Berkshire Agricultural Ventures Hires New Development Director

12:58PM / Wednesday, November 19, 2025Print Story | Email Story

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Berkshire Agricultural Ventures (BAV) announce the hiring of Kristen Moriarty as the nonprofit's new Development Director.

"We are thrilled to have Kristen in this crucial role," said Executive Director Rebecca Busansky.

"Kristen brings a wealth of development expertise, extraordinary interpersonal and relationship-building skills, and a passion for creating more vibrant and resilient local communities. In addition, she has a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and has already brought leadership and thoughtfulness to these vital aspects of our work at BAV."

Moriarty joined BAV from Shakespeare & Company in Lenox where she held positions in development and program management. At BAV, Moriarty leads a multi-pronged fundraising effort, including cultivating and stewarding individual donors, orchestrating donor events, and overseeing BAV's grant portfolio of private and corporate foundations.

"I am delighted to join BAV's outstanding team to build support and capacity for the organization," said Development Director Kristen Moriarty. "I am deeply impressed by the work BAV is doing to strengthen local farms and food businesses and expand local food access. Food is fundamental – and it begins with our farmers. It is exciting to bring donors and funders into our work, especially at this moment in time. I am honored to continue growing BAV's base of support so that we can sustain and amplify our impact – with local farmers, local communities, and local economies."

Moriarty previously held leadership roles at Shakespeare & Company, serving as Senior Manager of Individual Giving and as Program Manager for the Center for Actor Training. She is a professional actor and an acting teacher as well as a development officer. Her background also includes event management, sales supervisory experience, and copywriting/content creation. She lives in Lenox with her husband and two daughters. Moriarty served for four years as PTO President at Morris Elementary in Lenox, among other commitments.

Moriarty began her role at BAV earlier this fall. In tandem with her hiring, BAV added a Program and Development Associate to support development efforts and expand capacity for farmer-focused programming. Based in Great Barrington, BAV has a staff of nine and serves farmers in parts of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York.

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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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