2 weeks Ago By Monica Bliss
Becket Arts Center presents a talk and slide presentation by granite sculptor Allen Williams, owner of the Chester Granite QuarryBecket— On Thursday, April 10th from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.
m., the Becket Arts Center, as part of its Speaker Series, presents a talk and slide presentation by granite sculptor Allen Williams, owner of the Chester Granite Quarry. Williams learned his craft from his father and the Finnish carvers of the Old Chester Granite Works.
After studying sculpture and design, Williams began doing stone restoration work on his own, and took commissions for many public projects. His work can be seen at Harvard, Princeton, and the Ancient Burying Ground in Hartford, Connecticut, among other locations. The slides feature a selection of art pieces he has carved for other artists as well as his own granite sculptures.
The presentation is on Thursday, April 10th from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.
m. at the Becket Arts Center, located at 7 Brooker Hill Road in Becket. More information can be found online.
***Triplex Cinema presents ‘Down the Rabbit Hole: Paranoia, Delusion, and Recovery in Film,’ a film series exploring mental healthGreat Barrington— From April 6th through April 27th, Triplex Cinema presents “Down the Rabbit Hole: Paranoia, Delusion, and Recovery in Film,” a film series exploring mental health featuring talkbacks with local mental health professionals from the Erikson Institute for Education, Research and Advocacy of the Austin Riggs CenterThe films in the series explore a range of mental health struggles, from disorders like hoarding and schizophrenia to the ways cults and self-help gurus prey on people in crisis. They are a mix of dramas, comedies, thrillers, and one iconic documentary, united by their depiction of people at their most vulnerable. The films offer an intimate, human lens on scenarios we often turn away from out of discomfort and fear.
“Grey Gardens.” Courtesy The Triplex.The series opens on Sunday, April 6th at 4 p.
m. with “Grey Gardens,” one of the most iconic documentaries of all time. In 1975, the legendary documentarians Albert and David Maysles brought their direct cinema technique to East Hampton, N.
Y., to capture the stories of “Big Edie” and “Little Edie” Bouvier, cousins of Jackie Kennedy clinging onto memories of a glamorous past while living in a decrepit mansion. The result is a touching depiction of two larger-than-life personalities left behind by the modern world.
Following the screening, join Austen Riggs Center’s Heather Forouhar, M.D., for a discussion about the film, what the Beales were going through, and mental health resources available in our area.
Curated by Triplex Creative Director Ben Elliott, he said: “In presenting these stories and facilitating conversation with mental health providers, we want to help move past the hushed tones we use to discuss these topics. We are all affected by mental disorders, directly or indirectly, and developing the ability to discuss them without judgement helps us grow stronger as a community. By seeing these stories unfold on screen—and talking about them together—we can replace stigma with empathy, fear with understanding, and silence with support.
”The series begins on Sunday, April 6th at 4 p.m. at the Triplex Cinema, located at 70 Railroad Street in Great Barrington.
Tickets and more information, including the fill series line-up, can be found online. ***OLLI Distinguished Speakers Series presents ‘The Art and History of the Louvre’ with Elaine SciolinoHousatonic— On Thursday, April 10th at 3 p.m.
, OLLI Distinguished Speakers Series presents “The Art and History of the Louvre” with Elaine Sciolino. The Louvre attracts millions of visitors every year to masterpieces like the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and other magnificent works of human achievement. Once a forbidding fortress built to house and protect French Kings, it has many tales to tell.
In “Adventures in the Louvre,” Sciolino shares stories about the royals and rulers who renovated the structure more than twenty times, the artists whose paintings, sculptures, and artifacts were bought or plundered, and the people who are the museum’s lifeblood: the curators selecting and arranging the works, the artisans producing frames and engravings, the builders overseeing restorations, the firefighters protecting the aging structure, and even those who keep I.M. Pei’s iconic glass pyramid gleaming.
Courtesy OLLI.Sciolino will guide us on a visit to this magical place, making it her mission to show us how anyone can forge an intimate connection with the museum. She demystifies the Louvre, introducing us to her favorite artworks, both legendary and overlooked, and takes us beyond the Louvre’s imposing walls to uncover a world of unexpected mysteries and delights in a stunning visual presentation.
Elaine Sciolino, author of the New York Times bestseller “The Only Street in Paris,” as well as “The Seine, La Seduction,” and the new book “Adventures in the Louvre,” is a contributing writer and former Paris bureau chief for The New York Times, based in Paris. In 2010 she was decorated chevalier of the Legion of Honor, the highest honor of the French state, for her “special contribution” to the friendship between France and the United States.The hybrid presentation is on Thursday, April 10th at 3 p.
m. at UU Meeting of South Berkshire, located at 1089 Main Street in Housatonic and on Zoom. Registration and more information can be found online.
***Berkshire Community Land Trust presents ‘Fighting for Food, Home, and Earth: What Do We Do Now?,’ a moderated discussion with local leadersGreat Barrington— On Tuesday April 8th from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.
m., Berkshire Community Land Trust presents “Fighting for Food, Home, and Earth: What Do We Do Now?” Moderator Erik Bruun will lead a discussion with Bob Climo, Shannon Smith, and Jonathan Schrag.Erik Bruun is the President of SoCo Creamery.
He has also led an investment company specializing in emerging markets and has been a reporter, editor and writer, publishing several books, including “Our Nation’s Archive.” He was the founding president of the Railroad Street Youth Project for ten years, has taken leadership roles in several community organizations, and currently serves on the board of the Community Development Corporation of the Southern Berkshires.Courtesy Berkshire Community Land Trust.
Bob Climo trained at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and then worked as a demonstration chef for Canyon Ranch. An active member of the community, Climo accepts BerkShares at his business, served on the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, and volunteers for a variety of organizations and causes. He uses his business to support the local community in a variety of ways including supporting the Diaper Drive, providing lunches for the council on aging and emergency services and has addressed the housing crisis in the Berkshires by providing housing for his staff.
Shannon Smith is the Director of Lending and Finance for Berkshire Agricultural Ventures. Her interest in regional food systems came from years of stewarding a community garden and being a member owner of the Park Slope Food Coop. She believes that equitable access to financial resources for small food producers is key to building community resilience and healthier nutritional outcomes.
Prior to working with BAV, she held various underwriting and consulting roles in institutional investments, private lending, and financial technology. She earned a Certificate of Graduate Studies in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. She also holds a B.
A. in Public Policy and Economics from Duke University.Jonathan Schrag, Deputy Climate Chief, Director of Investment for Decarbonization and Resilience, Executive Office of Climate Innovation and Resilience has developed expertise as a climate and energy policy strategist in senior roles across government and consulting.
As the Deputy Climate Chief for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts he focuses on finance and project delivery for clean energy and resilience. He worked as a consultant to craft the Massachusetts Attorney General’s position on the future of natural gas, served as the Deputy for Regulatory Policy within the Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities, deigned resilient microgrid programs for the state of Connecticut, and served as the first administrator of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the first cap and invest program in North America.The free discussion is on Tuesday April 8th from 6:30 p.
m. to 8:30 p.m.
at The Guthrie Center, located at 2 Van Deusenville Road in Great Barrington. The panel will follow a brief annual meeting and announcements. A reception will close the evening.
Registration and more information can be found online.***West Stockbridge to host housing issues forumsWest Stockbridge— Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) is pleased to announce that the West Stockbridge Affordable Housing Trust is in the process of developing a strategic plan to address the housing needs of West Stockbridge. This plan aims to create an updated, in-depth assessment of current and future housing needs and strategies to address those needs.
Courtesy Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.The West Stockbridge Affordable Housing Trust and BRPC invites the public to discuss the current state of housing in West Stockbridge and help identify potential strategies for addressing housing challenges through a series of Housing Issues Forums. The dates and locations of these forums are as follows:• Saturday, April 5th at 10 a.
m. at the Historical Society, located at 9 Main Street in WestStockbridge• Monday, April 7th at 6 p.m.
at Town Hall, located at 21 State Line Road in West Stockbridge• Tuesday, April 8th at 3 p.m. at the Library, located at 21 State Line Road in WestStockbridgeAll the forums will have the same format, so attendance at one will be sufficient to have your voice heard.
Registration and more information can be found online..
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