The October 5th First Fridays Artswalk will encompass over a dozen art shows featuring over fifty accomplished regional and student artists in Pittsfield’s bustling Upstreet Cultural District. Venues will reach as far south as the Whitney Center for the Arts and as far North as Berkshire Medical Center. The October First Fridays Artswalk will kick –off with opening receptions and artists present throughout the “walk” from 5 to 8 pm on Friday, October 5th. There will be a free guided walking tour beginning at 5 pm on October 5th at the Intermodal Center at BRTA, 1 Columbus Ave.
The Berkshire Alzheimer’s Partnership will present “Memories in the Making”, a program of the Alzheimer’s Association, which arms memory-impaired individuals with new tools for expression when words fail. View 40 to 50 watercolors created over the course of the program for one night only, October 5th during First Fridays Artswalk, from 5 to 8 pm. The Ralph Froio Senior Center, 330 North Street, will host a reception with wine, soft drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and live music.
The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue, will host “Showing Up”: a juried art show organized by the Berkshire Art Association which addresses civic engagement and community. “Showing Up: for Our Communities, Our Neighborhoods and Our Selves” is expressed and explored by 32 artists from the Northeast. Painting, drawing, sculpture, and photography are represented, offering wide ranging interpretations of the theme. “Showing Up” opens Friday, October 5th with a reception from 5 to 8 pm and will be on view through November 16th.
Nicholas DeCandia, Eugene and Charlie
Marguerite Bride will be showing a collection of house portraits entitled “Your Castle in Watercolor” at Steven Valenti’s Clothing, 157 North Street, from October 3rd to October 27th; and Mike Carty, Scott Taylor, and Terry Wise will exhibit in “Red Orange Yellow, Green Blue Violet” at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge, 444 North Street, from October 5th through December 31st. Both shows will have receptions during First Fridays Artswalk.
Marguerite Bride, Autumn Cape home
NUarts Gallery & Studios, 311 North Street, will host its last Open Studios of the season on October 5th, 5 to 8 pm, with a behind the scenes look into the working lives of 20 plus artists and an invitation to make art with the artists in their studios.
New shows from local artists will also be displayed at the following locations as part of First Fridays Artswalk: The Marketplace Café, The Funky Phoenix, Berkshire Paint and Sip, Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., the Kinderhook Group Real Estate, the Brothership Building, and Berkshire Medical Center.
First Fridays Artswalk is presented by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. Most art exhibits are on display in participating venues throughout the month. Please check with venues for hours of operation. For more information on First Fridays Artswalk and to view a listing and map of all participating artists and locations, visit www.FirstFridaysArtswalk.com.
Header images (left to right): Photograph by Harriet Wetstone at The Kinderhook Group; Melanie Mowinski, The 50Card Project, at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts; Jill (McLean) Gustavis at Downtown Pittsfield, Inc.