ShoutOut
This , that , and the other things
B y A n a s t a s i a S t a n m e y e r
FOREVER FAMILY
The Berkshire Humane Society has launched its “ Forever Family ” campaign , which will lay the foundation for its future . They plan to create a strong endowment ; update and expand their facilities ; and invest in life-saving programs and education to support families and keep pets in homes . The Humane Society plans to rename its animal shelter the Dr . John C . Reynolds Adoption and Education Center in honor of the late veterinarian . His family will gift the shelter $ 500,000 in response to its fundraising campaign , with a challenge to the community to match this amount . Dr . Reynolds was closely associated with Berkshire Humane Society since he established Pittsfield Veterinary Hospital in 1996 . berkshirehumane . org
Rudy Gutierrez , John Coltrane : Spirit Flight , 2012 Illustration for Spirit Seeker : John Coltrane ’ s Musical Journey by Gary Golio ( Clarion Books ) © Rudy Gutierrez . All rights reserved .
LET ’ S GO WILD
Author Dan Brown and the Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra , under conductor Tianhui Ng , will perform Brown ’ s Wild Symphony live on Saturday , September 24 , at 2 p . m . in Lenox , as part of the Authors Guild Foundation ’ s free , four-day Words , Ideas , and thinkers ( WIT ) Festival . Wild
Symphony , designed to delight and introduce children to the joys of classical music , showcases Brown ’ s talents not only as a best-selling novelist , but as a lifelong musician and composer inspired at a young age by Peter and the Wolf , The Carnival of the Animals , and The Young Person ’ s Guide to the Orchestra . Brown will read from the accompanying illustrated children ’ s book Wild Symphony , and the orchestra will play the score that Brown composed with each page . Read more on the WIT Festival on page 50 .
6 // BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE Fall 2022
New at the Village
Nathaniel Silver begins his new job on September 19 as executive director and CEO of Hancock Shaker Village . Silver comes from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston , where he served as the William and Lia Poorvu Curator of the Collection and Division Head . Silver curated 12 exhibitions , including Titian : Women , Myth & Power , Boston ’ s Apollo : Thomas McKeller & John Singer Sargent , and Botticelli : Heroines + Heroes . “ I am thrilled to join Hancock Shaker Village at such an exciting time ,” says Silver . “ Like the Gardner , the Village is a work of art in its entirety with a deep commitment to serving its community and resulted from the vision of a woman ahead of her time .”
Art Immersion
ArtWeek Berkshires is back ! 1Berkshire and the five cultural districts of Berkshire County are collaborating on a 10-day festival , September 15-25 , featuring all things creative . The festival includes everything from open studios and live performances to poetry readings and online crafting classes . Included in the more than 100 events are Festival Latino of the Berkshires on September 24 at the Great Barrington Town Hall Park and Saint James Place ; an online symposium on “ Illustration And Race — Rethinking the History of Printed Images ” on September 23 – 24 hosted by the Norman Rockwell Museum ; and the 20th Annual Autumn Housatonic Heritage Walks on weekends through October 2 . berkshires . org / artweek-berkshires
Monuments of Joy
In MASS MoCA ’ s cavernous Building 5 gallery , a largescale , highly interactive installation opens October 29 that will be comprised of a rideable roller coaster sculpture , paintings , freestanding objects , and a stage for performances and other live programming . In a nod to this history , Brake Run Helix proposes roller coasters as monuments to joy . The exhibition conflates the amusement park with the museum to raise different questions about access , collective joy , and contemplation . The artist , EJ Hill , explains , “ My body holds the echo or remnant of something and works towards a future that elevates those who are frequently not seen and heard .”
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