Fiona Breslin reports from Stockbridge and Great Barrington.The dusky evening of Saturday, June 30, marked the openings of two new contemporary art shows in Southern Berkshire County. In the woods of Stockbridge, Chesterwood director Donna Hassler (pictured at left, with board member Rich Bradway and jewelry dealer Ellen Ring) unveiled the annual outdoor show of Contemporary Sculpture. The evening included a tour of work by more than 20 artists scattered through Chesterwood's gardens and along a sylvan trail. A few hours later, in the heart of Great Barrington, Mary Childs welcomed visitors to her sun-filled Railroad Street gallery for the opening of Textured Visions. The exhibition features ethereal mixed-media paintings by Manhattan-based artist Lois Gold and blown-glass structures from Canaan, NY studio Hoogs and Crawford in sensual shapes and colors. As the Geoffrey Young Gallery next door held its own opening, guests traversed between the two receptions while the sun set, making for a convivial start to Saturday night.
Interior Designer Cara Carroll and The Kinderhook Group's Christine Martin; Roberta Silman and writer/realtor Gladys Montgomery.
Berkshire Creative's Cathy Deely with Barbara Bonner; sculpture Joel Erland, who was co-recipiant of Chesterwood's Lillian Heller Curator's Award with partner Kate Kaman, perched down behind their sculpture, Everpink.
Yin Yefko, sculptor Michael Yefko in front of his work, and women's studies professor Jody Lisberger.
Glass blowers Nathan Hoogs and Elizabeth Crawford in front of their work; Paul Leyden, Nancy Hammell, and artist Elizabeth Crawford.
Connecticut-based artist Ryan Smith and gallerist Mary Childs; Olga Tseytkin, David Sanders, and writer Loren Stephens.
Painter Lois Gold with gallery assistant director Fay Bartow and gallerist Mary Childs in front of mixed-media paintings by Gold.
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Matteline deVries-Dilling, founder of Lite Brite Neon, one of the evening's honoree of this year's Upstate Benefit adresses the gala from the Caboose's caboose.
- Karen Pearson. Courtesy Art Omi.
Olana senior vice president and landscape curatorMark Prezorski, president Sean Sawyer, The evenings honoree Kristin Gamble and New York State Assemblymember Didi Barrett.
- Oxygen House Photo
