June 7 First Fridays Artswalk
The First Fridays Artswalk in downtown Pittsfield returns on Friday, June 7 from 5 to 8 pm as part of the City of Pittsfield’s First Fridays at Five. Participating venues include Berkshire Art Center, Clock Tower Artists, Dottie’s Coffee Lounge/Dorothy’s Estaminet, Hotel on North, Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, Marie’s North Street Eatery and Gallery, Marketplace Cafe, NUarts gallery + studios, Roots and Dreams and Mustard Seeds, and the Soda Chef. There will also be Interactive Pottery Demos in Palace Park with Jim Horsford and a Free Kids’ Paint and Sip on Dunham Mall.
Download the Downtown Pittsfield app in the App Store or on Google Play to follow a virtual walking tour of art on your cell phone.
The Clock Tower Artists at 75 South Church Street will host an open studios event in their beautiful, light-filled space on Friday, June 7, 5 to 8 pm, and on the “First Saturday,” June 8, 1 to 5 pm. Witness the artists’ artistic processes firsthand and be captivated by an eclectic blend of masterpieces that will enchant and inspire you.
During the First Fridays Artswalk/First Fridays at Five on June 7, a free art shuttle to and from the Clock Tower Artist Studios will run from 5 to 7 pm – every 15 minutes from City Hall on Allen Street. The Art Shuttle is provided and operated by RSVP Volunteers.
Artists with Open Studios at the Clock Tower on June 7 include Karen Carmean, Deborah H Carter, Joan Palano Ciolfi, Randy Foulds, Marion Grant, Nava Grunfeld, Caroline Kelley, Bruce Laird, Mark Mellinger, Linda Petrocine, Shany Porras, Sally Tiska Rice, Ilene Richard, Audrey Shachnow, Jordan Stone, Stefanie Weber, and Carmel Wilson.
The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue, will present “In Practice” by Ellie Kreischer for the month of June. There will be an opening reception during the First Fridays Artswalk on June 7 from 5 to 8 pm.
“In Practice” started as a series of six small color pencil studies created late one night in July 2023. Inspired by the forms and use of color in these pieces, Ellie has created an entire body of new work that will be installed in the Lichtenstein Center’s gallery. The work represents an exploration of new materials informed by an intuitive approach to the artistic process.
The Berkshire Art Center (BAC), 141 North Street, will continue to offer Free Artmaking Drop-Ins on the First Friday of the month from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, year-round. For the month of June, The Berkshire Art Center will also feature two window displays: “Scallops and Swirls” by Abby Klein (north window), a playful exploration of whimsy across ceramics, paintings, and prints, and “Sue Browdy, Potter: The First 65 Years” (south window).
The Marketplace Cafe, 53 North Street, will feature “Scattered” by Jill Gustavis for the month of June. There will be a reception with the artist during the June 7 First Fridays Artswalk from 5 to 7 pm.
“Scattered” features small works of quiet moments and pieces from the private collection of artist Jill Gustavis. A Berkshire native, Jill is inspired by a wide range of local subjects, from still lifes and florals, to landscapes and animals. Working primarily in watercolor, Jill uses layers of color and value to sculpt a sense of presence between the subject and viewer.
On Friday, June 7, 5 to 8 pm, NUarts gallery + studios, 311 North Street, will open their Hall Gallery to the public featuring the works of resident artists.
Hotel on North, 297 North Street, will feature Beyond the Surface: The Depth of Identity by Jody King Camarra, June 7 through July 4, 2024. There will be an opening reception with the artist during the First Fridays Artswalk on Friday, June 7, 5 to 8 pm.
Jody King Camarra’s latest exhibit is a convergence of collage and mixed media exploring self-discovery. With each piece, the viewer is invited on an introspective odyssey. Within Camarra’s work, layers are palpable – some strikingly visible while others lie concealed beneath the surface. In this exploration, every fragment is essential to the whole, mirroring our human complexities. Through mixed media layers, Camarra’s work in this exhibit serves as a reminder to embrace both the beautiful and the flawed, the visible and veiled.
Marie’s North Street Eatery and Gallery, 146 North Street, will feature a multi-media piece “Within These Scales” for the June First Fridays Artswalk. For this exhibit, curator and co-owner of the Eatery, Niel Davis, is building a framed outline, 40 feet long, in the shape of a dragon (2024 is the Year of the Dragon). Part of the interior of the dragon will be fabric that represents its scales. The other scales will be artist representations of some of the 27 basic human emotions attached to the wall. Visitors are invited to take in the visually pleasing dragon and to try to identify the artists’ intended rendering of a particular emotion.
Roots and Dreams and Mustard Seeds, 119 Fenn Street, will feature 5 local artists during the First Fridays Artswalk on June 7 for one-night only, 5 to 8 pm. Artists include Nicole Fecteau, Kiel, Olly Diamond, and Hernan and Jackeline Bonilla. Mediums include mixed media, drawings, paintings, and Amigurumis (knitted stuffed animals).
Dottie’s Coffee Lounge/Dorothy’s Estaminet, 438/444 North Street, will feature “FOR THE LOVE OF: Culture, The Figure, and the Landscape” through the end of June. Dottie’s will remain open until 10 pm on Friday, June 7 hosting live music with local cover band, Mr. Doubtfire, from 7 to 10 pm.
“FOR THE LOVE OF: Culture, The Figure, and the Landscape” features Katunemo (a group of 13 painters, photographers, poets, and musicians who celebrate their common culture), Ernie Kirk’s photographs of the human figure, and landscape paintings by Kathy Glenn.
Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. and First Fridays Artswalk will host a Free Kids’ Paint & Sip on Friday, June 7, 5 to 8 pm, as part of the First Fridays at Five Family Fun Zone on Dunham Mall (100 North Street).
This free Paint & Sip is best suited for ages 5 to 12, although younger and older children are welcome. All materials, instruction, and juice will be provided. Children are welcome to drop in anytime over the course of the event, and all children must be accompanied by an adult.
Download the Downtown Pittsfield app in the App Store or on Google Play to follow a virtual walking tour of art on your cell phone.
First Fridays Artswalk is supported in part by a grant from the Mass Cultural Council, and a grant from the Pittsfield Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
This program is also supported in part by The Feigenbaum Foundation.
First Fridays at Five is a brand-new event led by the City of Pittsfield and Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. taking place in downtown Pittsfield from May-September. Season partners and sponsors include: the Feigenbaum Foundation, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, Mill Town Foundation, MountainOne, and the Pittsfield Cultural Council.
Check out all of the June 7 First Fridays at Five events at lovepittsfield.com/first-fridays.
Event Highlights (South to North):
Artists at the Clock Tower, 75 South Church Street, Third Floor
Karen Carmean, Deborah H Carter, Joan Palano Ciolfi, Randy Foulds, Marion Grant, Nava Grunfeld, Caroline Kelley, Bruce Laird, Mark Mellinger, Linda Petrocine, Shany Porras, Sally Tiska Rice, Ilene Richard, Audrey Shachnow, Jordan Stone, Stefanie Weber and Carmel Wilson
Open Studios: Friday, June 7, 5 to 8 pm
City Stage Entertainment (south end of the road closure on North Street near Park Square)
Performance by KR3T’s Dance Company/Dance Circle with Wandering Dance Society
Friday, June 7, 5 to 6 pm
Happy Together Band
Friday, June 7, 6 to 8 pm
Marketplace Cafe, 53 North Street
“Scattered” by Jill Gustavis
Opening Reception: Friday, June 7, 5 to 7 pm
Roots and Dreams and Mustard Seeds, 119 Fenn Street
Nicole Fecteau, Kiel, Olly Diamond, and Hernan and Jackeline Bonilla
On View: Friday, June 7, 5 to 8 pm ONLY
Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue
“In Practice” by Ellie Kreischer
Opening Reception: Friday, June 7, 5 to 8 pm
Pottery in Palace Park with Jim Horsford
Friday, June 7, 5 to 8 pm
Marie’s North Street Eatery and Gallery, 146 North Street
“Within These Scales”
On View: Friday, June 7, 5 to 8 pm
Berkshire Art Center/Brothership Building, 141 North Street
“Scallops and Swirls” by Abby Klein (north window)
“Sue Browdy, Potter: The First 65 Years” (south window)
Free All Ages Art Making Drop-In: Friday, June 7, 5:30 to 7:30 pm
Soda Chef, 161 North Street
Nicole March Art – Window Display
Drag Story Hour at Sottile Park, corner of North and Eagle Street
Friday, June 7, 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 pm
Hotel on North, 297 North Street
“Beyond the Surface: The Depth of Identity”
Jody King Camarra
Opening Reception: Friday, June 7, 5 to 8 pm
NUarts gallery + studios, 311 North Street
View the Hall Gallery featuring the works of resident artists.
On View: Friday, June 7, 5 to 8 pm
Dottie’s Coffee Lounge/Dorothy’s Estaminet, 438/444 North Street
“FOR THE LOVE OF: Culture, The Figure, and the Landscape”
On View: Friday, June 7 until 10 pm
Live music with local cover band, Mr. Doubtfire, from 7 to 10 pm
Featured images in header (clockwise left to right): Jill Gustavis, Abby Klein, Nicole March, Sally Tiska Rice, Ellie Kreischer, and Ilene Richard