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Enjoy Locally Grown Art at the June 7 First Fridays Artswalk in Pittsfield’s Upstreet Cultural District
New exhibits are blossoming in Pittsfield’s Upstreet Cultural District, as First Fridays Artswalk continues to grow. On Friday, June 7, from 5pm-8pm, stroll downtown Pittsfield and enjoy new artwork by some of the best artists from Berkshire County and beyond. Among them are over 20 brand-new exhibits, from photography and watercolor to mixed media and collage.
Don’t miss Fresh: Farm to Gallery, a group show organized by Alchemy Initiative and the City of Pittsfield in support of the exciting new Downtown Pittsfield Farmers Market, held on First Street each Saturday from 9am-1pm, across the street from the Common. The opening reception during the June Artswalk will feature delicious tastings from farmers market food vendors, including Taft Farm, Hilltop Orchard and Cricket Creek. Affordable prints by renowned Berkshire artist Mary Sipp-Green will be available for sale. Other participating artists include Phil Bastow, Marge Bride, Denise Chandler, Joan Ciolfi, Tom Fiorini, Diane Firtell, Ann Getsinger, Carol Gingles, Kate Knapp, Nina Lipkowitz, Nancy Magnusson, Laurie McLeod, Susan Merrill, Jen Morse, Isha Nelson, Sam Ponder, Gabrielle Senza, Savannah Spirit and Scott Taylor.
Other new art shows kicking off this Friday include Gerard Natale’s paintings at Berkshire Medical Center; photography by Marisa Burnitus at Berkshire Animal D.R.E.A.M.S.; a salon style show by Michael Rousseau at yBar; award-winning photography by Ian Grey at Aerus Electrolux; new photography by June O’Connor Ostrander at Le Petit Mussee at Wild Sage; an opening reception for Treescapes: Chromatic Paintings by Tracy Levesque at Gallery 25; reflective work by Scott Taylor entitled Crossroads at NUarts; acrylic-on-canvas artwork by Shaun Kennedy at Treehouse Children’s Boutique; Elaine Radiss’s contemporary photography of Cuba at Steven Valenti’s Clothing for Men; a mixed-media exhibit entitled Sub Stratum by Jennifer Kimball at Marketplace Cafe; oil, pastel and charcoal landscapes inspired by the Berkshires by Peg Dotchin at Maria’s European Delights; paintings by Geoff Bell-Devaney at Bisque, Beads & Beyond; Steve Hamlin’s watercolors at Kinderhook Real Estate Group; new work by Carl Bowlby at Decades of Health Holistic Wellness; watercolors by Nancy Freedman in a show entitled Becket, the Berkshires and Beyond at Unusual Wedding Rings & More; Kerry Stone’s exhibit of paintings at Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., entitled Searching for Harmony; a collaborative show in the Onota Building Window featuring the work of IS183 faculty artists; Paul H. Hergentrother’s Historic Doors of the Berkshires at the Crowne Plaza; Vintage Photographs of Pittsfield 1900-1915 and paintings by Kate Knapp at Museum Facsimiles; an opening reception for Sam Ponder’s whales at Mad Macs; and work by Autumn N. Dubhghaill in the Brothership Building storefront.
Ongoing exhibits include iPhone photography by Douglass Truth at The Lantern Restaurant; the work of Judy Artioli, Karen Carmean, Doane Perry, Tom Littlefield and Mitch Greenwald at Bagels, Too along with new painted floor cloths by Judy Artioli; and large format photography by David Ricci at Spice Dragon.
New to Artswalk or looking for interesting company? Artswalk chair Mary McGinnis will lead a free guided tour of Artswalk locations. Meet her at Gallery 25, located at 25 Union Street just off North Street at 5pm to join in the fun.
June’s Artswalk offers performing arts, as well. The new Whitney Center for the Arts hosts Rites of Passage, an innovative mix of visual arts and performance featuring over fifty regional artists and performers exploring the many stages in women’s lives throughout the building. Rites of Passage kicks off Friday June 7th during Artswalk and continues nightly through Monday, June 10, with admission at 7pm, 7:15pm and 7:30pm. Tickets are $25 and are available in advance online at www.rogueangeltheatre.com.
Enjoy live music beginning at 5pm with Nico Wohl, a 12-year old musician playing guitar inside Crawford Square at 137 North St. Make a night out of of Artswalk, with music, dancing and performance during and afterwards. Mission Bar + Tapas features the Sister City Jazz Ambassadors from 5:30pm-8pm followed by Rock Steady from 8:30pm-11pm, for no cover charge. Then, enjoy free admission to a dance party with DJ BFG at yBar.
First Fridays Artswalk is the largest year round monthly visual arts event in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. The lead sponsors of First Fridays Artwalk are Berkshire Money Management, Gallery 25, the Berkshire Art Association, The Berkshire Eagle and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Other sponsors include Berkshire Bank, Berkshire Medical Center, Downtown Pittsfield Inc., WJ Blueprint, and the City of Pittsfield. For more details about First Fridays Artswalk visit discoverpittsfield.com/firstfridaysartswalk or call 413-443-6501.
Mark your calendar for the next First Fridays Artswalk on Friday, July 5. See you upstreet!