Sandisfield Arts Center

International Art Show: Beyond Our Boundaries - Extended!
2025-07-26 11:00 - 2025-10-04 23:00 (America/New_York)
The International Art Show has been extended weekends 12 to 3, during performances, or by appointment (gallery@sandisfieldartscenter.org) through October 4.
Explore the uncharted territories of creativity at “Beyond Our Boundaries,” an international art show celebrating innovation and risk-taking in art and film. This exhibition brings together diverse artists from around the world who push the boundaries of conventional art forms, embracing new methods and mediums to inspire and challenge our perceptions.”
The show begins July 19 and July 20 with a featured film presentation: Not So Short Film Festival, a 5 hour compilation of films created by artists around the world during Covid-19, and previously screened online at the Ely Center for Contemporary Art. We are thrilled to be showing this work along with short films by filmmakers Irena Paskali (Macedonia and Germany) and Gabi Gusmao (Brazil).
Some of the featured artists: Tomek Kopeciwicz (Poland) and Evelyne Barbier (France).

Sandisfield's Ceremonial Stone Landscapes: Slide-talk by Ron Bernard
2025-07-26 10:00 - 11:30
“A ceremonial stone landscape is a series of intricately crafted structures — rock walls, piles, and cairns (Manitou Hassanash in the Algonquian language) — that Indigenous peoples and those committed to protecting the site consider a sacred space. They are an excellent example of what the United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc., a federation of more than two dozen federally recognized tribes, have named “prayers in stone,” constructed for their creators to connect with Mother Earth and the spirit world. ” – From an article on the Scenic Hudson website.
Local historian Ron Bernard will give a slide show and talk on the CSLs he believes he has found in Sandisfield, and will help us learn to tell the difference between stone walls or just piles of stones and CSLs.
If you want some backgroubd before Ron’s talk, see this article Connnecting With the Valley’s Indigenous-Spirited Ceremonial Stone Landscapes by Reed Sparling, a great introduction to CSLs. These are in Hudson County, New York.
To buy tickets, press the + for the number you want – then Get Tickets will work.
9 AM Saturday: Ticket sales close here but there are plenty of seats – just come!

International Art Show and Film Festival: Beyond Our Boundaries, Day Two
2025-07-20 14:00 - 17:00
Second day of the International Art Show and Film Festival with showing of the Not So Short Film Festival Part Two at 2 pm.
The show continues weekends 12 to 3 or by appointment (gallery@sandisfieldartscenter.org) until August 31. Also open during events.
Explore the uncharted territories of creativity at “Beyond Our Boundaries,” an international art show celebrating innovation and risk-taking in art and film. This exhibition brings together diverse artists from around the world who push the boundaries of conventional art forms, embracing new methods and mediums to inspire and challenge our perceptions.”
Featured film presentation: Not So Short Film Festival is a 5 hour compilation of films created by artists around the world during Covid-19, and previously screened online at the Ely Center for Contemporary Art. We are thrilled to be showing this work along with short films by filmmakers Irena Paskali (Macedonia and Germany) and Gabi Gusmao (Brazil).
Some of the featured artists: Tomek Kopeciwicz (Poland) and Evelyne Barbier (France).

International Art Show and Film Festival: Beyond Our Boundaries, Day One
2025-07-19 15:00 - 19:30
Show opens Saturday July 19 with an opening reception 3 – 5 pm followed at 5:15 by the Not So Short Film Festival-Part One.
The film festival continues on Sunday July 20 at 2 pm with the Not So Short Film Festival Part Two.
The show continues weekends 12 to 3 or by appointment (gallery@sandisfieldartscenter.org) until August 31. It is open during events.
Explore the uncharted territories of creativity at “Beyond Our Boundaries,” an international art show celebrating innovation and risk-taking in art and film. This exhibition brings together diverse artists from around the world who push the boundaries of conventional art forms, embracing new methods and mediums to inspire and challenge our perceptions.”
Featured film presentation: Not So Short Film Festival is a 5 hour compilation of films created by artists around the world during Covid-19, and previously screened online at the Ely Center for Contemporary Art. We are thrilled to be showing this work along with short films by filmmakers Irena Paskali (Macedonia and Germany) and Gabi Gusmao (Brazil).
Some of the featured artists: Tomek Kopeciwicz (Poland) and Evelyne Barbier (France).

Four Fabulous Fridays - Open Mic Series
2025-07-18 19:00 - 20:30
Our open mic nights are the perfect venue for showcasing your talent. Seasoned performer or just starting out — bring your music, poetry, comedy, dance, or whatever creative talent you have to share.
Or just come to enjoy some live entertainment and get a new perspective on your neighbors.
Four Fridays June 20, July 28, August 16, and September 19 at 7 pm
Free (Donations suggested)

Sandisfield's Public and Private Forests
2025-07-12 10:00 - 11:30
Talk by Tom Ryan, Department of Conservation and Recreation’s South Berkshire District management forester on understanding forest stressors to help develop the right forest management strategy.
After an overview of forest stressors including insects/diseases, climate change and human activities, Ryan will talk about developing a stress management strategy anchored by clearly defining one’s goals and expectations. There is no one correct path of action, rather each path presents its own unique set of challenges and opportunities.
The session includes a discussion of pro-active and passive options for your forest.
More on Tom Ryan and his insights into local forestry.

Pas de Deux, America and France: A Musical Celebration Featuring Award-Winning Duo Pianists Anita Castiglione and Paul Posnak
2025-06-29 16:00 - 18:00
We are fortunate to have the award-winning duo pianists, Anita Castiglione and Paul Posnak (pictured above), as neighbors. In today’s recital, they will play music of America and France in a “pas de deux.”
This concert celebrates the intertwined relationship of the United States and France, central allies and influences upon each other at the historical moments that shaped their destinies – the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, and the French Revolution and the storming of the Bastille prison on July 14, 1779.
The concert features three of the most influential musical figures in American and in French music of the early and mid-Twentieth Century: Aaron Copland, George Gershwin and William Bolcom; and Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel and Francis Poulenc.
The artists will share relevant, brief commentaries about the composers and the individual works in the program.
Paul Posnak’s international career as a concert pianist, recording artist, transcriber and sought-after teacher began as a child prodigy with a full scholarship to the Juilliard Preparatory School of Music at the age of eight. Recipient of Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral degrees at Juilliard, and of the Loeb Prize (Juilliard’s highest award), he won First Prizes in the International J.S. Bach Competition and the Concert Artists Guild Competition in New York. He has performed at the White House, The Supreme Court, and The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., at Carnegie Recital and Tully Halls in New York, and throughout Europe, South America, and Asia to critical acclaim.
Anita Castiglione’s career as a soloist, collaborative pianist, choral accompanist, and music educator began with piano studies in Massachusetts at the age of six. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Miami and a Master’s degree from The Juilliard School, both in piano performance. She was the recipient of the prestigious Juilliard Alumni Award. She earned her Doctorate in Collaborative Piano in 2002. She is currently adjunct faculty and pianist for the Frost Chorale, Bella Voce, and Chamber Singers choral ensembles at the University of Miami Frost School of Music.

POSTPONED - Film and discussion with Andre Lambertson, award-winning photojournalist and filmmaker
2025-06-21 19:00 - 21:30
New date to be announced – Please check back
Join us for refreshments at 7 – film screening at 7:30
Award-winning photojournalist and filmmaker Andre Lambertson returns for a screening of another film, Charm City.
Andre will talk a bit about his work around the world as a photojournalist and then screen the compelling, important film, Charm City, “a sweeping look at violent crime and possible solutions in Baltimore.”.
The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker.
“Charm City is not only a superb and moving work of non-fiction filmmaking, it is also one of those socially conscious and totally righteous documentaries with the power to help spur reform.” — Baltimore Sun
See the Charm City trailer.
Film length: 1 hr 48 min
Students are free but we recommend getting a student ticket, at no cost.

I'll Tell You My Story and I Want To Hear Yours - Author Reading and Discussion with Sally-Jane Heit
2025-06-21 10:00 - 11:30
Free!
Writer and performer Sally-Jane Heit defied the odds and, at the spry age of 91, wrote and published her memoir, Not Yet!
Sally-Jane will share excerpts from her inspiring memoir and reveal how she tackled the “sand mountain” of creating a book.
Then she invites you to share your own thoughts and stories in an open discussion. Don’t miss this opportunity to be inspired, and celebrate the power of storytelling at any age!
Followed by a book signing. Paperback copies of Not Yet will be available for $15.
About Sally-Jane Heit
Sally-Jane Heit’s showbiz journey kicked off before she even saw the light of day in 1933. Over the past 90 years, she’s been a relentless force on stage, in song, dance, and the written word—all with one clear goal: to be a Star.
Navigating nine decades wearing many hats—woman, daughter, wife, mother, friend, mentor, and entertainer— through personal, professional, and world chaos has shown her a thing or two thousand about her own and humanity’s fears, hopes and values.
From the Great Depression to global conflicts, women’s liberation to political rollercoasters, tech takeover to climate crises, and the turmoil threatening democracy today— her ambition hasn’t flickered. Instead, it’s fueled her. With her signature blend of wit, wisdom, humor, and a touch of irreverence, she’s on a quest to unravel every aspect of the human experience.
At 91, Sally-Jane Heit recently published her memoir, Not Yet, including narrating it on audiobook. The highly acclaimed book chronicles a life spent chasing dreams and uncovering the intricacies of what it means to be human.
Not Yet by Sally-Jane Heit
The author will be signing her book, on sale for $15
Not Yet by Sally-Jane Heit
A rich, funny, frequently wise memoir about getting what one wants out of life.~ Kirkus Reviews

Four Fabulous Fridays - Open Mic Series
2025-06-20 19:00 - 20:30
Our open mic nights are the perfect venue for showcasing your talent. Seasoned performer or just starting out – bring your music, poetry, comedy, dance, or whatever creative talent you have to share.
Or just come to enjoy some live entertainment and get a new perspective on your neighbors.
Four Fridays June 20, July 18, August 15, and September 19 at 7 pm (sign up starts at 6:30)
Free (Donations suggested)

The Poetry of Horses: A Community Read
2025-06-08 14:00 - 15:30
Picture is of Maxine Kumin’s PoBiz Farm (Maxine on her horse), from the Maxine Kumin website
Free.
The relationship of humans and horses has inspired some of the most moving and acclaimed poetry by some of our greatest poets. Today’s event is an opportunity for community members to come and read (out loud) their favorite horse related poems, or read from the poems we’ll provide. Or just listen.
An opportunity to lift our voices and tune our ears in praise of the importance of horses to human history (we wouldn’t be where we are without them).
One of the poets whose work we’ll include is Maxine Kumin, whose Amanda poems capture not only the unique horse-human relationship but also, vividly, a horse. If you like it, come and sign up to read it.
Amanda Dreams She Has Died and Gone to the Elysian Fields
This morning Amanda
lies down during breakfast.
The hay is hip high.
The sun sleeps on her back
as it did on the spine
of the dinosaur
the fossil bat
the first fish with feet
she was once.
A breeze fans
the deerflies from lighting.
Only a gaggle of gnats
housekeeps in her ears.
A hay plume sticks out of her mouth.
I come calling with a carrot
from which I have taken
the first bite.
She startles
she considers rising
but retracts the pistons
of her legs and accepts
as loose-lipped as a camel.
We sit together.
In this time and place
we are heart and bone.
For an hour
we are incorruptible.
Others we may include are Donald Hall’s “The Names of Horses”, Jack Gilbert’s “Horses at Midnight without a Moon”, and a sad one called “Weakness” by Alden Nowlan (suggested by Sandisfield poet Hannah Fries).

Horses in Words -- And In Sandisfield
2025-06-07 16:00 - 18:00
Panel discussion led by acclaimed author Courtney Maum with award-winning local authors of books on the relationship of horses and humans. Courtney, author of the memoir, The Year of the Horses, will be talking with Donnaldson Brown, author of Because I Loved You, and Barbara Newman, author of The Dreamcatcher Codes, about their stories and the special role of horses in books and in life.
After the discussion, Rose Nelson will share slides and talk about her Sandisfield Sunny Rose Farm, where two of the authors ride.
The afternoon concludes with coffee, tea, and light refreshements, with books available for purchase and author signing.
About the books
The Year of the Horses by Courtney Maum was a Today Show Best Mental Health Read as well as Good Morning America, Vanity Fair, TODAY, NYLON and PureWow Best Book of May 2022, a Publishers Weekly and Boston.com Best Book of Summer and an Amazon Best Book of 2022 So Far (Biography & Memoir Category). “Sharp, heartfelt, and cathartic, The Year of the Horses captures a woman’s journey out of depression and the horses that guide her, physically and emotionally, on a new path forward.”
Because I Loved You by Donnaldson Brown is winner of 2024 Independent Book Publishers Association Silver Medalist, General Fiction, 2023 International Book Awards Finalist, Literary Fiction, 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist, General Fiction: Novel, Best Books of 2023, Honorable Mention, Historical Fiction, Hungry For Good Books.
The Dreamcatcher Codes, the award-winning, debut novel from writer and filmmaker Barbara Newman, is “a timely and lushly drawn story about fearless young women blazing new paths for themselves and Mother Earth.” It “illuminates two critical issues of our times: climate change and girls claiming their voices and vital place in the world.”
About the authors
Courtney Maum, who once lived in Sandisfield, is the author of five books, including the groundbreaking publishing guide that Vanity Fair recently named one of the ten best books for writers, BEFORE AND AFTER THE BOOK DEAL and the memoir THE YEAR OF THE HORSES. Her latest novel, “Alan Opts Out” is forthcoming in both the US and the UK in the summer of 2026
Donnaldson Brown grew up riding horses on her family’s ranch in East Texas and in her hometown in New England. A former screenwriter, she worked for Robert Redford’s film development company for several years. Her spoken word pieces have been featured in, among other places, the Made in the Berkshires Theatre Festival in Stockbridge. Donnaldson. is also a facilitator and trainer with The Equus Effect in Sharon, offering experiential learning with horses for those coping with post traumatic stress injuries, including veterans, first responders, and those in recovery.
Barbara Newman is a a storyteller, writer, filmmaker, Earth protector, and mom. She developed a girls’ leadership workshop, based on the principles of cowgirl spirit, and was part of the think tank that inspired the Fred Rogers Center for Children’s Media and Education.

Making Horse Sense: Kari Weil on the Language Between Humans and Horses
2025-06-07 10:00 - 11:30
Animal communication researcher Kari Weil, University Professor of Letters at Wesleyan University, shares insights on the language between humans and horses.
To learn to ride a horse is to learn a language we don’t realize we are already speaking. In this talk Kari Weil, a professor at Wesleyan University and part-time resident of Monterey, will discuss the language between horse and human. She has researched animal communication and combines it with her own personal experience riding horses, including those at Sunny Rose Farm. Her conclusion is that to make sense of horses, we need to be more in touch with our own senses.
Weil is author of Precarious Partners: Horses and Their Humans in Nineteenth-Century France and Thinking Animals: Why Animal Studies Now.
Part of the Weekend to Celebrate the Magic of Horses.

Singing Sandisfield's Unsung Heroes
2025-05-31 16:00 - 17:00
An event, with music, to recognize and honor a few of the people who quietly keep our community thriving.
For 2025, we are pleased to recognize Mary Bredenfoerder, Zoë Marinelli Nelson, Linda Riiska, and Bill Price, and one surprise announcement, who each in their own way help make Sandisfield a great town.
Please come and help us recognize these people who, according to the Google definition of “local hero,” are individuals who make a significant and positive impact on the community through their actions, dedication, or volunteer work, often without seeking recognition. Sandisfield is blessed with many, and we hope to make this an annual event.
Free.

Sandisfield in Poetry
2025-05-31 14:00 - 15:00
Photo above, Hannah Fries, by Susan Quinn.
Award-winning local poets Hannah Fries and Hilde Weisert read poems and lyrical essays inspired by “the landscape we live” — whether it be spring ephemerals, wandering cows, turkey families, birch trees, creeks running and creeks dry, mud, or mountainsides.
Hannah Fries is a poet, writer, and editor. She is the author of the poetry collection Little Terrarium as well as the book Being with Trees and a 2026 collection of lyric essays about the natural world. Of her poetry, Ellen Bass wrote “Hannah Fries’s poems are acutely alive to the physical world in all its varied, gorgeous, and vulnerable incarnations from rain to moon snail, moosewood to worm, fox to orchid. With rich imagery and fresh detail, Little Terrarium wakes us up to all the layers of “glimmer and decay.”
Hilde Weisert is a poet, teacher, and Sandisfield Arts Center co-president. Of her poetry 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.”

The Landscape We Live: Gallery Show
2025-05-31 11:00 - 2025-07-06 15:00
Above: Memories of Stone by Teresa Bills.
From May 30 (opening reception) through July 6. Open 11 to 3 most weekends.
Celebrating the 30th anniversary and long anticipated renovations of the Arts Center, this exhibition pays tribute to Sandisfield—the topography, trees, totems, rocks, rivers, animals, and artists who call it home.
We have invited each artist to reflect on their personal correspondence with this specific landscape. Changing seasons shape the rhythm of daily life. The land itself silently bears witness to the lives of those who inhabit it. Nature is not merely a backdrop, it’s an active, living, breathing partner.
This show asks us all to consider not only the beauty of the land that surrounds us, but how it defines us, and ultimately becomes an extension of who we are.
Some of the artists whose work is included are:

Jaye Moscariello

Josie Miner

June Wink

Linda Moronti

Peter Biamonte

Sam Mercier

Susie Crofut

Teresa Bills

Memories of Stone by Teresa Bills

Virginia Overton

From Church to Synagogue to Arts Center: Book talk and slide presentation by Ron Bernard
2025-05-31 10:00 - 11:30
Join local historian Ron Bernard, author of Sandisfield Then and Now 1762-2012 and The Little Brown Church of New Boston, Mass., and the Lives of Its Pastors, for a book talk and slide presentation on his third book, From Church to Synagogue to Arts Center: Celebrating 185 Years of Community and Culture.
The book tells the comprehensive story of a special building that was home to Baptist and Jewish congregations and is now a community cultural center launching its 30th season.
Nearly two years of original research, interviews, and writing reveals new information and fascinating biographies of 55 individuals who played important roles in the life of Sandisfield’s most venerable community asset, a National Register of Historic Places treasure.
The book will be available for pre-order. Each $15 admission includes a $5 discount on one book.
Coffee, tea and light snacks will be available.

The Landscape We Live: Opening Reception
2025-05-30 17:00 - 19:00
Above photograph: River Dream by Linda Mironti
Show opens Friday May 30 5 – 7 pm with a reception and closes July 6. After the opening reception, Gallery hours are 11 am to 3 pm weekends.
Celebrating the 30th anniversary and long anticipated renovations of the Arts Center, this exhibition pays tribute to Sandisfield—the topography, trees, totems, rocks, rivers, animals, and artists who call it home.
The reception will include a toast to the donors who made our renovations possible, including the refurbished Gallery and the addition of climate-friendly air conditioning and other building improvements. The gallery will be christened The Garfield Family Gallery honoring the gift of the Estate of Leslie and Johanna Garfield. We’ll also recognize other donors including the Homestead Foundation, the Wyomissing Foundation, the Feigenbaum Foundation, the 1772 Foundation, and generous individuals, as well as architects P. Nicholas Elton and Jerry Herman.
The show has invited each artist to reflect on their personal correspondence with this specific landscape. Changing seasons shape the rhythm of daily life. The land itself silently bears witness to the lives of those who inhabit it. Nature is not merely a backdrop, it’s an active, living, breathing partner.
This show asks us all to consider not only the beauty of the land that surrounds us, but how it defines us, and ultimately becomes an extension of who we are.
This page will be updated with artist information and examples of their work.
Some of the artists whose work is included are:

Bill Carlson

Erika Crofut

Jaye Moscariello

Josie Miner

June Wink

Linda Moronti

Peter Biamonte

Sam Mercier

Susie Crofut

Teresa Bills

Memories of Stone by Teresa Bills

Virginia Overton

Bobby Sweet Trio in the Cabaret
2024-10-19 19:00 - 20:30
Singer-songwriter Bobby Sweet is an engaging storyteller, dynamic performer, and a longtime favorite of Sandisfield Arts Center audiences.
The Berkshire native and sixth generation musician has received praise for his Country-Americana style and story songs about real life. Stylistically, Bobby’s music resides somewhere between John Prine, Jackson Browne, and a countryfied Bruce Springsteen, with a hint of Texas Swing.
Between 2008 and 2016, Bobby toured the US and Canada as lead guitarist with Arlo Guthrie. His travels with Guthrie included performances at Carnegie Hall, the New Orleans Jazz Fest, and Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion, among many other landmark venues. Bobby’s songs have aired on many hit television series, such as Nashville, Touched By An Angel, Walker Texas Ranger, CSI, and Judging Amy.
He has released seven solo albums to date.
He will be performing with his trio featuring pedal steel guitarist Pete Adams and vocalist Lara Tupper.
Ticket sales here stop at 6:30 pm but we should still have some room for walk-ins.

Transforming Care During Serious Illness
2024-10-19 10:00 - 11:30
Talk by Diane Meier, MD, Director Emerita and Strategic Advisor of the Center to Advance Palliative Care.
From the Center to Advance Palliative Care website:
The Center to Advance Palliative Care is a national organization devoted to increasing access to quality health care in the United States for people living with serious illness. Under her leadership the number of palliative care programs in U.S. hospitals tripled since 2002.
Widely regarded as a preeminent change agent, Dr. Meier has received numerous awards that recognize and celebrate her achievements. In September 2008, Dr. Meier was awarded a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (MacArthur Genius Award). She was named one of “20 People Who Make Healthcare Better in the United States” by HealthLeaders Media in 2010, and was elected to the National Academy of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in 2013. In 2017 she received both the Gustav O. Lienhard Award of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Hospital Association’s HRET TRUST Award. Dr. Meier served as a Health and Aging Policy Fellow in Washington, DC, in 2009–10, working on the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) and at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Dr. Meier has published more than two hundred works in peer-reviewed medical literature. Her most recent book, Meeting the Needs of Older Adults with Serious Illness: Challenges and Opportunities in the Age of Health Reform, was published by Humana in 2014. She has been featured in the media numerous times, including the PBS NewsHour Brief But Spectacular and the New York Times Magazine.
A recent article by Meier on the future of palliative care: https://www.capc.org/blog/dr-diane-meier-on-the-history-and-future-of-palliative-care-research/

Illuminated: Women in Photography - Continues through November 9
2024-10-13 16:00 - 2024-11-09 19:00
October 13 – November 9
Illuminated: Women in Photography
UPDATE:
Continues, Saturday, October 19, 11-3pm, Sunday, October 27, 11-3pm , Saturday, November 2, 11-3pm, or by appointment gallery@sandisfieldartscenter.org
Closing reception Saturday November 9 at 5pm with a talk by Mariah Robertson at 6:15pm.
Mariah Robertson www.mariahrobertson.com , an artist known primarily for her work experimenting with darkroom techniques and materials, will give a talk on her work and process at the closing party on November 9th at 6:15pm.
Above photograph by Mariah Robertson
Illuminated: Women in Photography
Opening reception October 13 4-5:30 pm, 5:30 Slideshow and talk by Amy Arbus, world renowned award-winning photographer
The gender component of emotional memory is linked to the amygdala (an almond-shaped emotion locus in both hemispheres of the brain.) For women, the left side of the amygdala appears to drive emotional recall much more vividly than for men. Women also have nine brain regions actively involved in the imprinting and commitment to memory of emotionally rich stimuli, whereas men have only two. (https://www.healthday.com/health-news/neurology/emotional-memory-stronger-in-women-508198.html)
This show is both a celebration and inquiry into the feminine nature of memory. How does what we remember — and forget — influence artistic process and output? Each artist, through her own personal experience, reveals how memories can function as the ultimate fabric of self expression and storytelling.
Work by these artists:
Daisy Noyes
Josie Miner
Kenzie Fields
Mariah Robertson
Maura Sullivan
Susanna Howe
Tina Tyrell
Barbara Woike

Katherine Wells, Middletown, Ct, 1979 by Barbara Woike

The Nutcracker, 2022 by Tina Tyrell

The Death of Mikhail Alexandrovich, 2006 by Maura Sullivan

by Susanna Howe

by Daisy Noyes

by Mariah Robertson

Bill Taylor and Friends
2024-10-06 16:00 - 17:30
This concert features Bill Taylor playing along with Gerold Mohn, clarinet and bassoon, Tari Roosa, flute and piccolo, Terry Keevil, oboe and English Horn, French horn player Stewart Edelstein and singer Jaye Alison Moscariello. We will perform several of Bill’s pieces which are classically-inspired with hints of jazz and show tunes; these are trios, duos, solos, and quartets; and a few songs. Spanish Stairs by Paul McCandless and two 20th century classical pieces, Dmitri Shostakovich’s Four Waltzes and Camille Saint-Saens’ Tarantella, will fill out the program.
Partial list of pieces aside from those above:
Ode to Ludwig
Civil Unrest
Hiding From the Law
Saratoga Salsa
Nature’s Dream
Mendocino Coast Storm
Belugas
Of The Woods
Seattle Cascade/Shutters Corners
Sueno Con Bosque Nublado (not sure how to put ~ over the n in Sueno)
Release
Every Time We Meet (by Priscilla Rowe)
About Bill Taylor
Bill Taylor is a composer, pianist, and market gardener/farmer and radio show cohost living in Sandisfield, MA since 2020. Several of his works were performed in March 2019 by the Ukiah Symphony (CA). His two albums (Nature’s Dream, 2018 and Of This Earth, 2011) include solo and ensemble pieces with Paul McCandless (grammy winning reed player with Oregon and Paul Winter Consort), jazz flautist George Husaruk, singer Jaye Alison Moscariello, violinist and concertmaster of Ukiah Symphony Margie Rice, and bassist Yanahay Hooper. He played in the Soul Purpose Band from 2012 to 2020, was church pianist and organist from 2004 to 2020 in northern California and from 2022 to present in West Stockbridge, MA. His farming and environmental awareness and involvement inform his compositions. He studied composition at Cornish School and with composer Ken Benshoof, piano with his father Arnold Taylor, Harriet Shirvan in Boston, and jazz pianist Jerry Gray in Seattle. His music was featured in several films produced by Jaye Alison Moscariello. In June 2023 and again in 2024 he was a composer at the Mostly Modern Festival where his chamber pieces Regenerate, Heal, Cool, Normalizing Evil and others were performed. He is working on a third album.
More info on Bill and his music at touchthearthmusic.com
Jaye Alison Moscariello sang on Bill’s two albums and at numerous concerts with him, and trained with Rosa D’Acri.
Gerold Mohn, Tari Roosa, and Stewart Edelstein are members of the Stockbridge Sinfonia and chamber ensembles in the area.
Stewart Edelstein (French horn), a resident of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music (Preparatory Department), where he majored in French horn and minored in piano. He continued his French horn studies at Oberlin College, where he was an English major. After graduating from Cornell Law School, he formed a woodwind quintet, Prevailing Winds, which concertized in Connecticut for over thirty years. When he retired to Connecticut, he was a founding member of another woodwind quintet, Berkshire Winds, and has been a member of Stockbridge Sinfonia. He also performs with the Lenox High School Band — no students at that high school play the French horn!
Terry Keevil (oboe, English Horn) has been a member of the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra and Choir of Sacred Music, and performed with Lazar Gosman’s Tchaikovsky Orchestra as well as the Bach Aria Group.
For over thirty years he was a member of the chamber group, North Shore Pro Musica. Terry was also part of the Constellation Trio with Linda Wetherill, flute and Steve Salerno, guitar. Terry has performed and recorded with cellist David Darling and released a CD of original duduk music titled “Duduk Creations”. He received a DMA in oboe performance from SUNY/Stony Brook where he studied with Steve Taylor, and an MM from SUNYSB where he studied with Ronald Roseman. As an undergraduate, he attended Amherst College for two years and received a BA from Sarah Lawrence College, where he studied with Ronald Roseman. Terry and his wife, Sarah, moved to West Stockbridge from Long Island in the Summer of 2023.
Gerold Mohn (Clarinet and Bassoon) grew up in Leverkusen, Germany and recently retired from a career as a scientist in Biopharmaceutical Research and Development. He moved to North Carolina in 1995 as part of an international assignment for a large pharmaceutical company. Gerold developed his passion for music when he received his first clarinet at the age of 10 and was introduced to his teacher Hans Kämmerling who also taught him piano and later became a lifelong friend, mentor and chamber music partner.
Throughout his busy professional life, Gerold continued to study clarinet and bassoon and performed with the Sinfonieorchester Bergisch Gladbach, Germany, the North Carolina Wind Orchestra, the Raleigh Civic Symphony and Chamber Orchestra and was a founding member of the Triangle Wind Ensemble. Gerold is an active chamber musician and he met his wife Cathy playing in a woodwind quintet when they were living in North Carolina. They moved to the Berkshires in 2017 and live in West Stockbridge. Currently Gerold performs regularly with the Berkshire Winds, the Eagles Band and the Stockbridge Sinfonia.
Tari Wheeler Roosa (Flute, Piccolo) is an active performer and teacher in Berkshire County. She currently teaches flute and recorder at the Berkshire Music School and formerly taught the early childhood classes at the school and with the Community Partnership for Children. She performs regularly with the Eagles Community Band and is a founding member of The Jovia Trio (flute, violin, piano ensemble). Tari received a Masters degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder and a Bachelors degree from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell.
Online ticket sales end at 3:30 pm but there is still room for walk-ins – please come!

Landscape Geology: Image Meets Science in the Berkshires
2024-10-05 10:00 - 11:30
A talk with Professor Paul Karabinos, Chair and Edna McConnell Clark Professor of Geology, WIlliams College.
Over a billion years of earth’s history sculpted the iconic Berkshire landscape. The diverse terrains, many captured in classic paintings and sketches, reflect the underlying geology and recent glaciation.
Painting: Bash-Bish Falls, Massachusetts, 1855, by John Frederick Kensett (American, 1816–1872)

"Dick and Jim" - An original play about the friendship of Richard Avedon and James Baldwin
2024-09-28 19:00 - 21:00
Dick & Jim is an original play be poet/playwright Neil Silberblatt tracing the friendship and collaboration between photographer Richard Avedon & essayist/playwright/activist James Baldwin.
The play revolves around (imagined) conversations between Avedon & Baldwin leading up to the publication of their book, Nothing Personal (with photos by Avedon & essays by Baldwin).
Marlon Carey & Geof Newton – both fine actors – will perform the roles of Baldwin & Avedon, respectively.
The performance will be followed by a Q&A with the playwright about his research into the lives of Avedon and Baldwin.
This play made its debut this summer at the Wellfleet Public Library, with funding from the Wellfleet and Massachusetts Cultural Council for that performance.
About Nothing Personal (from the AbeBooks site)
Avedon and Baldwin’s American Journey
Richard Avedon and James Baldwin’s landmark 1964 book explores the complexities and contradictions still at the center of the American experience – especially timely today. Deploying both image and text, Avedon and Baldwin examine the formation of identity, and the bonds that both underlie and undermine human connection.

In 1963-64, former high school friends Richard Avedon, at the time one of the world’s most famous photographers, and James Baldwin, best-selling novelist and essayist and a leading literary voice in the American civil rights movement, collaborated on Nothing Personal, a book about the state of life in America.
Avedon’s subjects range from civil rights icons, to intellectuals, politicians, pop singers, patients in a mental institution, and ordinary Americans, all carefully juxtaposed, cropped, and tightly sequenced. Here, the American Nazi Party contends with poet Allen Ginsberg, and a weary General Eisenhower gives way to the sway of Malcolm X. Depleted mental institution patients call out for human warmth, and are followed by the embrace of mother and child.
Baldwin’s four-part essay offers a critique of a society that is disconnected, unjust and divisive, and therefore in the midst of an existential crisis. In a highly personal and pertinent testimony, he writes about his own experience of harassment by a racist police officer in his native New York City. Yet Baldwin, like Avedon, ends his work with the inescapable need for – and power of – love.

Online ticket sales end at 6 pm on the day of the performance, but we are likely to have room for walk-ins.

Gala Annual Dinner - Honoring Ben Luxon
2024-09-21 18:00 - 21:00
Photograph by Richard Migot.
We lost our beloved Ben Luxon – maestro of the Sandisfield Players, director, producer, actor, and of so many Sandisfield Arts Center events over the last decades – on July 25, 2024.
This evening will celebrate the incalculable contributions that Ben made to our Arts Center — not just plays (creating the Sandisfield Players) but reciting poetry, inviting world-class musicians – his friends – to perform here, and so much more.
The evening will include a delicious dinner prepared by our master chef Adam Manacher and clips and remembrances of such performances as Our Town, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Stamp Collection.
The picture is from last year’s dinner, and captures both how the Arts Center is transformed for our galas and a bit of the spirit of camaraderie these events engender. Two Gentlemen Folk, the DVD with Ben Luxon and Bill Crofut shown at last year’s dinner, will be available for purchase,
Vegetarian and gluten-free preferences can be accommodated but to help us plan, please note this in the Additional Information (order notes) when you check out.

Tributes to Ben in the Sandisfield Times

Third Annual Daniel Manacher Prize for Young Artists - Opening Reception
2024-09-14 14:00 - 2024-10-05 16:00
September 14 – October 6
Please note the date change!
3rd Annual Daniel Manacher Prize for Young Artists
Opening reception 2-4 pm
We are very excited to announce the winners of the 2024 Daniel Manacher Prize for Young Artists! This year’s juror was Josephine Halvorson, an accomplished artist and the Chair of the MFA Program in Painting at Boston University’s College of Fine Art. She has a studio here in Sandisfield.
Image above, Daniel Manacher and Shwoopy Loops.
The three winners are:
Aidan White (website https://www.aidan-white.com/)
Mico Aldmar Mendoza
Warwick Willow (website https://www.warwickwillow.com/about)
The show also includes the work of 2023 winner Laina Falcon (website https://www.falconlaina.com/)
Aidan White was born in Princeton, NJ, and has lived in the Berkshires since he was eight. He is a painting major at Massachusetts College of Art and Design and expects to finish his BFA in August, 2024.
From his statement: I enjoy painting portraits of people and their pets using an expressionistic style. I sometimes place objects in the painting representing something of the subject’s life. While I place objects in a painting intentionally, I leave it to the viewer to make of it what they will. Sometimes, the allusion is obvious, and sometimes not. I also enjoy experimenting with surrealistic subjects that are disjointed and dreamlike. I find the images I use as inspiration in literature, music, current events, and nature, especially human anatomy.

Mico Aldmar Mendozawas born in 2000, and grew up in a small rural town in Central Luzon, Philippines. I am a computer science major, and has a background in environmental sustainability and studio art. He plans to pursue an MFA after graduation and wants to explore the possibilities when it comes to upcycling waste, minimizing material dependence, and exploring sustainable practices/techniques in art.
From his statement: A lot of my work is centered around sustainability and upcycling waste materials – recontextualizing the materiality and meaning of objects that are in excess, wasted, left behind. My three recent sculptures, for example, are made purely of electronic waste from Williams College offices and from local community members – two of which don’t use any other materials at all, even adhesives and binding products.

Warwick Willow grew up surrounded by art. Their early creative experiences involved painting with homemade watercolors, sculpting with salt dough, and exploring their mother’s vast art collection in their family home in New Mexico. They began their formal study of the arts at the age of 15, going on to graduate from Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, with an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts. Having discovered their love of clay, they transferred to the Kansas City Art Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, where they studied ceramics and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. They currently work at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington as a Community Director.

From their statement: My work is an exploration of the connections between art, domesticity, and personal identity as it is tied to a living space. Finding inspiration in the beauty of the mundane and the moments of history found within a home, I aim to create work that brings joy into that intimate space without requiring a pedestal or formal display. When exhibiting my work I prioritize creating an environment that holds stories and feels full of life.

Falcon Laina, 2023 winner, will be showing new work.
Focusing on scenes from their vivid dreams, Falcon’s work explores the eerie, otherworldly and horrific. By using slow and methodical techniques to bring these pieces to life, and by presenting a static and beautiful fine art object, they strive to take away its ability to jumpscare. Falcon’s drawings and sculptures often depict a monster which is made of both human and animal parts.

These embodiments of taboo and monstrosity are comments on their experience with gender queerness. By presenting these creatures as lovingly crafted creations, they hope to elicit a sense of curiosity and wonder in the viewer, and a greater respect for the mysterious.

Understanding

Small Works - Opening Reception and Gallery Show
2024-08-17 16:00 - 2024-09-08 18:00
August 17 – September 8
Group show featuring small and often very affordable works. Opening reception 4-6 pm. Show continues through September 8.
Image above is Vitro Muralis by William Carlson.
Gallery visiting hours 11 to 3 Saturdays and Sundays except for 11 to 2 on Sunday August 18.
The Gallery Committee at The Sandisfield Arts Center is happy to present our 4th exhibit of the season: Small Works. As the long days of summer begin to wane, we invite viewers to pause and investigate intimate renderings across a spectrum of media and craft. Local artists and artisans have been given creative freedom to showcase work that is intimate in size but holds great weight and impact.
Featured artists include Amy Pressman, Ann Getsinger, Cameron Goodyear, Jacob Fossum, Jaye Alison Moscariello, Josephine Allesi Freedman, Josie Miner, June Wink, Mary Brenerman, Steve Butler and William Carlson.
Some of the work you will see and can purchase:

Dark Matter, William Carlson

Tea Box Cover, Steve Butler

Jaye Alison Moscariello

June Wink

Josephine Alessi Freedman

Jacob Fossum

Constitutional Limits and the Role of the Supreme Court: Lessons from Franklin Roosevelt's Struggle with a Conservative Court
2024-08-10 10:00 - 11:30
We are proud to continue the Bill Cohn/Val Coleman Series on History and American Culture with this timely talk by Kenneth Cohen, who will discuss what we can learn about today’Constitutional issues from Franklin Roosevelt’s struggle with a conservative court.
Ken Cohen has taught and practiced law in Boston. After law school, he clerked for the Chief Judge of the First Circuit federal appeals court. He taught both Constitutional Law and the course on the federal courts at Boston University School of law, and was then for many years a partner at Goodwin Procter in Boston. There he specialized in appellate and complex litigation. He has briefed and argued cases involving constitutional issues in federal appellate courts and state supreme courts around the country.

Romance in the Afternoon: Piano Recital with Josh Luxon-Robinson
2024-07-28 16:00 - 18:00
Young pianist Josh Luxon-Robinson returns by popular demand after his terrific recital here last summer.
The program:
Johannes Brahms
-Rhapsody in G Minor, Op. 72, No. 2
Leonard Bernstein
-Touches: Chorale, Eight Variations and Coda
Franz Liszt
-Consolation No. 3
Sergei Rachmaninoff
-Prelude in G Minor, Op. 23, No. 5
[INTERVAL]
Claude Debussy
-Ballade
-Deux Arabesques
Nikolai Medtner
-Canzona Matinata, Op. 39, No. 4
-Sonata Tragica, Op. 39, No. 5
Nikolai Medtner was a younger contemporary of Sergei Rachmaninoff and Alexander Scriabin, and his Wikipedia page notes “After a period of comparative obscurity in the 25 years immediately after his death, he is now becoming recognized as one of the most significant Russian composers for the piano.”
If tickets are sold out, please come – we will attempt to make room for everyone.

Unearthed - Opening Reception and Gallery Show
2024-07-13 16:00 - 2024-08-11 18:00
Unearthed: Group show featuring three-dimensional work
Opening reception Saturday July 13 4-6 pm. Meet the artists, enjoy light refreshments.
The show runs until August 11. Gallery is open Saturdays and Sundays from 11 to 3.
“Unearthed,” the three-dimensional art show hosted at the Sandisfield Arts Center in Western Massachusetts, promises a captivating exploration of our connection to the world through various mediums. This unique exhibition showcases a diverse array of artworks, each telling its own story through tactile and visually stunning forms. Central to “Unearthed” are works crafted from clay, exemplifying the earthy essence and malleability of the material. These pieces invite viewers to contemplate the ancient roots of human creativity and the enduring significance of clay in art.
Equally compelling are the hand-carved wooden sculptures, each revealing the intricate skill and dedication of the artist. These works speak to the organic beauty of wood and the craftsmanship involved in transforming raw material into expressive art.
Adding a layer of intrigue are the sculptures made from found objects, where discarded items are repurposed into thought-provoking artworks. This aspect of the exhibition encourages reflection on sustainability and the potential for art to redefine our perceptions of everyday objects.
Lastly, the inclusion of molten glass artworks introduces a dynamic element of fluidity and transparency to “Unearthed.” These creations capture light and color in mesmerizing ways, reflecting the interplay between natural elements and human creativity. Set in the serene landscape of the Berkshires, the Sandisfield Arts Center provides an intimate setting where visitors can immerse themselves in the tactile and conceptual richness of three-dimensional art.
“Unearthed” not only celebrates the diversity of artistic expression but also invites contemplation on our relationship with the world through the tangible and enduring medium of sculpture.
Artists:
Milena Cerna
Erika Crofut https://www.erikacrofut.com/
Gail Gelburd https://www.gailgelburd.com/
Caryn King https://www.carynking.com/
Sarah Konstam
Margie Skaggs https://www.facebook.com/margie.skaggs.58/
Nancy Silkey
Natalie Tyler https://natalietylerart.com/
Some of the work you will want to see in all three dimensions!

Clay works by Milena Cerna

“Immigrant” from 7 foot tree sculpture by Nancy Silkey

Backyard bird by Erika Crofut

Works by Margie Skaggs

Ram Skull by Natalie Tyler

By Caryn King
