Mass MOCA

Recently Dick Alcombright who opposes the incumbent, John Barrett, met with us to discuss his platform as candidate for Mayor of North Adams. We particulaly focused on the presence of Mass MoCA, MCLA, and an emerging community of artists as a matrix for arts as an economic engine to drive a depressed and recovering city.

Bebe Neuwirth takes to the Mahaiwe stage Saturday for an evening of songs and remembrances, but will she have time to check out the Berkshire antique shops she loves so dearly?

July is a great time to be in the Berkshires with dozens of must-see events taking place as we approach the height of the season. Making the right choices is challenging. Winnow them down using our capsule descriptions and handy links. There's no easier way to compare, check and choose than this handy guide. Lots of pictures, too.

From Thursday, July 16 through Saturday, August 1, Bang on a Can and MASS MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) will present the eighth annual Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival at MASS MoCA. The Festival is dedicated entirely to programming today's most innovative new music and includes public performances, workshops for participants in everything from Balinese music to improvisation, master classes, music business seminars, and more.

When Mass MoCA opened a decade ago artists migrated to North Adams attracted by large, cheap loft spaces. For the second season that growing arts community is trying to revitalize the business district through a city wide project known as DownStreet. Artists hope that their commitment and sweat equity will start to pay off.

A capacity audience attended "Mujeres" with Belen Maya and Rocio Molina, which launched the 77th season of the summer long Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. There is a great tradition of Flamenco at the pillow starting with the first season in 1942 which featured the legendary La Argentina.

As part of the Tenth Anniversary celebrations the artist, Richard Criddle, who has been in charge of installations and fabrication for Mass MoCA gave a power point presentation of some of his most interesting and challenging collaborations with artists. The slide lecture was followed by a guided tour of the museum's efficient workshops. But Criddle's dog Winston had the day off.

Summer Begins with an amazing array of performing arts events to choose from. Both Tanglewood and Jacob's Pillow kick off their busy schedules while the main stages of the Berkshire's four resident professional theatre companies all kick into high gear. Our capsule descriptions and handy links will guide you through the dense array of superb cultural resources. In season world renowned artists perform in the Berkshires.

During some time in a Maine cottage by the beach we took a day trip to view the Portland Museum of Art's 2009 Biennial. The jurors, Elizabeth Burke, Dan Graham and Denise Markonish selected 17 artists from 970 applicants.

June is bustin' out all over, and our resident performing arts organizations are pulling out all the stops as the season approaches. Once again we provide our handy guide to upcoming Berkshire events.

North Adams, and Mass MoCA now celebrating its 10th anniversary, have come a long way from rock bottom when Sprague Electric left town, during the 13 terms of Mayor John Barrett, Jr. For the first time in 26 years Barrett has a tough opponent in Dick Albombright. Some 800 plus turned out for a spaghetti dinner fundraiser last week. It's shaping up to be a tight race.

Julie Seitel, a lighting designer for the Williams College Theatre Department did a fabulous job curating and installing the Second Annual Berkshire Salon. The survey of work by 55 artists launches the season for the North Adams based Eclipse Mill Gallery.

When General Electric moved out in the late 1980s, with 10,000 lost jobs, Pittsfield fell on hard times. The recovery started in 2003 when the new Mayor, James M. Ruberto, mandated that arts and culture would be a focus for economic development. Megan Whilden disussed how she joined the team in 2005 and the remarkable progress since then that has reshaped the city as a cultural destination.

Last year MCLA and the City of North Adams combined to turn vacant downtown stores into the seasonal galleries called Down Street. The programming has been expanded to include 27 museums and galleries. The fun begins on Memorial Day Weekend with the Berkshire Salon at the Eclipse Mill Gallery and the 10th Anniversary Ball at Mass MoCA. Let the games begin.

Here's your weekly guide to the top events happening in and around the Berkshires with more than a dozen exciting and fascinating offerings for you to choose from.

For the 124th season of the Boston Pops Keith Lockhart performed with guest artists, Maya Beiser, on cello, and the jazz quartet of John Pizzaerlli. While Pizarelli is a frequent peformer with the Pops this was the debut appearance for Beiser whom Lockhart described as the "Queen of Post Modern Cello."

Over a Beer and Burger we learned a lot about the artist, Phil Sellers, who with his wife Gail runs River Hill Pottery in the Eclipse Mill. This year he is chairing the annual North Adams Open Studios slated for October 17 and 18.

The Latin jazz pianist Nicki Denner will perform at the Hunter Center of Mass MoCA on Friday, May 1. With the easing of travel restrictions for Americans with family in Cuba this is a call for celebration with a night of music and dance.

During the two hour Patti Smith film at Mass MoCA she mentioned lost loved ones quite often and visited graves of dead poets. Drifting off I thought of my friend Alain Didot who looked like Alain Delon and reminded me of Belmondo in Breathless.

Mass MoCA in North Adams is sponsoring a week long residence and collaboration between two American choreographers- Kyle Abraham and Amy O'Neal- with two Japanese choreographers- Kitamari and Yukio Suzuki. Their collaboration will culminate in the performance of a work in progress on Saturday, April 25. This unique program is sponsored by the US/Japan Choreographers Exchange.

Despite a drastic 20% budget cut Kate Maguire, the artistic director and CEO of Berkshire Theatre Festival is excitied about the coming season and the return of Randy Harrison in Ibsen's "Ghosts." During an upbeat interview she stated that "I'm not a director. I love directors. I'm married to one (Eric Hill). I love directing directors and I wanted to build a director's theatre."

This past weekend provided a perfect Spring Break from the monotony of the Berkshire mud season. With offerings of comedy and drama, high art and low, these were the first tender shoots of the Berkshire's bountiful season that is preparing to burst into bloom.

The Christine Evans play "Trojan Barbie" now in its world premiere at the Amerian Repertory Theatre in Cambridge is an update of the Euripides tragedy "Trojan Women." The ruthless conquering Greek army resembles American troops in Iraq. Somehow a British tourist on holiday, Lotte (Karen MacDonald), is caught up in the mess. It takes a village.

Innovative theater artist Sebastienne Mundheim recreates a child's fantasy world at the Hunter Center of Mass MoCA in North Adams, using striking, large kinetic paper sculpture, dancers, live musicians, and video projection in a rich mix of the arts. It is said that Sea of Birds is like "Pan's Labyrinth", only on steroids and in person.

Stuart Chase, the director of the 106 year old Berkshire Mueum in Pittsfield discusses the recently completed $10 million renovation that was "on time and within budget." He also deaccessioned three paintings by the Russian, Grigoriev, that added $7 million for future acquisitions. Not bad during these hard times.