Hilltown Families

8 Western MA Farm Programs Offer Education for Families

April 9, 2013 at 2:00 pm (Berkshire County, Contributing Writer, Franklin County, Hampshire County, Theresa Heary-Selah)
Tags: Community Based Education, Farm Camp, Farming, place-based education

Learning on the Farm

Red Gate Farm is located in Buckland, MA, and provides opportunities for school groups to visit and engage in the daily life of a working farm. School groups can visit for three days, during which they take care of the farm animals, buildings and people. There is more information available at www.redgatefarm.org. (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)

There is no better place to learn than your neighborhood farm and no better time than the spring and summer!

Whether you are looking for a place to go with your family on the weekend, your home-schooling group during the weekdays, or a summer camp for your kids, the following list of farm based learning opportunities are great places to check out. Many of them even have programs just for adults! No need for the kids to have all of the fun.

• Winterberry Farm in Leverett, MA, is a small, family teaching farm. They have farm and fiber programs throughout the year. One of their most interesting programs is Sheep Week for kids during April vacation week. Each child is assigned a ewe and her lambs to care for during the week. The kids weigh, feed, and get to participate in all aspects of the care of their own sheep family. They even get to watch the video of their home-birth! There are also courses for adults. There are private fiber and soap making classes, as well as custom made workshops for scout groups or homeschool groups. They host camps on vacation weeks as well as Summer Camp. Learn more at www.winterberryfarm.org.

• Berkshire Botanical Gardens in Stockbridge, MA offers programs for both children and adults. They run a Farm in the Garden Camp, which is a full-day summer camp for children ages 5 to 10. For adults, the choices are impressive. They offer courses on fruit production, growing with perennials, and building dry stone walls, among other things. You can learn more at berkshirebotanical.org.

• Crimson and Clover Farm in Florence, MA hosts courses and summer camps through the Farm Education Collaborative. There are home-school programs, parent child gardening programs, an after school farm club and workshops for adults. There is more information available at www.thefarmeducationcollaborative.org.

• Farm School in Athol, MA helps people connect with the land. Visiting schools can spend three days fully immersed in the work and life of the farm. Adults who want to learn about animal husbandry, vegetable production and homesteading skills can participate in the Practical Farm Training Program. There is even a one-room school house for middle school students. It offer a rigorous education in a joyful, beautiful setting. You can learn more about their programs at www.farmschool.org.

• Farm and Garden Camp in Amherst, MA is a program through the Farm Education Collaborative based at Hampshire College that has an intentional focus on growing and harvesting the food we eat and fibers we use. It offers weekly summer day camp programs to young people from 4-14 years old during the months of July and August. Learn more about the program at www.farmandgardencamp.org.

• Hartsbrook School in Hadley, MA offers a Waldorf inspired camp during vacation weeks and Farm Camp during the summer. Children ages 4-15 enjoy caring for a variety of farm animals, participating in agricultural crafts and preparing their harvests in the kitchen.You can learn about it at www.hartsbrook.org.

• Open View Farm in Conway, MA was founded in 2005 with the goal of creating a welcoming environment in which people of all ages and backgrounds could connect with nature. They have events throughout the year, including sheep shearing, work projects, and social gatherings. Open View has created an especially welcoming farm for the families of people in the LGBQT families. They have a program called CampOUT which is for children from LGBQT families to get to experience farm life and companionship. Open View farm also offers fellowships for private and public school teachers who need a retreat to create curriculum that supports Peace and Justice or Sustainable and Responsible living. You can learn more about Open View Farm at www.openviewfarm.org.

The soil is warming up for you and your children. Go and make something grow.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Theresa Heary-Selah — Theresa is a teacher and a freelance writer, making her home in Greenfield, MA and Wright, NY with her family.  She teaches at S.H.I.N.E. (Students at Home in New England), a social and academic support program for middle school students in the Pioneer Valley, and writes about home-schooling and technology.  Theresa’s interests include home-schooling, gardening, cooking, hiking, and dancing.

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20 Community Service Opportunities in Western MA for Families this Spring

April 9, 2013 at 12:00 pm (Berkshire County, Franklin County, Hampden County, Hampshire County, Suggested Activity, Take Action, Volunteer Opportunity)
Tags: Community Service, Earth Day, Park Clean Ups, Service Based Learning, Volunteer Opportunites, Volunteering

Park Clean Ups & Community Service Activities for Families this Spring in Western MA

In addition to these volunteer park clean-ups and trail maintenance opportunities, Hilltown Families will be hosting a Family Community Service Event on May 4th bringing families together under one roof to participate in hands-on volunteer projects for seven non-profit and community organizations in Western MA. (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)

As spring warms the landscape across western Massachusetts, opportunities for outdoor adventures increase exponentially. What would have been a snowshoe trek and bark inspection a month ago has become a woods hike where families can identify plants, trees, and wildlife of all shapes and sizes.

However, as the ground awakes from its snow-covered slumber, trails and parks are in need of some restoration and there are plenty of opportunities for families to volunteer together, including during DCR’s Massachusetts Park Serve Day on Saturday, April 20th, Mass Audubon’s 7th Annual Statewide Volunteer Day on April 27th, and stocking the Connecticut River Watershed with Salmon Fry throughout the spring.

All  of these volunteer opportunities, and many other community service work days, aim to bring together community members for a day of reconnecting with nature and cooperative work while providing service based learning experiences! Community service is a great way to show your appreciation for local resources as a family, and participating in volunteer work can help kids develop a strong commitment to their community and their surroundings. Kids can use volunteer work to learn useful skills for everything from hands-on tasks (like trail maintenance) to social skills (such as working in intergenerational settings).

20 Community Service Opportunities in Western MA this Spring

• Wednesday, April 10th from 5:30-7pm: Families with older children and train with the Housatonic Valley Association to be part of their Stream Team Project volunteer crew.  Walk or paddle a stretch of the river and report your findings.  Interest meeting at the Dewey Memorial Building. 413-394-9796. Sheffield, MA
• Saturday, April 13th from 9am-12noon: Look Park is open for the season, but the grounds need some attention!  There are leaves & down branches galore from the October blizzard that need to be cleaned up.  Bring your family and come to the park ready to work (BYO rake and gloves).  Your help ensures that the park remains a valued community resource!  413-727-8457.  300 North Main Street.  Florence, MA.
• Sunday, April 14th from 1-4pm:  Looking for a way to give back to your community by volunteering with your family? How about a spring clean-up? Greenfield Energy Park’s opening performance will be its annual spring clean-up. Greenthumbers invites families with children of all ages to come and join the fun. Some tools will be provided, but please bring your favorite clippers, rake, shovel, tarp or bucket. 413-774-5667. Energy Park.  Greenfield, MA
• Wednesday, April 17th from 5-6:45pm: Families with older children can train with the Housatonic Valley Association to be part of their Stream Team Project volunteer crew.  Walk or paddle a stretch of the river and report your findings.  Interest meeting at the Mason Library. 413-394-9796. Great Barrington, MA
• Saturday, April 20th from 8am-1pm Earth Day Cleanup!  Meet at the Masonic Lodge and volunteer for the morning cleaning up the environment.  Families welcomed.  Bring waterproof boots, work gloves, and a desire to help clean the environment! Meet at the Masonic Lodge. 413-572-6281. 72 Broad Street. Westfield, MA
• Saturday, April 20th from 9-11am: Clean up Whately for Earth Day!  Bring the kids and pick up roadside litter debris.  Meet outside of the Town Hall (rain date: 4/21). Whately, MA
• Saturday, April 20th from 9am-12noon: Families with children ages 10 and older are invited to the annual Meadows Spring clean-up at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary.  Working out in the field, wear work clothes and bring gloves & water. Pre-register. 413-584-3009. 127 Combs Road. Easthampton, MA 
• Saturday, April 20th from 9am-1pm: Clean up the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail! Families with children ages 8yo and older can assist with cleaning up the trail and landscaping. Call for exact location: 413-499-7003. Cheshire, MA
• Saturday, April 20th from 9am-1pm: Chicopee State Park clean up!  Families with children ages 8yo and older can help plant flowers, spread mulch, stain picnic talbes and do general trail maintenance.  Meet at the DCR Park Headquarters. 413-594-9416. 570 Burnett Rd. Chicopee, MA
• Saturday, April 20th from 9am-1pm: Lend a hand to The Trustees of Reservations sprucing up Peaked Mountain.  Bring work gloves, water & snack.  Call to pre-register. : 413-532-1631 x21. Butler Road. Monson, MA
• Saturday, April 20th from 9am-2pm: Join the patrons of the Ramsdell Library for a day of cleaning up along the banks of the Housatonic River.  Meet at the library for an assigned route to clean-up. Pizza at the Brick House at noon for all volunteers. Screening of “Fold, Crumple, Crush” in the library theater at 2pm. 413-274-3738. 1087 Main Street. Great Barrington, MA
• Saturday, April 20th from 9:30am-1pm: Families with older children can help clean up DAR State Forest.  Help prepare for the upcoming camping season by raking campsites & day use picnic areas.  Meet at the campground pavilion. 413-268-7098. Route 112. Goshen, MA
  

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Easter Events in Western MA, 2013

March 14, 2013 at 5:59 am (Berkshire County, Franklin County, Hampden County, Hampshire County, Suggested Activity)
Tags: Berkshire County, Easter, easter egg hunt, Easter Egg Hunts in Western Massachusetts, Easter Events for Families, Easter Events in Massachusetts, franklin county, Greenfield, Hampden County, hampshire county, Southwick, Springfield, Things to do in Western Massachusetts for Easter, western massachusetts, Westfield

Easter Events in Western MA 2013

During Easter many towns host egg hunts for their residents. Find an egg hunt nearest you, along with Easter craft opportunities, brunch and Easter Bunny appearances.

Community events that celebrate Easter take place through April 13th. We’ll be adding to this list as events come in, so be sure to check back.

Saturday, March 16th

In Great Barrington at 3pm, earn to make naturally-dyed eggs with the Berkshire Co-op! Families will learn how to use food, flowers, leaves, and more to create beautifully decorated, all-natural holiday eggs. You’ll get to take the eggs that you dye home, and make sure to wear clothes that can get messy. 413-528-9697. 42 Bridge Street. (FREE)

In Otis at 10am, the town of Otis will host an Easter Egg Hunt and Games event. BYO basked and arrive at the town hall. For more info call 413-269-4541. (FREE)

In Whatley at 12noon, Marion Abrams will be leading a Family Batik Ukrainian Egg Workshop at the Whately Library. Children ages 8yo+ will learn basic skills for beautiful traditional Ukrainian Pysanky. 413-247-9807. (FREE)

Saturday, March 23rd

In Adams from 10-11:30am, the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum will host an Old Fashioned Easter Egg Hunt with hard boiled eggs colored by Daisy Troop 40054 for kids up to ages 12yo. 413-743-7121. 67 East Road.

In Amherst from 12noon-3pm, Atkins Farms hosts an Easter Egg & Candy Hunt with the Easter Bunny.  Photo opportunity with the Easter Bunny. BYO basket.  Under the pavilion. 413-253-9528. Corner of RTE.116 & Bay Rd.  (FREE)

In Easthampton at 10am, there will be an Egg Hunt at Daley Field. Bring a camera for photos with Easter Bunny. BYO basket. For kids ages 10yo and younger. Easthampton High School. Williston Ave. (FREE) – Rain/Snow Date: 3/30

In Great Barrington from 10-11:30am, Berkshire South Regional Community Center will host an egg hunt. Toddlers to age 6yo are welcomed. BYO basket. Pre-register. 413-528-2810. 15 Crissey Road. (>$)

In Huntington at 2pm, the Huntington Recreation Committee will host an Egg Hunt at Pettis Field for Huntington kids (& grandkids) 10yo and younger. BYO basket. 413-667-3500. (FREE) – Rain/Snow Date: 3/24, 2pm.

In New Marlborough at 10:30am, the New Marlborough Library will host a Spring Egg Hunt at the New Marlborough Central School for children up to 11yo.  BYO basket and camera to take photos with the Easter Bunny. 413-229-6668. – Rain/Snow Date: 3/24, 1pm

In Northampton at 1pm, Marion Abrams will be leading a Family Batik Ukrainian Egg Workshop at the Forbes Library. Marion will teach basic skills for beautiful traditional Ukrainian Pysanky. Children ages 8yo+ are welcomed. 413-247-9807. (Free/>$)

In South Hadley at 12noon, the Odyssey Children’s Department will be hiding 100 eggs in store for an Epic Easter Egg Hunt! Two simultaneous Egg Hunts will happen, one on each floor, divided according to age. Spring Storytime follows hunt. BYO baskets. All ages welcome. 413-534-7307. 9 College St. (FREE)

In Wendell from 10am-12noon, Diemand Farm hosts their annual Easter Egg Hunt. There will be egg coloring, crafts and an egg hunt for your children to enjoy. A variety of baby animals including rabbits, goats and lambs will be there to pet–and maybe even feed! 126 Mormon Hollow Road. (FREE)

In Westfield at 11am, the Mayor’s Easter Egg Hunt happens at Shaker Farms Country Club. Kids can search for eggs filled with treats – BYO basket! The Easter Bunny will visit at 11:30am, and kids can get their faces painted. 413-572-1260. 866 Shaker Road. (FREE) – Rain/Snow Date: 4/1, 11am.

In Wilbraham from 10:30am-1pm, the Wilbraham Children’s Museum will host an egg hung for kids ages 5yo and younger. BYO baskets and come hunt for over 400 eggs, enjoy indoor crafts and story time. Hunt begins promptly at 11am. 678 Main Street. (>$) – Rain or Shine.

In Williamstown at 10am, Sweet Brook of Williamstown Rehabilitation and Nursing Center hosts their 3rd annual Easter Egg Hunt. Children up to 10yo can join in. There will be Easter baskets and plastic eggs filled with candy to hunt for on the grounds. 413-458-8371. 1561 Cold Spring Road. (FREE) – Rain/Snow Date: 3/24, 2pm.

Sunday, March 24th

In Ludlow at 12noon, Randall Boys and Girls Club host an Easter Egg Hunt for kids ages 3-11yo. Pictures with the Easter Bunny at 12noon. Hunt begins at 1pm. Must register by 3/22. Rain date: April 7. 413-583-2072. 91 Claudia’s Way. (>$) – Rain/Snow Date: 4/7.

In Sunderland at 2pm, Sunderland Recreation host their 14th annual Easter Egg Hunt at the Sunderland Elementary School. 413-665-1439. 1 Swampfield Dr. (FREE)

Friday, March 29th

In Health from 10:30-11:30am, the Heath Library will host an Egg Hunt on the Town Common in lieu of their weekly story hour. They ask that all participants RSVP. 413-337-4934 x7 (FREE)

Saturday, March 30th

In Agawam at 10am, the Great Easter Egg Hunt happens at the Bethany Assembly of God. Kids ages 1-12yo can join in an Egg Hunt, win prizes and enjoy a performance by the TNT Puppet Team. 413-789-2930. 580 Main Street. (FREE)

In Cheshire from 11am-6pm, Whitney’s Farm Market hosts their Annual Easter Egg Hunt.  Kids ages 5yo and under search at 11am.   Kinds ages 6yo and older search at 3pm. 413-442-4749. 1775 S. State Rd. (FREE)

In Chicopee from 10am-12:15pm, the Chicopee Parks Dept hosts their annual Easter Egg Hunt at Szot Park. Kids are invited to make a silly pair of bunny feet during the event and prizes will even be awarded. In the upper fields at the park, thousands of eggs will litter the field, with good luck eggs sprinkled throughout! Call to register: 413-594-3481. Upper Szot Park. (>$) – Rain site: Chicopee Academy.

In Dalton, the Dalton CRA host an Easter Egg Hunt on the CRA Memorial Lawn. Open to kids 11yo or younger. Easter Bunny visit too. BYO basket. 413-684-0260. 400 Main Street. (FREE) – Rain site: CRA gym.

In Florence at 9:30 & 11am, Look Park hosts two seatings for families to have a breakfast buffet with the Easter Bunny at the Garden House. Tickets sold first come first served. 413-584-5457. 300 North Main St. ($)

In Florence from 1-2pm, the Northampton Rec Department host their annual EGGstravaganza Egg Hunt at Look Park for children ages 10yo and younger. With over 10,000 eggs with goodies inside, kids can scramble for eggs according to age group. BYO basket, get your photo taken with the Easter Bunny, and even win prizes. Be sure to arrive early! 300 North Main St. (FREE/>$ Parking)

In Granby at 11am, the Granby PM Club hosts an Egg Hunt for kids 12yo and younger at the Dufresne’s Park Gazebo. BYO basket. (FREE) – Rain Cancels.

In Hadley from 10:30am-12noon, Hadley Park & Rec. to host an Easter Party at the Hadley Elementary School. Pictures with the Easter Bunny, crafts and fun activities. BYO basket to collect eggs! 21 River Dr. (FREE) – Rain or Shine.

In Holyoke at 10am, Holyoke Parks and Recreation hosts an Egg Hunt and Spring Celebration at the Holyoke Heritage State Park. Easter egg hunts for four age groups, great prizes, face painting, gift bags and a t-shirt decorating station (t-shirts and gift bags included for the first 500 children), pony rides, craft stations and of course a chance to meet the Easter Bunny! BYO basket. 413-322-5620. 221 Appleton Street. (>$) – Rain or Shine.

In Ludlow at 11am, the Hubbard Library host their annual egg hunt. Kids of all ages are invited to the Library’s egg hunt, sponsored by the Friends of the Library! Children will search the grounds for colorful eggs, and a chance to win prizes. Kids who have food allergies can swap for non-candy eggs. BYO basket. 413-583-3408 x3. 24 Center Street. (FREE)

In Pittsfield at 10:30am, the Annual Eggstravaganza Egg Scramble will be held at Pittsfield’s Morningside Community School. Five different age categories beginning at 10:30am-11:25am, open to all Pittsfield children. One winner in each age group who finds the golden egg will receive a special prize! BYO baskets. Easter Bunny will make a special appearance. 100 Burbank Street. (FREE) – Rain or Shine.

In Springfield from 11am-1pm, The Zoo in Forest Park & Education Center hosts a Spring “Egg”stravananza. Collect eggs along the “bunny trail.”  Meet live animals that all come from eggs, and bring your camera for a photo with the Easter Bunny. 413-733-2251. 302 Sumner Ave.

In Stockbridge at 11am, the Stockbridge Library host an annual Easter Egg Hunt to follow a spring story time and book giveaway. 413-298-5501. 46 Main Street. (FREE)

In West Springfield at 9:45am, West Springfield residents are invited to join the search for over 7,000 eggs at the West Springfield Park and Recreation Department annual Easter Egg Hunt at Mittineague Park. Children ages 7yo and younger are invited to meet the Easter Bunny and receive a candy treat between 9:45-10:30am in the tennis court area and then the Easter Hunt will begin sharply at 10:30am. Children will be divided into three color-coded age groups. 413-781-3020. Mittineague Park. (FREE) – Call if rain/snow.

In Worthington at 10:30am, Worthington Easter Egg Hunt takes place at R.H. Conwell School.  Kids hunt followed by teen/adult hunt.  All are welcomed. 413-238-5500. (FREE)

Sunday, March 31st

In Deerfield from 10am-3pm, celebrate Easter at Chandler’s Restaurant at Yankee Candle! There will be delicious food (some from local farms!) and the Easter Bunny will stop by to visit! Reservations suggested. 413-665-1277. 25 Greenfield Road. A ($$)

Saturday, April 13th

In Turners Falls at 1pm, the 8th Annual Peter Cottontail’s EGGstravaganza takes place at Unity Park. Children ages 4-12 are invited to take part in this great community tradition. Activities include face painting, egg coloring, pictures with Peter Cottontail, and a 5,000 Egg Hunt! BYO basket. Unity Park, First Street. (FREE) – (Originally scheduled on 3/23)

[Photo credit: (ccl) Jose Chavarry]

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Celebrate the State’s Sweetest Season this Weekend

March 6, 2013 at 12:00 pm (Berkshire County, Hampden County, Suggested Activity)
Tags: Maple Syrup, Massachusetts, New England, Sugar Season, western massachusetts

Celebrate MapleFest to Maple Harvest Day, from the Berkshires to the Pioneer Valley

Dennis Picard, Storrowton Village Museum director, demonstrates the art of open kettle evaporation to boil sap from a nearby maple tree into sugar during last year’s Maple Harvest Day.

It’s maple season in Western MA for certain!  Taps, buckets, and sap-carrying tubes have been put up in the woods all over the area, the weather is just right, and sap is running.  This weekend, celebrate the return of the state’s sweetest season at MapleFest, Hopkins State Forest’s annual celebration of the tradition of maple sugaring in Williamstown.  Taking place on Saturday, March 9th from 11am-2pm, the event offers families a chance to learn about the modern processes used to produce syrup, as well as a delicious opportunity to sample local syrup atop pancakes or poured over snow.

The forest is home to a working sugar shack, where families can duck into the small, steamy building to see the heated vat evaporating water out of the freshly collected sap.  Once you’ve learned conventional ways maple syrup is made, watch a demonstration of the syrup-making techniques of yesterday!  Families can learn about methods that date as far back as pre-Colonial times.  And, for those interested in lending a hand, helping out with the harvest is always welcome!  Haul a bucket or two, or schlep a crate of freshly sealed jugs – being part of the process is the best way to learn!

For a maple-related adventure down in the Pioneer Valley, look no further than West Springfield’s Storrowton Village!  The historic village, filled with buildings from all over New England, will host Maple Harvest Day on Sunday, March 10th from 11am-3pm.

Families visiting Storrowton will learn about maple sugaring in early New England, and can see museum workers in period costume participate in the 19th-century version of the tasks necessary to make maple syrup.

Inside the homes in the village there will be demonstrations of basic homesteading skills such as open hearth cooking, spinning and weaving, and more.  Enjoy a day in old New England, and learn about rural culture throughout American history!

Both events are free!  Hopkins State Forest is located at the corner of Blakely Street and Northwest Hill Road in Williamstown.  Storrowton Village is located at 1305 Memorial Drive in West Springfield, and can be reached at 413-205-5051.  Enjoy!

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7 Places to Downhill Ski in Western MA this Weekend!

February 9, 2013 at 4:30 pm (Berkshire County, Suggested Activity)
Tags: Berkshires, downhill skiing, jiminy peak mountain resort, outdoors, Skiing, Western MA

MA Office of Travel & Tourism Gives a Round-up of Skiing in Western MA Post Nemo!

Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock, MA.

For those of you with cabin fever, Western MA ski areas have good news! They have fresh snow, and lots of it. With most mountains reporting at least a foot of fresh powder, there’s still time to get a few runs in this weekend. Below is a round up of conditions. For up-to-date information visit the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism’s massvacation.com/skilocal.

1. Ski Butternut in Great Barrington – Ski Butternut saw more than one-foot of fresh snow during the past 24 hours. The ski area has 22 open trails, two terrain parks, and eleven lifts. skibutternut.com
2. Jiminy Peak in Hancock – With 42 trails and nine lifts open today, visitors to Jiminy Peak will enjoy a foot of fresh powder. If you can’t make it this weekend – check out their great lodging deals available during the President’s Week holiday. jiminypeak.com
3. Berkshire East in Charlemont – Berkshire East has nothing but fresh powder, and 18-inches of it! The mountain has 45 trails, 3 lifts, and plenty of skiing until 10 p.m. tonight. berkshireeast.com
4. Blandford Ski Area in Blandford – With plenty of fresh snow, Blandford is open for business today and will open at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday morning. skiblandford.org
5. Bousquet in Pittsfield – Bousquet’s groomers have been busy nurturing the nearly one-foot of fresh powder dropped by the storm. Ski and ride tomorrow for $25, with the mountain’s Sunday Saver special. bousquets.com
6. Catamount Ski Area in South Egremont – Catamount saw 15-inches of fresh snow on its 29 trails, and offers great ski and stay packages with mid-week specials starting at $45/day. catamountski.com
7. Otis Ridge in Otis – With ten trails and nearly two-feet of fresh powder, Otis Ridge is ready to welcome visitors with great lessons and rental packages. otisridge.com

- Submitted by Meghan Malloy. Photo credit: MOTT.

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Photography of Ansel Adams Comes to Western MA!

February 6, 2013 at 12:00 pm (Berkshire County, Berkshire Museum, Suggested Activity)
Tags: Ansel Adams, Art Studies, Berkshire County, Berkshire Museum, nature studies, Photography, western massachusetts

Ansel Adams: Masterworks on View
Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, MA
February 9th – June 2nd, 2013

Berkshire Museum presents the special photography exhibition Ansel Adams: Masterworks from February 9 to June 2, 2013. An opening reception will be held Saturday, February 9, from 5 to 7pm. The exhibition features forty-eight works by Ansel Adams (1902 – 1984), about two-thirds of a selection Adams made late in his life to serve as a succinct representation of his life’s work. He himself felt these photographs were his best. The images are from the Collection of the Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding, CA.

The Berkshire Museum welcomes their newest exhibit this week!  Beginning February 9th, “Ansel Adams: Masterworks,” will be down in the museum’s galleries.  The show contains 48 pieces of Adams’ most striking nature photography, on loan from the Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding, CA.  Titled, “The Museum Set,” the works feature scenes from across the country – Yosemite National Park to groves of aspens in Colorado, Cape Cod to the Sierra Nevada.

Known for his breathtaking landscapes, Adams’ work also represented his commitment to the preservation of the natural world.  In photographing beautiful places in nature, he shared with others a love of the outdoors and an appreciation for the natural beauty of the world.  Not only is his work unique and beautiful art, but it sends a message to viewers – one that is difficult to forget.  The photographs are moving, and remind all who see them that nature is a precious resource.

A visit to the exhibit is perfect for young, budding photographers – they can learn about the scale upon which photography can take place, and will see classic examples of nature photography, not to mention a great supplement to art studies.  They can also learn to appreciate photography the way it used to be – when film and darkrooms were used, and digital point-and-shoot had yet to be thought of.  Non-photographers can learn from the exhibit, too – after viewing the images, think about the message that they send for conservation and the role that art plays in helping to create cultural change.

The exhibit is open during the Berkshire Museum’s regular hours, 10am-5pm Monday-Saturday and 12noon-5pm on Sundays.  For more information, call the museum at 413-443-7171. berkshiremuseum.org

[Image credit: Aspens, Northern New Mexico, 1958. Photograph by Ansel Adams. ©2012 The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust]

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Fashion from the Gilded Age: A Local History

February 6, 2013 at 9:00 am (Berkshire County, Hilltown Families, History, Suggested Activity)
Tags: 1920s, 19th Century History, Berkshire Cottages, Berkshire County, Berkshires, exquisite gowns, Fashion, flapper dresses, Gilded Age, History, manor houses, The Kimball-Salisbury Women: Chicago to Tor Court, western massachusetts

The Kimball-Salisbury Women: Chicago to Tor Court
Local History & Fashion from the Gilded Age
Arrowhead in Pittsfield, MA

The Berkshire Historical Society at Arrowhead offers a glimpse of Pittsfield’s Gilded Age with an exhibit of exquisite fashions and photographs from Tor Court’s Kimball-Salisbury family. The exhibit highlights the gowns worn by four different Kimball women, all of whom spent summers at Tor Court, one of the Berkshire Cottages in Pittsfield. These “cottages” were actually mansions built by some of America’s wealthiest families in and around Lenox, Stockbridge and Pittsfield during the Gilded Age. These aristocratic manor houses came to be known as Berkshire Cottages.

Learn about the Gilded Age’s local influence at the Berkshire Historical Society at Arrowhead!  The historical society is hosting an exhibit of items and artifacts from the lavish time period, including exquisite gowns worn by and photographs of the Kimball-Salisbury family, owners of one of the many Gilded Age “cottages” found in the Berkshires.

Though called cottages, the homes were really anything but – they were colossal, exquisite mansions built as summer homes in the Berkshires for families who lived in the city.  The fashions included in the exhibition illustrate the changes in style that took place between 1910 and the mid-1920’s, as they change from beautiful gowns to sassy flapper dresses, illustrating the cultural changes that also took place at that time.

The exhibit illustrates history through fashion, and will help students learning about American history put their learning into a local context.

The Kimball-Salisbury Women: Chicago to Tor Court is open from Thursday-Sunday from 11am-3pm, from February 10th to March 31st, 2013.  Arrowhead is located at 780 Holmes Road in Pittsfield.  For more information call 413-442-1793 or visit www.mobydick.org.

Celebratory Opening Benefit Brunch happens on February 9, from 11am-1pm at Salisbury Estates Community House in Pittsfield, MA. Cost of brunch includes ticket to exhibit. For more information and to order your brunch tickets, call 413-442-1793 x10.

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10×10 Upstreet: A Weeklong Winter Contemporary Arts Festival in the Berkshires

February 5, 2013 at 2:00 pm (Suggested Activity, Berkshire County)
Tags: Berkshire County, Western Massacusetts, Contemporary Art, 10x10 Upstreet Arts Festival, 10x10 North, Art Festival, Piitsfield

Winter Arts Festival in the Berkshires
10×10 Upstreet Arts Festival
February 14th-24th, 2013

The 10×10 Upstreet Arts Festival features over 70 events during Pittsfield’s second annual contemporary winter arts festival February 14-24, 2013. The 10×10 Upstreet Arts Festival features dozens of artists, actors, musicians, writers, comedians and more. New this year are a variety of family friendly daytime activities, perfect for a week when many schools are on vacation. They include daily arts projects at Bisque, Beads & Beyond, daily adventure play at the Berkshire Museum, a teen art show at Pittsfield City Hall, a program of ten Shaker dances and songs at Treehouse Children’s Boutique, and a concert at Berkshire Music School.

The month of February brings a host of cultural events to downtown Pittsfield as the 10×10 Upstreet Arts Festival returns! Formerly called 10×10 North, the festival takes place from February 14th-24th, 2013 and  fills the city’s newly designated cultural district (the first west of Boston) with performances of theater and music, art shows featuring work in a variety of media, original comedy and film, and a wide variety of other arts-related events, exhibits, and shows.  The festival draws exclusively from local talent in order to provide the community with such a large amount of new and exciting work, and offers families numerous opportunities to see exciting performances featuring talented actors and musicians, view unique and fascinating artwork, and to learn about all of the creativity and innovation that exists right here in the region.

Highlights of 10×10 Upstreet for families include:

• WeeMuse: 10 Days of Play: A Pop-Up Adventure Play – The Berkshire Museum will fill its Crane Room with materials for creative free play (including paper and cardboard boxes), offering families a chance to transform the space into anything from the surface of the moon to the Sahara desert.  The collaborative nature of the project offers kids a chance to work together and practice cooperation, while still exercising their creativity! Takes place Thursday through Saturday, February 14th-23rd.

• 10 Decades of Jazz Composers – The Armen Donelian Trio will perform work from ten jazz composers whose work defined the first century of jazz.  Young jazz musicians and students interested in music history can learn about the history of jazz composition and performance by attending the concert, which will take place at Baba Louie’s on Friday, February 15.

• 10×10 Shaker Faces – Treehouse will host an exhibition of historic photographs of Shaker life in villages from Maine to Kentucky.  Their way of life was practiced by shakers living at Pittsfield’s Hancock Shaker Village until 1960, and families can learn about their culture and history through the photographs included in the exhibition.  Shakers of all ages are portrayed in images that help visitors learn about the aesthetics, beliefs, and traditions of Shaker culture.  Families can learn much about the Shakers by visiting the exhibit, and can use knowledge of American history to help put what they learn into historic and cultural context. On February 22nd from 10-11am, stop by for an interactive hour of Shaker songs that will get your hands and feet moving.

A full schedule of events and exhibits will be available soon from Cultural Pittsfield, as well as information for community members interested in sharing their work during the festival.  discoverpittsfield.com/10×10

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Ticket Giveaway: Family 4-Pack of Tickets to “The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater” at The Colonial Theatre

February 5, 2013 at 11:00 am (Berkshire County, Contest, Pittsfield, Suggested Activity, Video)
Tags: Berkshire Humane Society, Berkshire Theatre Group, Berkshires, comedy, eleanor sonsini animal shelter, Entertainment, gregory popovich, Pittsfield, russian circus, The Colonial Theatre, The Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter, The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater, Ticket Promotion, western massachusetts

The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater
February 19th, 2013
The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, MA

Enter for a chance to win a family 4-pack of tickets for a fun show and visit with The Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter and the Berkshire Humane Society who will be in attendance too, helping raise awareness about animal adoption! Deadline to enter to win: 02/12/13 by 11:59pm (EST). More details below.

Hilltown Families and the Berkshire Theatre Group have partnered up to offer a free family 4-pack of tickets to one lucky family to The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater on Tuesday, February 19th at 2pm, at The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, MA!

The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater will delight audiences of all ages with amazing circus skills and extraordinarily talented and rescued pets.  Enter for a chance to win a family 4-pack of tickets for a fun show and visit with The Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter and the Berkshire Humane Society who will be in attendance too, helping raise awareness about animal adoption! Deadline to enter to win: 02/12/13 by 11:59pm (EST).  More details below.

ABOUT THE POPOVICH COMEDY PET THEATER

The World Famous Popovich Comedy Pet Theater is a perennial favorite featuring Gregory Popovich and his cast of jugglers, clowns, 15 house cats, 10 dogs, 4 geese, 8 white doves, and 2 parrots. Each of the show’s 15 cats and 10 dogs were once strays, rescued from animal shelters.

Gregory grew up in a unique environment, as the child of Russian circus performers Alex and Tamara Popovich. In addition to their juggling and performing skills, Gregory’s parents were dog trainers. From a very young age, Gregory formed a special bond with animals. Eventually, the connection he formed with his mother’s showdogs led to his participation onstage, assisting with Tamara’s dog act. At the age of six, Gregory began to learn the art of juggling. Eight years later, he prepared his first solo act – juggling on a free standing ladder. After the public debut of this feat, Gregory became a member of the renowned Moscow Circus at the age of 17.

The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater is a family-oriented blend of the unique comedy and juggling skills of Gregory Popovich, and the extraordinary talents of his performing pets. They love to show off onstage – performing a variety of stunts and skits! Audiences will be delighted to see this extravaganza of European-style clowning, amazing juggling and balancing acts, and of course, very talented performing pets. Debuting in The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater’s 2013/14 season are the following new vignettes: Funny Winner Dog, Trained Geese, Dog Football, Dr. Doolittle, Brave Parrots, and Pet Fire Marshalls.

The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater has performed in more than 20 countries, and is currently in its 4th season at the Planet Hollywood Resort/Casino in Las Vegas. Mr. Popovich and his Pets have been featured on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with David Letterman, and as a finalist on NBC’s America’s Got Talent. Feature stories have appeared in People, The New Yorker and USA TODAY. Most recently Gregory wrote a book about cats entitled, You CAN Train Your Cats.

Find out more about Gregory Popovich and his world famous Popovich Comedy Pet Theater at www.comedypet.com.

ABOUT THE COLONIAL THEATRE & BERKSHIRE THEATRE GROUP

The Colonial Theatre, founded in 1903, and Berkshire Theatre Festival, founded in 1928, are two of the oldest cultural organizations in the Berkshires.  Having united in November of 2010 under the leadership of Artistic Director and CEO Kate Maguire, these two institutions are providing the Berkshires and beyond with the finest in live theatre, music, dance and the visual arts on five stages in Berkshire County, including The Colonial Theatre. The Colonial in Pittsfield (780 seats) re-opened in August of 2006, following a $21 million restoration, and boasts pristine acoustics, classic gilded age architecture and state-of-the-art technical systems. For more information on BTF call 413-298-5536 or go online to www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org.  The Colonial Theatre is located at 111 South Street in Pittsfield, MA.  For schedule and ticket information visit www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org or call 413-997-4444.

HOW TO WIN

Your chance to win a free family 4-pack of tickets to The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater on Tuesday, February 19th at 2pm, at The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, MA (valued at $60) is easy & simple! To enter to win simply:

• CONSIDER SHARING ON FACEBOOK by selecting the Facebook icon below
• TELL US HOW HILLTOWN FAMILIES KEEPS YOU CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY  THROUGHOUT THE REGION  below (one entry per household) and be sure to tell us your
• FULL NAME (first/last) and where you
• LIVE (TOWN/STATE) must include your town to be eligible.
• ACCURATE EMAIL (we never share your email address).
• We’ll randomly draw a winner and will share the results below.

IT’S THAT SIMPLE! — Deadline to enter to win: 02/12/13 by 11:59pm (EST)

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Western MA Planetariums and Online Resources for Space Studies

January 29, 2013 at 1:00 pm (Berkshire County, Hampden County, Hampshire County, Homeschooling, Science, Video)
Tags: Astronomy, astronomy concepts, Science, Space Studies, western massachusetts

Resources for Supporting the Study of Space Science

If, after diving head-first into all things astronomical, your student is completely enamored with space studies, consider entering Astronomy magazine’s essay contest! The grand prize is a trip to the 2013 Northeast Astronomy Forum in Suffern, NY, where the winner will be able to meet important people in the field of astronomy, learn about space programs and discoveries, and more! The topic for the contest is, “What I love most about astronomy,” and essays should be 300-500 words. Hurry, though – submissions are due by February 15th! More info at www.astronomy.com.

Studies of outer space can be mysterious and intriguing to young minds and there are many resources to support a students interest in the study of space, both online and in Western MA.

ONLINE RESOURCES

The website StarChild offers a wealth of information and basic internet-based activities that help students build their understanding of outer space.  Beginning with our solar system and moving outward, the information is grouped into two levels based on degrees of difficulty and background information needed in order to understand concepts.  Students can guide themselves through each lesson, learning astronomical vocabulary and facts about the universe.  At the end of each section, there are a variety of activities to do, such as identifying planets while in orbit, matching facts to their corresponding stars and planets, and pairing planets with their many moons.

Another resource online is NASA’s Afterschool Universe, “an out-of-school-time astronomy program for middle school students that explores basic astronomy concepts through engaging hands-on activities and then takes participants on a journey through the Universe beyond the Solar System.”

If you are interested in the Afterschool Universe program, visit their website at universe.nasa.gov/afterschool and their Afterschool Universe YouTube channel for more demonstration videos.

WESTERN MA RESOURCES

To experience astronomical phenomena in real life, visit a local observatory or planetarium in Western MA!  The Milham Planetarium at Williams College in Berkshire County, the Seymour Planetarium at the Springfield Museums in Hampden County, and the Bassett Planetarium at Amherst College in Hampshire County all offer planetarium shows and other learning experiences to visitors.  For other events, resources, and community learning opportunities, the Five College Astronomy Program, Springfield Stars Club, Arunah Hill Natural Science Center in Cummington, and the Amherst Area Amateur Astronomer’s Association hold events, workshops, and other astronomy-related events for the community year-round.

[Photo credit: (ccl) NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]

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411 in the 413 Youth Conference Seeks Workshop Facilitators

January 23, 2013 at 12:00 pm (Berkshire County, Suggested Activity, Volunteer Opportunity)
Tags: 411 in the 413, Becket-Chimney Corners YMCA, Berkshire County, Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, Pittsfield Prevention Partnership, Railroad Street Youth Project, Volunteer Opportunity

“411 in the 413” Youth Conference
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Becket, MA

Volunteer as a workshop facilitator at the “411 in the 413″ 6th annual Youth Conference happening on April 11 in Becket, MA!  Organizers are seeking creative, dynamic speakers and interactive workshop facilitators. Applications are due January 31st, 2013.

The Northern Berkshire Community Coalition and the Becket-Chimney Corners YMCA, along with the Railroad Street Youth Project and the Pittsfield Prevention Partnership, are once again offering 411 in the 413, a day of youth engagement on a wide range of topics.  

This year’s theme is, “Journey of Discovery: A Day of Exploring Philosophy, Your Identity, and the Outdoors.”

The conference takes place at the Becket-Chimney Corners YMCA in Becket, MA on April 11th, 2013, and offers youth a chance to share their ideas and make their voices heard!

In preparation for the event, workshop facilitators are sought – facilitators would help participating teens learn about and work through ideas about culture, philosophy, the outdoors, and even themselves!  Facilitators will not be paid – it’s a volunteer position, but one that provides a great service to the community.  For more information or to submit a proposal, visit nbccoalition.org.

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Engaging Exhibits & Hands-On Programs at the Berkshire Museum this Winter

January 22, 2013 at 6:00 am (Berkshire County, Berkshire Museum, Suggested Activity)
Tags: Berkshire County, Berkshire Museum, Berkshires, Curriculum, Museums, Pittsfield, western massachusetts

Engaging Experiences at the Berkshire Museum

When you think of the Berkshires, images of the green and blanketed Tanglewood lawn may come to mind, or the beautiful colors of fall in the Hilltowns, but the Berkshires don’t close up shop for the winter! The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, MA has a busy winter season planned, with engaging new exhibitions, hands-on public programming, and lots of opportunities for family fun and learning.

Because the bat population is so fragile, Bats: Creatures of the Night features bat models that visitors can learn from rather than live bats, but the Berkshire Museum will host live bats on March 10th at 1pm! In a one-day-only special event, Rob Mies of the Organization for Bat Conservation will present a big brown bat, fruit bats from Africa and Asia, and the largest bat in the world- the Malayan flying fox – which sports an incredible six-foot wingspan.

The Berkshire Museum’s newest exhibit, Bats: Creatures of the Night, will be on exhibit through May 12, 2013, and is filled with opportunities to have fun while learning about these mysterious creatures. Grab a gallery guide as you enter the exhibit, choose a bat persona, and begin the Bat Survival Challenge, a game that leads you around the exhibit as you see if you can survive a year in the life of a bat. You can also learn how bats navigate and hunt by approaching the museum’s sensor-filled echolocation wall and watching how and when the bat-mimicking sensors pick you up. There are giant bat ears that you can try listening through to see how well bats hear. There are also plenty of bat mounts and models that allow you to see just what these mammals look like up close. Some of them have some pretty funky features!

The Berkshire Museum education department is offering a brand new education program with this exhibition. Bats: Out of the Cave and into the Night can be adapted to students of all ages. In it students will learn about bats’ incredible adaptations, how they benefit us and our environment, and the risks they are facing. Students and teachers will also get to experiment with the Berkshire Museum’s own echolocation machine, BAT-BOT. Teachers- can you navigate blindly through a maze of your students using only the readouts from the museum’s echolocation sensors? Come find out, and then challenge your students to navigate like bats as well. Families can also try BAT-BOT during the museum’s Bats gallery program, which will be presented in the Bats exhibit halls on the second Saturday of each month, through May, at 11am.

Winter can be a time where kids can go a little ‘batty’ themselves. Fortunately the Berkshire Museum has several programs were kids can come in, explore, experiment, and play!

Get a taste of chemistry as a mad scientist at Kitchen Kaboom! at the Berkshire Museum on the last Saturday of every month! Along with the help of the museum’s very own crazy chemist, kids can learn how to do exciting and surprising (and safe!) experiments with regular household materials.

Kitchen Ka-Boom, the museum’s new family-friendly physical science program, offers kids the opportunity to learn while making a mess! Whether participants are shooting a rocket to the ceiling with Alka-Seltzer and water, or making gooey slime, participants are learning through some sort of surprise reaction. Taking place on the last Saturday of every month, all experiments involve simple and kid-friendly ingredients, most of which can be found around the house or at your local grocery store. Each participant leaves with a sheet of information detailing the science behind the experiment and how you can replicate it at home. This information is also posted on the museum’s website in case you want to see what we’re up to from home. The museum strives to introduce new experiments each session, keeping budding scientists coming back! Find program details here: Kitchen Ka-Boom.

Animals Up Close: The Wolf will be presented on Tuesday, February 19, at 1pm, featuring special guest Atka, an Arctic Gray Wolf from the Wolf Conservation Center in New York. As an animal ambassador, Atka travels to help educate people about wolves and their relationship to our environment, and how humans have an important role in protecting their future.

WeeMuse: Ten Days of Play begins at the museum on Thursday, February 14, continuing through Saturday, February 23. Have you ever spent hours choosing the best new toy for your child, only to find that they are much more excited to play with box it came in? This ubiquitous experience is the basis for this exciting new program. Ten Days of Play highlights the importance of child-directed play. The Crane Room will be filled with play materials like paper and cardboard boxes that you and your child can use in whatever way you imagine daily from 11-3pm. This program is free with museum admission and presented in partnership with the Transition Team of Pittsfield and Pop-Up Adventure Play.

Do you have a budding filmmaker who will be home during February break? Send them to the museum for February Vacation Movie Camp! From Monday, February 18, through Friday, February 22, students in grades 3-6 will get the opportunity to work a group film with film producer Erica Spizz. Students will be involved with all aspects of the film, from creating the storyline to the acting and filming. On Friday, Feb. 22,  friends and families will get to watch the final product in a special screening in the Berkshire Museum Theater.  And this summer, the Berkshire Museum will offer some new and exciting  summer camps, as well as some returning favorites!

ABOUT THE BERKSHIRE MUSEUM

The Berkshire Museum is located at 39 South Street on Route 7 in downtown Pittsfield, MA. The Museum was established by Zenas Crane in 1903 as a museum of art and natural history. Little Cinema is open year-round; Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation, Aquarium, and other exhibits are ongoing.  The Museum is open Monday-Saturday from 10am-5pm and Sunday 12noon-5pm. For more information, visit www.berkshiremuseum.org or call 413-443-7171. Museum admission is $13 for adults and $6 for children. Members and children aged three and under enjoy free admission.

-Emma Kerr

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Emma Kerr is the Natural Science Education Specialist at the Berkshire Museum, where she teaches school and public programs on all subjects, from animation to aquarium animals. A native of central Massachusetts, Emma now lives in Pittsfield.

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6 Ways to Observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in Western MA

January 16, 2013 at 9:00 am (Berkshire County, Hampden County, Hampshire County, Hilltown Families, Suggested Activity)
Tags: Berkshires, Community Based Education, Community Service, martin luther king day, Martin Luther King Jr., Pioneer Valley, place-based education, Service Based Learning, western massachusetts

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
Opportunities and Celebrations in Western MA
Monday, January 21, 2013

Six different community building events, community-based educational opportunities and service-based learning experiences are schedule this Monday, January 21st in Western MA. Find one that fits your interests and spend MLK Day learning, serving and connecting through your community!

Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and dedication to creating change in our country can be done in many ways.  The day will be celebrated in Western MA at concerts, lectures, worship services, and ceremonies throughout the region.

Mass Audubon is offering a unique way for families to spend the special holiday this year – providing much needed help with improvement projects at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton on Monday, Jan 21!  Dr. King’s major goals had to do with civil rights, but he also stands as a pillar of service to community, dedication, hard work, and determination.  Honor these values by giving your time to better your community!

Projects at the sanctuary include:

• trail clearing to provide better habitat for small animal and bird species
• working to eliminate invasive plant species from the grounds
• helping to clean and organize the sanctuary’s Visitor Center so as to make further groups’ visit more enjoyable

These service-based learning activities also allow families to learn about the many different animals who call the sanctuary home, the type of habitat protected by the sanctuary, and how to support local conservation efforts.  Spending time outdoors can also lead families to discover winter animal signs, including tracks, scat, and traces of pre-nibbled food from a variety of plant species.

The community service day will take place on Monday, January 21st from 9:30am-1:30pm at Arcadia, located at 127 Combs Road in Easthampton.  Pre-registration (done online) requested.  Dress warmly if you plan to spend time outdoors, and bring water, lunch, and perhaps a hot drink.

There are several other opportunities for families to observe Martin Luther King, Jr. day through out the region too:

NORTHAMPTON: Join fellow community members in Northampton for the 29th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration. Starting at 8am, there will be events throughout the day, beginning with a community breakfast and dialogue at Christ United Methodist Church (271 Rocky Hill Road).  At 10am, families can take a walking tour of Florence highlighting places significant to abolition and sharing information about the life and work of Sojourner Truth.  Other events throughout the day include a workshop for youth education, a multifaith celebration, and a lecture on the effects of racism.  (FREE)

STURBRIDGE:  Old Sturbridge Village is open from 9:30am-4pm with special programs celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!  There will, of course, be lots of opportunities to learn about life and culture during the winter in early 19th century New England.  In addition, families can meet Elizabeth “Mumbet” Freeman (played by historian Tammy Denease), a young slave from Massachusetts who won her freedom (legally- in a court!) from her owner in 1781.  The decision was a landmark case, considering Freeman was not only a slave, but also a woman.  Families can learn about the importance of Freeman’s story, and pair what they learn with further studies of civil rights issues and American history.  800-733-1830.  1 Old Sturbridge Village Road.  ($)

SPRINGFIELD:  The Community Music School of Springfield presents their annual musical celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at Newhouse Hall from 11am-1pm.  The event will feature performances from the Freedom Choir, the MLK Dancers, the CMSS String City Orchestra, Dream Studios, and many other local groups sharing song, dance, and words honoring Dr. King and his accomplishments.  413-746-3655.  127 State Street.  (FREE)

GREAT BARRINGTON: Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at an interfaith celebration at the First Congregational Church starting at 12noon for the 4th Annual Interfaith Celebration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday.  There will be readings, music, and singing, and youth from local organizations will participate in the ceremony and present information.  Bring a nonperishable food item to donate to a local food pantry.  251 Main Street.  (FREE)

STOCKBRIDGE: Learn about the powerful images that Norman Rockwell created during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Starting at 2:30pm, Norman Rockwell Museum’s Curator of Education Tom Daly will share the stories behind the creation of such paintings as “The Problem We All Live With,” “Murder in Mississippi,” and “New Kids in the Neighborhood,” and Rockwell’s dedication to civil rights throughout his career. 413-298-4100.  9 Route 183.   (FREE with museum admission)

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Repair Café in the Berkshires

January 9, 2013 at 9:57 am (Berkshire County, Suggested Activity, Sustainability, Volunteer Opportunity)
Tags: Berkshire County, Berkshires, Collaboration, Community Development, Pittsfield, Pittsfield Resilience Circle, Recycling, Repair Café, Sustainability, western massachusetts

Pittsfield Resilience Circle Host a Repair Café
Saturday, January 19th, 2013

The Repair Café concept was formulated in 2009 in the Netherlands by journalist and publicist Martine Postma and sustainability accelerator Peter van Vliet. Since January 2011, the Repair Café Foundation has provided support to local groups in the Netherlands and other countries wishing to start their own Repair Cafe (repaircafe.org). [Image: First Repair Café held in Brussels.]

Janet Henderson writes:

What do you do with a broken toaster? Or with a bike that needs repair? Or with a pair of pants when a seam rips? Or a partially dysfunctional umbrella? Throw it away? Certainly not!

The Pittsfield Resilience Circle is organizing the Berkshires’ first ever Repair Café. It will be held in Pittsfield on Saturday, Jan. 19 from 1 to 5 p.m. in the St. Stephen’s Church basement at 67 East St. The event is entirely free.

[The  Repair Café] involves people in the community giving to other people in the community, making needed repairs of all kinds. Various repair persons will be available to fix small appliances, clothing and other fabric items, bicycles, toys, small furniture items, computers, and so on. Anyone with a broken item in need of repair may bring it to the Repair Café between 1 and 5 p.m. on Saturday, January 19th. We will fix as many articles as we can during that time. We’re also offering free refreshments for those waiting in line.

The Pittsfield Resilience Circle could use more volunteers for the Repair Cafe. Persons with experience in any kind of repair craft or who would like to provide general help, please call Tom Harter at 413-212-8589 or email Janet Henderson at jmh227@hotmail.com. The Repair Café is looking for more sponsors (those who donate $20 or more). We are thankful for our sponsors, including the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT), who is contributing both money and time!

By holding a Repair Café, the Pittsfield Resilience Circle wants to help reduce waste, promote repair skills, teach us all to be more self-sufficient, have fun, come together in a non-consumerist way, forge bonds of friendship through mutual dependency, and make Pittsfield a better place to live.

ABOUT RESILIENCE CIRCLES

Members of the Pittsfield Resilience Circle meet twice a month to learn together and become better friends through doing things for and with each other. The Resilience Circle is based on information available at localcircles.org. The group also has an informal Gift Circle. Information about Gift Circles can be found on the OpenCollaboration’s Blog.

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Stockbridge Library Features Lecture on Outsider Art: Prison Art in America

January 9, 2013 at 9:00 am (Art, Berkshire County, Suggested Activity)
Tags: American Art, Art, Art Studies, Berkshire County, Criminal Justice, Cultural Studies, Massachusetts, outsider art, Prison Art, Prison Culture, Stockbridge Library, western massachusetts

Cellblock Visions: Prison Art in America
Art & Cultural Studies at the Stockbridge Library
Friday, January 25th

“For students of art and culture, psychology and philosophy, and human consciousness, the question emerges-how is it that this depth and beauty came from, or through, these particular folks-often times uneducated, unworldly, and untrained,” writes the Stockbridge Library. “Kornfeld points to a new direction… whereby incarcerated people are given the opportunity to reach out to people in need on the outside…” (Find about the Inside/Outside Envelope Project) – Join the Stockbridge Library for this free lecture on Friday, January 25th at 6pm

The Stockbridge Library is offering the community a unique opportunity to learn about a topic not often discussed – the artwork of prison inmates.  Art teacher Phyllis Kornfeld, author of Cellblock Visions: Prison Art in America, will share a slideshow presentation of artwork created by inmates.  This presentation will be paired with a discussion of their work, common types of art produced, and its place amongst mainstream American artwork.

Inmates’ work ranges from soap carvings inspired by traditional American folk art, to tattoo-style ink drawings.  Their art challenges the stereotypes of inmates, serving as a window into the culture and mindset of prisoners, conveying the thoughts, questions, and emotions had by these outsider artists.  Their artwork speaks of human qualities that are shared by all, regardless of circumstances.

This lecture will take place at the library on Friday, January 25th, 2013 at 6pm in Stockbridge, MA.  Older students can attend the event to learn about prison culture, the universality of human artistic expression, art in America, and other topics related to art, psychology, and criminal justice.  For more information, call the library at 413-298-5501.  The Stockbridge Library is located at 46 Main Street in Stockbridge, MA.

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• Community Feedback

  "Hilltown Families keeps us connected with all the amazing educational and cultural activities and resources that abound here in W. Mass and curates them in a way to let us know just what’s out there for the many varied interests of our young families and communities,while creating networks of support and growth." - Kara Kitchen (Plainfield, MA)

• Recent Posts

  • Recap Map: Western MA Weekend Summary & Family Guide for May 18th-19th, 2013
  • 33 Community Highlights: Lady’s Slipper to Bird Calls. Charcoal Industry to Historic Mill Sites.
  • Suggested Events for May 18th-24th, 2013
  • DIY: Social Platform for Kids Aims to Build Confidence in Creativity
  • For Over 250 Years, Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum Brings Culture & More to the Pioneer Valley
  • Let’s Play: Simple Games & Storytelling
  • Plainfield Historical Society Offers Online Resource, Rich Hilltown History!
  • Historic Northampton Museum & Education Center Highlights the History of Silk Thread and the Pioneer Valley
  • Film Maker & Local Farmers Lead Community Conversation on Farming Past and Present
  • 10 Featured Citizen Scientist Projects for Families
  • Music Making Opportunties for Families in the Happy Valley
  • Chester On Track: Railroad-Themed Family Festival in the Hilltowns!
  • WebCam Catches Peregrine Falcons Nesting Atop UMass Amherst
  • Recap Map: Western MA Weekend Summary & Family Guide for May 11th-12th, 2013
  • 25 Community Highlights: Mother’s Day to Mamadrama. Steamboat Bill to Beaver Ponds.

• Archived Posts

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• Hilltown Family Variety Show

  

  The Hilltown Family Variety Show (HFVS) airs Saturday mornings on Valley Free Radio, 103.3FM WXOJ, Northampton, MA from 9-10am with encores on Sunday from 7-8am. Playlist and podcasts are posted immediately following broadcast. Listen to our archived shows at any time: HFVS Archived Shows.

• Hilltown Families Sponsors

  Thank you to all of our sponsors! Interested in joining our team of supporters? Find out about enhanced publicity with Hilltown Families!

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

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• Recently Tweeted

  • Interested in getting #solar for your home? #NorthamptonMA is participating in Solarize Mass program! ow.ly/kTviY #westernma 1 hour ago
  • Host Families in #WesternMA Needed for Spanish Teens. Arrive Wed, June 26, for a 3 ½ week home stay. Find out more: ow.ly/kRVWQ 3 hours ago
  • Love our Family Community Service Event recently? Join our Volunteer Committee and help us do it again! ow.ly/kRNkI 3 hours ago
  • Great Line up of Local & Regional Musicians Slated to Perform at the Hilltown Spring Festival on June 1st! wp.me/p2aDO-884 #westernma 5 hours ago
  • May 21-"Puberty for Parents," part of the @HilltwnFamilies' Talking to Your Kids About Sex Series: wp.me/p2aDO-87I #westernma #sexED 6 hours ago
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• Thanks For Your Comments!

  • Christine Little on Suggest An Event
  • Hilltown Families on Chester On Track Festival, ‘Just Around the Bend’
  • Garance Alistair Drosehn on Chester On Track Festival, ‘Just Around the Bend’
  • Caroline Pam on Suggest A Class
  • Hitchcock Center for the Environment on Suggest A Class

• Cool Categories

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  © Sienna Wildfield and Hilltown Families, Inc., 2006-2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to HilltownFamilies.org with appropriate and specific direction/link to the original content. Photo use and reprint permission inquires may be sent to hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.

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  Information provided on Hilltown Families (HF) is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Reasonable efforts are made to provide the most accurate information, but no guarantees of any kind can be made. Information can be changed without prior notice. Please check with 3rd parties to confirm all listings for date/time, cost, location and age appropriateness before attending. Opinions expressed on HF are that of the writer and not necessarily that of HF. In no event shall HF be liable (directly or indirectly) for any losses or damages causes (or allegedly caused) in connection with HF. All health and wellness related information is for entertainment purposes only and should not be used to substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. All provided links are provided as a courtesy and not as an endorsement.
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• Traveling Photo Exhibit

  
  
  Featured on 22News's Mass Appeal.
  Featured on WGBY'S Connecting Point.

  The exhibit will be on display at the Forbes Library in Northampton for the month of February 2013, and at the City Hall Gallery in Easthampton from Sept 13-Dec 11, 2013. - We're currently booking shows for the Spring/Summer of 2013 and for 2014. Each exhibit is a unique showcase of images that correspond with the season and venue. Contact us to inquire about hosting this fundraising exhibit for Hilltown Families in your town/venue.

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