
To celebrate the opening of Wrapped! Search for the Essential Mummy, the Berkshire Museum had a "Night on the Nile" gala on June 18. Several guests wore Egyptian-style jewelry but nobody took the theme more seriously than Vicki Bonnington (left, with musuem executive director Stuart Chase) who looked like a quirky Cleopatra in a beaded headdress and a chiffon dress with elaborate gold trimmings made of passementerie. The dinner was held in the august Crane Room that was decorated with hieroglyphics by Pittsfield artist Colleen Quinn. And while the opening of the exhibit was supposed to be the big news of the evening, it shared the spotlight with the announcement that the Berkshire Museum is commissioning artist Tom Patti to create a new glass vestibule for the museum's main entrance on South Street in Pittsfield.


Robin McGraw in his kilt with Janine Engel; actor/producer John Viscardi, Tony Schifano, and actress Fiona Hutchison.


Marty & Glenna Bloom; designers Abby & Richard Tovell.


Pittsfield art dealer Leslie Ferrin with Lenox gallery owner Sienna Patti; artist Tom Patti, who's been commissioned to make a new glass vestibule for the Berkshire Museum, with the museum's director of interpretation, Maria Mingalone.

Designer Anne G. Fredericks, Marc Fasteau, and designer Tyler Weld.


Derek & Joan Benham; Pat & Nick Navarino, who run the new Renaissance School of Art in Great Barrington.

Rae Gilson, Rosita Sarnoff, and Bob Gilson, the director of the 92nd Street Y School of the Arts in New York City.
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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