursday, May 8, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Robert Frost Stone House Museum in Shaftsbury, VT. Representatives from Arion Press, Ted Gioia and Caitlin Kirkpatrick, will be present.

The museum will be open on weekends in May from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Starting June 1, the museum will be open five days a week, Thursday through Monday, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $6 for seniors and students, $5 for those under 18, and free for children under 10. The opening reception is free.

Pittsfield Remembers Lives Lost to Overdose, Underscores Harm Reduction

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:33AM / Tuesday, September 01, 2026

Mayor Peter Marchetti reads a proclamation at City Hall encouraging residents to raise awareness and lift each other up. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Dozens of people gathered downtown on Monday to remember those lost to overdose and work toward a future of zero deaths from substance use disorder. 

The Berkshire Overdose and Addiction Prevention Collaborative and its partners held a proclamation reading and flag-raising at City Hall, followed by a standout in Park Square with signs promoting the use of naloxone, harm reduction, and reducing associated stigma. 

There were 23 fatal overdoses in Berkshire County in 2025, 11 in Pittsfield. This is down 44 percent from the 41 countywide fatalities in 2024. 

While it is a significant decrease, advocates want to see that number at zero. 

"On the one hand, we're very pleased to see this significant of a decrease. This is actually the lowest number that we've had since [Department of Public Health] started collecting these numbers in 2013, but the goal is still zero," said Andy Ottoson, public health planner with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. 

August is International Overdose Awareness Month, the world's largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember those lost without stigma, and acknowledge the grief of families and friends left behind. September is National Recovery Month, a national observance to educate the public on the importance of substance use treatment and mental health services.

Samantha Kendall of Berkshire Harm Reduction explained that it is truly meeting people where they are, as they are, and when they are, "and I think we all do a really great job at that."

"We also want to remember that we're building a community for everybody, and systems and policies for everybody. That's really important in harm reduction work, so that's also the reason we're here today," she said.