Rural Intelligence
Style

High Drama at George Cole's Auction House in Red Hook

Sam Scripps, who lived for decades in an old stone house on the river in Rhineclif, had a passion for antiques and theater. Now, his love of the former will beneft the latter.  On Saturday, March 14, nearly 400 lots from his house will be sold at George Cole Auctions
By Editor
Style

Stair Restoration: A Superstar in our Midst

When I first came to New York in the early 1980’s and worked at Christie’s (Fine Art Auctions), there was one firm that defined Fine (read: Very Expensive) English Furniture—Stair and Company.  What Harry Winston was to diamonds, Stair and Company on 57th Street was to English
By Editor
Arts

A Masterful Clown's Free Performance at Simon's Rock

Tomas Kubinek gives performance art a good name.  "Mr. Kubinek is an acrobat, storyteller, stilt walker, unicyclist, musician, magician, clown and comic whose jokes and ad-libs bring giggles from youngsters and laughter from adults," according to The New York Times.  As critic Lawrence Van Gelder wrote: "
By Editor
Food

Jeff Loshinsky's Soupe au Pistou

Caterer Jeff Loshinsky's most recent cooking class this season, held on February 19 at the Vince Mulford Gallery in Hudson, focused on Hearty Soups and Chowders.  Below is a recipe for one of the soups he featured that night, a vegetable soup with pistou, which is a pesto-
By Editor
Community

Dan's Diary: Shalom, Ellen Carton!

You probably don't too know much about the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in Falls Village, which might be described as a kosher Kripalu or an Omega for progressive Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Renewal Jews. But you'll probably be hearing more about Isabella Freedman--whose pickles
By Editor
Food

Wild Hive Farm: Living the Locavore Life

Don Lewis has raised the bar for anyone who wants to run a community-oriented small-town cafe serving locally grown food.  A baker who uses only Hudson Valley grains that he mills himself, Lewis has made his Wild Hive Farm Cafe and Bakery, which he opened last November in
By Editor
Arts

Presenting The First Annual Berkshire Festival of Women in the Arts

For the past eight years, Bard College at Simon’s Rock has quietly hosted an Annual International Women’s Day conference.  This year, Jennifer Browdy de Hernandez, the director, believed the theme, The Power of Women in the Arts, had sufficient strength to exceed the bounds of the Great Barrington
By Editor
Arts

Recession Drama: Shakespeare & Company Will Do More With Less

Tina Packer usually defies—and exceeds—expectations. Over 32 years in the Berkshires, the founder of Shakespeare & Company has transformed the troupe that put on plays in the dilapidated Mount and its surrounding woods into a theatrical powerhouse. With year round educational programs and a reputation for producing gutsy
By Editor
Parties

Ferrin Gallery Opens "Women: Portrait + Figure"

Writer Bess Hochstein, who's an aficionado of the Berkshires cultural scene, sent us her report on the big opening Saturday night in Pittsfield: Gallerista Leslie Ferrin (left with artist Michael Rousseau) jumped the gun on the month-long Berkshire Festival of Women in the Arts, drawing a large
By Editor
Community

Dan's Diary: Gillibrand Fights for Farmers and Kids

My friend Lygeia Grace, the senior food editor of Real Simple who is a regular at the Otis Farmer's Market during her summer weekends in the Berkshires, was sent a copy of this letter co-written by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (with State Senator Darrel J. Aubertine) to the
By Editor
Food

Let Them Eat Pie

Late winter and early spring means birthday season for my family: beginning on Valentine's Day with my husband, our little clan's birthdays then follow in succession through the end of March (save my son, whose outlier August birthday is the source of much consternation, at least
By Editor
Community

Milestones: We're Celebrating Our First Anniversary

This has been an exciting, exhausting, entertaining and educational year for us. We have worked to unite the residents of Berkshire, Columbia, Dutchess and Litchfield counties—a tri-state community rich in culture, natural beauty and smart, interesting people. More than anything, we want to encourage local exploration. We are
By Editor

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Rural Intelligence

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