1 week Ago By Monica Bliss
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center presents comedian, actor, television writer, author, and musician Paul ReiserGreat Barrington— On Friday, July 25th at 8 p.m., the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center presents comedian, actor, television writer, author, and musician Paul Reiser.
Paul Reiser is one of Hollywood’s most prolific creatives. Voted by Comedy Central as one of the Top 100 Comedians of All Time, Reiser regularly performs sold-out stand-ups at venues nationwide.On the heels of his comedy “The Problem with People” (2023), which he wrote, produced, and starred in, Reiser has been involved in many recent projects across a multitude of media formats.
Reiser is widely celebrated for his television roles roles, including “Stranger Things,” “The Kominsky Method,” for which he received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor; and “Mad About You,” the long-running Emmy, Peabody, and Golden Globe-winning comedy that Reiser created and starred in with Helen Hunt. Over the course of his career, Reiser has received multiple Emmys, Golden Globes, American Comedy Awards, and Screen Actors Guild nominations.The event is on Friday, July 25th at 8 p.
m.at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, located at 14 Castle Street in Great Barrington. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***Berkshire Botanical Garden and Berkshire International Film Festival presents BBG x BIFF Solar Film FestivalStockbridge— On Sunday, April 13th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.
m., Berkshire Botanical Garden (BBG) and Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF) present the BBG x BIFF Solar Film Festival.The day will kick off with a selection of short documentary films centered on agrivoltaics, which is the dual use of land for solar energy production and agriculture.
Films to be screened include “Pastures and Panels,” “Harvesting the Sun,” and “Sunshine Synergy: Agrivoltaics with BlueWave.” Attendees will enjoy lunch followed by the screening of “Common Ground,” a documentary that emphasizes regenerative farming practices. This will be followed by a panel discussion exploring the relationship between agrivoltaics and regenerative farming in promoting sustainable agricultural methods.
Courtesy Berkshire Botanical Garden and BIFF.Esteemed speakers on the panel will include Jesse Robertson-Dubois from BlueWave and American Solar Grazing Association, Dan Finnegan of Solar Shepherd, LLC; Tony Stone from Basilica Green and River House, and Mary Johnson of Regenerative Farms. The discussion will be moderated by Lillian Lennox, BIFF’s senior programmer and board member, and a member of the Roaring Brook Family Foundation, which has generously sponsored the event.
Following the panel, Mike Beck, executive director of BBG, will lead a guided tour of the Garden’s new solar installation, made possible through the generous contributions of BBG patrons and a grant from Tern Foundation. The day will conclude with a biodynamic wine and cheese reception, sponsored by Dare Bottleshop & Provisions.The festival is on Sunday, April 13th from 11 a.
m. to 4 p.m.
at Berkshire Botanical Garden, located at 5 West Stockbridge Road in Stockbridge. Tickets and more information can be found online. ***Berkshire County to host ‘Hands Off’ rallies against Trump and MuskBerkshire— On Saturday, April 5th, residents of several towns in the Berkshires and the city of Pittsfield will hold “Hands Off” rallies, as part of a day of national protest against the Trump Administration’s actions.
There will be rallies at the following locations:Adams: noon at the corner of the Adams Market and MacDonald’s, located at the intersection of Park Street, Center Street, and Commercial Street. Great Barrington: 11 a.m.
in front of Town Hall, located at 334 Main Street.Pittsfield: 1 p.m.
at Park Square, located at 1 Bank Row. Stockbridge: 11 a.m.
in front of the town offices, located at 50 Main Street. Williamstown: noon in front of the First Congregational Church, located at 906 Main Street.“These rallies throughout Berkshire County are our message to the world that we do not consent to the destruction of our government and our economy for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies,” said Sherwood Guernsey, a former state legislator and organizer of the Williamstown event.
“Alongside Americans across the country, we are rallying both to demand Trump and Musk stop the chaos and to build an opposition movement to halt the looting of our country.”Courtesy ‘Hands Off.’“Not only do we want to tell this administration what we DON’T want, but we want to tell them what we DO want: A country that honors the Constitution, First Amendment rights, gives working men and women a fair deal, cares about its elderly and sick, supports a healthy environment and climate, and expands social services for those in need,” said Robin O’Herin, organizer of the Pittsfield event.
Dress for the weather. Bring umbrellas and bring signs that are not on sticks. More information can be found online.
***Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. and Framework present photography exhibition of Southwest America by Allan SeppaPittsfield— From April 6th through May 22nd, Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. and Framework present a photography exhibition of Southwest America by Allan Seppa.
Seppa’s photographic vision is eclectic and includes landscapes, seashorescapes, cityscapes, still lifes, and street photography. This exhibition will feature photography of Southwest America, specifically of Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. He has exhibited his photos in many galleries, craft shows, and other events, including seven First Fridays Artswalks.
Allan Seppa, ‘Fruita Farm barn within Capitol Reef National Park, Utah.’ Downtown Pittsfield, Inc.The exhibit runs from April 6th through May 22nd at Framework by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc.
, located at 437 North Street. There will be receptions on Sunday, April 6th from 10 a.m.
to noon and Friday, May 2nd from 5 p.m. to 8 p.
m. More information can be found online.***Clark Art Institute presents Svitlana Tymkiv of the City Museum of Lviv, Ukraine for a talk on national identityWilliamstown— On Tuesday, April 8th at 5:30 p.
m., the Clark Art Institute’s Research and Academic Program presents a talk by Svitlana Tymkiv, the Futures Fellow of the City Museum of Lviv, Ukraine, titled “Museum Education as a Factor in the Formation of National Identity.”Tymkiv examines how issues of national identity in Ukraine have become particularly relevant in the country since the outbreak of the full-scale war.
In 2010, studies showed that in eastern Ukraine, the vast majority of the population self-identified as carriers of combined identities—identities influenced by past state formations, and associated with local history, gender, and occupation. By February 2022, the threat of the destruction of Ukrainian culture prompted an almost immediate switch, resulting in the population’s self-identification as first and foremost one of Ukrainian nationality. If before the war someone defined themselves by their place of residence (eg.
, a Kyivan or a Lvivian), now everyone primarily calls themselves a Ukrainian. Alla Horska, Boriviter (detail), 1967, panel, Mariupol. Courtesy Clark Art Institute.
Museum programs play an important role in this process. They provide both an opportunity to study and learn about culture and art from real artifacts and sources, as well as a forum in which these objects are accessible to various ages and social groups. This lecture analyzes examples of educational programs in museums over the past three years that contributed most meaningfully to the formation of a Ukrainian national identity.
The fee talk is on Tuesday, April 8th at 5:30 p.m. at the Clark Art Institute, located at 225 South Street in Williamstown.
More information can be found online. ***Southern Berkshire Public Health Collaborative, Families Like Ours Inc., and the Tri-Town Health Department release Southern Berkshire County Resource GuideBerkshire— Southern Berkshire Public Health Collaborative, Families Like Ours Inc.
, and the Tri-Town Health Department have released a Southern Berkshire County Resource Guide, a comprehensive tool designed to connect individuals and families with essential services across Southern Berkshire County.The Southern Berkshire County Resource Guide is an invaluable reference for everyone, from emergency personnel to community members, helping to navigate essential services such as food access, housing support, mental health support, special needs services, and transportation options.The printed version was distributed in March to first responders, town clerks, libraries, boards of health and council on aging offices.
The virtual version can be found online..
