August 1 First Fridays Artswalk

 

The First Fridays Artswalk in downtown Pittsfield continues its 5-month season (May through September) on Friday, August 1 from 5 to 8 pm as part of the City of Pittsfield’s First Fridays at Five.

 

Participating venues on Friday, August 1 include Berkshire Art Center, Clock Tower Artists, Creahub Makerspace by Latinas413, Framework by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., Hotel on North, Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, Living in Recovery, Marketplace Cafe, Ralph Froio Senior Center, Roots and Dreams and Mustard Seeds, Soda Chef, and TKG Real Estate.

 

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 Berkshire Art Center (BAC), 141 North Street, will host a special First Fridays Artswalk activity on Friday, August 1 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

 

Berkshire Art Center is thrilled to be part of “The Berkshires Satellite Reef” — a local contribution to the world-renowned “Crochet Coral Reef Project” by artists Christine and Margaret Wertheim and the Institute for Figuring.

 

This global, community-powered art initiative invites people of all ages and skill levels to crochet pieces that will become part of a stunning, life-sized coral reef installation to be exhibited at Williams College’s ’62 Center for Theatre & Dance in the Spring of 2026.

 

Stop by during the First Friday Artswalk to learn more, get inspired, and maybe even try your hand at crocheting a coral of your own!

The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue, will feature Community Access to the Arts’s “I Am a Part of Art” on Friday, August 1 from 5 to 8 pm.

 

This exhibit is CATA’s biggest art show of the year – celebrating the talents of artists with disabilities. “I Am a Part of Art” features vibrant paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, and even comic illustration and stop-motion animation.

 

CATA’s 2025 Annual Art Show features nearly 300 pieces by teens, adults, and elders with disabilities from across the community.

 

You can enjoy the exhibit for free at the Clark Art Institute (starting July 4) and the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts (starting July 9). Artwork is available for sale and artists earn a commission on each work sold.

 

The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts is open Wednesday through Friday, 11 am to 3 pm, and by appointment. The show will be on view through August 22.

 

The Creahub Makerspace by Latinas413 will host two featured exhibitions at 139 North Street: “Blooming Together, Strengthening Our Roots” by Shelsy Rodriguez and “Between Generations” by Luiza Folegatti.

 

“Blooming Together, Strengthening Our Roots” is a mural by Shelsy Rodriguez on permanent display at the CreaHub MakerSpace, which celebrates the strength and beauty of Latina women, honoring their diverse roots and experiences. Inspired by the flora of Latin America, this collective work uplifts immigrant identity through visual and written storytelling in both English and Spanish. It is accompanied by a community-written narrative exploring migration, resilience, and sisterhood.

 

“Between Generations” is a photography and interview-based installation by Luiza Folegatti on view now through August 6.

 

“Between Generations” explores motherhood and migration through photography, interviews, and workshops with Latina mothers and daughters in the Berkshires. The project documents their stories, resilience, and shared dreams while examining the generational ties that shape identity and community.

 

 

Living in Recovery, 75 North Street, will feature artworks by Ms. Michael Kennedy on Friday, August 1, from 5 to 8 pm, at a reception with the artist.

 

Michael Kennedy is an actor, playwright, director, and producer, and the founder and Artistic Director of Creative Action Unlimited, a theater/film production company dedicated to the collaborative creation of works about social issues. She taught acting at the NYS Theatre Institute Theater Arts School, where she created multiple original productions with high school students. She has directed a number of productions at CAU, has directed multiple times at Theater Voices, and served as the lead teaching artist for WAM’s 2024 Elder Ensemble program, where she will return to teach and direct the Elder Ensemble in 2025. Michael has also worked as a consultant in the formation and development of the Playback Theater of the Berkshires.

 

Although Michael does not identify as a visual artist, for a period of about 6 months, 20 years ago, she was led to create a series of charcoal drawings, depicting the evolving conflict occurring in an alternate world. Each drawing in this series was created while listening to “Kronos Quartet Performs Philip Glass” and was created only with grayscale charcoal, paper, and finger drawing.

 

The Marketplace Cafe, 53 North Street, will feature Mary Davidson’s stamped paintings in her “Abstract Series” for the month of August. Mary Davidson is an artist living in the Berkshires. Her passion for art runs deep. Mary’s abstract paintings in this exhibit are a part of a series of 40 paintings. There will be an Opening Reception with the artist during the August 1 First Fridays Artswalk from 5 to 7 pm.

 

 

The Clock Tower Artists at 75 South Church Street will host an open studios event on Friday, August 1, 5 to 8 pm. Clock Tower Artists (CTA) is the largest and most diverse contemporary, working artists’ group in Berkshire County. Now numbering two dozen working creatives, the Clock Tower Artists Open Studios will feature original paintings, prints, photographs, and sculptures. Enjoy an insider’s look into the world of working artists.

 

Artists with Open Studios at the Clock Tower on August 1 include Karen Carmean, Deborah H Carter, Lucie Castaldo, Joan Palano Ciolfi, Randy Foulds, Marion Grant, Nava Grunfeld, Caroline Kelley, Mollie Kellogg, Eric Korenman, Bruce Laird, Lisa Loustaunau, Mark Mellinger, Linda Petrocine, Shany Porras, Sally Tiska Rice, Ilene Richard, Audrey Shachnow, Stanley Singer, Ariel Smith, Jordan Stone, Sharon Walthew, Stefanie Weber, and Carmel Wilson.

 

The Ralph Froio Senior Center, 330 North Street, will feature “The Artful Age” during the August 1st First Fridays Artswalk from 5 to 8 pm.

 

“The Artful Age” showcases original artwork created by members of the Froio Center’s art studio class. This vibrant collection features expressive paintings and detailed drawings that reflect the creativity, perspective, and talent of our older adult artists.

 

Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. and Framework will feature a brand-new “Let it Shine! Artist Exhibition” featuring 4 local artists at Framework by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. (437 North Street).

 

Featured artists are Carly Holmes, Riley Wilde, Jesus Alicea, and Kenny Davis.

 

There will be an opening reception with the artists during the August 1st First Fridays Artswalk from 5 to 8 pm.

 

The exhibition will be on view Monday through Thursday, 10 am to 2 pm, August 1 through August 25, by visiting the Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. offices at 431 North Street.

 

Hotel on North, 297 North Street, will feature artworks by Sally Tiska Rice now through September 1. This beautifully restored boutique hotel blends 19th-century architecture with sleek, contemporary design — and is the perfect backdrop for Sally’s richly layered light-filled artwork.

 

Meet the artist on Friday, August 1, from 5 to 8 pm, at a reception during the First Fridays Artswalk. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet Sally in person, explore her creative process, and hear the inspiring stories behind her work. Her paintings draw from deep wells of personal experience, including her journey as a spinal injury survivor—and now, as she bravely faces breast cancer with strength and creativity. Her art is not just visual — it’s emotional, healing, and vibrantly alive.

 

Sally, a lifelong Berkshire resident, has worked in many mediums, including watercolor, acrylic, oils, pastels, and mixed media. Her style blends atmosphere, memory, and light, creating emotionally resonant works that have been commissioned and collected internationally. With a 25-year career at Crane & Co. hand bordering luxury stationery for names like Cartier, Tiffany & Co., and Aretha Franklin, her artistic pedigree is matched only by her passion and perseverance.

 

Roots and Dreams and Mustard Seeds, 119 Fenn Street, will present eco-friendly products by Aisha B. and the Cosmic CoArt Cooperative’s Cosmic Butterfly Procession project during an artist reception on Friday, August 1, 5 to 8 pm, during the First Fridays Artswalk.

 

Artist and artisan Aisha B. will be showcasing her natural handcrafted eco-friendly products which include reusable concrete candles, zero-waste soaps, clay jewelry, canvas art, and more alongside the Cosmic CoArt Cooperative’s Cosmic Butterfly Procession project.

 

The Cosmic CoArt Cooperative is a multi-talented artist cooperative that strives to thread together common strengths through the living arts. They sincerely feel creating a culture of a “beloved community” while crossing borders of race, class, culture, language, ability, and creed can be done hand in hand through the forces of creativity and the human phenomenon of art.

 

Artists include Annalisa Jacobsen, Peppa, Aisha B., Drake, Jean Minuchin, Macarena, Beth Fairservis, Matt Brinton, Nicole Fecteau, and Olly.

 

TKG Real Estate, 137 North Street, will feature “For the Love of Art” by Patricia Carchedi-Coakley through August 31. There will be a reception with the artist on Friday, August 1, 5 to 8 pm.

 

“I’m a painter who thrives on artistic exploration,” says Patricia. “You’ll find my easel graced with a new adventure every time – from the bold strokes of abstract expressionism to the delicate details of realism, and everything in between. I truly believe that each style offers a unique lens through which to see and interpret the world, and I love nothing more than diving into them all!”

 

Methuselah Bar & Lounge, 391 North Street, will feature painting and drawings from figurative artist Mollie Kellogg’s Incognito Witch Selfie Series in the back room at Methuselah; open Mon–Sat, 5 pm to midnight.

 

In a celebration of “hidden magick,” the subjects in Mollie Kellogg’s Selfie Series shared photos of themselves dressed as their inner Incognito Witch. Mollie made selections from these submissions to paint for the series.

 

Creative Sorceress Mollie Kellogg’s Incognito Witch Project has conjured a magickal world through fine art, music, video and theatre since 2009. Kellogg lives in Dalton and works at the Clock Tower Building, Studio 334B, in Pittsfield. Mollie premiered her play, Incognito Witch the Musical, in Becket earlier this year.

 

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. Direct link: https://downtownpittsfield.stqry.app/list/56229

 

A free Art Shuttle provided and operated by RSVP Volunteers will take you to five locations throughout downtown during the First Fridays at Five on August 1. The Art Shuttle will make stops at Persip Park, City Hall, Clock Tower Artists, the Framework by DPI Gallery at the corner of North and Linden Streets, and Hotel on North. The Art Shuttle will depart Persip Park at the corner of North Street and Columbus Avenue every half hour starting at 5 pm with the last ride departing Persip Park at 7:30 pm.

 

First Fridays Artswalk is supported in part by The Feigenbaum Foundation.

 

Check out all of the August 1 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, Lucie Castaldo, Joan Palano Ciolfi, Randy Foulds, Marion Grant, Nava Grunfeld, Caroline Kelley, Mollie Kellogg, Eric Korenman, Bruce Laird, Lisa Loustaunau, Mark Mellinger, Linda Petrocine, Shany Porras, Sally Tiska Rice, Ilene Richard, Audrey Shachnow, Stanley Singer, Ariel Smith, Jordan Stone, Sharon Walthew, Stefanie Weber, and Carmel Wilson

Open Studios: Friday, August 1, 5 to 8 pm

   

Marketplace Cafe, 53 North Street

Mary Davidson

Stamped paintings in her “Abstract Series”

Opening Reception: Friday, August 1, 5 to 7 pm

 

Living in Recovery, 75 North Street

Ms. Michael Kennedy

Series of charcoal drawings

Artist Reception: Friday, August 1, 5 to 8 pm

 

Roots and Dreams and Mustard Seeds, 119 Fenn Street

Cosmic CoArt Cooperative and the Cosmic Butterfly Procession

Annalisa Jacobsen, Peppa, Aisha B., Drake, Jean Minuchin, Macarena, Beth Fairservis, Matt Brinton, Nicole Fecteau, and Olly

Artist Reception: Friday, August 1, 5 to 8 pm

    

Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue

Community Access to the Arts’ annual exhibit “I Am a Part of Art”

On View: Friday, August 1, 5 to 8 pm

 

Palace Park, 122 North Street

“Art in the Park”

Friday, August 1, 5 to 8 pm

 

TKG Real Estate, 137 North Street

“For the Love of Art”

Patricia Carchedi-Coakley

Reception with the Artist: Friday, August 1, 5 to 8 pm

 

Creahub Makerspace by Latinas413, 139 North Street

“Blooming Together, Strengthening Our Roots” by Shelsy Rodriguez

“Between Generations” by Luiza Folegatti

On View: Friday, August 1, 5 to 8 pm

 

Berkshire Art Center/Brothership Building, 141 North Street

Participate in “The Berkshires Satellite Reef” — a local contribution to the world-renowned “Crochet Coral Reef Project”: Friday, August 1, 5:30 to 7:30 pm

 

Soda Chef, 161 North Street

Nicole March Art – Window Display

 

Hotel on North, 297 North Street

Sally Tiska Rice

Reception with the Artist: Friday, August 1, 5 to 8 pm

 

Ralph Froio Senior Center, 330 North Street

“The Artful Age”

Artist Reception: Friday, August 1, 5 to 8 pm

 

Methuselah Bar & Lounge, 391 North Street

“Incognito Witch Selfie Series”

Mollie Kellogg

On View: Friday, August 1, 5 to 8 pm

 

Framework by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., 437 North Street

Let it Shine! Artist Exhibition

Carly Holmes, Riley Wilde, Jesus Alicea, and Kenny Davis

Opening Reception: Friday, August 1, 5 to 8 pm

 

Featured images in header (clockwise top left to bottom left): Mary Davidson, Ms. Michael Kennedy, Carly Holmes, Ralph Froio Senior Center, Sally Tiska Rice, and Luiza Folegatti