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October 6 First Fridays Artswalk
October 6, 2023 @ 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
October 6 First Fridays Artswalk features Living in Recovery’s “PhotoVoice”, Katunemo: Art & Healing’s “The Journey III”, Live Music, Live Painting, Opening Receptions, and a Free Kids’ Paint & Sip!
The First Fridays Artswalk in downtown Pittsfield returns on Friday, October 6 from 5 to 8 pm. Enjoy an Art Market on Dunham Mall, live music in Persip Park with Fannie Pack, a live art demonstration with Nicole Herasme, opening receptions, open studios, and a Free Kids’ Paint & Sip.
Highlights include Living in Recovery’s “PhotoVoice” at Barrington Stage Company’s Wolfson Center and “The Journey III” an exhibition featuring the work of fifteen artists from different countries in Latin America and Europe, presented by Katunemo: Art & Healing at Downtown Pittsfield, Inc.
Other participating venues include Berkshire Art Center, Clock Tower Artists, Hotel on North, Krol Headquarters, Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, Marchetti Headquarters, Marketplace Cafe, Methuselah Bar and Lounge, NUarts gallery + studios, Soda Chef, the Unitarian Universalist Church, and Witch Slapped. Click here to view our digital guided tour of all events!
Link to digital tour for October: https://pocketsights.com/tours/tour/Pittsfield-October-6-First-Fridays-Artswalk-in-Pittsfield-MA-8787
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.
Living in Recovery will present “PhotoVoice” at Barrington Stage Company’s Wolfson Center, 122 North Street, on Friday, October 6, 5 to 8 pm.
Living in Recovery participants joined in a series of structured conversations about their own experience with addiction, the barriers they encounter, and their personal stories of recovery. These individuals took photos around the city of what recovery, addiction, and hope mean to them. The outcome of this work is impressive – over 40 images and quotes from individuals in our community, expressing themselves in a way not often heard or seen.
The reception with the artists on October 6th is part of Living in Recovery’s continued celebration of National Recovery Month.
Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. has partnered with Katunemo: Art & Healing to bring “The Journey III”, an exhibition featuring the work of fifteen artists from different countries in Latin America and Europe, to their conference room at 33 Dunham Mall for one-night only, Friday, October 6, from 5 to 8 pm.
The featured artists are Sheila Franco, David Melchor, Derly Toloza, Diana Rodriguez, Juanita Latorre Silva, Nicole Herasme, Shelsy Rodriguez, Thayna Dias, Estiven Sosa, Micaela Soasti, Valentina Morales, Marina Dominguez, Angie Soasti, Clara Guatta, and Claire Saussol.
The artists will share about their culture, language, traditions, roots and different perspectives about life. These artists wish to honor their heritage, where they come from, and what they offer to the Berkshire community.
Katunemo: Art & Healing is a space where artists empower and support one another to take their art to the next level. They also seek to transmute energy to encourage and motivate healing through different artistic tools, not only for the artist but also for the rest of the community.
“The Journey III” is brought to you in celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month.
Also in celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, 23 year-old artist Nicole Herasme will demonstrate her painting process inside Crawford Square at 137 North Street. This free live painting demonstration will be from 5 to 7 pm during the October 6 First Fridays Artswalk.
Nicole Herasme was born in a small town in Santiago de los caballeros Dominican Republic, and moved to the United States when she was 19 looking for better opportunities. She has recently found a great passion for photography and modeling, dedicated to learning and improving in these branches. She enjoys expressing her emotions through art such as painting, singing, dancing and poetry. Since she was little, she has felt called to help the people around her, that is why one of her goals is to help spread freedom of expression through art and healing in the Berkshires.
Fannie Pack will take the stage at Persip Park, 175 North Street, on Friday, October 6, from 5 to 8 pm, as part of the First Fridays Artswalk.
Fannie Pack is a band that will make you smile and compel you to dance. Melissa Brinton sings lead and plays guitar, Elaine Morel holds the foundation on bass and sings backup, Eileen Markland adds a touch of class with her blue violin and penny whistle, and Paul Armstrong keeps the rhythm going on the drums.
Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church will host a Free Kids’ Paint & Sip on Friday, October 6, 5 to 7 pm, in the auditorium at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 67 East Street, as part of the First Fridays Artswalk. There will be a bonus painting craft on wooden pumpkin ornaments sponsored by St. Stephen’s!
This free Halloween-themed Paint & Sip is best suited for ages 5 to 12, although younger and older children are welcome. All materials, instruction, snacks, 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. The auditorium is on the second floor of the parish house, and the entrance is on Allen Street.
Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., in partnership with CozQuest Creative, will be curating an Art Market on Dunham Mall (100 North Street) on Friday, October 6 from 5 to 8 pm. The October 6th Art Market will feature local artists, artisans, makers, and Lucia’s Latin Kitchen.
Star nii, a professional percussionist and composer from Accra, Ghanna, will play live at Hot Plate Brewing, Co. on Friday, October 6 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.
Victor Nii Amoo, known as Star nii, is a multi-instrumentalist who was drawn to the alluring power of sound and rhythm at the age of 9. Star nii has a great vocabulary of rhythms and performs and hosts workshops locally and internationally.
The Let It Shine! Public Art Partnership is thrilled to unveil an original mural on the back of 26 Dunham Mall by Argentine/American artist Ramiro Davaro-Comas during the October 6 Artswalk. The mural is funded by a MassDevelopment Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) Creative Catalyst Grant.
The Clock Tower Artists at 75 South Church Street will host an open studios event in their beautiful and ever-expanding space on Friday, October 6, and every First Friday of the month through December, from 5 to 8 pm, and on Saturday, October 7, and every first Saturday of the month through December, from 11 am to 4 pm. Witness the artists’ artistic processes firsthand and be captivated by an eclectic blend of masterpieces that will enchant and inspire you.
Artists with Open Studios in September include: Deborah H. Carter, Joan Palano Ciolfi, Marion H. Grant, Stacey Healy, Caroline Kelley, Bruce Laird, Mark Mellinger, Linda Petrocine, Shany Porras, Sally Tiska Rice, Ilene Richard, Audrey Shachnow, and Stefanie Weber.
The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renee Avenue, will feature “CHAOS: Paintings and Drawings by Julio Granda”, on view October 6 through November 17. The show will be on view during the First Fridays Artswalk on Friday, October 6, 5 to 8 pm.
“Always the explorer, Julio Granda has once again set his impassioned sights on new territory,” says Barry Sternlieb. “Coming to grips with a profound life-altering loss at 88, he digs into the sudden new reality with a vengeance, making each of these 54 paintings a defiantly unique symbiotic union of language and image, a single furious word empowered by abstraction to grasp the matter of meaning so deeply rooted in his own personal chaos it moves us beyond ourselves with a universal touch that eternal loss alone embodies.”
Hotel on North, 297 North Street, will feature Soil Paintings by Sarah Horne, October 3 through November 29. There will be an opening reception with the artist on Friday, October 6, from 5 to 8 pm.
“This exhibit is about the mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, and liquids—the alchemy that makes soil,” says Sarah. “Soil is elemental to the environment that keeps me alive: soil and its nutrients are fundamental to growing and literally the earth beneath my feet. I feel that our souls, our beginnings and our endings, lie low in our bodies as the soil that helps sustain us lies low on the earth.
These paintings are a representation of what I see when I look directly down at soil. The paintings are multi-layered, complex and earthy in tones. I want to capture the movement, depth and complexity of soil in these paintings. I am lucky enough to know two extraordinarily beautiful farms that serve as the inspiration for these Soil Paintings: Spring Hills Farm in Dalton, PA and Woven Roots Farm in Tyringham, MA. Both are working organic farms that place high importance on the health and beauty of soil. “
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 October, The Berkshire Art Center will also feature two window displays: Feathered Friends by Paula Churt (north window) and Turn the Tables by Deborah Carter (south window).
The exhibit in the north window, “Feathered Friends”, represents a collective array of paper owls and backyard birds familiar to the Berkshires. Paula’s creative vision is inspired by nature and natural found objects. Each bird is uniquely designed and precisely cut using scissors and an exacto knife. “Feathered Friends” will be on view October 6 through October 31.
Deborah Carter is back in the south window of Berkshire Art Center with an installation created with upcycled vintage napkins and tablecloths. “Turn the Tables” by Deborah Carter will be on view October 6 through November 26.
On Friday, October 6, 5 to 8 pm, NUarts gallery + studios, 311 North Street, will open their Hall Gallery featuring the works of resident artists including Richard Britell, Kathy Gideon, Brent Ridge, Joan Rooks, Marney Schorr, and Laura Thompson.
Sally Tiska Rice will present “Autumn Reverie” at Krol Headquarters, 139 North Street, on October 6. Sally invites you to indulge your senses in the vibrant colors and intricate brushstrokes of abstract canvases and framed translucent watercolor works. There will be a reception with the artist on Friday, October 6, 5 to 8 pm, during the First Fridays Artswalk.
As a versatile multi-media artist, Sally Tiska Rice seamlessly employs a tapestry of techniques, working in acrylic, watercolors, oil paints, pastels, and collages containing botanicals and mixed media elements. Her creative spirit draws inspiration from the idyllic surroundings of her rural hometown, where she resides with her husband Mark and cherished pets.
The Marketplace Cafe, 53 North Street, will host watercolor paintings by Jill Gustavis for the month of October. There will be a reception with the artist during the October 6th First Fridays Artswalk from 5 to 7 pm.
Jill Gustavis is a painter living in Hancock, MA. 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.
Marchetti Headquarters, at 314 North Street, will feature Mollie Kellogg’s Incognito Witches for the month of October. “Tis the season for witches!” Experience hidden magick revealed in Mollie Kellogg’s Incognito Witch paintings and drawings during the First Fridays Artswalk and all month long. Visitors can meet Mollie at a reception on Friday, October 6 from 5 to 7 pm at Marchetti Headquarters.
Aerofauna Studio presents The P.E.B.E. Project with the artistic stylings of Natalie Zoe White at The Unitarian Universalist Church of Pittsfield, 175 Wendell Avenue, through October 23. There will be a reception with the artists on Friday, October 6, 5 to 7 pm, as part of First Fridays Artswalk.
The P.E.B.E. Project is a Biodata sonification demonstration. Exhibits are plants connected to instrumentation that registers stomatal conductance and translates the signal into sound. The Project is presented by Linda Merry who has a Master of Arts in Biology from Miami University and who currently works at Berkshire Community College in the Life Sciences. Pencil illustrations by artist Natalie Zoe White will also be part of this exhibit.
For the month of October, Berkshire Medical Center (BMC), 725 North Street, will feature Tiffany Delmolino, a local artist from Cheshire, MA, in their Main Lobby. Tiffany utilizes abstract pieces with bright colors. She is a lover of all things nature and is captivated by the sky and sunsets. She uses acrylic on canvas to make her art.
BMC will host a reception with the artist on Friday, October 6 from 3 to 5 pm with snacks and soft drinks.
Witch Slapped, 78 North Street, will feature The Fantastical Artwork of Kit Curry on Friday, October 6, 5 to 8 pm.
Kit Curry’s serenely apocalyptic artwork draws upon those primordial beliefs — animism, witchcraft, the occult —that modernity and so-called enlightenment have failed to entirely exorcise. Combining graphite, charcoal, and pastel for a wide tonal range, Kit creates figurative and illustrative black and white chiaroscuro drawings in which witches and goblins dance amidst a crumbling world. Kit Curry’s artwork serves as a reminder of the mystery, terror, and delight of the strange world we inhabit.
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 as well as a grant awarded by Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s Arts Build Community initiative with funding from the Barr Foundation.
Featured images in header: (Left to right) Jill Gustavis and Marina Dominguez
Event Highlights (South to North):
Unitarian Universalist Church of Pittsfield, 175 Wendell Avenue
Aerofauna Studio presents The P.E.B.E. Project with the artistic stylings of Natalie Zoe White
Reception: Friday, October 6, 5 to 7 pm
Artists at the Clock Tower, 75 South Church Street, Third Floor
Deborah H. Carter, Joan Palano Ciolfi, Marion H. Grant, Stacey Healy, Caroline Kelley, Bruce Laird, Mark Mellinger, Linda Petrocine, Shany Porras, Sally Tiska Rice, Ilene Richard, Audrey Shachnow, and Stefanie Weber
Open Studios: Friday, October 6, 5 to 8 pm; Saturday, October 7, 11 am to 4 pm
Soma’s Aromas, 81 East Street
Reception with in-house artist
Friday, October 6, 5 to 8 pm
Free Drop-in Kids’ Paint & Sip
Auditorium at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 67 East Street, enter on Allen Street
Bonus painting craft on wooden pumpkin ornaments sponsored by St. Stephen’s!
Friday, October 6, 5 to 7 pm
Hot Plate Brewing, Co., 1 School Street
Star nii, professional percussionist and composer
Friday, October 6, 5:30 to 7:30 pm
Marketplace Cafe, 53 North Street
Watercolor paintings by Jill Gustavis
Opening Reception: Friday, October 6, 5 to 7 pm
Beacon Cinema Lobby, 57 North Street
TBD
Witch Slapped, 78 North Street
The Fantastical Artwork of Kit Curry
On View: Friday, October 6, 5 to 8 pm
Let It Shine! Mural
By Ramiro Davaro-Comas
Back of 26 Dunham Mall, facing City Hall
Art Market on Dunham Mall with Lucia’s Latin Kitchen
100 North Street
Friday, October 6, 5 to 8 pm
Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. and Katunemo: Art & Healing present “The Journey III”
Conference room at 33 Dunham Mall
Featuring the work of fifteen artists from different countries in Latin America and Europe
One-night only, Friday, October 6, 5 to 8 pm
Living in Recovery presents “PhotoVoice”
Barrington Stage Company’s Wolfson Center, 122 North Street
Reception: Friday, October 6, 5 to 8 pm
Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue
CHAOS: Paintings and Drawings by Julio Granda
On View: Friday, October 6, 5 to 8 pm
Krol Headquarters, 139 North Street
Autumn Reverie
Sally Tiska Rice
Reception: Friday, October 6, 5 to 8 pm
Live Painting Demo at Crawford Square, 137 North Street
Free Live Painting Demo with Nicole Herasme
Friday, October 6, 5 to 7 pm
Berkshire Art Center/Brothership Building, 141 North Street
“Feathered Friends” by Paula Churt (north window)
“Turn the Tables” by Deborah Carter (south window)
Free All Ages Art Making Drop-In: Friday, October 6, 5:30 to 7:30 pm
Soda Chef, 161 North Street
Nicole March Art – Window Display
LIVE MUSIC with Fannie Pack at Persip Park, 175 North Street
Friday, October 6, 5 to 8 pm
Hotel on North, 297 North Street
Soil Paintings by Sarah Horne
Opening Reception: Friday, October 6, 5 to 8 pm
NUarts gallery + studios, 311 North Street
Tour NUarts’ Hall Gallery featuring the works of resident artists
Friday, October 6, 5 to 8 pm
Marchetti Headquarters, 314 North Street
Mollie Kellogg’s Incognito Witches
Opening Reception: Friday, October 6, 5 to 7 pm
Methuselah Bar and Lounge, 391 North Street
Boss Themes/ Alien Communication by Edward Pelkey
On View: Friday, October 6, 5 to 8 pm
Berkshire Medical Center (BMC), 725 North Street
Tiffany Delmolino
Opening Reception: Friday, October 6, 3 to 5 pm