Berkshire Magazine Fall 2025 | Page 9

Warren Wolf, right, and Joe Locke

JAZZIN’ IT UP IN WILLIAMSTOWN

In an ongoing tribute to The Lenox School of Music, The Dueling Vibes— Joe Locke and Warren Wolf, with Richie Goods on bass— will perform at the Clark Art Institute on Nov. 15, at 7 p. m. They will play music from the legendary Modern Jazz Quartet, from Wolf’ s album The History of the

Vibraphone, as well as some amazing improvisational vibraphone " duels " featuring well-known and brand-new tunes. Come early for a 6:30 p. m. pre-show Q / A hosted by Jazz in the Berkshires, which is a partner in this performance. This just in: Save the date for the inaugural Williamstown Jazz Festival from Sept. 11 to 13, 2026! Find out the latest developments and support this inaugural festival presented by Jazz in the Berkshires by going to jazzintheberkshires. org.

Morgan James performed at a " sneak preview " in the Mahaiwe ' s Indigo Room.

HOW GRAND

The official grand opening for Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center’ s Indigo Room is a weekend-long event— because one day is just not enough. After several sneak previews to get things just right, the Indigo Room officially opens Oct. 10 to 12 with performances by pop / jazz singer Ann Hampton Callaway on Oct. 11 at 8 p. m., and American blues guitarist Guy Davis on Oct. 12 at 8 p. m., with a free family performance by Terry a La Berry on Oct. 12 at 11 a. m. Located next to the Mahaiwe, the Indigo Room has a flexible floor plan( for 75 to 150 people). Its name is a nod to the Mahaiwe’ s color scheme— note the indigo marquee— and carries it forward with indigo velour drapes that separate the new venue’ s two rooms. mahaiwe. org

STORIES FROM THE FIELDS

Plan for a beautiful afternoon at Greenagers Barn at April Hill in Egremont on Sept. 21 from 4 to 6 p. m., when eight Berkshire farmers will tell stories about life on the farm— equal measure hard work, fun, and downright weird. Moderated by local writer Sheela Clary,“ Fodder: Stories From the Fields” is sponsored by Berkshire Agricultural Ventures( BAV), Greenagers, Berkshire Grown, Farmstead for Farmers, and Multicultural BRIDGE.“ We want to give space for farmers’ voices and offer a new perspective on those who raise and grow our food,” says BAV Executive Director Rebecca Busansky.“ It’ s a chance to build community.” There will also be food, mostly from local farms. The event is free for farmers and $ 15 for other attendees; registration is required. berkshireagventures. org

VIM LIVE

ViM Live Series " Powerful Voices, Inspired Communities " concludes its season at the Mahaiwe’ s Indigo Room on Sept. 30, 5 to 8 p. m. A panel led by NPR’ s Senior Producer Sarah LaDuke will focus on“ The Next Era of Care: Access, Innovation, and AI.” Speakers include Dr. Ateev Mehrotra, chair of the Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice at Brown University; Dr. Joseph Shin, assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and the Cornell Center for Health Equity and physician at New York Presbyterian Hospital; and Dr. Muhammad Zaman, HHMI professor of Biomedical Engineering and Global Health at Boston University. The series is ViM’ s key fundraiser and engages the community on issues connected to ViM’ s mission of providing free healthcare to qualified people ineligible for health insurance, and to support ViM’ s Great Barrington and Pittsfield health centers. vimberkshires. org

YOUNG FILMMAKERS

The Triplex in Great Barrington launches Triplex International Youth Film Festival( TRIFEST) from Sept. 19 to 21 for filmmakers 25 and younger. The weekend will host about 40 films in four categories— narrative, documentary, animation, and experimental. Nicki Wilson, TRIFEST executive director and Triplex board member, came up with the idea after last year’ s Berkshire County Teen Film Festival resulted in entries from way beyond the Berkshires. Indeed, with no geographic limitations, submissions to this year’ s TRIFEST are from 16 countries.“ It’ s fascinating to know what young people are thinking about,” says Wilson,“ and hard to believe how young these filmmakers are. The films are brilliant.” Festival speakers include State Representative Leigh Davis and other special guests. Admission is free for middle and high school students on Friday afternoon, and for kids on Saturday morning to see animated films. The entire weekend is free for college students with an ID. thetriplex. org

SANDISFIELD ARTS CENTER AT 30

Built in 1839, Sandisfield Arts Center( SAC) was a Baptist meetinghouse for 80 years and an orthodox synagogue for 75 years before the building was given to the Sandisfield Arts and Restoration Committee in 1995. Its history and renovation is documented in detail in From Church to Synagogue to Arts Center by local historian Ron Bernard, written in honor of its 30th anniversary this year. Today, SAC is a performing arts venue extraordinaire.“ There’ s a sound to the building, a liveliness that performers really like,” says Peter Baiamonte, a member of the board of directors, which continue to support ongoing renovation, most recently installing air conditioning, and improvements to the first-floor gallery. Fall events include Open Mic Sept. 19, Dave Maswick / Joel Brown Concert Oct. 4, Radio Mystery Hour Oct. 25, Pumpkin Carving Oct. 28, and more. The gallery hosts Serena Granbery Retrospective through Oct. 11 and Portrait Show Oct. 18 to Dec. 7. sandisfieldartscenter. org

LITNET HONORS MASIERO FAMILY

As the second generation of the Masiero family builds on what brothers Chris and Matt started in 1983 by opening Guido’ s Fresh Marketplace in Pittsfield and then in Great Barrington, Literacy Network of the Berkshires( LitNet) honors them at its annual fundraising celebration. The theme is“ Generation to Generation: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future,” citing the Masieros’ commitment to community, their employees, and food-equity initiatives. Proceeds from the event support free tutoring programs in English, U. S. citizenship, and basic education, and the First-Generation College Project that was started in 2023 to support children of LitNet ' s immigrant learners succeed after high school. Join LitNet in celebrating the Masiero family at Drifters Bar & Restaurant at Bousquet Mountain on Oct. 18 at 6 p. m. litnetsb. org

August Fall 2025 BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE // // 7