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If the Parade Passed You By: July 4th in Pittsfield

Our cultural correspondent Bess Hochstein was an official judge at Pittsfield's famous Independence Day Parade and filed this photo essay and report: Last year USA Today called the Pittsfield 4th of July Parade one of the Top Ten in the nation, so this year I grabbed a front-

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The Mahaiwe's Mix-Master: 20 Questions for Beryl Jolly

Beryl Jolly, the executive director of the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, has been at the historic theater since its grand renovation and reopening in 2005.   Before joining the Mahaiwe, Jolly was the director of individual giving and development at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)  and a

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Community

The Wassaic Project Brings Art to the Right Side of the Tracks

The Wassaic Project has a lofty home and ambitions. Located in a  majestic, partially restored granary just a half mile south of the Wassaic Metro-North station, it is the brainchild of Eve Biddle & Bowie Zunino (who produce art together as Eve + Bowie) and Elan Bogarin, a movie producer.

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Community

O Say Can You See Those Great Fireworks?

Considering the summer we've had so far, it's probably wise to have a weather-resistant plan in place for this weekend.  So we went looking for Fireworks Plus—agendas rich enough to sustain revelers in case Mother Nature turns on the a.c. yet again and

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Creative Solutions for Hard Times: A Great Barrington Auto Dealership Morphs Into an Art Gallery

Beginning Saturday, if you drive by Pete's Motors on Route 7 in Great Barrington late at night, the venerable Ford and Dodge dealership will be lit up inside but there won't be any cars on view.  Pete's Motors closed last year, and it is

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Kripalu Weathers Change by Being Flexible and Disciplined

Change is never easy but when change comes to a beloved institution, one that has been a source of succor for tens of thousands, it can be downright dangerous.   This is why cathedrals are built to last. The brains behind Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, a "

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Summer Solstice: Fairies in the Garden, Solar Panels on the Roof

It is the day the sun is said to stand still, the wedding of earth and sky, the first day of summer, and the longest of the year.  The pagans celebrated by staying up all night.  In the Rural Intelligence region, there are a range of ways to express joy

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Jacob's Pillow Dances To Its Own Drummer

Jacob's Pillow celebrates every imaginable form of dance in every conceivable way.  The Pillow, as it's called by insiders, is more than an historic performing arts venue in a bucolic setting. It's a multidisciplinary cultural center that during the season pulses with activity from

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Community

Inside the WAMC Northeast Public Radio Fund Drive

WAMC really is our radio station. I did not fully comprehend this concept until I went to Albany on Thursday, June 4, to volunteer to answer phones for the fund drive.  While WAMC (90.3 Albany,  WOSR 91. 7 Middletown, WCEL 91.9 Plattsburgh, et al ) does plenty of original

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Community

The Quadricentennial Flotilla on the Hudson

It's hard to say which is the more iconic ship for this region—Henry Hudson's Half Moon (left) or the Hudson River sloop Clearwater, which we tend to think of (erroneously) as Pete Seeger's boat.  Luckily, next week, from Tuesday the 9th when they

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Community

Suddenly Unemployed? Kripalu Wants to Help

It's not unusual for someone to have a favorite getaway, a place he or she loves above all other destinations.  For many people, Kripalu, in Stockbridge, is just such a place.  Far from your average spa, Kripalu offers world-class instruction in yoga, holistic health, personal growth, and

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Rural Rules of Life: Twenty Questions for Ellen Spear, President of Hancock Shaker Village

Since taking over as president and CEO of Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield four years ago, Ellen Spear has become a regional mover and shaker,  a visionary who helped establish the Berkshire Creative Economy Council. “The challenge is how to transform our cultural and artistic wealth into something richer, more

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