Amy Krzanik reports from Pittsfield. No matter the venue – be it hotel, museum, theater, historic mansion, bed and breakfast or warehouse – IS183 Art School of the Berkshires and event planners Berkshire Shenanigans know how to transform it into whatever they wish. This year’s fundraiser/Halloween extravaganza on Saturday, Oct. 29 began with dinner at Hotel on North, followed by a Wizard of Oz-themed dance party at Shire City Sanctuary. The church-turned-makerspace’s high ceilings lent itself well to flying monkeys and witches, a floating full moon and a swirling, glittery green tornado. Scarecrows, lions, munchkins and witches both good and evil agree: there’s no place like IS183. [Above, an un-cowardly lion with Rebecca Weinmann and IS183's Carrie Wright and Hope Sullivan.]
Dinner co-hosts Stan and Robin Gerber and their flying monkey; Jess Evans, Keith Emerling, Ben Evans and Josh Needleman.
Munchkin Kendal Phipps and Glinda the Good Witch (Catherine Morris); Bill Wright, and IS183's Jared Gelormino, Carrie Wright and Lucie Castaldo.
Tony Chojnowski, dinner co-host and Wicked Witch of the West Vicki Bonnington, Claudia Perles, Joe Goodwin and dinner co-host Julia Kaplan.
Nancy Hoffmeier and Minnie Mouse (Regina Burgio); Little Red Riding Hood Elise Abrams and Hillary Clinton (Laurie Norton Moffatt).
Morticia and Gomez Addams (Alaina and Marco); Julia Gallagher,Jeanne Robinson and Colleen Fernbacher.
Partygoers take a break from the dance floor to pose for a photo.
Mark Tiacenti, Beetlejuice (Todd Tiacenti) and Kim Wilson; Tristanne Chalmers and Andy Warhol (Rich Adamczyk).
IS183's executive director Hope Sullivan with dinner co-hosts Lauren Joy, a board member, and David Schecker; Gillian Gorman Rabin and Johanna Wise.
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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
