Awards Presentation, Gallery Opening and Reception: Winners of the Daniel Manacher Young Artists Prize
2022-08-13 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
We are proud to announce the talented winners of the 2022 Daniel Manacher Young Artists Award, an award in honor of the late Daniel Manacher and funded through generous donations in his name. Join us for the opening reeption and awards presentation Saturday August 13 2 -4 PM. The show runs through September 7 by appointment (gallery@sandisfieldartscenter.org) or when the Arts Center is open for an event. This is the first year of the award competition.
Featured image is Daniel Manacher, Shwoopy Loops, 2013, and Daniel’s Camaro in the Petersen Automative Museum in Los Angeles.
Daniel Manacher’s parents, Carol Birnbaum and Adam Manacher, have described the intent of the prize:
“With this prize, we hope to carry forward values that were important to Daniel. We are happy that the judges have found young artists who tenaciously pursue their vision, seek to make ordinary objects extraordinary, and bring community into conversation.”
Judges this year were Jess Cofrin, artist and Gallery chair at the Sandisfield Arts Center, Susie Crofut, artist, and Arts Center Board member, and Jessie Young, a teacher of Daniel’s who has a specialty in digital art and works a lot with young artists.
From the judges: “The selection committee was very pleased with the caliber of artists who applied for the prize. The three winners were chosen because they all have a clear artistic voice that comes through their chosen media. The work they applied with was consistent, cohesive, and showed a deep understanding of the materials.”
About the prize
Winners:
Julia Rose Miner:

Formed A New
2020
Acrylic Paint, Faux Fur, and Joint Compound on Board
36”x24”

Statement:
Hi, my name is Julia Rose Miner. I am a painter who lives and works in the small, artistic town of Stockbridge, MA. In my most recent collection, my textural paintings of abstracted landscapes explore the ideas of innocence and decay. I use a pallet that consists of candy, stuffed animal materials, and vibrant pastel colors. These works play with the corrosion of nostalgia while holding onto a childlike optimism. At the age of seven I was diagnosed with a visual impairment, called Stargardt Disease, leaving my world altered with a constant vibrating visual texture. I use the sense of touch as a source of sight to navigate through life and art. This is how I experience the world and I feel compelled to use these tools when making my work. In my practice I translate bits and pieces of visual information to fabricate a new reality that lies in the comfort of unease. I welcome and encourage both delight and putrefaction to coexist. Building layers I construct and paint distorted and discolored imagery inspired by my everyday surroundings. My work embraces the ideas of joy and deterioration while abstracting the world.

Natasha Wein:

Spaces: Suburbs
2022
Acrylic paint, gouache, and water-soluble ink pencils on paper
24×18 inches

Statement:
“Spaces” explores the interface between external and internal experience, specifically how we hold the spaces and relationships we inhabit in our minds as memory. The mental landscapes we foster and the narratives we tell ourselves about those landscapes inform our sense of belonging and resilience. In this series, I used my longing for contentment amidst a particularly distressing and uprooted period in my life to influence my use of color and shape; by painting with intention, I created an external space with movement and possibility from where I could work with my internal distress and, in turn, repaint my psychic wallpaper. When we strip back the cognitive clutter, a more honest rendering of our experiences and desires can be exposed, and one that is often more sincere and playful. This way of working can decongest complicated and backlogged feelings so they can be integrated into our present experience. I used tape as a tool to create territories of paint and water-soluble ink pencils to make lines connecting territories of color. We often think of boundaries as points of separation, but they are more meeting points that allow for a relationship to occur. This was a process of experiential learning through process—a practice in clearing spaces and rendering passages to navigate memories, circumstance, and dreams.

Alorah Welti:

Eve Adam Lilith (Red White Blue)
2022
Paint and decoupage on plastic skeletons
approximately 20×20 inches

Statement:
My work, primarily in mixed media, paper, and fiber, asks and seeks to answer the question of what is sacred. As someone with synesthesia, a sensory neurodivergence that connects senses like sound and color, I am eternally searching for the visceral and dreamlike. Texture, saturation, and reclamation are fundamental to my practice, as are myth and feminist spirituality. I am endlessly inspired by fertility, ancestry, and the constant presence of history in all things.

Enoch Arden: Epic Poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson, Set to Music by Richard Strauss
2022-07-31 16:00 - 18:00
Enoch Arden is an epic poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson set to music for piano and speaker by the great late Romantic German composer Rickard Strauss.
Performed by Ben Luxon and at the piano, Josh Luxon.
This is a rare opportunity to see and hear this moving and unique work combining poetry and music performed by the world-renowned Ben Luxon and his grandson, Josh Luxon.
From Wikipedia:
Richard Strauss wrote Enoch Arden for the actor Ernst von Possart, who in 1896 had assisted him in obtaining the post of Chief Conductor at the Bavarian State Opera. He wrote it while engaged in composing Don Quixote and finished it in February 1897. Strauss and Possart toured together widely with the melodrama, in a German translation by Adolf Strodtmann.
The painting above is by George Goodwin Kilburne and is in the public domain.

Mushroom Foraging: Workshop and Walk with Matt Glushien
2022-07-30 10:00 - 13:00
Meet at the Arts Center and learn mushroom identification essentials from expert Matt Glushien.
Please bring knives for cutting mushrooms, and baskets to put the mushrooms in.
Then off to the foraging site which Matt has picked out especially for its fungi possibilities!

Canceled! Free: Family Film Night Double Feature with Bogart and Riley Muller
2022-07-22 19:00 - 21:00
Sorry, at this time we’re not able to present this family film event.

Update! Poetry and Music with Molly Peacock, Doug Anderson presented with Voices of Poetry
2022-07-17 14:00 - 16:30
July 15 update: Cornelius Eady and his trio won’t be able to present due to a serious family emergency in Cornelius’ family. We send our love to Cornelius and hope to have him and his trio, Lisa Liu and Charlie Rauh, present in the future.
Happily, poet and Cave Canem Fellow Kate Rushin will read a few of Cornelius’s poems as well as her own, and talk a bit about Cornelius and Cave Canem, the press he and Toi Derricotte founded.
MASKS REQUIRED.
On Sunday, July 17 at 2 PM, we join with Voices of Poetry for an extraordinary afternoon of poetry and conversation. To bring in the widest possible audience, from high school student writers to senior citizens, we’re pleased to present this event free (donations welcome).
Benjamin Luxon will set the stage with a few words about the long tradition of poetry, and poetry and music, at the Sandisfield Arts Center.
The afternoon features award winning poets Doug Anderson and Molly Peacock.
Molly Peacock
Molly Peacock is an acclaimed poet, biographer, essayist, and writer of tales whose multi-genre literary life has taken her from New York City to Toronto, from poetry to prose, from words to words-and-pictures, and from lyric self-examination to curiosity about the lives of others. “Peacock has many talents, not the least of which is her voice, characterized by engaging honesty and self-deprecating humor. She comes across as that fellow passenger on an airplane to whom you have suddenly and quite naturally confessed your story (and learned hers)” (Lorna Blake in The Hudson Review). Molly’s biography of painter Mary Hiester Reid, Flower Diary, was a Quill and Quire Best Book of 2021. More about Molly.

Doug Anderson has taught at various colleges and universities, and two MFA programs. He has published several books – of poetry & memoir – including The Moon Reflected Fire (Alice James Books, 1994), which won the Kate Tufts Discovery Award; Blues for Unemployed Secret Police (Curbstone Books, 2000), which received a grant from the Eric Mathieu King Fund of the Academy of American Poets; Keep Your Head Down: Vietnam, the Sixties, and a Journey of Self-
Discovery (W. W. Norton & Co., 2009); and Horse Medicine (Barrow Street Press, 2015). His most recent poetry collection – Undress, She Said – is forthcoming from Four Way Books in September 2022. His work has appeared in many literary journals, including Asheville Poetry Review, Field, Nine Mile, Ploughshares, Poetry, Southern Review, Massachusetts Review, and Virginia Quarterly Review.
The first half of the program will include poets Hilde Weisert, Neil Silberblatt, and Kate Rushin.

Hilde WeisertAward-winning poets Hilde Weisert, president of the Sandisfield Arts Center, and Neil Silberblatt, founder of Voices of Poetry, will introduce the afternoon with short readings from their own work.
Of Weisert’s 2015 collection The Scheme of Things, Ursula Le Guin wrote “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.”
Neil Silberblatt
Neil Silberblatt has published two poetry collections: So Far, So Good (2012), and Present Tense (2013), and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. His most recent poetry book, Past Imperfect (Nixes Mate Books, 2018), was nominated for the Mass. Book Award in Poetry. Neil is the founding director of Voices of Poetry which has organized and presented a series of (more than 400) poetry events, featuring acclaimed poets at various venues in NY, NJ, CT and MA, including The Mount / Edith Wharton’s home in Lenox, MA, and The Rubin Museum of Art in NYC. We’re delighted to have him add the Sandisfield Arts Center to that list.
Kate Rushin is the author of The Black Back-Ups and “The Bridge Poem.” Her work is widely anthologized and is included in Poetry Magazine with the Witness Stones Old Lyme poetry project and in the anthology, African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle and Song, edited by Kevin Young. She has received fellowships from The Massachusetts Artists Foundation, The Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown and the Cave Canem Foundation. Kate is currently Professor of English and Poet in Residence at Connecticut College in New London, CT.
The afternoon will be capped off with conversation with the poets about poetry and the writing life and a book signing reception.
The event is free, but space will be limited. If you’re sure you plan to attend, reserve a ticket below. (It nay look like you are “buying” but the price is $0 – free.)
Donations gratefully accepted at the event or at our Donate page.
At this time given current Covid-19 uptick we anticipate asking attendees for proof of vaccination and to wear a mask.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Sandisfield Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

To reserve tickets, click the + sign for the number you want, then click the Get Tickets button.

Gallery Show: Stacey Silkey
2022-07-10 14:00 - 2022-08-03 16:00
Opening reception 4 – 6 PM July 10. The show continues to August 3 and is on view before performances and other events, or by appointment. Contact gallery@sandisfieldartscenter.org if you’d like to arrange a visit.
Stacey Silkey is an artist who lives in Otis. She received her MFA from Lesley University and was the 2016 winner of the Berkshire Art Association Fellowship Award. Her work can be viewed here

Mini-Ukulele Festival! Workshop and Performance
2022-07-09 14:00 - 18:00
Mini-Ukulele Festival at the Sandisfield Arts Center!
Come and experience the 1st annual Mini-Ukulele Festival at SArC. Join renowned singer-songwriter Bernice Lewis for an informative workshop at 2 pm and stay for an uplifting and inspiring concert at 4. (Snack break in between)
2:00 pm Workshop with Bernice Lewis (Purchase a ticket below to reserve your space. You’ll be automatically registered for the performance) Bernice has been a featured performer on NPR’s Mountain Stage program and the Kennedy Center. She is an educator and singer-songwriter extraordinaire with a national fan base who has studied vocal improvisation with Bobby McFerrin, guitar technique with Alex DeGrassi and Guy van Duser, and songwriting with Rosanne Cash and Cris Williamson.
4:00 pm Performance featuring Bernice Lewis and the “Berkshire Ukulele Band” (BUB) directed by Jeffrey Howard – If you’re just coming for the performance, you can reserve a free ticket below.
An afternoon you won’t want to miss!

The Green Box – Book and Film Preview with Jim Kurtz
2022-06-25 20:00 - 22:00
Jim Kurtz will read from his book The Green Box, with an accompanying slide show. The Green Box is the gripping story of an ordinary man called to war — a story rediscovered by a son through a handful of telegrams, letters, and other clues. Jim Kurtz’s persistent efforts to search the archives, the memories of other airmen in WWII, and the European sites where his father fought and was imprisoned are captivating. He shows us how his father answered the call to duty, carried out bombing missions in service to his country, and suffered the inhumane conditions of a German POW camp and the lasting effects we today call PTSD.
Audience members will also get a preview of the documentary film in development and a talk and Q&A with the producer. There will be a book signing afterward.

Postponed to July 22– Family Film Night - The Original Star Wars!
2022-06-17 19:00 - 21:00
Postponed to next month, double feature
It’s Friday night at the movies at the Arts Center. Riley and Bogart Muller are showing the original Star Wars, and providing juice boxes and popcorn for family fun!
First entry Lucas’s Star Wars trilogy proved to be one of the biggest box-office hits of all time. A young hero, a captured princess, a hot-shot pilot, cute robots, a vile villain, and a heroic and mysterious Jedi knight blend together with marvelous special effects in a fantasy tale about rebel forces engaged in a life or death struggle with the tyrant leaders of the Galactic Empire. Set a new cinematic standard for realistic special effects, making many pre-Star Wars effects seem almost laughable in retrospect. Followed by The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983).

Roger Street Friedman Concert, Folk Duo Ari and Mia Opening
2022-06-11 19:30 - 21:30
Please note: Masks required!
Roger Street Friedman is an award-winning singer-songwriter based in Sea Cliff, NY. His critically acclaimed 2017 album Shoot The Moon reached #2 on the Roots Music Report Americana Country Album Chart.
Recalling the pop-rock singer-songwriter tradition of Jackson Browne, Marc Cohn, Randy Newman, Colin Hay, Bruce Hornsby, and Mark Knopfler, Friedman released “Sun Never Sets” in 2019 – a song and video dedicated to immigrants and immigration reform. Collaborating on the project were Peter Yarrow, Tom Chapin, Joel Rafael and Guy Davis. His third-full length album, RISE, produced by Larry Campbell was released in 2020 followed by his most recent EP, COME WHAT MAY in July 2021.
Roger performed for us last year at a great outdoor community event and we’re thrilled to bring him back, along with the chamber-folk duo of Ari and Mia opening, for a concert at the Arts Center.
More about Roger:
Roger Street Friedman was bitten by the music bug early, learning to write songs(at the age of 12) and developing his studio engineering skills. His life took a left turn in his early 20’s and he left music for a career in his family’s retail display business for about 25 years. But a combination of events during the mid-’00s — the passing of his father and mother, marriage and, later, the births of his two children — steered Friedman back to music, leading to the acclaimed 2014 debut THE WAITING SKY and 2017’s SHOOT THE MOON. “Those life events really kind of opened the floodgates for me to start writing again,” he notes.
Roger has performed at the Clearwater Folk Festival, Huntington Folk Festival and The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (Grassy Hill Emerging Artist) as well as touring up and down the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and South. Friedman performed at the 2019 NERFA conference in a coveted “formal” showcase.

Gallery Show: "Two Candles" Paintings by Jacob Fossum
2022-06-04 16:00 - 2022-07-03 18:00
Opening reception 4 – 6 PM June 4. The show continues to July 3 and is on view before performances and other events, or by appointment. Contact gallery@sandisfieldartscenter.org if you’d like to arrange a visit
Jacob Fossum lives in Mill River and is on the faculty at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington. He holds an MFA from Maryland Institute College of Art and is one of the founding members of the Railroad Street Collective which has a store in Great Barrington. You can explore more of his work here .

Sandisfield Arts Center Launches 2022 Season with Dinner Theater May 21
2022-05-21 18:00 - 21:30
THANK YOU, TICKET SALES ARE NOW CLOSED. SEE YOU AT THE DINNER!
Welcome back! Join us for the “Live at SArC” fundraising dinner, our first since 2019. Attendees will be treated to several short theatrical selections accompanied by a sumptuous dinner by chef Adam Manacher.
Come celebrate good times, good food, and good friends!
We continue to be mindful of providing a safe and comfortable environment for all. Our venue is handicap accessible, well ventilated and spacious. Our servers will wear masks, and attendees are required to provide proof of vaccination. Given current conditions we request that attendees wear a mask you can doff when drinking or eating.
Reserve tickets here.
Can’t attend? Be a sponsor! Use the second option below.

Extended! Applications Open for Daniel Manacher Prize for Young Artists
2022-05-07 - 2022-06-22
The Sandisfield Arts Center is pleased to announce the Daniel Manacher Prize for Young Artists, submission deadline June 15, 2022.
Now extended to June 22!
Three artists will be selected as finalists and each will receive $350 in support of their art practice, as well as a group show of their work at the Sandisfield Arts Center in August, 2022. The prize was generously created by Adam Manacher and Carol Birnbaum, the parents of Daniel Manacher in memory of their son and his passion for art. You can read about Daniel here.
The image above is Shwoopy Loops, 2013 by Daniel Manacher.
Please read the eligibility and application requirements carefully before submitting for the prize. Direct any questions to gallery@sandisfieldartscenter.org
Eligibility and Application Requirements
Entry Deadline: June 22, 2022 at midnight
Applicants will be notified no later than July 15, 2022 via email
Exhibition dates: August 13-Sept 7, 2022 with an opening reception on August 13 2-4 pm that will include refreshments.
Work must be dropped off at the Sandisfield Arts Center for installation on August 10th or 11th.
Work must be picked up Sept 7, 2022.
Entry Requirements: Eligible artists are those 17-26 yrs of age living or attending school in Berkshire County. There is no fee associated with the application and all entrants will be judged based solely on the merit of the work presented. We are asking that you provide us with the contact information for one reference. This should be a person who is familiar with your art practice.
Accepted Media: We are currently accepting applications from those working in painting, drawing, mixed media, sculpture, digital paintings, and digital drawings. We are unable to accept video, photography, or sound art at this time. Digital work must be able to be printed for display on a wall to be considered.
Work Size: No piece can exceed 60 inches in any direction, and sculptures must be under 60 lbs. Artists are responsible for all transportation of the work. All artwork must have been created in the past 3 years. Work needs to arrive at the gallery ready to hang.
If any technical assistance due to lack of access to a computer, camera, or internet at home is needed to complete your application, please contact gallery@sandisfieldartscenter.org.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
Please use this Google Form link to submit your application.
There is an option to upload your images on the Google form. We can also accept images via Dropbox or WeTransfer. There is a space in the application to note if you plan to submit your work via a Dropbox link or WeTransfer. Please use the email gallery@sandisfieldartscenter.org for either of these submission options.
IMAGE SPECIFICATIONS
You may submit up to 5 examples of your recent work with up to 5 supporting images showing details (if relevant) or various perspectives for 3D art. No more than 10 images total. Please make sure these images are of high quality. Images should be in JPEG format with 300dpi and the longest side no more than 1500 pixels.

Name each image file in the form FullName_number.jpg (ex: JessSmith_01.jpg)

Create a document file (either .docx or .pdf) with a corresponding image list. Label each image in the following format: 01: Title, Year completed. Media, Size in inches(HxW or HxWxD for 3D work);

Ex: 01: Self Portrait, 2021. Acrylic paint on canvas, 15×11 inches
Name the document in the form FullName_Image List (ex: JessSmith_Image List.docx)

Selection Process: The applications will be reviewed by a selection committee comprising current Sandisfield Arts Center Gallery chair and local artist Jess Cofrin, local artist and SArC board member Susie Crofut, and Boston area artist and educator Jessie Young.
Publicity: All finalists will be promoted in local press publications and Sandisfield Arts Center communications.
Contact: Please reach out to Jess Cofrin at gallery@sandisfieldartscenter.org with any questions regarding the application.
Google form link for submission

An Afternoon of Short Stories with The Sandisfield Players - Free!
2021-12-04 16:00 - 17:30
Ben Luxon, Jean Atwater-Williams, John Funchion and Mary Anne Grammer from The Sandisfield Players will read to you poignant, funny, mystical and action-packed stories. What could be better than being read to? Sit back, relax and go on a journey with the Players.
This event is free, though donations of any amount are gratefully accepted.
For the health and safety of our audience, our performers, and our volunteers, we are now requiring that all people age 12 and over who enter the Sandisfield Arts Center be fully vaccinated and wear a mask that covers both nose and mouth. We have limited the audience to about half of capacity in order to allow for adequate spacing between groups.

POSTPONED - Simon Winchester Book Talk and Signing
2021-11-21 14:00 - 15:30
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL NEXT SEASON. WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCOVENIENCE

Colewell: A Film Starring Karen Allen, Introduced by Karen Allen
2021-11-13 20:00 - 22:00
Join us for a screening of Colewell and a conversation with its star, Karen Allen.
About the film:
For thirty-five years, Nora Pancowski (Karen Allen) has been the postmaster of Colewell, Pennsylvania. When the USPS decides to close her office, she must choose whether to relocate for a new position or face retirement in Colewell.
We are fortunate that Karen Allen is a Berkshires neighbor and will be on hand to give us insights into the making of this fascinating and timely film. Karen was last at the Sandisfield Arts Center for a showing and discussion of her wonderful,, award-winning film based on Carson McCullers’ short story, A Tree, A Rock, A Cloud, which was partially filmed in Sandisfield.
For the health and safety of our audience, our performers, and our volunteers, we are now requiring that all people age 12 and over who enter the Sandisfield Arts Center be fully vaccinated and wear a mask that covers both nose and mouth. We have limited the audience to about half of capacity in order to allow for adequate spacing between groups. Please be aware of this when you purchase a ticket.

Jeewon Park Piano Recital
2021-11-07 16:00 - 18:00
After the scintillating 2019 concert with her cellist husband Eddie Arron, Jeewon Park returns to play a solo piano recital of works by Robert and Clara Schumann, Johannes Brahms, and Francis Poulenc’s “The Story of Babar the little Elephant “ narrated by Ben Luxon.
This concert is supported in part by a donation in memory of John A. Grammer.
Bring the family – Children 12 and under are only $5, and they will love Babar!
For the health and safety of our audience, our performers, and our volunteers, we are now requiring that all people age 12 and over who enter the Sandisfield Arts Center be fully vaccinated and wear a mask that covers both nose and mouth. We have limited the audience to about half of capacity in order to allow for adequate spacing between groups. Please be aware of this when you purchase a ticket.

Music Like a Map - Zoë Lewis
2021-10-24 16:00 - 18:00
Affectionately known as “a band in a body,” Zoë plays vintage jazz and world-beat grooves on anything from the piano to the spoons. Her show is perfect for all ages, full of songs and stories of slow boats to China, Bollywood dreams, box car jumping, elephant orchestras, and all the wonderful people she’s met along the way!
Originally from England, Zoe has lived in Provincetown for almost thirty years, where she performs every summer. She’s traveled to more than seventy countries, won numerous song-writing accolades, toured with the Indigo Girls and Judy Collins, and written two musicals. She is an environmental activist and works toward empowering LGBTQ youth. She has released nine CDs of original music; her most recent is titled Always a Sixpence.
Get ready for a global musical adventure!
For the health and safety of our audience, our performers, and our volunteers, we are now requiring that all people age 12 and over who enter the Sandisfield Arts Center be fully vaccinated and wear a mask that covers both nose and mouth. We have limited the audience to about half of capacity in order to allow for adequate spacing between groups. Please be aware of this when you purchase a ticket.

Discovering Natural Wines
2021-10-23 16:00 - 18:00
What is natural wine? Natural wine is unfiltered, untamed and un-photoshopped wine made in the vineyard rather than the winery. John L. Grammer, partner in the wine import company Skin Contact Wines, will guide you through a wine tasting of natural wines. Treat your palate to a riot of flavors.
Growing up in New York City, John Lawrence Grammer spent his Saturdays biking through Chinatown in search of delicious food and new experiences. After graduating from Harvard, he hit the streets to learn about wine and food. Tasting a bottle of Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2001 with a generous client sealed the deal. John completed the WSET Level 4 Diploma in the Wine and Spirits program and has begun studying for the Master of Wine entrance exam.
Fresh glasses will be used for each pour. The hors d’oeuvre table will be monitored to ensure safe food practices and social distancing will be observed.
This is how John and his partner Ricardo Castiblanco describe what makes their wines special: “Skin Contact Wines imports wines from organically farmed vineyards. We believe the best wines come from grapes that are farmed attentively. Organic viticulture represents a return to the basic tenets of farming and a respect for natural processes. Some of our producers choose to go beyond organic principles and utilize biodynamic practices to further promote a healthy microbiome on their properties. Wherever a producer falls on this spectrum of farming in harmony with nature, we want to support their hard work.”
Skin Contact Wines come from France, Italy, Spain, Georgia (the country), and Chile. See a list of producers.
For the health and safety of our audience, our performers, and our volunteers, we are now requiring that all people age 12 and over who enter the Sandisfield Arts Center be fully vaccinated and wear a mask that covers both nose and mouth – except when drinking or eating at this event.
We have limited the audience to about half of capacity in order to allow for adequate spacing between groups. Please be aware of this when you purchase a ticket.

Celebration of the LIfe and Work of Val Coleman
2021-10-17 14:00 - 16:00
Please join the Sandisfield Arts Center community and Val’s family in a celebration of his extraordinary life and work.
The afternoon will include some of Val’s favorite music, reminiscences and readings honoring Val — you are invited to participate — and video excerpts from some of his plays and other presentations on the stage of the Sandisfield Arts Center.
Check out Val’s talks on this website:
A Story of Poetry
The Enigma of Socialism
A Story of Fascism
Abraham Lincoln: A Talk by Val Coleman
And watch and hear Val reading his poem on the Arts Center.
For the health and safety of our audience, our performers, and our volunteers, we are now requiring that all people age 12 and over who enter the Sandisfield Arts Center be fully vaccinated and wear a mask that covers both nose and mouth. We have limited the audience to about half of capacity in order to allow for adequate spacing between groups. Please be aware of this when you come.

Joel Brown and Friends
2021-10-16 20:00 - 22:00
Live music returns to the Sandisfield Arts Center in this special performance rescheduled from our 2020 (delayed) anniversary year!
Joel Brown is no stranger to the Sandisfield Arts Center. As a classical guitarist, he has appeared many times as a soloist and chamber musician. He has performed jazz at the Arts Center with his father and son, and has often played here as a member of Chris Brubeck’s Triple Play. But he also has a musical personality that has never been heard at the Arts Center. As a singer-songwriter he has been writing, recording, and performing with his longtime friend and collaborator, Dave Maswick. In this performance, Joel will play some of his favorite classical pieces and then will be joined by Mr. Maswick for a set of original songs that feature beautifully arranged harmony and intricate, finger-picked guitar work.
All events at the Arts Center require proof of vaccination for anyone age 12 and up, and wearing a mask.

Gallery Show: Paintings by Jess Cofrin - Free
2021-10-02 14:00 - 2021-10-31 16:00
Opening reception 2 – 4 PM October 2. The show continues through October. Contact gallery@sandisfieldartscenter.org if you’d like to arrange a visit.
Artist Statement: “I am an oil painter and printmaker exploring the psychology and physicality of being human. I use paint as my primary medium because the saturation of color helps convey the emotional feelings I put into the work. Color has long been a driving force in my pieces, and my interest in printmaking lies in the spontaneity and unpredictability of the medium. My current work explores what it means for a body to occupy space and how the body adapts to its surroundings. Sometimes the figure is present, and sometimes it is felt but not seen. When I became a mother, I had a more heightened sense of my relationship with the physical space around me. Sitting in dark rooms, my body no longer fully autonomous. Also, as a more general comment on human psychology: how does our self-perception affect how we occupy the space around us, and how does it affect our identity?”
Jess Cofrin received her BA in Art History from Cornell University before moving to London to pursue fine art at Chelsea College of Art and Design. She completed her MFA in painting from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Her work has been exhibited in New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, and London. She currently lives and works in Berkshire County.
The exhibit will be on view through October.

Blackstone Valley String Quartet
2021-09-26 14:00 - 16:00
The Blackstone Valley String Quartet gets its name from the quaint small-town area of central Massachusetts where owner and founder Sylvia DiCrescentis has lived and worked for most of her life. For sixteen years, the members of the BVQ have played together in various orchestras and small groups, honing their skills and developing a unique bond as professional performing musicians.
The Blackstone Valley String Quartet will be presenting a program of Baroque and Classical Era composers for string quartet. The program will feature works by Vivaldi, Haydn as well as Maddalena Sirmen (1745-1818). Sirmen is a female composer and a contemporary of Haydn. She was an Italian composer, singer and violinist who studied violin with Giuseppi Tartini. The Blackstone Valley Quartet is excited to present this program of hidden gems for the Sandisfield Arts Center audience.
Selections will include lesser known works from Vivaldi, works from the father of the string quartet Haydn as well as six quartets from the lesser known composer Sirmen.
This event is made possible with the very generous support of Steve and Lynn Rubenstein.
All Fall 2021 events at the Arts Center are subject to change based on latest CDC guidelines. We anticipate operating at reduced capacity for social distancing, and asking audience members 12 and over and performers to bring proof of vaccination; everyone must wear a mask.
Tickets go on sale September 1.

Words of Our Ancestors: Revisiting IndianTown with Bonney Hartley
2021-09-25 10:30 - 12:00
Join us for this fascinating talk by Bonney Hartley, Tribal Historic Preservation Manager for the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, on the ongoing efforts to protect Mohican and Munsee (Lenape) cultural sites and to repatriate cultural items.
The mission of Ms. Hartley’s organization is to preserve, manage, and interpret indigenous cultural heritage. She works from an extension office at Williams College.
Sandisfield is directly connected to people who lived here long before English colonists arrived in 1750. For centuries Mohican villagers from an area centered around the New York/Massachusetts border came via their ancient trail (“Knox trail” today) that led directly to hunting grounds in the vicinity of Otis State Forest and Spectacle Pond. Arrangements of stone monuments considered sacred have been identified, legacies from a vibrant indigenous society.
Their descendants are federally recognized today as the Stockbridge-Munsee Community.
Bonney Hartley
Proof of vaccination, masks, and social distancing required. Free; Donation suggested.
Ms. Hartley is in great demand as a representative for her community. This is a one-time event, not to be missed.

"Our Town at the Minack" A film documenting the preparations by the Sandisfield Players and their trip to the Minack Theater in Cornwall, England
2021-09-18 20:00 - 22:00
We are thrilled to present the long-awaited premiere of this film by Jerry Herman as the opening of our “in the Arts Center” performance season!
Our Town by Thornton Wilder was first performed by the Sandisfield Players at the Arts Center in 2013. On a trip to Cornwall in 2014, Ben Luxon, the producer and director of the show, mentioned to his friend, Phil Jackson, the manager of the Minack Theatre, that he was directing the show in the States, and Phil asked him if he wanted to perform it there. Ben agreed, and the performance was scheduled for the summer of 2016. Inasmuch as the Minack is an outdoor venue, and its stage is twice the size of the stage at the Arts Center, arrangements were made to rehearse at the Sandisfield firehouse.
This film, produced by Jerry Herman, chronicles the play’s development from our local indoor theater to a much larger, world-famous outdoor theatre in England, and the historic trip made by the Sandisfield Players to perform it there. Running time is 90 minutes.
All Fall 2021 events at the Arts Center are subject to change based on latest CDC guidelines. We anticipate operating at reduced capacity for social distancing, and asking audience members and performers to bring proof of vaccination or a recent negative test, and to wear a mask.
Enjoy the trailer from the film now.

Gallery Show: Into the Woods - Free
2021-09-04 16:00 - 2021-10-01 18:00
Photographs by Peter Baiamonte
Artist’s Statement: “Into the Woods” is a photographic exploration of Sandisfield’s own Clam River Reserve, a part of the Berkshire Natural Resources Council’s preserved lands. I started making photographs in this park in 2017 and have continued to explore it through all seasons. Primarily landscapes, this series has been an exploration of how the light moves through the trees, how to find compositions in the forest that are compelling, how the river moves through the land. My hikes alone in this space with my camera have opened up a whole new appreciation for me of wild spaces. I hope viewers of the show will feel some of that in the work shown here.”
Born, raised, and still living in Brooklyn, New York, Peter came to photography through his father who was a lifelong hobbyist. After receiving an art degree from Brooklyn College, he entered the commercial photography world in New York City and continues photography as his primary business for corporate, editorial, and advertising clients. Peter and his wife purchased a home in Sandisfield over seven years ago and have enjoyed becoming part of the community. Local clients include Berkshire Magazine with multiple shoots over the years, including several covers.
Masks are required in the Gallery and social distancing is followed.
The exhibit will be on view through October 1.
Check with gallery@sandisfieldartscenter.org to arrange a visit after the opening reception.

A Walk in the Woods - Free
2021-09-04 14:00 - 16:00 | Sandisfield Town Hall Annex, 66 Sandisfield Rd, Sandisfield
A photo walk with Peter Baiamonte
Join professional photographer Peter Baiamonte and a representative from BNRC (Berkshire Natural Resources Council) for a casual photo hike at the Clam River Reserve in Sandisfield. Peter’s gallery exhibit, “Into the Woods,” opening at 4 p.m. at the Arts Center consists of photographs all made within the Clam River Reserve.
So that we can plan for the size of the group, please email gallery@sandisfieldartscenter.org if you are planning to join the walk.
This will be a casual hike with stops to talk about the reserve, BNRC, and photography. Bring your camera along, and Peter will plan a few spots to stop for photographs and will offer tips and advice. The meeting point will be in the parking lot of the Sandisfield Town Hall Annex, where there is a trailhead for the Clam River. After the hike, join everyone at the Sandisfield Arts Center for the opening of Peter’s exhibit in the Gallery. Masks are required in the Gallery and social distancing is followed.

Roger Street Friedman Band Outdoor Concert - Bring a blanket or a chair!
2021-07-31 18:00 - 2021-08-01 20:00 | 3 New Hartford Road, 3 New Hartford Road, Sandisfield, MA, 01255, United States
Roger Street Friedman is an award-winning singer-songwriter based in Sea Cliff, NY. His critically acclaimed 2017 album Shoot The Moon reached #2 on the Roots Music Report Americana Country Album Chart.
Recalling the pop-rock singer-songwriter tradition of Jackson Browne, Marc Cohn, Randy Newman, Colin Hay, Bruce Hornsby, and Mark Knopfler, Friedman released “Sun Never Sets” in 2019 – a song and video dedicated to immigrants and immigration reform. Collaborating on the project were Peter Yarrow, Tom Chapin, Joel Rafael and Guy Davis. His third-full length album, RISE, produced by Larry Campbell was released in 2020 followed by his most recent EP, COME WHAT MAY in July 2021.
The concert will be on the grass (mowed and ample) of Arts Center Board member Peter Baiamonte at 3 New Hartford Road at Sandisfield Road/Route 57. Signs will direct you to parking.
Family-friendly – children under 12 free!
Gates open at 5. Concert begins about 6:00, finishes by 8. Sunset that day is 8:12pm.
Refreshments:
Food: Bring a picnic basket, and a blanket or a lawn chair.
Wine and beer, soft drinks will be available, donations gratefully accepted.
No outside alcohol allowed.
RAIN DATE Sunday August 1, 1 PM
Time note: A glitch in our webhost calendar removed this from displaying after 4 PM today – to get the page to show up we set the end of the event for 8 PM on 8/1. It will be a great event, but it won’t be that long!
More about Roger:
Roger Street Friedman was bitten by the music bug early, learning to write songs(at the age of 12) and developing his studio engineering skills. His life took a left turn in his early 20’s and he left music for a career in his family’s retail display business for about 25 years. But a combination of events during the mid-’00s — the passing of his father and mother, marriage and, later, the births of his two children — steered Friedman back to music, leading to the acclaimed 2014 debut THE WAITING SKY and 2017’s SHOOT THE MOON. “Those life events really kind of opened the floodgates for me to start writing again,” he notes.
Roger has performed at the Clearwater Folk Festival, Huntington Folk Festival and The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (Grassy Hill Emerging Artist) as well as touring up and down the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and South. Friedman performed at the 2019 NERFA conference in a coveted “formal” showcase, and is currently planning his 4th studio album for 2022 and happy to be coming to Sandisfield to kick off getting back on the road and performing for a live audience again!
Sponsors
Flora Parisky, a donation in memory of Sean Carr 9/19/69 – 10/24/20
Matt McCuin/Matt McCuin Landscaping
Floodgate Farm
Domaney’s Liquors and Fine Wines
Note that you will be able to pay with a credit card – click the PayPal button at Checkout, you’ll come to a page where you can enter your credit card info. PayPal processes the payments.

Gallery Show: Light Tells the Story - Free
2021-07-24 16:00 - 2021-08-22 18:00
Saturday July 31 the artist will be at the Gallery from 2 to 4 PM.
Paintings by Mel Feldman
Mel Feldman began painting with watercolors and then took up acrylics, as he found acrylics are more forgiving, and it is easier to correct the work. He prefers to paint people and uses vintage photographs for inspiration, as these often tell a story. Most important to Mel is the light and the interplay with the placement of the figures. He is also inspired by Vermeer and his use of light. The impressionists — Monet, Renoir, Corot, and Pissarro — have contributed to his vision and the paintings he creates. He lives in Otis.
The opening reception will be outdoors and the Gallery show will be open to small groups for safe social distancing.
The exhibit will be on view weekends or by request through August 22.

Sharpen Your Pencils: Crossword Puzzle Fun with Michelle Arnot - Free
2021-07-10 10:30 - 12:00
One of the highlights of our 2020 online season was a crossword puzzle workshop by the Crossword Puzzle Maven Michelle Arnot, and we’re delighted she returns this year for more fascinating inside information about crossword puzzles.
This morning of coffee (you at your house, Michelle at hers) and crosswords will include Michelle showing you how to improve your solving time with The Berkshire Eagle puzzles. She’ll also give her unique insights into how the crossword has changed since it became a global pastime in the 1920s.
Michelle Arnot, author of Crossword Puzzles for Dummies and Four-Letter Words: Secrets of a Crossword Insider, serves as an official at the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, organized by NPR’s puzzle master, Will Shortz. She and husband Roger Brown have been Sandisfield homeowners since 1980.
Pre-registration required, up to 30 attendees. Your emailed ticket will have the Zoom link, please save it to refer to on Saturday.
To reserve, make sure to enter a number in the tickets box, then the Get Tickets button will work.
