Downtown Pittsfield Announces Free Summer Dance Series

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. has announced "Rhythmscape," a free outdoor summer dance series. The events will take place on Dunham Mal  on select Sunday afternoons from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, beginning June 1 and concluding Aug. 31.

Each "Rhythmscape" session will feature a different rhythm and instructor from the local community, reflecting the diverse identities within Pittsfield. The series aims to activate public spaces in Downtown Pittsfield through inclusive dance and music events that celebrate community, movement, and cultural diversity. No prior dance experience is required to participate.

The schedule of instructors includes:

• Sunday, June 1: BSKE Dance Community presents Prashad Abeysinghe with DJ Daniela Sthisel, offering beginner and intermediate level Bachata and Salsa lessons with social dancing.
• Sunday, June 8: Tara Borgilt and Bruno Trindade will teach Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art.
• Sunday, June 15: Sandra Zarate will teach Zumba.
• Sunday, June 22: Luana Dias David will teach Salsa and Samba.
• Sunday, June 29: Berkshire Sole Society, founded by Erica Shrader and powered by Women of the Westside+, will lead soul line dancing.
• Sunday, July 13: Sandra Zarate will teach Zumba.
• Sunday, July 20: Luana Dias David will teach Salsa and Samba.
• Sunday, July 27: Luana Dias David will teach Salsa and Samba.
• Sunday, August 10: Andres Ramirez from the Funk Box Dance Studio will teach hip-hop.
• Sunday, August 17: Andres Ramirez from the Funk Box Dance Studio will teach hip-hop.
• Sunday, August 24: Mica Farias and Manu Uriona will present a fusion of Latin rhythms with live percussion.
• Sunday, August 31: BSKE Dance Community presents Prashad Abeysinghe with DJ Jeffrey Jay, offering beginner and intermediate level Bachata and Salsa lessons with social dancing.

This series is supported by MassDevelopment's Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) Cohort program in partnership with Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. and Mill Town Foundation. For more information, interested individuals can visit downtownpittsfield.com/2025/05/rhythmscape or call Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. at 413-443-6501.

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.