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Summer 2026 Exhibitions:
Main Exhibition – Residence Galleries
The Minute Man – Examining Patriotism, Victory and Loss
May 15 – October 31
The main exhibition this season is centered around Daniel Chester French’s iconic statue of the Minute Man, which has come to symbolize American patriotism. The exhibition will explore notions of liberty, victory, fighting (and dying) for one’s country as depicted in portraits, monuments, and memorials by Daniel Chester French and his colleagues. The exhibition will also include works by contemporary artists who are addressing these same themes and topics today. Curated by Dana Pilson, Chesterwood’s Curatorial Researcher and Collections Manager.
Outdoor Sculpture Show
In the Open: New England Sculptors Reclaim the Landscape
June 15 – October 31
The 48th annual outdoor sculpture show at Chesterwood features works by contemporary New England sculptors. Details and participating artists will be released later this spring.
Woodshed Gallery Exhibition I
Art Studios: How Artistic Processes Inform Architectural Design
Grigori Fateyev, Architect and principal and owner of Art Forms Architecture
May 15 – July 15
Grigori Fateyev exhibits four projects that explore the typology of the art studio. The display includes sketches, freehand drawings, renderings, 3D models, and photographs that document the design and creative process involved in constructing a studio space, and illustrate Fateyev’s approach to balancing the unique functional requirements of the artist’s practice with the interplay of New England landscapes. One of the projects presented will introduce a proposal for the Woodthrush Art Center on the grounds of Chesterwood. Informed by research into the historic landscape design by sculptor Daniel Chester French, the Art Center complex would provide multiple studios tailored to various practices: woodwork, painting, ceramics, a multipurpose space, and a gallery.
Woodshed Gallery Exhibition 2
Revolutionary Tea Pots
Berkshire Potters Collective
August 1 – September 27
In honor of the 250th Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773, the Berkshire Potters Collective will host a regional potters’ show at Chesterwood focused on teapots themed as revolutionary. Ceramic artist Leslie Ferrin writes of the exhibition, “This regional survey of both functional and sculptural teapots at Chesterwood offers an opportunity to reflect on the location, Daniel Chester French’s studio. French’s idealism and his sculptures commemorate events and individuals related to our history. At Chesterwood and at the other events marking the 250th anniversary, it is not just a celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence but the opportunity to acknowledge the power of protest and its ability to change the course of history. It couldn't come at a better time as we face challenges to democracy in our nation today.”
Artists in Residence Program
Since the 1970s, Chesterwood has hosted artists in a variety of disciplines through partnerships with organizations in which residency opportunities are a key element of their mission. Chesterwood’s longstanding partner, the National Sculpture Society in New York, will place sculptor Stephen Saxenian in residence at Chesterwood in the month of June. Chesterwood will also host two other artists in residence this season: painter and muralist Joel Haynes in July, and the Bel Canto Duo of cellist David Downing and oboist Darci Gamerl in August.
Chesterwood Special Events & Educational Programs
On Saturday, July 18, 2026 at 3 PM, Chesterwood will invite guests to Chesterwood’s second annual Garden Tea Party, a signature fundraising gathering under the big tent for tea, cocktails, and live entertainment in support of its growing activities for children and families. This year’s celebration will feature a Tableau Vivant performance by actor and filmmaker Doria Bramante, and will honor National Sculpture Society Executive Director Gwen Pier and journalist Martin Baron.
New this season is a Kids Summer Sculpture Studio in collaboration with the Berkshire Art Center from July 6 – 10 that invites children ages 8-14 to explore hands-on sculpture techniques, collaborative creations, and mixed-media constructions. Chesterwood will also partner with High Lawn Farms to continue its series of monthly ice cream socials for children and families on June 28, July 12, and August 9 from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m., a tradition started by the French family that was revived last season. And on August 23 at 9:30 a.m. fiber artist Robert Cohen will teach a multigenerational botanical weaving class. Berkshire Art Center will also host several classes for students of all ages at Chesterwood this season, including: Discovering the Landscape through Pastel on June 7, Guided Watercolor Plein Air on July 12, Human/Nature: Live Figure Drawing on July 7, 14, 21, and 28, A Photographic Walk on August 9, and Photography of Daniel Chester French’s Studio on September 20. Another educational event this season is Moth Night, to be held on Chesterwood’s grounds on July 24, which celebrates the beauty, life cycles, habitats, and importance of moths in a program led by Matthew Rymkiewicz of the Berkshire Environmental Action Team.
On August 28 and 29 at 6:00 p.m., Chesterwood will hold The Patriots Table: A Culinary Journey Through American History with Chef James Gop. An immersive culinary and cultural weekend set on the grounds of Chesterwood, this experience invites guests to step in to a richly told story of American identity through the lens of food, fire and the legacy of Lincoln. In collaboration with Heirloom Fire and Taylored & Thyme, this event is anchored around a theatrical open-fire dinner inspired by Abraham Lincoln’s Inaugural Banquet, blending culinary artistry, historical resonance, and elevated ambiance.
ArtsAlive!
In its capacity as a center for creativity, Chesterwood presents numerous programs of music, dance, theater, and the literary arts its series ArtsAlive! from June through September. Designed to be a resource to bring community together to experience the arts and feel connected in the intimate setting of the historic studio and formal gardens, ArtsAlive! continues the deep tradition of creative history at Chesterwood where Daniel Chester French often invited artists, dancers, musicians, and writers to share their work and draw inspiration.
Calendar
All events will take place at 5:30 PM in the Studio unless otherwise noted.
June 11: Latin Pianist and composer Leo Blanco’s Sugar Road Project
Leo Blanco’s acclaimed Sugar Road Project explores how African diaspora impacted the musical culture of Latin America while his ensemble, Son Mass, fuses these Afro-Caribbean rhythms with modern jazz.
June 23: Music and the Mind with Mark Shapiro – Part 1
Last season the witty and “insightful” (The New York Times) American conductor Mark Shapiro took Chesterwood audiences on a tour of recent thinking about the musical mind, exploring how we perceive, process and respond to music. In two follow-up sessions this summer, Maestro Shapiro recapitulates this material and applies it to classic repertoire, with demonstrations from Beethoven’s groundbreaking Symphony No.1.
July 7 & 9: Dancer Ian Bell with Pianist Lauren Aiola
Aiola will play Schubert's complete Moment Musicaux, while Bell will dance Isadora Duncan's Third Moment, Maria-Theresa Duncan's Fifth Moment, and a movement of his own in the style of Duncan, along with a new work.
July 8 at 5:00 p.m.
Patriotism in Practice: History, Media, and Civic Life – A conversation with Governor Deval Patrick, journalist Martin Baron, historian Kendra Fields, and more!
Throughout the season, Chesterwood will examine the theme of patriotism through the work of French and his contemporaries, alongside contemporary perspectives. As part of this exploration, Chesterwood hosts a panel discussion on patriotism to be moderated by Governor Deval Patrick that includes journalist and author Martin Baron and historian Kendra Fields, Professor of History at Tufts University.
July 10: Reson8 Vocal Octet presents Hero Songs
A chamber music ensemble of Pittsburgh’s acclaimed Resonance Works, this group will present the song cycle Hero Songs by Petter Hilliard and Matt Boresi. Hero Songs is a meditation on heroism and service, contemplating the past, present, and future of fortitude, effort, and sacrifice.
July 15: We (too) the People: Voices from the New England Poetry Club
The New England Poetry Club is presenting poetry by two NEPC members. Patrick Donnelly, former poet laureate of Northampton and program director of The Frost Place, is the author of five books of poetry, most recently Willow Hammer (Four Way Books, 2025). Cammy Thomas’s most recent work is Odysseus’ Daughter, poems written in response to the Odyssey (Parkman Press chapbook, 2023). Four Way Books published three of her previous poetry collections.
July 22 & 23: Reviving Chesterwood’s Tableaux Vivants with Doria Bramante
A popular art form during the Victorian period, and a favorite by Daniel Chester French at Chesterwood, a tableau vivant (French for "living picture") is a static, silent scene featuring one or more actors in costume, meticulously posed to recreate artworks, historical scenes, or literature. Bramante returns to Chesterwood with two evenings of her much-acclaimed interpretation of master works of art, using Daniel Chester French’s original frame.
July 31: Latin Jazz with Richard Peña Trio
Puerto Rican guitarist Richard Peña intricately blends the traditional sounds of Afro-Caribbean music with the modern raw energy of jazz and bebop improvisation through his guitar’s warm and cutting sound. In addition to his latest 2025 album, The Latin Side Of Jazz Guitar, he has recorded five award-winning albums.
August 1: Boston Baroque’s The X-Tex performs Sounds from Spain
This subset of the GRAMMY® Award-winning period instrument ensemble Boston Baroque makes its debut at Chesterwood with music from the Spanish Baroque and arrangements by Spanish composer Olivia Perez-Collemir, joined by tenor Karim Sulayman.
August 4: Artists Gardens in New England with author and garden Designer Jana Milbocker at 4:30 p.m.
Some of our most beloved painters, sculptors and authors were inspired by the gardens they created. Their New England gardens were a dynamic form of artistic expression and we are fortunate to be able to visit them today. After a tour of the recently restored studio garden, enjoy an armchair tour of the private havens of Edith Wharton, Julian Alden Weir, Childe Hassam, Emily Dickinson, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Celia Thaxter and others in Daniel Chester French's Berkshires estate.
August 5: We (too) the People: Voices from the New England Poetry Club
The New England Poetry Club returns to Chesterwood for a second program of poetry by NEPC members. Tim Mayo’s poetry collections include Muscle Memories of Love and Disaster, published in March, 2026 by Bainbridge Island Press. Pamela Wax is the author of Every Single Beast of My Heart (Sheila-Na-Gig, 2026) and previous collections including Walking the Labyrinth (Main Street Rag, 2022), and Starter Mothers (Finishing Line Press, 2023).
August 6: Pablo Casals, a cellist in exile – A conversation with historian and journalist Pedro Reina-Perez
When Pablo Casals first set foot in Puerto Rico in 1955 – his mother’s native land – his life took a dramatic turn. One hundred years later, Pablo Casals’ scholar Pedro Reina-Perez, takes us into a deep examination of the artistic journey after Casals’ exile.
August 7: Opera Night! – American Music from the Operatic Stage An evening featuring America opera repertory with soprano Emily Misch, baritone Evan Bravos and pianist Christopher James Ray.
August 12: The Bel Canto Duo in Concert – The Making of a Master
The dynamic husband and wife duo of Darci Gamerl and David Downing return to Chesterwood after a one-month music composition residency last season. This summer they will present The Making of a Master inspired by Daniel Chester French.
August 15: Sherman Chamber Ensemble with Mezzo-Soprano Sandra Piques Eddy
The program will include Samuel Barber’s Dover Beach and Ottorino Resphighi’s Il Tramonto for mezzo-soprano and string quartet.
August 18: Music and the Mind with Mark Shapiro – Part 2
Last season the witty and “insightful” (The New York Times) American conductor Mark Shapiro took us on a tour of recent thinking about the musical mind, exploring how we perceive, process and respond to music. In two follow-up sessions this summer, Maestro Shapiro recapitulates this material and applies it to classic repertoire, with demonstrations from Beethoven’s groundbreaking Symphony No.1. Participants will enjoy and benefit from attending either or both sessions.
August 19: Harold Holzer on Lincoln’s Favorite Music
Harold Holzer is joined by a special guest singer to present Lincoln’s favorite music. Holzer is a scholar of Abraham Lincoln and the political culture of the American Civil War Era, and is the author of Monument Man: The Life and Art of Daniel Chester French.
August 20: Classic Meets Jazz with pianist Anastasia Dedik and saxophonist George Michael
This concert features classical repertoire performed by Anastasia Dedik, followed by a 30-minute jazz set from saxophonist George Michael.
August 27: Great Barrington Public Theater – Ten Minute Plays
In partnership with Great Barrington Public Theater, Chesterwood welcomes Artistic Director Jim Frangione for a series of ten-minute plays.
September 6 at 3 p.m.: Salsa Dance Party at Chesterwood with Manolo Mairena and his Salsa Band, featuring the Salsa y Control Dancers
Closing the season is a Salsa Dance Party featuring singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Costa Rican artist Manolo Mairena, whose captivating music and dynamic stage presence have garnered him an international following.
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