Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center presents ‘Steve Earle: Fifty Years of Songs and Stories’
Great Barrington— On Saturday, June 14th at 8 p.m., the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center presents “Steve Earle: Fifty Years of Songs and Stories” with opening act Jake Kohn.
Steve Earle is one of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of his generation. A protege of legendary songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, he quickly became a master storyteller in his own right, with his songs being recorded by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, Emmylou Harris, The Pretenders, and countless others.
1986 saw the release of his record, “Guitar Town,” which shot to number one on the country charts and is now regarded as a classic of the Americana genre. Subsequent releases received consecutive Grammy Awards. Most recently, his 1988 hit “Copperhead Road” was made an official state song of Tennessee. In 2020, Earle was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Earle has published a novel, a collection of short stories, and has produced albums for other artists such as Joan Baez and Lucinda Williams. As an actor, Earle has appeared in several films and had recurring roles in the HBO series “The Wire” and “Tremé.” In 2009, Earle appeared in the off-Broadway play “Samara,” for which he also wrote a score that The New York Times described as “exquisitely subliminal.” Earle wrote music for and appeared in “Coal Country,” for which he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. Earle is also the host of the weekly show “Hard Core Troubadour” on Sirius Radio’s Outlaw Country channel.
The concert is on Saturday, June 14th at 8 p.m. at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, located at 14 Castle Street in Great Barrington. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Guthrie Center presents Cole Quest and The City Pickers
Great Barrington— On Saturday, June 14th at 8 p.m., The Guthrie Center presents Cole Quest and The City Pickers.
Cole Quest and The City Pickers are not your average bluegrass band. Led by the charismatic and talented Cole Quest, grandson of the folk icon Woody Guthrie, this group of New York City musicians is united by their love of bluegrass and their passion for bringing a fresh, innovative sound to the traditional genre.
With their infectious energy and high-spirited talent, The City Pickers have become a mainstay on the local scene and have gained recognition from industry professionals and fans alike. But what really sets Cole Quest and The City Pickers apart is their unique musical approach. Blending original tunes with traditional favorites, they infuse each song with a special brand of high-spirited energy and a high lonesome sound that’ll leave you wanting more. Their music is inspired by the stories and emotions of everyday life, and their instrumentation and vocal style are second to none. Over the years, The City Pickers have shared bills with some of the biggest names in bluegrass and Americana music, but for them, the real joy comes from performing for live audiences across the world and connecting with fans who share their love of bluegrass.
The concert is on Saturday, June 14th at 8 p.m. at The Guthrie Center, located at 2 Van Deusenville Road in Great Barrington. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Lich Gate Concerts presents an enchanting afternoon of chamber music in the beautiful sanctuary of Old Parish Church
Sheffield— On Saturday, June 14th at 4 p.m., Lich Gate Concerts presents an enchanting afternoon of chamber music in the beautiful sanctuary of Old Parish Church.
Lich Gate Concerts strives to bring live chamber music concerts in beautiful settings in the Southern Berkshires. Why “Lich Gate” Concerts? A lich gate is a covered gateway found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style churchyard. It marks the transition from the secular world into the sacred. This concert series seeks to transport us from everyday life and into the realm of music, which has the power to speak directly to our souls.
Whether you are a seasoned music aficionado or a newcomer eager to explore the world of live performances, Lich Gate Concerts offers a diverse array of experiences tailored to your interests. This program, curated by Artistic Director and Violinist, Jorge Ávila, features string quartets from the 18th century to the 20th century, from Italy, Austria, Bohemia, and America. The string quartet members are Jorge Ávila, Violin I; Rachel Handman, Violin II; Orlando Wells, Viola; and Sarah Hewitt-Roth, Cello. Immerse yourself in the exceptional artistry of this distinguished ensemble as they present the elegance and complexity of chamber music, promising to be a remarkable afternoon.
The concert is on Saturday, June 14th at 4 p.m. at the Old Parish Church, located at 125 Main Street in Sheffield. More information can be found online.
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Clark Art Institute presents ‘A Room of Her Own: Women Artists in Britain 1875–1945’
Williamstown— From June 14th through September 14th, the Clark Art Institute presents “A Room of Her Own: Women Artists in Britain 1875–1945.”
In her essay, “A Room of One’s Own” (1929), Virginia Woolf argued that women need their own physical space, as well as sufficient income, to write fiction. Woolf exhorted women to find their creative voice, to pave the way for an imagined “Shakespeare’s sister,” an artist of genius whose work would build on the accomplishments of the creative women that came before her. Woolf also believed that this imagined poet’s creativity existed in every woman. Woolf recognized that long-existing gendered expectations limited women from pursuing a creative life beyond domestic responsibilities. She exhorted women of her time to make every effort to realize their talents and foster an environment in which women can flourish, concluding “so to work, even in poverty and obscurity, is worth while.”
“A Room of Her Own: Women Artist-Activists in Britain 1875–1945” features paintings, drawings, prints, stained glass, embroidery, and other decorative arts made by twenty-five professional women artists in Great Britain who were, in fact, answering Virginia Woolf’s call during her lifetime. The exhibition explores the spaces these women claimed as their own and which furthered their artistic ambitions, including their rooms, homes, studios, art schools, clubs, and public exhibition venues. Their roles in creating change and opportunity—whether through art education, marching for women’s suffrage, protesting World War I, or creating networking opportunities for fellow artists or members of their community—is also highlighted in this presentation.
The exhibit is on view from June 14th through September 14th at the Clark Art Institute, located at 225 South Street in Williamstown. There is an opening reception on Friday, June 13th at 6 p.m. and an opening lecture on Saturday, June 14th at 11 a.m. More information can be found online.
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TurnPark Art Space presents ‘Roots and Wings’ its annual summer festival
West Stockbridge— On Saturday, June 14th from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., TurnPark Art Space presents “Roots and Wings” its annual summer festival.
More than three dozen innovative artists, including TurnPark collaborator Uta Bekaia, globally recognized vocalist Úyanga Bold, Master puppeteer Tommy Nguyen, and Cirque du Soleil’s Josh Geisler, will explore deep-rooted connections that shape us, while simultaneously embracing soaring possibilities of the future through performances of original music, dance, and theater, art exhibits, as well as immersive installations, interactive experiences, wearable sculptures, a large-scale dragon, a woodland-inspired crown-making workshop, a collective art project, and meditative rituals across the entire park.
“As this year’s theme suggests, we are rooted to the ground in both many and shared ways,” says TurnPark Art Space Co-Founder Igor Gomberg. “But we also have the capacity to spread our wings along our own individual paths. We hope the unique performances and participatory activities we will offer during the 2025 Summer Festival will inspire our guests to explore their roots and let their imaginations take flight.”
The festival is on Saturday, June 14th from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. at TurnPark Art Space, located at 2 Moscow Road in West Stockbridge. Concessions will be available for purchase from Charlie’s Bistro Bus, Queensboro Wine & Spirits, and others. Items from the TurnPark gift shop and other unique gifts will also be available for purchase. Children age 12 and under are admitted free. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art presents ‘The Art of Grace Lin: Meeting a Friend in an Unexpected Place’
Amherst— From June 14th through January 4th, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art presents “The Art of Grace Lin: Meeting a Friend in an Unexpected Place,” featuring more than 90 works from Lin’s prolific 26-year career in picture books, books for young readers, and chapter books. The exhibition title is inspired by a Chinese aphorism about one of the four happinesses of life.
Born to Taiwanese immigrants in upstate New York, Lin expresses her heritage through storytelling. Much of her work features Asian and Asian American characters—something she longed to see in the books she read as a child. Today, Lin is a dedicated advocate for diversity in children’s literature who believes “a book can make all cultures universal.” She said, “When I was a child, books were the friends that always welcomed me. I hope that my books feel like that to my readers.”
Grace Lin’s first picture book, “The Ugly Vegetables,” was published in 1999 to glowing praise. Twenty-five years later, she has created more than 30 titles, including board books, early readers, and middle grade novels, garnering Caldecott, Newbury, and Geisel honors along the way. Lin is a dedicated advocate for diversity in children’s book publishing, with a popular TEDx talk, “The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child’s Bookshelf” and created the video essay, “What to do when you realize classic books from your childhood are racist?” for PBS NewsHour and New England Public Radio.
The exhibit runs from June 14th through January 4th at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, located at 125 West Bay Road in Amherst. The exhibition will feature bilingual English/Traditional Chinese wall texts and activity instructions, and Simplified Chinese translations also will be available. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Spencertown Academy Art Center’s 20th ‘Hidden Gardens’ celebration
Spencertown, N.Y.— On Saturday, June 14th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Spencertown Academy Arts Center presents its 20th “Hidden Gardens” celebration, including self-guided tours of some of the most dazzling private gardens in the region, as well as an outdoor market and a botanical-themed art exhibition.
This year’s tour showcases the glory of late spring and promise of summer beauty at residential gardens in Chatham, Ghent, and Valatie. Two of the gardens, perched high in the Taconic Hills, offer magnificent vistas and views of the Catskills. They both incorporate the natural beauty of the surrounding environment while featuring pools, patios, and plantings that relate to their location. Another highlight is the garden at Steepletop, the home of Edna St. Vincent Millay in Austerlitz, which returns to the tour after an absence of several years, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the famous poet purchasing this home and the Millay Society.
The “Market on The Green” will take place from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Spencertown Village Green, located at the intersection of Routes 203 and 7. More than 20 vendors will offer flowers, plants, vintage and new home and garden furnishings, pottery, crafts, and garden books, plus shoppers will find bargains on choice garden items and accessories at the Academy’s White Elephant Booth. This and That Food Truck will be serving breakfast and lunch items.
In the “Nurturing Nature” art exhibition, on view from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Spencertown Academy Arts Center Gallery, six women artists explore their symbiotic relationships with the natural world. The show features wearable art and mixed media sculptures by Deborah H. Carter, acrylic painting and monoprints by Maxine Davidowitz, archival photography by Shelley Lawrence Kirkwood, ceramics and digital prints by Anat Shiftan, oil painting by Jackie Skrzynski, and frozen botanical works and photography by Anna Thurber.
The events are on Saturday, June 14th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Spencertown Academy Art Center is located at 790 State Route 203 in Spencertown. Tour tickets and more information can be found online.
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Olana Partnership presents ‘What’s Missing? Artworks in the Olana Landscape: Artists Ellen Harvey and Gabriela Salazar Explore Missing Parts of Olana’s History’
Hudson, N.Y.— On Saturday, June 14th, Olana Partnership presents “What’s Missing? Artworks in the Olana Landscape: Artists Ellen Harvey and Gabriela Salazar Explore Missing Parts of Olana’s History.”
While some buildings at Olana may no longer exist, their stories remain embedded within the historic landscape. The Olana Partnership commissioned artists Ellen Harvey and Gabriela Salazar to create site-specific outdoor artworks that respond to these missing pieces of Olana’s history.
Harvey’s project, “Winter in the Summer House,” will activate the site of the Church family’s “summer house,” which remains one of the big mysteries at Olana. The structure appears on the historic 1886 “Plan of Olana,” but no evidence of its appearance or use exists. The installation will take the form of a hexagonal enclosed structure constructed entirely of gilded mirrors reflecting views of Olana’s landscape and surrounding viewshed, which visitors will be invited to enter. The secret engravings on the inside of the structure are a call-out both to Frederic Church’s famous voyage to find icebergs to paint and also to his ecological legacy.
Salazar’s project, “A Measure of Comfort (Cake and Cord)” will consist of two interrelated sculptures activating the stone foundations that remain of Olana’s nineteenth-century woodshed and icehouse, both located in the historic farm complex. Salazar explores the duality of the structures’ former functions and the exploitation of natural resources they embodied, one storing ice for cooling and the other wood for heating.
The exhibit opens on Saturday, June 14th at Olana State at Olana State Historic Site, located at 5720 NY-9G in Hudson, N.Y. There will be an artist talk and celebration on Saturday, June 14th from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. More information can be found online.
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Springfield Museums premieres ‘Reputation: Under the Stars,’ a new Taylor Swift planetarium show
Springfield— On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 4 p.m., the Springfield Museums is presenting “Reputation: Under the Stars” in the Seymour Planetarium, featuring the original recordings from Taylor Swift’s 2017 album and dazzling effects created by a full-dome projector.
After the success of “1989: Under the Stars” in 2024, the staff at the Springfield Science Museum were eager to follow it up with the fan-favorite “Reputation,” but there was one catch: they had vowed to only utilize recordings owned by the singer-songwriter, and Swift had not released her version of the album yet.
“I love the sound of visitors singing along with the music in Seymour Planetarium and when there’s dancing in the aisles!” says Jenny Powers, Director of the Springfield Science Museum and certified Swiftie. “And now when we license the music, it’s the artist that benefits from the songs she created. We’re so happy that every version is Taylor’s version!”
The show runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 4 p.m. at the Springfield Museums’s Seymour Planetarium, located at 21 Edwards Street in Springfield. More information can be found online.
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American Mural Project celebrates ‘Connecticut Open House Day’ with free admission and special activities
Winsted, Conn.— Saturday, June 14th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., American Mural Project celebrates ‘Connecticut Open House Day’ with free admission and special activities.
Visitors will experience AMP’s one-of-a-kind five-story mural, an awe-inspiring tribute to American workers. The day features interactive guided tours, the new Recycled Runway fashion exhibit, and art-making activities for kids. Teens from AMP’s Teen Art Studio will also display their talent in a collaborative art show.
This year, the festivities extend beyond AMP’s walls. Visitors are encouraged to explore additional cultural landmarks and local businesses in Winsted. Thanks to a free hourly shuttle bus, operating from 10am to 3pm, attendees can also easily visit the American Museum of Tort Law, the Whiting Mills Artist Studios next door to AMP, Soldiers Monument & Memorial Park, the Marina at Highland Lake, and unique local shops like The Curious Cat Bookshop, and such restaurants as Little Red Barn Brewers, Railway Cafe, and 2nd Home Lounge, creating a full day of discovery. With free admission, accessible parking, a free shuttle bus to hop on and off, and activities for all ages, “Connecticut Open House Day” is the perfect time to explore Winsted.
The event is on Saturday, June 14th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at American Mural Project, located at 90 Whiting Street in Winsted, Conn. More information can be found online.
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Berkshire Carousel celebrates opening day with free rides and more
Pittsfield— On Saturday, June 14th from noon to 5 p.m., the Berkshire Carousel returns!
Opening day will feature free rides all day, sponsored by Jim and Jackie Shulman. The Shulman family were the founders of Berkshire Carousel, which was created by over 200 volunteers and sponsored by local families and businesses.
The new patio area with picnic tables will be open to enjoy the food vendors Krispy Cones Ice Cream, Patriot Pop Kettle Corn and Lemonade, and Tunnel City Coffee. Music will be provided by DJ David Dias, mixing classic carousel music with today’s hits. The Carousel Gift Shop will have new t-shirts, coloring books, and lollipops on hand, as well as the new Berkshire Carousel Passport Book.
The event is on Saturday, June 14th from noon to 5 p.m. at the Berkshire Carousel, located at 50 Center Street in Pittsfield. The Berkshire Carousel will operate Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m., with tickets to ride only $2. On Sunday, June 15th, there is a “Buy One Ride, Get One Free” special for Father’s Day. More information can be found online.
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Housatonic Party in the Park 2025
Housatonic— On Saturday, June 14th from noon to 4 p.m., the Housatonic the Beautiful Fund and Housatonic Improvement Committee present Housatonic Party in the Park 2025 at the Housatonic Village Common.
There will be live music, dance, face painting, and more including Bowey the Magic Clown, activities hosted by the Great Barrington Libraries, and a Hot Shot basketball tournament. Local vendors and organizations will provide information about their activities and services. Live music will be provided by Tom Norton, Soul Prophet, Bryan in the House with Friends, and Kathrine Winston & Michael Aaron. Berkshire Pulse will present dance classes and African Drumming. Food will be available for purchase from BB’s Hot Spot, La Chalupa Y La Enchilada, SoCo Creamery, Stylin’ Franks, and Extra Special Teas. The Great Barrington Fire Department will bring a display fire truck, and the Great Barrington Police Department will bring Archer, its comfort dog.
The party is on Saturday, June 14th from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free and all are welcome. More information can be found online.
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