http://ruralintelligence.com/index.php/kids_section/kids_articles_calendar Your guide to Rural Living en tlshelow@gmail.com Copyright 2010 2010-07-29T18:49:51+00:00 http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/kids_section/kids_articles_calendar/jack_and_the_beanstalk_brings_magical_fun_to_mac-haydn_theatre/ http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/kids_section/kids_articles_calendar/jack_and_the_beanstalk_brings_magical_fun_to_mac-haydn_theatre/ July 30, 31 and August 6, 7 @ 10:30 a.m. Mac-Haydn Children’s Theatre presents the classic fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk for four weekend matinees. Jack and his mother are going to be evicted from their home and must sell Bossy the cow. Jack meets a conniving farmer who trades some beans for the cow, not realizing they really are magic. The next day a huge beanstalk has grown in Jack’s yard, and at the top he finds a magic kingdom ruled by an invisible giant. The Mac-Haydn production delights with plenty of fun songs and lots of action, plus a surprise ending guaranteed to thrill the children. Tickets are an affordable $9 for all shows. Mac-Haydn Children’s Theatre Route 203 Chatham, NY Reserve seats by calling (518) 392.9292 Kids Calendar 2010-07-29T18:49:51+00:00 http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/kids_section/kids_articles_calendar/warner_stage_company_presents_willy_wonka/ http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/kids_section/kids_articles_calendar/warner_stage_company_presents_willy_wonka/ July 31, August 6 & 7 @ 7:30 p.m. August 1 & 8 @ 2 p.m. You don’t need a Golden Ticket (just a regular one) to enjoy a romp through Roald Dahl’s imaginative world where Willy Wonka and his strange minions the Oompa Loompas lead a crew of curious (and bratty) kids through a candy-filled world straight out of every child’s dreams - and nightmares. The Warner Stage Company is bringing an adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to life during two weekends of performances in the beautifully restored, historic 1931 Warner Theatre in Connecticut. The cast includes veteran actors along with 120 community children and features special stage effects by a notable Broadway special effects company. Warner Theatre 68 Main Street Torrington, CT Tickets ($18.50, $21.50, $24.50) or by calling (860) 489.7180 Kids Calendar 2010-07-29T18:11:12+00:00 http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/arts_section/arts_articles_music/the_distant_sound_at_bard_summerscape/ http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/arts_section/arts_articles_music/the_distant_sound_at_bard_summerscape/ July 30 & August 1 & 6 One of the seminal works of 20th-century opera, The Distant Sound is about a composer who forsakes a woman’s love for a sound —an elusive ideal—that shimmers, mirage-like, beyond his grasp in his imagination.  The opera is also about how Grete, the composer’s beloved, is exploited by society and how she survives by retreating into her dreams.  Music and libretto by Franz Schreker, sung in German, with English supertitles, “The Distant Sound” is directed by Thaddeus Strassberger with the American Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leon Botstein. Bard SummerScape July 30 and August 6 at 7 pm August 1* and 4 at 3 pm Round-trip transportation from Manhattan to Bard available for this performance; reservations are required. Music 2010-07-29T16:07:36+00:00 http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/arts_section/arts_articles_books/taking_nature_home_author_at_carey_institute/ http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/arts_section/arts_articles_books/taking_nature_home_author_at_carey_institute/ Friday, July 30 @ 7:00 p.m. As a child, Douglas W. Tallamy spent his summer days exploring wild places.  Once, he discovered a small pond filled with pollywogs and took great delight in following their growth. Then one day, a bulldozer buried the young toads and all the other living treasures within that pond, an act that forever influenced Tallamy’s life.  Currently Professor and Chair of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, Talamy has devoted his life to learning how insects interact with plants how such interactions determine the diversity of animal communities. He will speak on this and related topics covered in his book, Bringing Nature Home. Carey Institute of Ecostudies Millbrook, NY Books 2010-07-29T15:14:42+00:00 http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/arts_section/arts_articles_art/leonard_nimoys_secret_selves_at_mass_moca/ http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/arts_section/arts_articles_art/leonard_nimoys_secret_selves_at_mass_moca/ July 31 - January 2 Photograph: Seth Kay Photography Aristophanes had a theory that man’s woes stem from the day that Zeus cleaved man in two and left him forever struggling to be whole again.  Prior to that fateful day, the comic playwright of ancient Athens speculated, humans were double-sided creatures with two heads and multiple limbs.  For his latest series of black and white photographs, Secret Selves, the actor-turned-art photographer Leonard Nimoy explores this theory, inviting 100 subjects to reveal the side of themselves that no one knows, perhaps the half they, too, have always been searching for.  Working out of R. Michelson Galleries in Northampton, MA, in 2007, Nimoy and Richard Michelson sought businessmen and bus drivers, social workers and house-husbands, clergy and members of their congregations. They even recruited passersby willing to be posed, and dressed as either their true or their imagined secret selves. Michelson recalls, “As each subject walked into the studio, some eagerly, most nervously, Leonard approached each for a short conversation. The goal was to put them at ease, find out their ‘real life’ identity, and what inner self they hoped Leonard might capture. At the last moment, we decided to video the proceedings, more as a method of archive documentation than with the idea of enlarging the project. But it became apparent immediately that these exchanges were illuminating, and would have a greater role in the final exhibit than anticipated. Within a few minutes, Leonard was able to bring the subjects deeper inside their own selves than they’d intended. What began as a lark for many turned into a truly revealing and emotional experience. And at just the moment they were most themselves—and often off-guard—the shutter snapped. And snapped again.”  Accompanying the large, life-size photographs in the exhibition is the video documenting the artist’s conversations with his subjects and the poignant, personal moments he masterfully elicits from his muses. MASS MoCA North Adams MASS MoCA members opening reception Saturday, July 31; 4 - 7 p.m. Art 2010-07-28T22:43:19+00:00 http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/food_section/food_articles_recipes/amy_cotlers_tuscan_tomato_bread_soup/ http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/food_section/food_articles_recipes/amy_cotlers_tuscan_tomato_bread_soup/ My husband may be the love of my life, but soup is my culinary ballast, reliably providing a hug, asking little in return, only a bowl to hold it and a spoon to consume it. And this soup is summer’s embrace—a trip to Tuscany-in-a-bowl. Make Poppa al Pomadoro now through September when tomatoes are at their peak. You can serve this soup hot, cold or at room temperature. And, as my daughter, Emma, discovered, the left-overs make a fabulous baguette sandwich. — Amy Cotler, The Locavore Way: Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food Tomato Bread Soup Serves 6 - 8 8 cups chopped, skinned & seeded summer tomatoes & their juices (see #1, below) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes About 1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil About 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt 6 cups peasant or Italian bread, torn up (include crusts), stale or toasted (1/2 lb) 2 - 3 cups chicken stock or water About 35 basil leaves, shredded or torn into small pieces Up to 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, optional Up to 1 teaspoon sugar, optional Coarsely ground or cracked pepper to taste 1. Plunge about 8 tomatoes into a pot of boiling water. Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs. When they are cool enough to handle, slip off their skins. Cut in half and seed with a spoon, reserving their juices. You can seed them through a sieve if you like, letting the juices run through into a bowl. Cut into wedges. You should have about 8 cups with the juices. (Note: You will need more tomatoes if you use plum tomatoes. Simply use what’s best.) 2. In a medium pot, sauté the garlic and hot chili pepper flakes in the olive oil over low heat until aromatic, about 1 minute tops. Do not brown. Add the tomatoes and salt. Cook over medium-low heat until the tomatoes render their juices, about 20 minutes, stirring periodically to break them up. 3. Add the bread and 2 cups of the chicken stock or water. Cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the bread. Stir most of the basil, reserving the rest for garnish. Taste. If needed stir in: up to 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, up to 1 teaspoon sugar and up to 1 cup additional stock, depending on the juiciness of the tomatoes. Let rest for at least an hour before serving. 4. To serve: Taste, adding salt and cracked or coarsely ground pepper, if needed. Ladle into warm bowls. Garnish each with about a 1 teaspoon olive oil and a few leaves of torn or slivered basil. Recipes 2010-07-28T18:27:38+00:00 http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/food_section/food_articles_news/the_sublime_taste_of_columbia_county_bounty/ http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/food_section/food_articles_news/the_sublime_taste_of_columbia_county_bounty/ Since the food one gets at the Columbia County Fairgrounds during the county fair has the Ridiculous category well covered (if it can’t be deep fried, forget it), the sophisticated locavore fare that will comprise next Tuesday’s gala Columbia County Bounty dinner at that same charming venue has Sublime all to itself.  As every Food Network watcher knows, chefs are a competitive bunch, particularly when they know their fellow chefs are watching.  Hence, for the several dozen participating in this year’s event, things may be a little tense.  For the rest of us?  We get to sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits (as well as the vegetables, meats, dairy products, baked goods—in short, the bounty) of this incredible place we call home.  The dinner, a fundraiser for Columbia County Bounty to which the general public is invited, features “tastes” of over 40 different offerings, including several from kids cooking contingents.  The chefs will mingle, meet and greet.  The point is to get the word out about the county’s great agrarian economy and to introduce the public to the players and products from our farms, dairies, wineries, orchards, bakeries, and restaurants.  The Taste of Columbia County Bounty Fairhouse at the Columbia County Fairgrounds Route 66 Chatham, NY August 2; 5 - 8 p.m.  News 2010-07-28T17:28:07+00:00 http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/ruralroadtrips_section/ruralroadtrips_articles_excursions/Walk_on_Over_the_2nd_annual_hillsdale_historic_house_tour/ http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/ruralroadtrips_section/ruralroadtrips_articles_excursions/Walk_on_Over_the_2nd_annual_hillsdale_historic_house_tour/ If, like us, you could do with a little less driving in your life, you’ll be happy to know that the second annual Hillsdale Historic House Tour is a pedestrian-friendly event: All of the buildings are on a 1/4 mile stretch of Cold Water Street, which has three of the oldest houses in the hamlet and 16 other buildings that helped win National Historic Register status for the neighborhood. “Cold Water Street is ideal for our historic house tour,  because so many architectural styles from the 1800’s through the early 1900’s are represented on this one short street,” says tour chairman Matthew White. “The exteriors of all the houses have retained their period looks. Some owners have updated the interiors while others have kept or restored original elements.” For the July 31 house tour, which benefits the Hillsdale Preservation Committee, at least four of the houses will be open to visitors, as will a Queen Anne-style building that has been a law office continuously since it was built in 1892; visitors will see the law library, maps and other records that have stayed with the building each time it has been sold to another lawyer.  In addition, several long time residents of Hillsdale will be on hand to talk about the history of the houses, the street and the town. Visitors can also tour an 1828 Federal home built onto the front of what is believed to be a late 1700’s farmhouse. The 1855 Greek Revival on the tour appears from the street to be a large single family home with four floor-to-ceiling windows framing a center door with sidelights, but it’s actually a cleverly disguised two family house.  The 1867 Gothic Revival on the tour retains many original features on the outside while the interior has been updated for modern life. A brochure created for the tour will detail all the historic buildings on the street, which include excellent examples of Gothic Revival and Second Empire architecture. At the end of the street, visitors can wander the gardens of what was originally the parsonage of the Presbyterian church that was built in 1858 in the Greek Revival style. Hillsdale Historic House Tour Saturday, July 31; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets: $20 Tickets available at B&G Wine & Gourmet and at Passiflora in Hillsdale. Day-of ticket sales at 57 Cold Water Street. On the day of the tour select Hillsdale area restaurants, including the Swiss Hutte, Mt. Washington House, Hillsdale Country Diner and Hillsdale House, will offer a discount to patrons showing their Hillsdale Historic House Tour ticket, as will Neumann Fine Art,  B&G Wines and Passiflora. Also this weekend in Hillsdale: The Roeliff Jansen Community Library’s annual BBQ and Silent Auction Sunday, August 1; noon - 3 p.m. Excursions 2010-07-28T17:26:34+00:00 http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/food_section/food_restaurant_listing/arielle/ http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/food_section/food_restaurant_listing/arielle/ Two-year old Arielle, a French-Mediterranean-inspired bistro, has been a lovely addition to East Market Street.  Owners Nick and Patricia Rebraca (of Belvedere Mansion b & b renown) have got the French country house look just right—a rustic main dining room with exposed wood beams, deep-cushioned toile banquettes and low-lighting; a gilded upstairs dining room; and a stained-glass window café extension, with two tables for dining alfresco (Ah, Provence!). The staff is friendly and accommodating.  An eclectic menu, which features a mix of classic and modern bistro fare, including burgers, brochettes and pastas, strives to have something for everyone.  And it’s hard to resist the $14.50 prix fixe brunch (two courses with a Mimosa) on Sundays. A recent change of chefs finds ex-sous chef Evan Van Horn presiding in the kitchen, replacing former executive chef, Darek Tidwell, who was lured to Washington D.C. by the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. This transition has not been seamless.  Dishes can be hit-or-miss, arriving under- or over-seasoned.  Demerits go to a too-chunky tuna tartare ($9), a nicely grilled, but utterly bland “Moroccan-spiced” salmon ($18), and overly salty “rosemary pomme frites” ($6) with no hint of rosemary (save for a torched sprig on top).  A thumbs-up for the light and lemony baby arugula salad ($7), and three gold stars for a toothsome, perfectly grilled branzino served on a bed of haricot verts, artichoke hearts and olives ($20).  The good stuff shows the kitchen’s potential to match the charm of the setting. —Kathryn Matthews 51 E. Market Street; 845-876-5666 Lunch: Saturday 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Brunch: Sunday: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Dinner:  Monday-Thursday 5 - 9:30 p.m.; Friday 5 - 10:30 p.m.; Saturday 3 - 10:30 p.m.: Sunday 3 - 8:30 p.m. Rhinebeck, New York 2010-07-28T13:27:26+00:00 http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/arts_section/arts_articles_art/victoria_sambunaris_terra_firma_at_nicole_fiacco/ http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/arts_section/arts_articles_art/victoria_sambunaris_terra_firma_at_nicole_fiacco/ July 31 - September 4 For the past ten years, Victoria Sambunaris, whose work is in the photography collection at MOMA and other major museums, has driven, backpacked and hiked her way across America with a 5” x 7” large format camera in the tradition of 19th-century landscape photographers Timothy O’Sullivan, Cartleton Watkins and William Henry Jackson.  In her most recent work, Sambunaris directs her lens toward the geophysical and manmade upheavals in the landscape of the American West, phenomena such as the Yellowstone hotspot, an active super volcano, and the talc mine “benches” in Cameron, Montana (above). Nicole Fiacco Gallery Hudson Opening reception July 31, 6 - 8 p.m. Art 2010-07-28T08:57:08+00:00 http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/parties_section/parties_articles_parties/clowning_around_at_the_berkshire_fringe_gala/ http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/parties_section/parties_articles_parties/clowning_around_at_the_berkshire_fringe_gala/ Summer culture in our region is defined by historic institutions such as Tanglewood, Jacob’s Pillow and the Berkshire Theatre Festival, which is why the edgy Berkshire Fringe Festival has been embraced by forward-thinking arts enthusiasts of all ages, who attended the opening night “gala” at the Daniel Arts Center on Monday, July 26. Accessible and avant garde, the Berkshire Fringe’s annual residency at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington (July 26 - August 16) is an opportunity to witness the shenanigans of a new generation of performing artists such as Sara Katzoff and Peter Wise (photo) who co-founded the Fringe with Timothy Ryan Olson. Fringe gala committee members Hilary Somers Deely and Kate Morris; Vicki Bonnington and Carrie Saldo discovered they were both wearing outfits bought in New York’s Nolita from Sohung Designs.   Photographer Abby Webster and actress Emma Dweck, who appeared in Long Way Down on opening night; the Darrow School’s Maisie Deely and Dartmouth senior Mac Morris.   Tyler Parks and Bruce Glaseroff whose Pi Clowns troupe came from San Francisco to participate in the Fringe; they are performing “Slices of All” from July 29 - August 2   Karen Beaumont, head of the theater program at Bard College at Simon’s Rock who performed at the gala, with Adam Medina and Pooja; Heather Fisch who performed “Accordionic Odyssey” on opening night, writer Jeremy Goodwin, the director of communications at the Berkshire Museum, and Ava Dweck.   Strategic governance consultant Phil Deely with his son, Pip Deely; actress/dancer Karen Lee with the Dream Away Lodge’s Daniel Osman and real estate broker Nancy Kalodner.   Technical director Sandy Cleary-Wade with Albany Law School staff attorney Amy Lavine; Mezze Catering’s Nancy Thomas with Chris Amendola, the new chef at Allium.   Andrew P.Quick, Kelsey Custard & Leah Gardner who came from San Francisco with the Pi Clowns to perform “Slices of All” from July 29 - August 2 Parties 2010-07-28T00:51:06+00:00 http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/arts_section/arts_articles_art/maggie_mailors_the_balloonists/ http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/arts_section/arts_articles_art/maggie_mailors_the_balloonists/ July 31 - September 18 Maggie Mailer, The Balloonists, 2010, Oil on Canvas, 40 x 30” In her fourth solo exhibition of new paintings here, Mailer draws on her experience last summer as the first resident artist at The Berkshire Museum of Pittsfield, the paintings in this show incorporate elements from the museum’s collection of 18th-century landscape and portrait paintings.  Portraying a post apocalyptic world, in which beings live above the earth suspended by balloons, distant threats loom in Mailer’s portraits of women and children, dreamy landscapes and romanticized views. Ferrin Gallery Pittsfield Artist’s reception, Saturday, July 31,  4 - 6 p.m. On Tuesday August 24,, 6:30 - 9 p.m., Mailer, who is the daughter of author Norman Mailer and jazz singer Carol Stevens, and the painter Nanny Vonnegut, the daughter of writer Kurt Vonnegut, will be guests of honor and featured speakers at a Ferrin Gallery Dish & Dine; seating is limited, advance reservations required. Art 2010-07-27T22:44:09+00:00 http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/style_section/style_articles_shopping/an_artists_palette/ http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/style_section/style_articles_shopping/an_artists_palette/ By Kathryn Matthews   Perhaps, it’s the name “Wing & Clover” that catches your eye as you stroll down East Market Street in Rhinebeck.  Or, the chalkboard, stationed outside the storefront, listing “Weekly Workshops” that piques your interest.  Or, maybe you’ve just wandered in by accident.  No matter.  This tranquil, white space, which triples as a workshop studio, gallery and retail store, immediately engages your imagination.  The minimalist, light-filled interior features a curated selection of work by local artists and artisans.  And a well-edited collection of art and crafts-themed books, supplies and gifts line the shelves.  Workshops run the creative DIY gamut, from oil painting and knitting, to bookmaking and Photoshop.  Taught by local Hudson Valley artists,   most classes are one-day, limited to 10-12 people, and last two or three hours.  “We’re committed to the process of being creative” says owner Marla Walker (below left, with employees Alex Batkin and Yvette Rogers), who opened Wing & Clover last December.  The seed for this kind of storefront was planted in 2007 when Walker, her husband, Brian Walker, an architect, and their two young sons moved from Brooklyn to Barrytown.  Away from the City, she said, “I gained not just greater physical space, but also more psychological freedom, allowing me to think and to reflect.” This opportunity for reflection sparked Walker’s desire to be creative—and to try new things.  One of her recent creative endeavors was teaching herself how to quilt. “I figured that there might be other people like me, who want to expand their creative horizons,” she said.  At the same time, she was meeting many talented, creative people in the area. The impetus for opening the store—and its guiding tenet—is that an “examined life” —one that taps into your creative potential—is an enriched life.  Its unusual name, referring to both tool (wing) and raw material (clover) that bees need to make honey, is Walker’s metaphor for the creative process.  In this case, the store supplies the books, materials and classes that help create your “honey”. For Walker, the store has been a way to connect people who are eager to learn, with a community of local artists and artisans, who are happy to teach.  She has also just begun using the workshop studio to showcase the work of the instructors.  Eventually, what students make will also be displayed.  “It’s a great way to discover a local artist—including yourself!” she said.  The overarching theme at Wing & Clover is documentation—and the many forms of storytelling.  One of the most consistently popular workshops is papercutting, taught by Jenny Lee Fowler, a traditional silhouette artist, specializing in custom profile portraits.  Her work, which currently appears on the cover of Neiman Marcus’ Fall 2010 catalog, is also on display at the shop.  Classes on fiction-writing, pattern-making and block printing also tend to fill up quickly. Much of what Walker sells complement the workshops being offered.  Over time, she intends to create whole sections in the store devoted to fabric, textiles, quilting, photography and film-making, as well as art supplies for painting or collage classes. Walker is used to thinking out-of-the-box.  While getting her Masters in Education at Harvard, she specialized in media and technology.  Inspired by her graduate work—helping inner city, pre-teen girls make documentary videos about their lives—Walker founded a “Monday for Girls” after-school program that encouraged girls’ use of technology at The Computer Museum. From Boston, she headed to New York, where she worked as a producer at Children’s Television Workshop, then at Noggin. Her foray into retail was another—albeit accidental—creative outlet for Walker.  In 1999, she and a friend opened “Bird”, a clothing store in Park Slope, after searching their neighborhood in vain for stores that sold cheap, stylish clothes. Filling an obvious retail void, Bird was instant hit.  (The duo sold the business to its current owner in 2004.) But with Wing & Clover, Walker wants to go beyond just a commercial retail experience:  “I want to inspire others to participate in the creative process because, whatever the medium, we all have stories to tell.” Wing & Clover 22 East Market Street Rhinebeck;  845.876.1035 Summer Hours: Monday-Saturday 11am-6pm; Sunday 11am-4pm Kathryn Matthews, Rural Intelligence’s Dutchess County correspondent, is a lifestyles writer based in Red Hook and New York City who frequently writes about travel, health, food and leisure for the New York Times, Town & Country and O Magazine. Shopping 2010-07-27T16:00:42+00:00 http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/arts_section/arts_articles_art/spencertown_academy_the_pilgrims_progress/ http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/arts_section/arts_articles_art/spencertown_academy_the_pilgrims_progress/ July 31 - August 29 Minivan in Pool #1,  by Christopher Haun. A new show, at the Spencertown Academy Arts Center revisits the work of ten artists who have exhibited there before.  Curated by Gwenn Mayers and Nancy Van Deren, “Revisit” grew out of a curiosity to understand how artists’ work evolves, becomes refined, or changes direction over time.  The ten artists included in this show includes James Burnett of Spencertown, Lois Dickson of North Chatham; Anthony Garner of Troy, Christopher Haun formerly of Hudson, now living in Los Angeles; Terrence Lavin from Hartford, CT; Mona Mark of Malden Bridge; Victoria Palermo of Queensberry, NY; Marcella Stasa from Upton, MA ; New York City-based Ilene Sunshine; and Jacqueline Wilder of Ancram. Spencertown Academy Arts Center Spencertown, NY Artists’ reception: Saturday, July 31; 5 – 7 p.m. Following the reception, at 8 p.m., will be “A Collaboration of Light and Sound,” featuring violinist Eva Ingolf performing Bach’s Partita No.2 in D Minor to artist Ektoras Binikos’ digital video abstract images. Art 2010-07-27T11:11:49+00:00 http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/parties_section/parties_articles_parties/the_chattering_class_celebrates_the_inaugural_berkshire_wordfest/ http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/parties_section/parties_articles_parties/the_chattering_class_celebrates_the_inaugural_berkshire_wordfest/ It’s hard to remember that The Mount was facing the possibility of a bank foreclosure a little more than two years ago (“The Age of Innocence Is Over,” RI, February 27, 2008.) Under the leadership of executive director Susan Wissler and board chairman Gordon Travers, Edith Wharton’s Estate & Gardens have been transformed into a hotbed of contemporary arts and letters. Last weekend, The Mount staged the first Berkshire WordFest with panels, readings and discussions featuring esteemed authors such as Garrison Keillor (left with Susan Wissler), Francine Prose, Tad Friend, Amanda Hesser, Dani Shapiro, Ruth Reichl, Frank Delaney and Susan Orlean among others. It was an auspicious debut for a festival that aspires to be for writing (and reading) what Tanglewood is to music and Jacob’s Pillow is to dance. Jacob’s Pillow trustee Hunter Runnette with Tad Friend, author of Cheerful Money: Me, My Family, and the Last Days of Wasp Splendor;  Husband-and-wife writers Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief, and John Gillespie, author of Money for Nothing.   Husband-and-wife writers Frank Delaney, author of Ireland, A Novel, and Diane Meier, author of The Season of Second Chances.   Hans Morris, the vice chairman of MASS MoCA, with his wife, Kate Morris; Mount board member John Gamberoni and Seth Hoffman.   Dear Money author Martha McPhee with poet Mark Svengold and Devotion author Dani Shapiro.   Bostonian Jim Bride and Sarah Hunter Hudson, chief development officer at The Mount; Audrey Manring, who organized the festival, with Rodger & Barbara Manring.   New Yorker staff writer Judith Thurman with Rhonda Sherman, who organizes The New Yorker Festival; Sally Begley with David Lamb, president of Vantage Press.   Lenox Bookstore proprietor Matt Tannenbaum with Rebecca Morgan Frank, editor in chief of Memorious: A Journal of New Verse and Fiction, and poet Leslie Harrison. Parties 2010-07-26T21:06:00+00:00 http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/kids_section/kids_articles_calendar/hear_the_mummys_tale_and_and_other_stories_at_berkshire_museum/ http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/kids_section/kids_articles_calendar/hear_the_mummys_tale_and_and_other_stories_at_berkshire_museum/ Now - July 31 @ 11 a.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays This family-friendly journey explores the the afterlife as viewed across centuries and cultures. Visit ancient Egypt where Ra the Sun God makes his first journey across the sky and a trip into the afterlife. From Greek mythology, the famed minstrel Orpheus will travel to the Underworld to save his lost love, Eurydice. Experience the unique paradise of the Aztec Gods and find out how they created human beings. The Mummy’s Tale takes a lighthearted, child-appropriate look at The Great Beyond. Presented by Berkshire Theatre Festival’s BTF PLAYS! Performance only: $10 adults ($7 Museum members); $8 child ($3 members) Performance and Museum: $20 adults ($10 members); $10 child ($5 members) Children under 3: Free Berkshire Museum 39 South Street Pittsfield, MA (413) 443.7171 Kids Calendar 2010-07-26T16:59:07+00:00 http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/kids_section/kids_articles_calendar/kids_fare_part_of_columbia_county_bounty_event/ http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/kids_section/kids_articles_calendar/kids_fare_part_of_columbia_county_bounty_event/ August 2 @ 5 to 8 p.m. This year’s Taste of Columbia County Bounty event not only includes plenty of scrumptious food and drink for adult locavores, but also features dishes created by young chefs who participate in cooking and local food education programs via 4-H, Hawthorne Valley Farm, Katchkie Farm, the Hudson Recreation Program and Taconic Hills schools. The kids have developed their own recipes, grown gardens and experimented with solar ovens, among other activities, as they learn the joy and importance of cooking with ingredients from local sources. The caliber of recipe these kids have already made is high - seasonal ratatouille with summer squash, tomatoes and eggplant, braised chard with raisins and pine nuts, summer squash frittata, and roasted red beets with sour cream and dill sauce. YUM!  The Healthcare Consortium’s “Kids in Motion” program will also provide information about efforts to develop a lasting and sustainable Farm to School program. Admission is $50 adults; $25 children 7 – 12; Under age 7, $10. Bounty membership ($25 for the year/$40 for a couple) is required. Space limited. Taste of Columbia County Bounty Columbia County Fairgrounds Route 203 Chatham, NY Kids Calendar 2010-07-26T16:58:35+00:00 http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/kids_section/kids_articles_calendar/bcd_announces_weekly_story_hour_for_youngsters/ http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/kids_section/kids_articles_calendar/bcd_announces_weekly_story_hour_for_youngsters/ August 2, August 9 @ 9 to 9:45 a.m. Berkshire Country Day School, an independent school for students in preschool through ninth grade, is hosting a Monday morning story hour for children ages 2 to 5 and their caregivers. “BCD Reads” will feature a different book and theme each week, with the readings followed by an age- appropriate and theme-related project. The program is part of BCD’s ‘Three for 3s’ summer series for preschool aged children, and is free and open to the public. Berkshire Country Day School Library, Albright Hall Route 183 Stockbridge, MA Advance registration suggested or by calling (413) 637.0755 Kids Calendar 2010-07-26T16:55:30+00:00 http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/parties_section/parties_articles_parties/olanas_paradise_found/ http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/parties_section/parties_articles_parties/olanas_paradise_found/ “I’ll have a Dark & Stormy, please,” one guest requested of the bartender, seemingly unaware of how portentous her cocktail order might be.  But, as it usually does, the weather cooperated on Saturday, July 24, for Olana‘s annual (rain or shine) summer garden party.  This year’s theme, Paradise Found, refers to the many months in 1865, that Hudson River School painter Frederic Church and his wife Isabel spent in Jamaica.  (This trip was at least two years before Olana, their Persian-style house overlooking the Hudson River, was so much as a gleam in the artist’s eye.)  Hence, “island attire” was encouraged. Many male guests interpreted that broadly and wore Hawaiian shirts, while the women seemed to favor anything cool and bright.  However, it was the musicians, Hamilton Hill Arts Center Steel Drum Band (single lead steel drummer Jasmine Kendricks, left), who nailed “the look.” For future reference, gentlemen, remember clam-diggers? Ladies: if you start with a hibiscus in your hair and work your way logically down from there, you can’t go wrong.      Hamilton Hill Arts Center Steel Drum Band   Kay Toll, Olana trustee Asbjorn Lunde, and Sara Griffen, President of the Olana Partnership; Brooke Travelstead and Malcolm Travelstead Decorating committee member Shaun Fisher, Olana membership director Keith Nyhof, Doug Fisher, Donna Fisher, and Elaine Ewing also on the decorating committee. Jack Higbee, Mary Ellen Higbee, and owners of The Croff House, a Hudson b & b, Russ Gibson and Duncan Calhoun; Fayal Greene, Dave Sharp, and Gaby Goldet David W. Forer, Meeyun Taylor, Lewis Hart, Louise McCready, Gabriel Cheng, Louis Kunhardt, Jr., Becky Malinsky, and Thomas Shiah Janet Schnitzer and Tomm Eaton;band members Janiya Minor, Shalanda Murray, and Jasmine Kendricks Architect Kate Johns and Paula Forman; Anne Ryan, Tom Heeps and Beth Heeps Michael Kenney and Chessa Forer; Alicia Kurzer and Mike Kurzer of Shier Winery Landscape architect and Olana trustee Robin Key, Pam Cohen, and photographer Mimi Forer; artist Stephen King and landscape designer Peter Bavacqua Anthony Spensieri, Valerie Spensieri, Carol Spensieri and Joel Spensieri Parties 2010-07-26T13:34:36+00:00