Sandisfield Arts Center

Poetry Opens the Doors: The Poetry of Spring
2016-04-30 04:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Join us for a poetry reading with music and a reception celebrating the opening of the Arts Center’s 2016 season and the beginning of spring. Poets: Hannah Fries, Zack Finch, Emily Pulfer-Terino, Hilde Weisert. Poets will read their own poems as well as classic poems of spring.
The afternoon includes two Sandisfield poets, Hannah Fries, author of the poetry collection Little Terrarium, upcoming from Hedgerow Books later this year, and Hilde Weisert, whose collection The Scheme of Things from David Robert Books was launched at an Arts Center reading in September 2015. Zach Finch is on the faculty of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. His poetry and critical essays have appeared widely. His 2013 chapbook collaboration with painter Enrico Riley, Chiasmus, was published by Fourth & Verse Press, and Ten Ounces, an artist’s book, was produced in collaboration with artist Melanie Mowinksi in 2015. Emily Pulfer-Terino’s work has appeared in Tupelo Quarterly, Hunger Mountain, The Southeast Review, Poetry Northwest, Stone Canoe, The Louisville Review, Juked, and other journals and anthologies. She is the author of the poetry chapbook Stays The Heart,from Finishing Line Press.

Tickets for events at the Sandisfield Arts Center are available online or may be purchased at the door on the night of the performance on a first come-first served basis. ONLINE TICKETS ARE RECOMMENDED TO INSURE A SEAT.
Children 12 and under are admitted FREE, unless otherwise noted, when space allows.

2016 Season Opening Celebration! FREE!
2016-04-30 04:00 - 13:00
Special guest Rep Smitty Pignatelli will be on hand to proclaim the opening of the Arts Center 2016 Season! Join us at 3:30 outside the Arts Center for refreshments, cookies, and balloons to celebrate the opening of our 21st season. Hear Rep Pignatelli read the official opening Proclamation and renowned bagpiper Nancy Tunnicliffe pipe us into Spring and into poetry. Then if you’re so inclined, stay for the 4:00 PM Poetry Opens the Doors: A Celebration of Spring event upstairs. See https://sandisfieldartscenter.org/box-office/poetry-opens-the-doors:–the-poetry-of-spring for details.

Nick Hawvermale Photos that bring the wild into a closer view
2016-04-30 04:00 - 13:00
Opening Reception : 30th Apr 2016 02:00 PM
Date of Show : 30th Apr 2016 – 30th Nov -0001
Artist Statement
Born and raised in rural Connecticut I was always out in the woods and in nature. I always appreciated the natural world, but never had a way to express my love for nature and the things we pass by on any given day until after graduating from college and getting my first camera. Once I had a camera I was able to capture the little things that most people don’t always see while walking down the street or walking through a garden. I began to find that the natural world I always appreciated had a lot more to offer than I had thought. The camera opened my eyes to more than I had seen before.
With my Nikon D7200 camera body and a variety of lenses including a Nikon 105mm f/2.8 for macro and a Sigma 50-500mm f/5-6.3 for birds I’ve become the hunter hunting for beautiful photos.

HANSEL & GRETEL by the Brothers Grimm
2015-12-12 03:00 - 12:00
To celebrate the holiday season the Sandisfield Players and children from Sandisfield and neighboring towns will bring you this beloved fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. The production is directed by Ben Luxon, and is staged with music, dance, and scenery. Young and old alike will be spellbound watching the performers bring this story to life.

Admission for children age 5 and under is free.

Join the cast after party for ginger cookies and cider.

Tickets for events at the Sandisfield Arts Center are available online or may be purchased at the door on the night of the performance on a first come-first served basis. ONLINE TICKETS ARE RECOMMENDED TO INSURE A SEAT.
Children 12 and under are admitted FREE, unless otherwise noted, when space allows.

Gallery of Artists Children's Art Show
2015-12-12 03:00 - 12:00
Opening Reception : 12th Dec 2015 02:00 PM
Date of Show : 12th Dec 2015 – 30th Nov -0001

In conjunction with this original theatrical production of Hansel and Gretel, students from the Farmington River School, under the guidance of Art Teacher Laura Catullo, will exhibit art work with the fairy tale as their inspiration. The collaboration of Farmington River School teachers Laura Catullo and Kim Chirichella make this exhibit possible.

Simon Winchester on his new book
2015-11-28 03:00 - 12:00
Simon will describe the writing of his new, celebrated book, Pacific.
“We live a very long way from the shores of the Pacific Ocean – a sea so immeasurably vast it could swallow all the continents and have room to spare. But our distance from it should not cloud our realization that this is the ocean around which all our futures will now play out – for it is where mankind’s relentless westward spread across the globe has come full circle, and that across the Date Line is where west and east finally, truly meet. The modern Pacific offers a tableau of awesome variety – atom bombs and coral reefs, surfboards and submarines, Apple and Sony, ukuleles and didgeridoos, North Korea and Chile, Polynesians and Ainu, icebergs and cyclones and blue-washed strands of limitless leaning palm trees. But its sheer beauty is deceiving. For this is also where the world’s two great superpowers will now face each other down, where America and China will test their mutual ambitions to lead tomorrow’s world into its Pacific future, a reality which will all of a sudden make this faraway ocean seem very near, a body of water with which all of us should become familiar and fully aware.”

Simon discusses the development of Pacific, his latest celebrated book
2015-11-28 03:00 - 12:00
“We live a very long way from the shores of the Pacific Ocean–a sea so immeasurably vast it could swallow all the continents and have room to spare. But our distance from it should not cloud our realization that this is the ocean around which all our futures will play out–for it is where mankind’s relentless westward spread across the globe has come full circle, and that across the Date Line is where west and east finally truly meet. The modern Pacific offers a tableau of awesome variety–atom bombs and coral reefs, surfboards and submarines, Apple and Sony, ukuleles and didgeridoos, North Korea and Chile, Polynesians and Ainu, icebergs and cyclones and blue-washed strands of limitless leaning palm trees. But its sheer beauty is deceiving. For this is also where the world’s two superpowers will now face each other down, where America and China will test their mutual ambitions to lead tomorrow’s world into its Pacific future, a reality which will all of a sudden make a faraway ocean seem very near, a body of water with which all of us should beome familiar and fully aware.”
A book signing will follow.

Tickets for events at the Sandisfield Arts Center are available online or may be purchased at the door on the night of the performance on a first come-first served basis. ONLINE TICKETS ARE RECOMMENDED TO INSURE A SEAT.
Children 12 and under are admitted FREE, unless otherwise noted, when space allows.

The Development of Jewish Art Music—Paul Green
2015-11-21 03:00 - 12:00
Classical, Jazz, and Klezmer clarinetist Paul Green will trace the development of Jewish Art Music from biblical times to the present day, and describe what makes music “Jewish.” Historical events, such as the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, will be discussed insofar as they have affected and influenced Jewish music. The lecture/performance will include examples of Jewish renaissance music, classical and romantic music, the Society for Jewish Folk Music in Russia in the early 20th century, and contemporary works. Live and recorded musical examples will be presented.
He is co-director of “A Summer Celebration of Jewish Music” featured throughout the Berkshires. He is a member of the faculties of the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, the Berkshire Music School in Pittsfield, and Winter Term studies at Williams College. He is a founding member of the NODUS Ensemble and of the Miami Jazz Coop.

The Development of Jewish Art Music—Paul Green
2015-11-21 03:00 - 12:00
Classical, Jazz, and Klezmer clarinetist Paul Green will trace the development of Jewish Art Music from biblical times to the present day, and describe what makes music “Jewish.” Historical events, such as the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, will be discussed insofar as they have affected and influenced Jewish music. The lecture/performance will include examples of Jewish renaissance music, classical and romantic music, the Society for Jewish Folk Music in Russia in the early 20th century, and contemporary works. Live and recorded musical examples will be presented.
He is co-director of “A Summer Celebration of Jewish Music” featured throughout the Berkshires. He is a member of the faculties of the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, the Berkshire Music School in Pittsfield, and Winter Term studies at Williams College. He is a founding member of the NODUS Ensemble and of the Miami Jazz Coop.
Tickets for events at the Sandisfield Arts Center are available online or may be purchased at the door on the night of the performance on a first come-first served basis. ONLINE TICKETS ARE RECOMMENDED TO INSURE A SEAT.
Children 12 and under are admitted FREE, unless otherwise noted, when space allows.

Forever Young - Cabaret with Linda Mironti
2015-11-14 03:00 - 12:00
In song and stories Linda Mironti explores the notion that age has nothing to do with staying young. . . or does it?
Come to hear her and see what you think! Linda’s first voice teacher was her Grandmother Angelina who taught her Italian folk songs while showing her how to make gnocchi and pasta. Ironically, for the 7 years she performed in Italy, she sang mostly jazz, rhythm and blues, and original pop material, as she wrote lyrics for herself and many other artists.
It wasn’t until her return to New York City in the mid-90s that she was able to include her favorite Italian songs in her performances. Linda has been organizing creative workshops in the arts in Italy for the past 20 years and singing anywhere she happens to be, including here in her new home in Sandisfield.
Reserve your seat now—-you’re not getting any younger!

Tickets for events at the Sandisfield Arts Center are available online or may be purchased at the door on the night of the performance on a first come-first served basis. ONLINE TICKETS ARE RECOMMENDED TO INSURE A SEAT.
Children 12 and under are admitted FREE, unless otherwise noted, when space allows.

Organics in the Landscape: Healthy plants = healthy people - with Rich Lassor and Michael Mugridge from Nature Works Land Care
2015-11-14 03:00 - 12:00
Lassor and Mugridge will introduce you to the natural systems at work in Nature. Learn how to work with these systems by using Organics to grow vibrantly healthy food and ornamentals in your landscape. A thriving natural Eco-system and abundant health are natural results. The talk will cover seeing your surroundings from an organic perspective and include planning for a practical application.
Lassor, owner of Nature Works Land Care, has been operating an all organic landscaping business in Southern Berkshire County for ten years. His focus is helping his clients gain greater health and enjoyment from their landscapes by focusing on working with Nature’s powerful systems.

TIN (the movie)
2015-11-07 03:00 - 12:00
West Cornwall, 1895. A once-glorious tin mine, on which the whole town has depended for generations, is on its last legs.
A weather-beaten opera company arrives to give a performance of Beethoven’s “Fidelio” in the town hall and finds itself tangled up in a scam to offload worthless shares in the mine.
When the mine unexpectedly yields up new treasures, melodrama starts to spill over into
everyday life, reputations crumble and any notion of fair play is abandoned.
The fate of the whole community rests on the courage of one feisty young maid.
Made in Cornwall and based on a true story, Miracle Theatre’s highly anticipated feature film stars Jenny Agutter, Dudley Sutton and Ben Luxon alongside Helen Bendell, Ben Dyson, Steve Jacobs, Dean Nolan, and Jason Squibb.

Tickets for events at the Sandisfield Arts Center are available online or may be purchased at the door on the night of the performance on a first come-first served basis. ONLINE TICKETS ARE RECOMMENDED TO INSURE A SEAT.
Children 12 and under are admitted FREE, unless otherwise noted, when space allows.

Swartz Family Art Show
2015-11-07 03:00 - 12:00
Opening Reception : 7th Nov 2015 02:00 PM
Date of Show : 7th Nov 2015 – 30th Nov -0001
Diane Barth, Frederick Swartz, and Samantha Swartz of Sandisfield work in a variety of mediums including oil, pastel, watercolor, sculpture, photography, digital, wood, glass, and leatherwork.
Diane Barth grew up in the Berkshires and attended the Academy of Art. Originally an illustrator and graphic designer in San Francisco, she then lived on Nantucket where she met her husband, Frederick Swartz. In 1998 they returned to the Berkshires with their children, Samantha and Collin.
Frederick Swartz attended the York (Pennsylvania) Academy of Arts. A graphic print and web designer, photographer, master serigrapher (screen printer), and cartographer, Fred combines these skills when designing functional items by exploring unusual materials and methods to present an object in a transformed state that will make us look again at the things around us.
Samantha Swartz is studying Robotics Engineering and Computer Science as a senior at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Her creative outlet is in designing and creating leather masks and sculptures made from vegetable-tanned tooling leather that is cut and sculpted into shape while wet and continually shaped while drying. Final pieces are often painted with acrylics and sealed with a waterproof coating. She is always exploring new methods and materials.

Finger Lakes Guitar Quartet
2015-10-24 04:00 - 13:00
The Finger Lakes Guitar Quartet is the union of four veteran guitar soloists and chamber musicians, Joel Brown, Sten Isachsen, Brett Grigsby and Paul Quigley. FLGQ performs a repertoire that spans several centuries and includes music written for and premiered by them. They have performed for the Cleveland Classical Guitar Society, Great Lakes Guitar Society, Hudson Valley Community College Guitar Festival, Upstate New York Classical Guitar Society, and in many other venues.
Joel Brown is a versatile guitarist whose performances include Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Guitar Foundation of America’s Convention in Miami, and the Monterey Jazz Festival. He is a Distinguished Artist in Residence at Skidmore College.
Sten Isachsen is a multi-instrumentalist who is equally at home in the bluegrass world as he is in the classical music world. He is a full time member of the music faculty at Schenectady County Community College.
Brett Grigsby has performed as both soloist and chamber musician at New York’s 92nd St Y, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, St. Paul’s Chapel, and in an all Bach program at the prestigious Steinway Hall. He is currently on the music faculty at Skidmore College.
Paul Quigley is an active soloist and chamber musician who has performed as a soloist with the Glens Falls Symphony, the College of Saint Rose Camerata and the SUNY Albany Orchestra. He is on the faculty of Schenectady County Community College, The College of Saint Rose and SUNY Adirondack.
Tickets for events at the Sandisfield Arts Center are available online or may be purchased at the door on the night of the performance on a first come-first served basis. ONLINE TICKETS ARE RECOMMENDED TO INSURE A SEAT.
Children 12 and under are admitted FREE, unless otherwise noted, when space allows.

Increased CO2 & Earth’s climate future: The rate of change is the key
2015-10-24 04:00 - 13:00
The third Saturday climate change lecture with Suzanne O’Connell
Never in Earth’s geologic history has atmospheric CO2 increased at today’s rate. Prior rapid increases in CO2 caused dramatic biological changes. This session will examine some of anticipated changes and their implications.
Suzanne O’Connell is a professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Wesleyan University and researches paleoclimate. She is the recipient of the Association for Women Geoscientists Outstanding Educator Award, and author/co-author of over 100 refereed science publications, primarily focused on paleoclimate research and gender equity.

Each presentation will build upon previous presentations, but should be understandable as a stand-alone session.

BOB & THE TREES
2015-10-23 04:00 - 13:00
Come see the film that won the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic AND won the hearts of Sundance Film Festival attendees!
Sandisfield filmmaker Diego Ongara’s award winning portrait of Bob Tarasuk and his life as a logger. Also starring Matt Gallagher and Polly MacIntyre.
$1 holds your ticket…donations will be accepted at the door.
RESERVE YOUR TICKET NOW!

Tickets for events at the Sandisfield Arts Center are available online or may be purchased at the door on the night of the performance on a first come-first served basis. ONLINE TICKETS ARE RECOMMENDED TO INSURE A SEAT.
Children 12 and under are admitted FREE, unless otherwise noted, when space allows.

Community Tag Sale to Benefit the Sandisfield Players
2015-10-11 04:00 - 13:00
A COMMUNITY TAG SALE TO BENEFIT THE SANDISFIELD PLAYERS’ PERFORMANCE IN ENGLAND IN 2016!
When: Sunday, October 11th, 9 AM to 5 PM
Where:The town green at the corner of 57 and New Hartford Rd
Mark your calendars, clean out the attic, the garage, and the shed and donate your stuff to support the Sandisfield Players for their trip to Cornwall to perform at the Minick Theatre.
There will be food and fun and lots of things to buy that you really need, and some you never knew you needed until you see it that very day! Tag sales never fail to surprise and amaze.

Gypsy Layne Cabaret & Company
2015-10-10 04:00 - 13:00
Gypsy Layne Cabaret & Company, hailed as “a sexy highpoint of classic burlesque entertainment in the Berkshires” by Berkshire magazine, has been wooing and wowing sold-out crowds since 2010. They’ve blazed a trail that has taken them to stages across New England and beyond, appearing in the Wanderlust Festival, the New York Boylesque and Burlesque Festival, and they’ve headlined three times at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, Massachusetts. This past January, they debuted at the renowned Infinity Music Hall & Bistro and appeared in the Vermont Burlesque Festival. Now they’re ready to leave their mark on the Sandisfield Arts Center in what promises to be their biggest show stopper yet! Let the Gypsies—a tantalizing crew of women and men—take you on a breathless journey filled with hot moves, hilarious hi-jinks, and sultry surprises.

Tickets for events at the Sandisfield Arts Center are available online or may be purchased at the door on the night of the performance on a first come-first served basis. ONLINE TICKETS ARE RECOMMENDED TO INSURE A SEAT.
Children 12 and under are admitted FREE, unless otherwise noted, when space allows.

Importance of understanding atmospheric CO2 and climate history
2015-10-10 04:00 - 13:00
This session will review climate and atmospheric CO2 changes over Earth’s past 500 million years, the tools we use to identify these changes and the implications of past changes for Earth’s future.
This is the second Saturday climate change lecture with Suzanne O’Connell Each presentation will build upon previous presentations, but should be understandable as a stand-alone session.
Suzanne O’Connell is a professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Wesleyan University and researches paleoclimate. She is the recipient of the Association for Women Geoscientists Outstanding Educator Award, and author/co-author of over 100 refereed science publications, primarily focused on paleoclimate research and gender equity.

Gallery of Artists Barbara Elton and Lucinda Shmulsky
2015-10-03 04:00 - 13:00
Opening Reception : 3rd Oct 2015 02:00 PM
Date of Show : 3rd Oct 2015 – 30th Nov -0001
Lucinda Shmulsky collects pieces of distressed wood, rusty tools, broken antiques and vintage silver and brass items and combines them in unique ways to preserve and extend their life in her collection of “Antiques & Assemblages.” Each assemblage has a focus or theme and parts are carefully selected to enhance that theme. Reflection and discernment guide this process, so others can discover the natural beauty and charm of our New England heritage as it emanates from these unique sculptures.
Lucinda resides in New Marlborough.
Artist Barbara Steen-Elton (MFA in Painting) divides her time between Sandisfield and Boston making quilts of all sizes. She uses men’s shirts to fabricate wall hangings by deconstructing the quilt. Her title, “Quilts Interrupted”, originates from a time when Barbara did paintings of shirts in dry pastel. Attracted to plaids and stripes and entranced with negative and positive space, Barbara made huge pastel drawings with lots of stripes and plaids. Years later, when confronted with carpal tunnel syndrome and unable to draw, she discovered a new medium: quilts.
After seven years of making bed size quilts and actually using them, Barbara senses more creative energy flowing from the parts of partially made quilts while being assembled on a wall. Energized by the space between the pieces of fabric, she works this new process by leaving spaces blank and seeing where that leads.
“I’m slightly appalled that I’m framing my art work again rather than making useful pieces, but that’s where the process has taken me.”

Sandisfield’s Woodlands A Talk with Forester Tom Ryan
2015-09-26 04:00 - 13:00
Meet state forester Tom Ryan and learn about the woodlands of Sandisfield and surrounding areas. Some of the topics covered will include land use history, current forestry programs, grant opportunities and related state laws and examples of forest management. Learn what you can do to be more proactive with your woodland. A Q&A will follow.
Tom Ryan has worked as a service forester with the Department of Conservation and Recreation for the past 10 years. A key part of this public service position is providing free guidance and technical assistance to forest landowners as they manage their woodlands. Born and raised in Berkshire County, Tom attended UMass Amherst and earned Bachelor of Science degrees in both Forestry and Environmental Science. Tom is a family man and the proud father of two girls. He is a volunteer fireman, first responder, an avid outdoorsman and aspiring farmer.
THIS WORKSHOP IS FREE…donations are always welcome.

Literary Launch featuring Antonia Lake and Hilde Weisert
2015-09-19 04:00 - 13:00
Join us for two literary launches—a new poetry book from Sandisfield poet Hilde Weisert and the new journal Stone Walls II, with arts, history and culture of the Hilltowns of Western Massachusetts, co-edited by Worthington’s poet Antonia Lake.
Weisert will read from her first poetry collection, The Scheme of Things. Lake and others will read prose and poetry selections from Stone Walls II, this first issue features an exclusive joint interview with Cummington’s two national Poets Laureate, William Jay Smith and Richard Wilbur, as they describe their experiences in these small towns of Western Massachusetts.
Weisert’s poems have appeared in the magazines Cincinnati Review, Cortland Review, Prairie Schooner, Southern Poetry Review, CALYX, and Ms. She hosted last year’s Sandisfield Arts Center “Celebrating Animals” poetry reading, and her poem “The Pity of It” won second prize in the Berkshire Festibal of Women Writers 2014 contest.
Here’s What People Are Saying:
“Hilde Weisert’s quiet, versatile poetic voice, fully at ease in narrative and lyric, is distinguished by vivid accuracy of thought and speech, modest but absolute courage in choice of subject, a dry, sweet humor, and a generosity of spirit that brings me back to her book again and again.”
– Ursula Le Guin
“Worldly, capacious, melancholy, as if old friends were on a walk together, Hilde Weisert’s poems recall and respond to events from Paris to Hungary to Brooklyn. A daughter greets a father in an airport; a woman watches an octopus open a jar; a pianist chooses to play Russian music in America’s cold-war McCarthy era. This poet’s intelligent, quizzical takes on human history (and folly) mix science with philosophy—and pulse to the beat of the American songbook, too. Don’t miss “The Editor,” a poem about writing itself, or “The Payment” with its intimate, yet angled view of daughters, or “Away,” where the poet lures her free-verse heart into a taut sonnet. Hilde Weisert’s sympathetic genius shines in The Scheme of Things.”
– Molly Peacock
“Hilde Weisert’s The Scheme of Things is a compelling and haunting book that explores the many layers of family, friendship, feminism, art ,and the impact of the past on the present. Weisert’s powerful voice is at times wise, wry, worldly, but always compassionate as she takes the reader on an odyssey that includes this country, Paris, and even Hungary, but also the past. Weisert is the consummate poet when it comes to language.I can’t think of another poet whose language is so exquisite, original ,and luminous.”
– Laura Boss

The Belle of Amherst performed by Mari Andrejco
2015-09-12 04:00 - 13:00
In The Belle of Amherst, we journey with Emily Dickinson through her life. We explore her typical 19th c. girlhood and increasingly reclusive adulthood where words became her life, and friends her “estate”. Through sharing letters, books and poems she explores her truths with nature, man and God.
Mari Andrejco is an actor, teaching artist, director and producer. She is a graduate of Temple University and The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater, and has appeared on Public Television as Queen Elizabeth I and Susan B. Anthony. She received acclaim for her portrayal of Emily Dickinson.
“I find ecstasy in living,” she assures us. And when she says her humble home is her paradise, we believe her. When she passes me on her way out of the theater, gently taking my hand, I am certain she is the poet herself. You can’t ask for more. – Tom Cohen (from: On the Town)
photo credit Edward Herbst
Tickets for events at the Sandisfield Arts Center are available online or may be purchased at the door on the night of the performance on a first come-first served basis. ONLINE TICKETS ARE RECOMMENDED TO INSURE A SEAT.
Children 12 and under are admitted FREE, unless otherwise noted, when space allows.

Gallery of Artists Vera Pavlisova
2015-09-05 04:00 - 13:00
Works by Vera Pavlisova The Mandala in Countless Forms
Opening Reception : 5th Sep 2015 02:00 PM
Date of Show : 5th Sep 2015 – 30th Nov -0001
Vera was born and grew up in Czechoslovakia. Her interest in visual art started at preschool. When she was working full time and taking care of her family and two children she promised herself that one day she would indulge in the joy of making art. Art has become an important part of her life. A palette of her artwork introduces three different techniques: photo montage, mixed media, and painting.
Vera resides in Great Barrington where she has volunteered, studied and worked with people with special needs.

Jo Garfield on the Roosevelts in Sandisfield
2015-08-29 04:00 - 13:00
The Roosevelt family has long fascinated Americans, but many people are unaware that one branch lived quietly in Sandisfield for many years. Now, author Jo (Johanna) Garfield, will read from her memoir about her former neighbors–Teddy’s grandson Willard, his wife Carol, their children, and the many other friends and relatives that comprised “the mysterious, ever-intriguing household down the road from us.” She also tells of her family’s long and intimate friendship with them and of the dynastic tragedies that brought it to a close over thirty years ago.
Jo is a Sandisfield and New York City writer who has written two books (The Life of a Real Girl and Cousins) and numerous published essays (The New York Times, The New York Observer, Readers’s Digest, Ms., The Sandisfield Times, and many others). Her parents bought the home on Fox Road that later abutted the Roosevelts.
Tickets by donations will be accepted at the door

Cathy Barrow on Preserving
2015-08-22 04:00 - 13:00
With pickling, canning, and other traditional techniques enjoying a surge of popularity, Barrow, a D.C.-based food writer who chronicles her kitchen adventures in a popular blog, offers a guide to all kinds of food preservation in her new book Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Practical Pantry (WW Norton & Company). Canning, smoking, brining, and curing are among the skills she covers, and Barrow shows that homemade cream cheese and Camembert are within the grasp of the weekday cook—and the same goes for smoked salmon, home-canned black beans, and preserved and cured duck confit.
Ms. Barrow, who also writes the Washington Post’s “DIY” column and the food blog Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Kitchen and has contributed to the New York Times, NPR, Garden & Gun, Southern Living, and Modern Farmer, among other publications. She will discuss the long tradition of preserving, how she connects with her community through preserving local food in season while enjoying the fruits of her labor all winter.
A book signing will follow.

Easy Ridin’ Papas
2015-08-08 04:00 - 13:00
The Easy Ridin’ Papas are a duo made up of Will Conklin on trumpet/cornet, vocals, and whistling, as well as a really loud kazoo, and Adam Brown on parlor, archtop, and resonator guitars and vocals. They play a mix of 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s country blues, jazz and country standards, western swing, southern gospel, and jugband, as well as a few originals in that same vein on vintage instruments. Will is a native son of the Berkshires, having grown up in Sheffield, while Adam is a transplant who hails from the east Texas town of Texarkana and now resides in Sandisfield.

Tickets for events at the Sandisfield Arts Center are available online or may be purchased at the door on the night of the performance on a first come-first served basis. ONLINE TICKETS ARE RECOMMENDED TO INSURE A SEAT.
Children 12 and under are admitted FREE, unless otherwise noted, when space allows.

A SANDISFIELD FORUM ON HISTORY AND AMERICAN CULTURE - AMERICAN CULTURE & WARTIME PROPOGANDA
2015-08-08 04:00 - 13:00
Bill Cohn, Trinity College Visiting Professor of History and American Studies, will mark the 100th anniversary of The Great War 1914-1918 (World War I) and the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II (1945) with a discussion of the propaganda techniques used in each war that regimented the public mind.
During World War I posters, magazines, government and private organizations played a significant role in mobilizing the nation to enlist in the war effort and to support President Wilson’s goal of making the world safe for democracy. “Americanization” in the face of “the enemy within” became a major rallying cry. Fear of so-called “hyphenated” Americans escalated even before the United States entered the war in 1917.
For Americans the fight against evil totalitarianism until unconditional surrender was the theme of World War II and the primary explanation of the war’s cause. Most Americans, at least for the duration, patriotically put aside their individual desires and pitched in for the common cause. The patriotism that united the nation during wartime continued to be a prominent cultural factor in the decades that followed because of the importance of patriotism’s link to the American Way of Life.

Gallery of Artists Robin Tost
2015-08-08 04:00 - 13:00
Robin Tost: “Not Your Grandmother’s Quilt—Fabrications in Metal”

Opening Reception : 8th Aug 2015 02:00 PM
Date of Show : 8th Aug 2015 – 30th Nov -0001

Using shapes of automotive scrap, advertising remnants and other junk metals, cut by hand and sewn with wire, Robin fabricates the waste materials of our fading New England industries into another example of Yankee expertise, the quilt.

Tom Christopher and Ruth Clausen on Native Perennials for the Berkshire garden
2015-08-01 04:00 - 13:00
Our Berkshire wildflowers are as beautiful around the home as in the woods and meadows and provide many benefits to pollinators and wildlife as well. Thomas Christopher and Ruth Clausen, co-authors of Essential Perennials, will introduce a selection of New England’s very best native perennials, along with all the information you will need to make them flourish. Give yourself a landscape that is durable, practical, attractive, and ecologically beneficial too.
Tom Christopher lives in Middletown and Sandisfield with his wife Suzanne O’Connell. His current projects include installing a solar-powered drip irrigation system in his garden.
A book signing will follow.
