November 4 First Fridays Artswalk

Enjoy a dozen art shows and exhibits during the First Fridays Artswalk on Friday, November 4, 5 to 8 pm. Explore art and meet artists during opening receptions on the first Friday of the month from 5 to 8 pm, with most art on display all month long. 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.

Join Berkshire Art Center (BAC) at their new Pittsfield location at 141 North Street for creative family fun! Each month, BAC will offer Free Family Drop-Ins on the First Friday (5:30 to 7:30 pm) and Third Saturday (10 am to 12 pm) of every month. There will be a rotating set of projects for families to participate in at their own pace with the guidance and support of a faculty artist. Free Family Drop-Ins are open to the public and all children must be accompanied by an adult. No registration is required.

For the month of November, TKG Real Estate, 137 North Street, will present Summer Turns to Fall. Presenting artists are Emily Bunnell, Jon Caplan, Michele Caplan, Karen Carmean, Carol Daynard, Kinney Freylinghuysen, Joan Gluck, Bruce Kaminstein, Sally Lebwohl, Walt Pasko, Doane Perry, Sharon Stanfield, and Joan Stark. There will be a reception as part of First Fridays Artswalk on Friday, November 5 to 8 pm. The work will be up during the month of November and can be viewed when TKG Real Estate is open.

The Artists at the historic Clock Tower will host an open studios event on Friday, November 4, 5 to 8 pm, on the third floor of the Clock Tower at 75 South Church Street. Eight established, visual artists are settling into their new studio spaces and are joyfully working on new projects. Stop in to share their art and gain insight into their creative processes.

The artists hosting open studios at the Clock Tower during the First Fridays Artswalk are Joan Palano Ciolfi, Marion Grant, Caroline Kelley, Bruce Laird, Mark Mellinger, Shany Porras, Ilene Richard, and Sally Tiska Rice. For more information, visit https://clocktowerartists.com.

The Beacon Cinema, 57 North Street, will feature “The Instagram Image Out Of Context” curated by Richard Britell for the November Artswalk. For this exhibit, 20 images were selected from Instagram feeds, framed, and hung on the wall as an artistic statement. The exhibit will be up during the month of November and can be viewed when The Beacon Cinema is open.

The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue, and the Berkshire Art Association will present RE*Fresh, a Juried Biennial Show, for the month of November. The exhibit will be on view through November 26, and the show will be open for public viewing during the First Fridays Artswalk on November 4 from 5 to 8 pm.

RE*Fresh speaks of the challenges, inspirations, and new possibilities presented to all of us over the past two years. These dynamic issues are expressed and explored by 33 artists from the Northeast United States. In this juried show, 44 works, including paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, and graphic design are represented, offering wide ranging interpretations of the theme.

Berkshire County artists included in RE*Fresh are Carolyn Abrams, Karen Bognar-Khan, Marguerite Bride, Joan Burkhard, Kasha Cooper, Kit Curry, Margaret Dotchin, Patricia Frik, Adrian Holmes, Marion Grant, Sarah Horne, Karen Kane, Ronald Maitland, John Mancia, Mark Mellinger, Alan Papscun, Ivor Parry, Barbara Patton, Janet Pumphrey, Ilene Richards, William Riley, Stacey Silkey Schultze, Ilene Spiewak, Kyle Strack, Scott Taylor, Jay Tobin, Jesse Tobin McCauley, Diane Wespiser, and Terri Wise.

Artists from the greater Northeast region include Evelyn Addante, Carrie Crane, Lydia Kinney, Julie Eisen-Lester, Joan Lengel, Kristina McComb, Janell O’Rourke, and Meg Rogers Eldredge.

Hotel on North, 297 North Street, will feature Puzzle Pieces by J J Tobin through November 30. The show will be open for public viewing during the First Fridays Artswalk on November 4 from 5 to 8 pm, and can be viewed throughout November when the lobby of Hotel on North is open.

Tobin’s paintings have been influenced by Asian art, in particular calligraphy and folding screen painting. Puzzle pieces are used as an abstract design element or a kind of calligraphy. The work on display dates from 2018 to 2022, and features acrylic, collage, and polyurethane on canvas or wood.

Lee Bank, 75 North Street, will present paintings by Sally Tiska Rice for the month of November. This will be a window display on view throughout the month. Select paintings will also be on view inside the bank during normal bank hours.

Sally uses spontaneity to compose artwork. She focuses on blending and layering to achieve depth and dimension. She also experiments with light and color to create a piece that will be enjoyed. Sally employs many different techniques into her paintings, using acrylic, watercolor, pastels, and oils. She also creates many beautiful commission pieces for customers internationally.

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Pittsfield, 175 Wendell Avenue, will present PHOTOGRAPHIC VIEWS by W Katherine Hoak for the month of November. The show will be on view to the public on Friday, November 4, 5 to 8 pm, as part of First Fridays Artswalk.

“The photographs being presented in this show indicate what I have always been drawn to, a love of animals, wildlife, and the beauty of nature,” says Katherine. “My longing to see wild-life spurred my husband and I to go where we could see it. Wanting to hold on to those experiences led me to a deep involvement with photography.”

Other participating venues are Soma’s Aromas (81 East Street) and The Marketplace Cafe (53 North Street).

Event Highlights (South to North):

Unitarian Universalist Church of Pittsfield
175 Wendell Avenue
PHOTOGRAPHIC VIEWS by W Katherine Hoak
On View: November 4, 5 to 8 pm

Artists at the Clock Tower
75 South Church Street, Third Floor
Joan Palano Ciolfi, Marion Grant, Caroline Kelley, Bruce Laird, Mark Mellinger, Shany Porras, Ilene Richard and Sally Tiska Rice
Open Studios: November 4, 5 to 8 pm

Soma’s Aromas
81 East Street
Art and Photography
Store Hours: November 4, 12 to 8 pm

The Marketplace Cafe
53 North Street
Opening Reception: November 4, 5 to 7 pm

The Beacon Cinema
57 North Street
“The Instagram Image Out Of Context”
Curated by Richard Britell
On View: November 4, 5 to 8 pm

Lee Bank
75 North Street
Paintings by Sally Tiska Rice
Window Display

Lichtenstein Center for the Arts
28 Renne Avenue
RE*Fresh, a Juried Biennial Show presented by the Berkshire Art Association
On View: November 4, 5 to 8 pm

TKG Real Estate
137 North Street
Summer Turns to Fall
Emily Bunnell, Jon Caplan, Michele Caplan, Karen Carmean, Carol Daynard, Kinney Freylinghuysen, Joan Gluck, Bruce Kaminstein, Sally Lebwohl, Walt Pasko, Doane Perry, Sharon Stanfield and Joan Stark
Opening Reception: November 4, 5 to 8 pm

Berkshire Art Center/Brothership Building Window
141 North Street
Window Display
Free Family Art Making Drop-In: November 4, 5:30 to 7:30 pm
(see below for more info!)

Hotel on North
297 North Street
Puzzle Pieces by J J Tobin
On View: November 4, 5 to 8 pm

Thrive Diner
145 Wahconah Street
Mural “Thrive Blooms”
Diane Firtell