The Rural We

Community

The Rural We: Barbara Zanetti

As executive director of the Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce, Barbara Zanetti is responsible for organizing many events, but Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas, where Main Street is magically transformed as Norman Rockwell's famous painting of the same name, may be the most popular. A Great Barrington native and

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The Rural We: Lincoln Mayorga

Diners at the Blue Plate Restaurant in Chatham, New York may have seen and heard pianist Lincoln Mayorga perform there with bassist Otto Gardner on certain Wednesdays of the month. But they may not have realized that Mayorga is a world-renowned arranger, recording artist, producer, composer, and documentary filmmaker. One

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The Rural We: Ellen Lynch

After working as a graphic artist in New York City, Ellen Lynch made a 180-degree turn and moved to Southeast Idaho to establish a cattle ranch in the Grand Teton Mountains. Since 2011, Lynch has lived in the Hudson Valley, eventually settling in Stuyvesant and opening a pop-up gallery of

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The Rural We: Nancy Opgaard

Nancy Opgaard may not be the only yoga teacher in the northwest corner of Connecticut, but according to one of her students in Cornwall who contacted us, she is the beloved instructor in their town. Along with teaching yoga, Opgaard is a massage therapist and offers meditation classes. It wasn’

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The Rural We: Sally Van Doren

Photo by Nancy Crampton Sally Van Doren is an award-winning poet who lives part-time in Cornwall, Conn. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said her third collection of poetry, published this year, “features smart poems that bring a cheeky edge to the theme of domestic bliss.” Just last month two of her

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The Rural We: Francesco Mastalia

Italian-born photographer Francesco Mastalia has lived on the East Coast since the age of 2, first in New Jersey, and for the last 10 years in the Hudson Valley. His first book, a photo documentary on the history of dreadlocks that includes an introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker,

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The Rural We: Jamie Cat Callan

Photo by Krystal Kenney Jamie Cat Callan is the author of the bestselling books "French Women Don’t Sleep Alone," "Bonjour, Happiness!" and "Ooh La La! French Women’s Secrets to Feeling Beautiful Every Day." Her next book, "Parisian Charm School: French Secrets

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The Rural We: Amy Rudnick

You can thank Amy Rudnick in large part for the spectacular (and seamlessly run) galas you’ve attended. She’s the party planner extraordinaire behind events at Jacob’s Pillow, the Mahaiwe, Shakespeare & Company, and many other nonprofit organizations in the Berkshires. She got her start in the event-producing

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The Rural We: Rob Caldwell

Musica owner Rob Caldwell is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his lovingly curated Hudson, New York music shop. If you are or know a musician and haven’t been there, you need to stop what you’re doing and go there a.s.a.p. Musica was in Chatham for

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The Rural We: Arlin Wasserman

It’s good for business and good for the environment to follow sustainable business practices, to not overfish our oceans, to celebrate “meatless Mondays,” to recycle, and to buy produce from local farms. But this knowledge wasn’t always known or practiced on a large scale. The fact that it

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The Rural We: James Crisp

The founder of Crisp Architects, a prominent architectural and design firm based in Millbrook, New York, Jimmy Crisp was born in Pumpkin Center, Louisiana. While he was working in the city after graduating from Louisiana State University, he renovated a one-room schoolhouse in Dutchess County, and started getting work in

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The Rural We: Linda Mussmann

Claudia Bruce and Linda Mussmann Time and Space Limited has been a haven for artistic and cultural energy in Hudson for over 25 years. TSL’s co-founders and co-directors Claudia Bruce and Linda Mussmann turned the old factory on Columbia Street into a destination to experience vital works from underrepresented

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