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Community

At Bard, Gideon Lester Launches a Creative Laboratory

Amanda Palmer (far right) on set at the Fisher Center “What can you do without getting super-tired super-quickly?” director Michael McQuilken asks a bare-chested actor. They’re on set at Bard College’s Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts to shoot Amanda Palmer’s new

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Creative Workspaces Open to the Public in Art Studio Views

Clockwise from top left: Randy Bloom with one of her paintings; works by Jeff Romano, Carl Greico, and Richard Chianelle It's hard enough to be an artist. But to be an artist working alone in a studio in a quiet rural area, however noted for its sophistication and

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Gardener/Architect Peter Wooster Creates a Collage Comeback

After a stroke in 2006 left him partially paralyzed, with limited vocabulary, Peter Wooster of Roxbury, Connecticut, the renown gardener and architect of homes for such high-profile clients as James Taylor and Stephen Sondheim, continues to pursue creative self-expression through vivid visual imagery. True, Wooster can no longer

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Community

Role Reversal for Terry Teachout: Critic Turns Playwright

"I hadn’t written a play before, but I had this dream where I saw the stage picture of Pops and heard the first line. It just popped into my mind." ‘Pops,' like 'Satchmo,’ is a nickname for legendary jazzman Louis Armstrong, and the newly minted

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Wharton in Words and Spirit at The Mount in The Inner House

Tod Randolph as Edith Wharton; photos by Kevin Sprague "I have sometimes thought that a woman's nature is like a great house full of rooms,” Edith Wharton wrote in her short story The Fullness of Life. She was speaking from experience. Having settled at The Mount in

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Community

Counterintuitive Chic: A New Palette at the Red Lion Inn

"I wanted people who are allergic to wallpaper to feel welcome at the Red Lion Inn," owner Nancy Fitzpatrick says with mischievous glee. She is talking about the 17 new rooms that the landmark hotel (circa 1773) has just added, which have been rigorously designed (and painted, not

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Community

Homefield: A Shopping Extravaganza at Ventfort Hall

You don't see much bling in the Berkshires, which is ironic when you consider that Lenox was the summer capital of the Gilded Age. Today, inconspicuous consumption is the law of the land (except for the competitive picnics on the lawn at Tanglewood), so shopping and decorating rarely

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Word on the Street: WordXWord Festival Returns to Pittsfield

Gabriel Squailia; photo by Jennibeth Gomez Tension was high at Y Bar in Pittsfield on Tuesday, July 31. Eight contenders had entered the fray, and only two remained: Curtis Asch and Gabriel Squailia, aka DJBFG. After winning six consecutive rounds, Squailia was favored to win, throwing down incisive compositions, such

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Community: 20 Questions for Yo-Yo Ma

Perhaps the most recognized, decorated, and beloved cellist in the world, Yo-Yo Ma makes his home in the tiny town of Tyringham, Massachusetts, “A Hinterland Settlement,” nestled between Lee and Monterey, the sleepy summer residence of many musicians and composers, past and present. Yet Ma is not here to

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Farmers and Foodies Have a Field Day - Several, Actually

Farm On! That’s the rallying cry of Friends of the Farmer, organizers of a two-part festival for lovers of farm-fresh foods and supporters of local agriculture. It could also be the catchphrase for everyone inspired to turn a patch of grass into a productive vegetable garden. This

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COVET: ArtBerkshires Offers Insiders' View of the Art Scene

The Berkshire region enjoys a long-established reputation as a summertime cultural destination for the performing arts; just mention “the Berkshires” and the words Tanglewood, Jacob’s Pillow, and Williamstown Theatre Festival spring from the culturati’s lips. Less broadly recognized is the region’s abundance of similarly world-class

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Community

Share The Bounty: Ten Years of Farm to Pantry Philanthropy

Some people get their best ideas in the shower or on long walks. For Jonathan Hankin and Barbara Zheutlin, left, inspiration came from a humble box of vegetables. The couple joined a CSA—Community-Supported Agriculture group—shortly after relocating to Great Barrington from Los Angeles in 1995. One share

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