all on display through his iconic photographic illustrations. This exhibition is organized by the New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, Connecticut in partnership with the artist, Walter Wick. On June 7 from 4 to 7 p. m., the museum will hold I Spy! A Party, a community event celebrating the opening of the exhibition.
Hidden Worlds & Wonders: Outdoor Sculpture Show, July 12 to October 26, explores imagination, perception, and discovery through contemporary sculpture and installation displayed across the museum’ s picturesque 36-acre campus. Art of Brewing Festival on August 16 offers samples of the best craft brews and food in the region and the chance to play a lawn game or two— a perfect Berkshire summer picnic.
CONTINUING:
The museum’ s focus on trailblazing women continues with Readings at Rockwell, a collaboration with Edith Wharton’ s The Mount, on May 7 when award-winning actress and Shakespeare & Company alum Sandra Seoane-Seri reads Toni Morrison’ s only short story,“ Recitatif.” Anita Kunz: Original Sisters, Portraits of Tenacity and Courage runs through May 26, featuring 258 portraits of history-making women from scientists to politicians. All for Laughs: The Artists of the Famous Cartoonist Course through June 15, presents the wit and humor of legendary cartoonists like Al Capp, Barney Tobey, Rube Goldberg, and Willard Mullin, and explores the educational and artistic legacy of the influential correspondence course that taught aspiring artists the art of visual humor. Illustrators of Light: Rockwell, Wyeth, and Parrish from the Edison Mazda Collection, through January 4, 2026, is a masterclass in creativity and the message of advertising at a pivotal moment in American technology and culture. This rare collection of original paintings, most never before seen, was created for lighting advertisements in the 1920s by Rockwell and fellow illustrators including Maxfield Parrish and N. C. Wyeth.
Imagining Freedom is an ongoing highly immersive virtual exhibition for all ages is all about the history and enduring legacy of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’ s concept of the Four Freedoms and highlights the important role played by Rockwell and other American artists in communicating and advancing these universal values. Visit the museum’ s website for unlimited access from your computer, phone or virtual reality headset.
TURNPARK ART SPACE
2 Moscow Rd., West Stockbridge turnpark. com 413-232-0275
Originally a marble quarry, this stunning, fantasy-like 16-acre sculpture park features an outdoor sculpture collection, two indoor exhibition spaces, and a marble amphitheater for outdoor performances. Visitors this year will experience 45 outdoor pieces and a handful of new shows.
NEW:
Jim Morris: Leaving Traces, May 17 to August 4 in the Gate House Gallery, explores how dynamic real-world events can be visualized to capture states of transformation, volatility, and turbulence with drawings that manipulate images we already know— charts, maps, diagrams, architectural plans, satellite photographs, surveillance feeds, and medical records. Morris’ drawings reorganize visual information to amplify qualities concealed within the graphics and the cognitive assumptions he is interrogating. John Clarke: Passing Through, August 11 to October 31 in the Gate House Gallery, combines abstract drawing / painting and photography, and connects to sound, in this case, from the Mass Turnpike, with is just next door from his workspace— a temporary pavilion on the grounds, with transparent walls that allow visitors to witness his process of overlaying his photos with drawing and painting inspired by ambient sound.( See story on page 80.) Sculpture- Tablets- Chargers, May 17 to July 31 in the Garage Gallery, features tablets and vessels by renown ceramicist and sculptor Paul Chaleff. His works bridge ancient traditions and contemporary concerns and can be found in the collections of MoMA, The Met, and other museums. Chaleff is known for his pioneering role in the revival of woodfired ceramics and his innovative large-scale sculptures. He draws inspiration from Neolithic pottery, Japanese anagama kilns, and the sculpture of artists like Isamu Noguchi and Anthony Caro.
Martine Kaczynski: Deviation, August 11 to October 31 in the Garage Gallery and outdoors, examines the unstable nature of house and home. The fragility of our perceived status and security is represented by her sculpture which recreates archetypal forms— fences, guard rails, signs, and canopied shelters— and challenge our psychological interaction with architecture and the constructed world. Kaczynski’ s work reflects the residue of being raised in a community of refugee Holocaust survivors.
VENTFORT HALL 104 Walker St., Lenox gildedage. org 413-637-3206
Ventfort Hall is a Gilded Age mansion commissioned by Sarah Morgan( sister of J. P.) in 1891 – 93. It’ s open year-round with a variety of tours— with tea, with lunch, or self-guided. The theme at Ventfort this season is Bricks & Bonds: Foundations of Community Restoration. Ventfort offers the chance to peek inside and shop style at the popular BerkChique pop up boutique, May 2 – 4, with clothes from the most fashionable and stylish closets in the Berkshires. Tea & Talks: Tuesdays, June through September, to include David Raby, Ventfort’ s in-house paranormal investigator, speaking about ghosts in August, and a talk about Games and Gatherings of the Gilded Age.
Community Days this summer offer free admission, music, picnics on the lawn, and plein air painting opportunities. Check the website for updates.
WILLIAMS COLLEGE MUSUEM OF ART( WCMA)
15 Lawrence Hall Dr., Williamstown artmuseum. williams. edu 413-597-2429
On the campus of Williams College, WCMA is a vibrant hub for learning and participation, focusing on exhibits that are integral to liberal arts education, lifelong learning, and human connection. Admission is free. As WCMA constructs its dynamic new facility scheduled to open in 2027, two lower-level galleries on campus in Lawrence Hall remain open, including Object Lab, a hybrid gallery-classroom, whose exhibits are collaborations with faculty. Artwork currently on display explore programming languages, various stone used for specific sculptures, graphic novels, and reinterpreting cultural objects. n
May / June 2025 BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE // 75