Bidwell House Museum Opens Season with Martha Washington Performance

10:55AM / Monday, May 12, 2025Print Story | Email Story

MONTEREY, Mass.— The Bidwell House Museum will commence its 35th season with a performance centered on Martha Washington on Saturday, May 17, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The opening program, titled "A Personal Conversation in Mrs. Washington’s Bedchamber," will feature Sandy Spector portraying Martha Washington as she prepares for her day. This interactive program will include Mrs. Washington sharing information about her family and the impact of current events involving her husband on her family and the developing nation.

Sandy Spector is a historian, researcher, and interpreter based in Boston. She has been involved in Revolutionary War reenactments since 2000 and has been portraying Martha Washington for the past decade in various locations, including National Park Service sites such as Washington’s Headquarters in Cambridge, Mass., Valley Forge, and Newburgh, NY. She also presents for museums, schools, libraries, and historical societies and is currently writing a book about Martha Washington from her perspective.

Following the performance, refreshments will be available to mark the season opening. While house tours will not be conducted on this day, the gardens and grounds will be accessible to visitors. Tickets for the event are free for museum members and $20 for non-members. Pre-registration is required through the museum’s website at https://www.bidwellhousemuseum.org/event/a-personal-conversation-in-mrs-washingtons-bedchamber/. Seating is limited.

The museum will officially open for guided tours on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26. These small-group tours will last approximately one hour and will cover the house's architecture, the history of the Bidwell family and their connection to Monterey, information about 18th-century New England household items and decor, and a tour of the first and second floors. The museum is accessible, and a video tour of the second floor is available for visitors unable to use stairs. Tours are by appointment only, must be booked at least 24 hours in advance, and will be offered on Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., or 3 p.m. Reservations can be made by calling 413-528-6888 or emailing bidwellhm2@gmail.com. Ticket prices are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, $5 for students, and free for children 12 and under.

Since 2023, the Bidwell House Museum has participated in the Card to Culture program, offering free admission for house tours to EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholders, and member pricing for events. This initiative is supported by the Mass Cultural Council in collaboration with the Executive Office of Health and Human Services’ Department of Transitional Assistance, the Department of Public Health’s MassWIC, and the Massachusetts Health Connector.

The Bidwell House Museum is also a member of the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association, providing NARM members with free admission for house tours at participating institutions. Additionally, the museum offers free admission for house tours to members of the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA).

The Bidwell House Museum is a non-profit educational institution dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of early American home life and the Berkshire landscape.

The museum grounds, encompassing 194 acres of woods, fields, historic stonewalls, and trails, are open year-round at no charge. Trail maps are available on the museum's front porch and website at https://www.bidwellhousemuseum.org/trails/.

The Bidwell House Museum is located at 100 Art School Road in Monterey, Massachusetts. For more information about programs, call 413-528-6888 or visit www.bidwellhousemuseum.org.

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Berkshire Art Center Announces Fall 2026 Classes & Workshops

07:51AM / Saturday, August 29, 2026

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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