Local Women Writers to Present 'Defy: Words in Bloom' at WANDER

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — WANDER Berkshires will host "Defy: Words in Bloom," an evening of new work by five local women writers, on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 7 p.m.

The event is part of ArtWeek Berkshires and will feature poetry and creative nonfiction performances by Deirdre McKenna, maayan nuri héd, Nichole Dupont, Alÿcia Bacon, and Elizabeth Nelson.

Paper flower sculptures by Elizabeth Nelson, who also curated the event, will be on display at WANDER from May 16–26.

Deirdre McKenna is a writer and visual artist based in the Berkshires. maayan nuri héd is an antidisciplinarian artist and community organizer. Nichole Dupont is a writer, columnist, playwright, and essayist. Alÿcia Bacon is a poet and storyteller. Elizabeth Nelson is a writer and multidisciplinary artist.

More information about the writers can be found at elizabethnelson.net/news-events.

ArtWeek Berkshires, a 10-day celebration of creativity, is hosted by the five state-designated Cultural Districts of Berkshire County and marketed by 1Berkshire.

The presenting writers will share personal works exploring themes of loss, nature, war, mothering, resilience, defiance, love, healing, and justice.

Colombian Artist Celebrates Immigrant Stories in New Pittsfield Mural

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
06:49AM / Saturday, October 24, 2026

Artist Laura Barrios explains the  inspiration of the mural, of immigrants building new lives in the Berkshires.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The walls along the Intermodal Center's train platform are a little more colorful following the unveiling of Let It Shine's third mural at that location, transforming a space once surrounded by bare concrete into a vibrant display of public art.

 

The unveiling on Thursday, marks the close of Let It Shine's 2026 outdoor public art season and the third year of its emerging artist program, said Mill Town Foundation Program Director Andy Wrba. 

 

Let It Shine's Emerging Artists Mentorship program was established in 2024 to support aspiring artists in the community by providing guidance, hands-on experiences, and opportunities to create large-scale public art.

 

"This mural, along with all the murals, as part of this emerging artist program, and even more broadly, all the murals that you see downtown throughout Pittsfield shows that we care about the cultural scene and we care about the creative people that live and work in our city," Wrba said.

 

The new mural, painted by Colombian artist Laura Barrios, celebrates immigrants who have built lives and found a sense of home in Berkshire County.

 

Barrios has been working on the piece for the last two months alongside mentor artist, Jesse Tobin McCauley. 

 

"It's a homage to the immigrants who work and make a home in the Berkshires … this is a very personal experience too because I am an immigrant," Barrios said in her speech.