The Berkshire Athenaeum Announces Annual Summer Reading Program

10:59AM / Monday, June 16, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield's Public Library, announced its annual Summer Reading Program, "Level Up at Your Library," running from Monday, June 23 to Saturday, August 9.

The program is free.

"Level Up at Your Library" offers diverse program options designed to appeal to every age group, fostering a love of reading and promoting continuous learning. The initiative is generously supported by The Friends of the Berkshire Athenaeum, Massachusetts Library System, Boston Bruins, and Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

"We are incredibly excited to launch 'Level Up at Your Library' and welcome the community for another summer of reading adventures," said Olivia Bowers, adult services and programming supervisor. "Our summer reading program is a cornerstone of our community engagement, providing a fun and accessible way for individuals of all ages to stay connected to literature and learning. We are deeply grateful to our sponsors for their continued support in making this vital program possible."

Visit www.pittsfieldlibrary.org for all the details on how to sign up, including information on Beanstack, the Library's reading tracker app.

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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.

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