Community Members Join Flying Cloud Board

07:44AM / Thursday, February 19, 2026Print Story | Email Story

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Flying Cloud Institute (FCI) announced that Faith Gagliardi and Caitlin Greer Meister have joined the organization's Board of Directors.

Faith Gagliardi is a business manager with nearly 20 years of hands-on work experience covering marketing, operations, analytics, and leadership. She currently serves as Account Manager at Working Planet and previously worked as the Senior Director of Owned Media at Go Fish Digital (formerly Agital/Exclusive Concepts). Gagliardi earned a Masters of Science degree in Communications from Lasell University, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Wentworth Institute of Technology.

"The future I want to help build is one filled with science and art, wonder and awe. I look forward to working with Flying Cloud Institute on bringing hands-on experiences to youth — helping our communities grow in return," said Faith.

Caitlin Greer Meister is a specialist in strengths-based learning, neurodiversity-affirming practices, giftedness, and executive functioning. As a parent educator, instructional leader, founder, and mom of two, Meister is Orton-Gillingham trained and holds a certificate in Instructional Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her work and words have been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, Parents, and more, and she provides professional development for schools, workshops for parents, and speaks for organizations and conferences in the United States and abroad.

"In my 12 years as a mom, I've been a public school parent, private school parent, homeschool parent, and worldschool parent. I have seen a lot of different educational environments, and I've never encountered another one like Flying Cloud. After experiencing firsthand what FCI can do for families like mine, I'm eager to help expand their impact on families, classrooms, and communities," said Meister.

These professionals join officers Cathy Ingram, Director of Development at Miss Hall's School, as Chair; Dana Vorisek, Economist for the World Bank Group, as Treasurer; and Barbara Viniar, retired former President of Berkshire Community College, as Clerk; as well as Board members Leigh Doherty, Executive Director of the Literacy Network; Liliana Atanacio Garcia, Grant and Program Administrator at Mill Town Foundation; and Sarah Reynolds North, founder and baker at Found Bread.

"I am honored to serve as Board Chair with dedicated and talented board members and staff as we embark on a new year of innovation and community impact," said Cathy Ingram.

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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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