Rural Intelligence 2024

WHERE THE BERKSHIRES, LITCHFIELD HILLS & TACONICS MEET

Day trips, hikes, and sculpture parks

Shopping: Old vs. New PYO Flower Farms

Summer 2024 scan for more Summer Arts Preview Good Food Guide

Gaea , sculpture by Roy Kanwit. See page 4.

FRIDAYS, MAY 24 – SEPT 13 LENOX FARMERS MARKET

JUNE 8 & 9

SPRING ART WALK

SUNDAYS, JUNE & SEPT LENOX LOVES MUSIC! WEDNESDAYS, JULY & AUGUST CONCERTS IN THE PARK

JULY 13 & 14

LENOX SUMMER ARTS FESTIVAL

SEPTEMBER 6 & 7 JAZZ STROLL

SEPTEMBER 14 & 15 FALL ART WALK

SEPTEMBER 27 LENOX CAR SHOW

SEPTEMBER 28 APPLE SQUEEZE

RURAL INTELLIGENCE | SUMMER 2024

FOOD & DRINK

7 Where do ya wanna go to eat? We know! Consult our update on the latest restaurants to open, including the expansion of Dottie’s Coffee Lounge into Dorothy’s Estaminet in Pittsfield. Hungry for “just” a sandwich? Check out our roundup of picnic-ready sandwiches that make a mighty fine meal. We introduce you to some new markets, shops, and cafes, and spotlight a berry-red martini-esque cocktail made from (local, of course) cassis and botanicals.

DAY TRIPS

18 Creativity abounds in the RI region; why not express yours? Make a candle or terrarium, take an art or cooking class— we show you where.

20 Explore the Ruins at Sassafras Museum in New Lebanon, NY, a former Shaker Colony turned into an event space and Airbnb, with Shaker relics scattered throughout the bucolic property.

22 In a rural region, Pittsfield, MA, is an urban center that offers everything a small city should: culture, restaurants, lakes, history, and even its own state forest.

24 Find out what to see and do in Chatham and Kinderhook, two charming villages in Columbia County.

OUTDOORS

26 If you’re a novice hiker or looking for a new trail to explore, these professional trail guides can lead the way.

HOME & GARDEN

30 Fields of flowers await at these pick-your-own flower farms; regional furniture makers exhibit styles that range from the traditional to the whimsical.

LAST LOOK

56 Prediction: “What, Me Worry? The Art and Humor of Mad Magazine” at the Norman Rockwell Museum is going to be the blockbuster exhibition this summer.

Everything you need to explore the Berkshires and beyond, including the arts, restaurants, events, and real estate, delivered twice a week. Scan to sign up.

Photo by Theik Smith

Dance Theatre of Harlem perform at Jacob’s Pillow, Becket, MA. August 21-25.

Artful Gaze

The Head—and Heart— of Roy Kanwit

If you drive north on the Taconic Parkway in Columbia County, you’re likely to spot the monolithic head of the goddess Gaea (aka Mother Earth) looming over the valley as you approach Chatham. The 20-foottall cement figure is but one of the mythical sculptures at the Taconic Sculpture Park, a stone sanctuary of works by Roy Kanwit, who died in October at the age of 76. For over 40 years, the self-taught sculptor turned his hilltop property into one of the true hidden gems of the region. The park is the front yard of Kanwit’s home, a stone castle he constructed and where he lived with his wife, Mary DeBay.

The Taconic Sculpture Park reverberates with mythical energy. Here, where the land meets the sky, great stone monuments to Mother Earth, the Titans, and all manner of ancient gods, goddesses, and icons still live. Kanwit’s 30-plus sculptures are made from marble, limestone, and concrete, and reflect his fascination with Greek and Roman mythologies. There are Egyptian-like deities, snakes, castles, serpents, and dragons, as well as female figures with heads in the shape of trees and flowers posing on the three-acre property.

“I have always been drawn to the connection between earth and sky,” Kanwit told us in 2018. “I like working with stone because it’s a part of the Earth and this is how people have been making sculptures about these topics since the beginning.”

While the Taconic Sculpture Park has been closed due to Kanwit’s long illness and death, Mary DeBay plans to open it back up to weekend visitors (for a nominal fee) by August. Check Yelp, Trip Advisor, and Atlas Obscura for her notices of reopening later this summer, or call (518) 392-5757.

Roy Kanwit stands among his myth-inspired works at the Taconic Sculpture Museum.

A fantastical winged creature stands guard in front of Kanwit’s castle-like stone home.

Photos from top: Gaea , visible from the Taconic Parkway in Chatham, watches over the valley below.

Photo by Dani Fine Photography

Editor Lisa Green

FROM THE EDITOR

Whenever I tell people the name of this publication, I get two common responses. “Rural Intelligence! What a great name!” some say. More frequently, I hear “Rural Intelligence! Isn’t that an oxymoron?” I smile at both, of course, but the truth is, I much prefer the praise for our name. RI’s founding editors knew what they were doing when they put those words together in 2008. It’s an immediate recognition of what we love about this region, a mashup of the world-class culture and natural beauty that makes it such a gratifying place to live and visit.

Those are two of the threads we cover digitally every week, but the cultural offerings and opportunities to explore the outdoors seem to multiply exponentially in the summer. Thus, we present to you our third summer magazine, a print resource filled with our recommendations to help you make the most of the season.

Top of mind for most of us is anything food related, so we’ve included a roundup of restaurants and markets that have opened in the past year (page 8), as well as a local’s guide to picnic-ready sumptuous sandwiches (page 13). For those looking for a hands-on experience, we offer suggestions that include glass, candle, basket, and terrarium making as well as art and cooking classes (page 18). We drive you to a restored Shaker settlement turned into a “Shaker chic” retreat/event venue—and keeper of found Shaker artifacts (page 20) and invite you to plan a day trip or two, to Pittsfield, county seat of Berkshire County (page 22), and Chatham and Kinderhook in Columbia County (page 24). Stroll through a colorful pick-yourown flowers experience (page 31), and marvel at the furniture makers who define our regional aesthetic (page 32).

We devote a significant portion of the magazine to a preview of the art, music, dance, and theater lineup this season and highlight those we’re most excited about, a starting place for you if you haven’t already firmed up your cultural calendar (page 36).

Whether or not you’re inspired by our suggestions, here’s wishing you a sublimely satisfying summer…as if it could be anything else in the Rural Intelligence region.

Lisa Green Editor

Rural Intelligence shares and cultivates your passion for culture and country life. Since 2008, we have helped readers explore the Berkshires in western Massachusetts, Columbia and Dutchess counties in New York, and Litchfield County in Connecticut. We lead you to the events, restaurants, shopping, parties, nonprofit organizations, and personalities that make life so rich in our neck of the woods. Consider us your friend who shows you the best way to participate in all this region has to offer. Let’s have fun together.

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Dining Scene

Six Restaurants to Try This Summer

Opened in mid-February in Hudson, NY, the Hereafter serves small plates and cocktails to the city's late-night crowd.

Photo by Lauren Damaskinos

Fern, Lakeville, CT

What’s new in restaurants this year?

On these pages, a “stylishly sexy” setting, a chef you’ve seen on foodie TV, foie gras with toasted cornbread, an elevated cocktail experience, a crispy red curry salmon cake sandwich, and the prettiest macarons on this side of Paris…whatever pleases your palate, it’s here in the region. “We’ll drive for food” has always been a Rural Intelligence byword, and these restaurants, cocktail bars and food shops transform every mile into an exercise in anticipation. As all good dining adventures should be. Bon appetit.

We’ve got even more restaurant profiles to whet your appetite.

Scan here if you’re hungry.

Fern

Fern is the newest of the popular eateries owned and operated by Chef Gianni Scappin and Luciano Valdivia (Market St. in Rhinebeck and Barbaro in Millbrook). Deemed “stylishly sexy” by our reviewer, the contemporary Italian restaurant is set in an airy, white-walled space divided by a handsome white horseshoe-shaped bar. At one end, a wood-burning pizza oven turns out traditional thin-crust pizzas ($20-$21). Simple yet delicious appetizers include warm marinated olives with Marcona almonds, parmesan chunks and aged balsamic ($12), and grilled octopus served with Corona beans ($24). Fern’s upscale Italian food shines in the gnocchi with shrimps and trumpet mushrooms ($24). Keep an eye out for daily specials. Lakeville, CT Fernlakeville.com

Gedney Farm

You may have seen Michele Ragussis in her competitive and judging episodes on “Beat Bobby Flay” and “Food Network Star.” Now she’s the chef at Gedney Farm, and she’s wowing diners in the RI region. Starters include beer-battered artichokes with lemon aioli, parm

frico, and Calabrian chili oil ($15) and Phyliss’s Meatballs—beef, pork, lemon mascarpone, and crusty bread, ($17). For entrees, consider the North Wind Farm Strip with bone marrow and chive butter ($45), or the cioppino ($38). As for beverages, it should be noted that Peter Miscikoski, co-owner and sommelier at Gedney Farm, directs an adventurous wine program that oenophiles are unlikely to taste elsewhere—inquire about his popular wine-tasting dinners.

New Marlborough, MA Gedneyfarm.com

The Elm

Check in for a refined but not fussy meal at the Elm, which our reviewer praised not just for the food but also the ambience of this elegant addition to Great Barrington. Appetizers include fresh shucked oysters with elderflower mignonette ($3.50 each), foie gras with toasted cornbread ($34), and a beet salad ($17). For an entree, you might choose the seared diver scallops with avocado and sweet pea puree ($46) or dryaged duck, two strips of meaty breast with a beet puree ($48).

Great Barrington, MA

Theelmgb.com

Eastdale Village

A mixed-use development on Route 44 in Poughkeepsie, Eastdale Village offers the area some new dining options. Noteworthy additions (most on the main drag, Eastdale Avenue) include an upgraded Rossi’s, another Crafted Cup location, and a second spot for Rhinebeck’s Pizzeria Posto. Reconnect Foods, which got its start as a food truck, has a permanent location in Eastdale turning out tacos, bao, burritos, quesadillas, ramen, and rice bowls. Tomo Asian Fusion offers a range of Asian cuisine, with appetizers like gyoza or spicy eggplant. Sushi, a hibachi menu, and udon and soba options round out the menu. If you’re looking for something sweet, head over to Just a Little Pie Shop for a personal-sized pie (sweet and savory with your choice of toppings) or Amanda’s Macaron Shoppe, which features playful flavors like cocoa pebbles and pink starburst.

Poughkeepsie, NY

Eastdalevillage.com

The Hereafter

Owners Jeremy Dubroff and Isi Laborde have created a late-night place to grab a drink or bite near upper Warren Street. But their main goal, Dubroff says, is to offer an elevated cocktail experience in a warm, inviting, and slightly quirky space. The former Golden Grains Pizza location has been reimagined as a timeworn watering hole. There’s a short beer and wine list, followed by cocktails presented in categories like classy, deep, and eccentric. To wit: the Trail Blazer ($17), based on the

idea of what it feels like to go for a walk in the woods; it’s comprised of single malt whiskey, pine liqueur, juniper, and rosemary syrup, juice from a lemon charred on a cast iron pan, and a burned rosemary sprig garnish. A small selection of light bites and shareable dishes include a local cheese board ($20), and steak tartare ($17). Hudson, NY

Thehereafterhudson.com

Misto

One of the most adored names in Hudson Valley pop-ups and catering finally has a brick-and-mortar café. Owners Wilson and Nadia Costa are making their unpretentiously hip food available for sit-in or takeout. Check the menu board for sandwiches like the mortadella with McGrath Cheese Co. Hootenanny cheese on housemade pão frances ($16), Gulden Farm grass-fed meatloaf on Wilson’s focaccia ($15), and a veggie green melt ($14). Daily specials might include burrata over turmeric cauliflower with sumac and chili crisp ($13) or crispy red curry salmon cake sandwich on a brioche bun ($14). If you’re looking for takeaway, cooler cases are packed with ready-to-heat dinner options. There are a lot of gluten-free items, too— including Nadia’s GF chocolate chip and Nutella cookies.

Red Hook, NY Misto-eats.com

Misto, Red Hook, NY

Amanda’s Macaron Shoppe, Poughkeepsie, NY

Just a Little Pie Shop, Poughkeepsie, NY

Coffee, Cocktails & Community A Pittsfield Mainstay Expands

Photo by Marc J. Wrzesinski

If you’ve met someone for coffee in Pittsfield, you’ve been to Dottie’s; that’s just the way it is. Formally named Dottie’s Coffee Lounge, the coffee shop and community meeting place on North Street, named for owner Jessica Rufo’s grandmother Dorothy, has been open since 2007, and is now a longstanding anchor on Pittsfield’s main drag. In addition to serving baked goods, coffees fancy and simple, breakfast fare and light lunch, the coffee shop is a known community meeting place, and it’s not uncommon to see the side dining room packed with Pittsfield’s business leaders taking a break, working from a laptop, or scheming up the next cool thing.

The shop’s walls are filled with local art (for sale). Colloquially called “Pittsfield’s living room,” it’s the space folks use for everything from WordXWord story slams to family fun nights to special-themed menu events. Rufo says around 70 percent of the customers at Dottie’s are regulars. “We’re looking out, we’re taking care of one another. It’s definitely a two-way street,” she says.

Rufo was inspired to create Dottie’s after going to college in Boston, and then living in New York City, where she worked at a coffee shop and got to know her community from behind the counter. “You talk to them, you get to know them, they become a major part of your life,” she said. “That became very comforting to me, in my 20s in an enormous city. I started to really see the value in community and how coffee shops bring people together. I started to crave having my own coffee shop and building my own community.”

Around that same time, she decided to move back to the Berkshires, where she grew up hanging out in downtown Great Barrington and Lenox. “It always confused me that Pittsfield was overlooked and underutilized,” she said. “When I thought of places that could use a better sense of community, I instantly thought of Pittsfield.”

As Dottie’s has served tens of thousands of customers (or more) the city has grown and changed, too. In the early days of the business, “it felt like we could make Pittsfield anything we wanted it to be. It seemed to me that if I just opened up something cool, then someone else would open up something cool, then someone else would open up something cool,” says Rufo. “There are ebbs and flows. Right now, we’re on an upswing, with lots of new businesses opening downtown.”

One of those new businesses is actually Rufo’s new restaurant, Dorothy’s Estaminet, which opened in February in the former Mission tapas bar space next door. (An estaminet is a small French bistro.) It’s connected to Dottie’s both physically and spiritually. Dottie’s serves a daytime crowd and Dorothy’s is open from 2 to 9pm. The dining room that connects the spaces serves both restaurants, allowing customers to take advantage of more ample seating. It’s been called “the best restaurant in Pittsfield” for its laid-back, French-cafe concept and for its simple menu, which centers around a Mediterranean-style

Dottie and Dorothy's owner Jessica Rufo

Dottie's Coffee Lounge in Pittsfield, MA, is known locally as "Pittsfield's living room."

shared plate called the Experience that guests can pair with their choice of protein (vegetarian options abound).

“Dorothy’s menu is meant to bring people together in the same way the coffee shop does during the day,” Rufo says. “It’s like this awesome dinner party. You immediately have food to dive into with your people.”

At Dorothy’s, Rufo has also added music, with occasional residencies, including a flagship residency with renowned band Misty Blues, and lots of independent musicians providing evening entertainment.

Rufo was all-in on downtown Pittsfield before, but postCovid (when the coffee shop mostly stayed open and also provided some wholesale grocery options for community members in times of need) she’s thinking deeply about how to continue and build upon her work.

“Our community and culture are really suffering from isolation, distraction, numbness, loneliness. I really feel coming together over food and breaking bread, as they say, is the antidote to that,” she says.

Rufo particularly loves when someone tells her they know a Dottie or a Dorothy, since she cherished her grandmother and the name means so much to her. “It’s nice to know that name means so much to someone else,” she said. “She adored me and I adored her. I named my business after her because of how she made me feel.” Pittsfield, MA

Dottiescoffeelounge.com

Not just a grocery store

Berkshire Food Co-op was created by and for families in the Berkshires to bring real food to our friends and neighbors.

Everything we sell is thoughtfully chosen so you can rest assured it’s good for you and for our community. stop by

Alimentari Rossi and Sons, Poughkeepsie, NY

Bite-Sized Adventures

A Hand-y Guide to Superlative Sandwiches

It’s day trip season—the time to roam around our towns and countrysides. You’ll inevitably get hungry, though, so before spending 30 minutes scrolling to find a good place to eat, here are some recommendations for irresistible sandwiches across the hills of Berkshire, Litchfield, Columbia, and Dutchess counties. This list includes hole-in-the-wall joints, fancy bistros, and everything in between, plus some of my everlasting favorites as a long-term local.

Berkshire County

When I asked South County folks about their favorite sandwiches on social media, around a dozen people mentioned Taft Farms in Great Barrington, which has an epic deli counter. The Bully Boar was mentioned specifically—a roast beef sandwich with bacon, pepper jack, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. There’s also the Seoul Reuben, which comes with local kimchi and Indonesian sweet soy sauce.

To the north, seek out the Daily Grind. It’s generous, inexpensive, and right in the middle of downtown Adams, which is full of new activity these days and in great proximity to the Ashuwillitcook Rail Trail. My favorite is the Mailman, which is made with turkey, bacon, and coleslaw. They wrap it up nice and tight so you can take it to go.

Farther south, don’t miss Berkshire Mountain Bakery in Pittsfield, which has renowned bread and an amazing portobello sandwich with sun-dried tomato pesto, mozzarella, and balsamic glaze.

Columbia County

In New Lebanon, Blueberry Hill Market and Cafe is a must-eat, if you can get in; it’s been packed since it opened a little over a decade ago. The Southwest Burger is a highlight for vegetarians—an excellent veggie burger with cheddar, avocado, pickled onion, and chipotle mayo on challah. Chatham’s Our Daily Bread—both the full-service restaurant and the gluten-free spot on the other end

of town—also has an excellent veggie burger, if you’re looking.

Litchfield County

In Kent, Wilson’s is a fixture; it’s a fullservice bakery and cafe, and its sandwich options are like nowhere else. Get a simple prosciutto baguette or go wild with a prime rib sandwich with caramelized onion and horseradish cheddar aioli; if you’re off red meat, get a pulled pork sandwich with blueberry BBQ sauce or an open-faced pork belly chashu.

In college, I spent many happy summers gardening for summer residents all over Litchfield, and I loved stopping at the Bridgewater Village Store and Bistro, which is still open today (although it’s under new ownership). Get the Righteous Grilled Cheese, which combines gruyere, cheddar, Manchego, fontina, and goat cheese on sourdough.

The Pantry in Washington Depot is also a classic spot (open since 1977), with a menu updated daily and special touches like homemade sauerkraut and houseroasted meats.

Northern

Dutchess

In Rhinebeck, Aba’s Falafel serving up flawless, classic Mediterranean fare, with a falafel-in-pita situation that’s perfect for walking around or sitting outside. If you want to be really wowed, get a sabich pita, with roasted eggplant, potato, falafel, lettuce, tahini, and mango curry sauce.

Alimentari Rossi and Sons in Poughkeepsie is the quintessential Italian deli, with top-notch sandwiches, pastries, and antipasti. The Smoky Giuseppe is the one to get, with fried eggplant, provolone,

mozzarella, nduja, smoky eggplant spread, roasted pepper, tomato confit, prosciutto, and stuzzichino. How could you resist such a considered combo?

If you’re in Millbrook, Babette’s Kitchen is a great place for a quick bite. Try the smoked salmon BLT—and don’t skip the soup, which is always on point.

Honorable Mention: Reubens People mentioned Reubens time and time again when I asked this question in various local social media groups. the Frog in Sheffield, the Store at Five Corners in Williamstown, the Great Barrington Bagel Co., and the Olde School Deli in Canaan, Connecticut all got multiple mentions in the reuben category.

Story by Francesca Olsen

Babette’s Kitchen, Millbrook, NY

Market Report Places to Prime Your Pantry

Cornwall Market

The old Cornwall Country Market, a general store circa 1935, sorely needed a major update. When it was put up for sale in 2022, Will Schenk and Tyler Forve bought it with visions of a modern, community-oriented gathering place serving high-quality, take-home meals. Opened earlier this year, it’s now called Cornwall Market. Besides the market menu you’d expect, there are some unusual choices, like grilled lamb shoulder with a pomegranate molasses, and Korean bulgogi cheesesteak. James Arena, chef du cuisine and pastry chef creates all manner of bakery items. Chocolates made in the “chocolate room” are the market’s pièce de resistance. The cocoa beans are purchased directly from the farmers in Colombia, and the exquisite bonbons and truffles are blended from a variety of those beans. Cornwall Bridge, CT Cornwallmarket.com

Refill G.B.

Refill G.B. describes itself as a refill and low-waste store, providing everyday essentials without the plastic waste. That doesn’t, however, reflect the fun in discovering a whole new world of home goods that are sustainable, cruelty free, and made with natural ingredients. In fact, it’s surprising how attractive cleaning products can be without the plastic packaging. Refillable bottles and the natural, nontoxic bulk products like all-purpose cleaners, dish soap, shampoo, and body wash that go into them are for sale, as are natural makeup and toiletries, food wraps and sponges, and gifty items, to name but a small selection of items in store (also available online).

Great Barrington, MA Refillgb.com

Farm Shoppe

Emma Hearst opened Farm Shoppe on the city’s main drag selling farm-fresh produce and flowers, pantry items, and curated, antique tableware in late February. Decking the store in rustic whimsy with patterned wallpapers, wood displays, and pops of bold colors, Hearst has created an enticing destination with quality food and gifts, and lots of serve ware. An extension

of the Forts Ferry Farm, which she runs with her husband, the store’s coolers are loaded with meals made with ingredients from the farm.

Hudson, NY

Fortsferryfarmshoppe.com

Roadside Store & Cafe

For more than 40 years, Roadside Store and Cafe was a fixture on Route 23 in Monterey, Massachusetts. Owned by nearby Gould Farm, a residential therapeutic community, it was a meeting place and an opportunity for Gould Farm residents to engage in meaningful therapeutic work. The original Roadside was razed in 2021 and rebuilt to make it a more effective work program and space for Gould Farm

New bakeries and modern butcher shops have sprouted throughout the region. Scan for details.

and its participants who work at Roadside. By the time you read this, it will be open, serving its renowned pancakes and other breakfast dishes (served all day) as well as soups, salads, and hamburgers made from Gould Farm’s beef. Roadside will have Gould Farm bread, milk, cheese, yogurt, pancake mix, maple syrup, and granola for sale. The bakery has moved from the farm to the cafe, and there are plans to move its farmers market over as well. “Now it’s a restaurant, bakery and market,” says Francie Leventhal, Roadside manager. “We even have a full coffee and espresso bar, something we didn’t have before.”

Open Wednesday-Saturday.

Monterey, MA

Gouldfarm.org/roadside

Cornwall Market, Cornwall Bridge, CT

Redefining Neighborhood Dining

Willa in Millerton

Alanna Broesler and Jim Buhs had been working at 52 Main, a tapas bar in Millerton, for a combined total of 18 years when the thought occurred to them: would it be crazy to buy the business? Following a year’s worth of negotiating with the previous owner and soliciting advice from friends, the couple officially became owners in September and subsequently closed down for a whirlwind of renovations. On Halloween, they reopened the doors as Willa, a restaurant and bar committed to

local farm-to-table sourcing and balancing elevated New American cuisine with a cozy neighborhood ambiance.

Willa runs on a small menu that refuses to sacrifice range for size, from winter squash croquettes and black emmer pappardelle to a smash burger and fries, all the while adhering to a micro-seasonal calendar. Chef Daniel Meissner plans to change the lineup every three months, with additional tweaks based on what surrounding farms have in stock from week to week.

The grilled tilefish—doused in white wine and butter sauce and sitting atop a salad of cranberry beans, diced rutabaga, celery leaves, and bronzed fennel—is exemplary. “One week we’re serving rutabaga for fish, then we buy it all from the farm and they don’t have any more, so we have to do something else, like get celery root,” Meissner explains. “We’re trying to create these relationships with our local ecosystem, our local farmers, small businesses that really struggle to make money every year and get by. We want to show support to them.”

When developing new dishes, Meissner draws on his personal experiences, the teachings of his mentors, and the input of his kitchen team, all bound by the constraints of what local farms have available. “We’re using techniques like pickling, fermenting, and local sourcing to create a language of our own,” he says.

Broesler, Buhs, and Meissner have each put in their hours in the Hudson Valley restaurant scene, which brought them together first as friends and now as business partners. Broesler hails from Highland Falls, where her father owns the bar Benny Havens, and grew up “sweeping sidewalks and scrubbing potatoes” before obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in sustainable agriculture and food systems.

Broesler met Buhs when she started working at 52 Main, and workplace chemistry eventually escalated into a relationship. Buhs had previously run a video store in Amenia, where a teenage Meissner would often pop in to rent DVDs. Meissner went into fine dining, attended culinary school, and had been working as a private chef in various Hudson Valley locations since the pandemic when Buhs approached him to be the chef at the new restaurant

Their vision for Willa also included a facelift—a five-week effort bolstered by members of the Millerton community, many of whom worked pro bono. “I think we’ve changed the space in a way that fits our voice,” Meissner says.

Millerton, NY

Willabar.com

Photo by Colin Bazzano Photography

Willa in Millerton fuses farm-to-table cuisine with a cozy neighborhood vibe.

Berry, Berry Good

The CC Tini

C. Cassis is a take on the classic French elixir crème de cassis created from lightly fermented New York State blckcurrants. The brainchild of Rachael Petach, the blackcurrant based is mixed with botanicals including cardamom pods, bay leaf, citrus rind, and lemon verbena. The resulting cordial is less syrupy and more herbaceous than its classic counterpart, and works equally well neat, chilled, or mixed. We asked Petach to suggest a cocktail that would be especially summery, and she offered the CC Tini. Created by mixologist and author Natasha David, it’s a lowerproof garden martini that features a house-made nasturtium cordial, Neversink gin, C. Cassis, verjus, and Method Dry Vermouth. Enjoy it in the whimsical C. Cassis Tasting Room in Rhinebeck, where limitededition products like barrel-aged cassis and the canned CC Spritz are available on site as well. Rhinebeck, NY Ccassis.com

What can we say about this now legendary establishment? It’s everything you want in a local fresh healthy food and grocery store. A staple of the area for so long now. Raw milk. Fresh, biodynamically-grown vegetables and fruit. Wonderful baked goods and granolas. Every town in the world should have a store like this! They simply do everything right!

JOSEPH B., GOOGLE REVIEW

Crafting Creativity

Unleash Your Inner Maker

We all love to surround ourselves with the beauty that’s created by our local makers. But why leave it all up to others? A bevy of businesses and organizations throughout the area offer classes where one turns from spectator to maker.

Hoogs and Crawford Glass

The Plant Connector, North Adams and Pittsfield, MA

Poured Candle Bar

The evocative fragrances that emanate at Dennis Green and Ricky Tiscareno’s candle shop are so popular, they offer a candle-of-the-month subscription. Try the Custom Fragrance Experience: For $48, guests can make bespoke candles and perfumes from among 80 aromas (including tomato leaf, sandalwood, and patchouli) all while sipping at Poured’s licensed wine bar. Weekend reservations are a must; you’ll need to book online for the 45-minute session (allow another 120 minutes for curing your creation before taking it home).

Hudson, NY

Pouredcandlebar.com

The Plant Connector

Artists Nathan Hoogs and Elizabeth Crawford’s blown-glass works run the gamut from slim swizzle sticks to one-ofa-kind lampshades. Watching something delicate and beautiful being formed by fire is mesmerizing, and the artists share the beauty and skill of glassblowing via appointment-only classes. They’re open to ages 10 and up for individuals and up to four people at a time. Cost: $110 per item/person.

Canaan, NY

Hoogs-and-crawford-glass.square.site

Emilee Yawn and Bonnie Marks share their love of plants at their “community center disguised as a plant shop.” An in-store plant guide ranks their stock in order of diva-ness from highmaintenance to thrives-on-neglect. Caring for nature is the core of their mission, so shoppers can also load up on bulk lotions, soaps, and cleaners at the Refillery. A terrarium-making class is $30 and includes all materials.

North Adams and Pittsfield, MA Theplantconnector.com

HGS Home Chef

The Hillsdale General Store, housed in a historic c.1855 building, offers locally sourced and American-made goods. Shoppers have long made it their destination to browse for vintage and new products alike. But the real find may be across the street at its sister business, HGS Home Chef—where guests learn cooking skills in its two teaching kitchens from chefs like Miriam Rubin, a Culinary Institute of America grad and the first woman to work in Manhattan’s Four Season kitchens. Leaning heavily into the seasons, the classes ($120 for roughly two hours) range from spring chickens and strawberry-rhubarb pie now, to warming soups and bouillabaisse by next February. Hillsdale, NY

Hillsdalegeneralstore.com/cooking-classes

Berkshire Art Center

Formerly known as IS183 Art School, Berkshire Art Center is the place to go for art instruction in the county. Ceramics, collage, drawing, fiber, painting, photography, printmaking—this place offers it all, including private lessons if you’re not into classroom learning. Some of workshops are one-offs, others are multi-week classes.

Pittsfield, MA

Berkshireartcenter.org/classes

Poured Candle Bar, Hudson, NY

Tina’s Baskets and Woven Art

Tina Puckett learned basketry at an adult education class as a stay-at-home mom. More than 40 years later, she’s sharing the secrets of her serpentine, wildly artistic woven works in classes she runs herself. One-on-one and shared classes start with instruction on weaving traditional bowls and advance in ability from there. Choose from a two-hour mini class ($110 for one student down to $50 each for three to six students) or a five-hour class on a Saturday or Sunday ($225 or $105 each, respectively). Winsted, CT

Tinasbaskets.com

Shaker Chic

The Ruins at Sassafras Museum

The Ruins at Sassafras Museum in New Lebanon, New York, is a fascinating commingling of history, intention, and function. A venue for events, weddings, the arts, and historic tours, the former home of the Shaker Second Family Settlement built in 1787 has been restored and reimagined into one of the most interesting new places to visit in the region. The site’s effervescent co-owner, Carol Reichert, who runs the place with her husband, Jerome Shereda, will be more than happy to give you a tour of the historic grounds.

Neighboring the Shaker Museum’s Historic Mount Lebanon Site, the Darrow School, and the Abode of the Message (a Sufi retreat on a former Shaker site), the Ruins property once housed 67 Shakers. It’s centered around a large stone building, which was originally built as the “brethren’s workshop” for labors like seed packing. Now it’s a grand retreat that sleeps 10 (the entire property can host 18) and adeptly blends the expert craftsmanship of Shaker construction with a Moroccan aesthetic. The combination of styles interacts quite elegantly and speaks to Reichert’s desire to honor the history of

the Shakers while allowing the space to tell new stories.

Next to the house, the museum and the event hall are located in what is believed to be the last remaining Shaker chair factory. The massive building was raised two feet off the ground to repair the foundation during restoration. The interior is a humungous open space of big wood beams and tall windows facing the mountains. Downstairs, a North African-inspired barroom and lounge has been built into the textured stone and broken brick of the old foundation.

The Sexiest Shaker Museum Site

Though she says she knew next to nothing about the Shakers before buying the property, Reichert, who spent her career running a medical publishing company, has been a fast study. Leading the museum tours herself, Reichert makes learning about the chaste Shakers a lively time. With the renovations and restyling— the brass embellishments, candles tucked into stone wall nooks, and hidden seating areas to sneak off to—the Ruins at Sassafras is intriguing, mysterious, and easily the sexiest Shaker museum site you’ll ever find.

“The Shakers were so good at siting properties in the most beautiful way,” Reichert adds. “It’s breathtaking. Their whole thing was, ‘How do we create heaven on Earth?’ So part of it was, well, you have to be in a beautiful place that’s connected to nature, and that will elevate you and your behavior and your goodness. I don’t know if that’s happened to us, but I hope so.”

Yes, it is technically a museum, but it is as a venue that the Ruins excels. Is it the most faithful representation of the Shaker’s legacy? Clearly not—but the care, effort, and millions of dollars Reichert and Shereda put into saving the property have made it an unparalleled location for any event, especially for weddings.

While the Shakers may have left a lasting legacy in the quality of the objects they made, their presence on Earth was destined to be finite. It could be seen as blessing, then, that anyone with the resources to restore this place found it and took on the challenge at all. Now, Shaker design history exists in conversation with other artistic styles, ideas, and the joyful activities of the living.

New Lebanon, NY Sassafrasruins.com

Intrigued by Shaker Chic? Scan here for more photos of the Ruins at Sassafras Museum.

Luxurious, Sustainable Stays at Manor House Inn

Nestled in the picturesque northwest corner of Connecticut, The Manor House Inn is a certified Green Lodging hotel offering an elegant, eco-conscious escape. Situated on five acres in Norfolk, a town that cherishes art and nature, the Alders Estate is a tranquil haven to rest, reflect, and reconnect.

Guests can enjoy a variety of nearby attractions, including breweries, wineries, concerts, museums, hiking trails, biking routes, and serene mountain lakes. Whether seeking a weekend adventure or a peaceful retreat, The Manor House provides the perfect setting to unwind and explore the beauty of the forests, farms, and foothills of Litchfield Hills.

Mention Rural Intelligence when making a reservation and receive a box of locally made chocolates as a welcome gift upon arrival. Norfolk, CT Manorhouse-norfolk.com

In Praise of Pittsfield

A Blend of City and Country in the Middle of the Berkshires

The urban county seat of Berkshire County, Pittsfield, Massachusetts (population 43,000 according to the 2020 census), reflects the best of the Berkshires, with culture and the outdoors being the major draws. Sited on the ancestral homelands of the Mohican people, the city has had its ups and downs, its lowest point in the late `80s and early `90s when General Electric began shedding workers, eventually leaving town—and thousands of employees out of work. But efforts to create a thriving creative economy have paid off, and the natural world within city limits makes it easy to hike, swim, kayak, and just enjoy the landscape. Perfectly positioned in the middle of the county, Pittsfield offers a lot to do. One day is hardly enough!

Check out North Street

The main drag of downtown (also called the Upstreet Cultural District), North Street was a bustling center of commerce during the GE days. It’s quieter now, but recently eight new businesses have opened, including Thistle’n Thorn, a florist and gift shop, and Marie’s North Street Eatery and Gallery, an Eastern European deli with a photography gallery in the front and historic

North Street photos in the back. Casual restaurants include The Marketplace Cafe, House of India, Methuselah Bar and Lounge, and Hot Harry’s Burritos. Berkshire Yoga Dance & Fitness, right above the Beacon Cinema, offers classes in a variety of modalities and levels. If you’re looking for a place to stay, we highly recommend Hotel on North, which was refashioned from a former department store’s two buildings now on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s a sophisticated hotel that retains its 19th-century quirks, like a vintage birdcage elevator, now fitted with a cocktail table for two.

See a show

Pittsfield a Mecca for theater lovers? You bet. Barrington Stage Company, just off North Street, is a professional theater that’s originated productions so stellar they’ve moved to Broadway, such as “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “On the Town,” and Billy Crystal’s “Mr. Saturday Night.” It has two theaters: the Boyd-Quinson theater for bigger productions, and the black box St. Germain Stage, a few blocks off North Street. Over on South Street, the Gilded-Age Colonial Theatre is home to the Berkshire Theatre Group, which operate three stages (two in Stockbridge)

Hotel on North

during the summer and presents concerts and comedy events throughout the year.

Jump in a lake

Bodies of fresh water surrounded by mountains activate the awe factor. Onota Lake, on the west side of town, is popular for fishing, swimming, water skiing, jet skiing, and sailing. Burbank Park, on the shore, is a city park with a sandy beach, play area, a dog park, and lakeside trail. Head north to Pontoosuc Lake, where you can fish and boat (or ice fish in the winter). It’s a welcoming picnic spot with a large lawn and a beach.

Take a hike

How many small cities have their own state forest? Pittsfield State Forest is an 11,000-square foot park with campsites, hiking trails, cross-country skiing, and scenic Berry Pond, Massachusetts’s highest natural body of water. But most locals think of it in terms of its trails—over 30 miles of them for all levels of experience. The short Tranquility Trail is paved and accessible for those with wheelchairs and

strollers. Canoe Meadows, in the center of Pittsfield, is a Mass Audubon-managed meadow. Here’s where you go to spot warblers, turtles, ospreys, otters, and maybe a bear. Most of the trails are flat and offer a gentle walk through the sanctuary’s woods, fields, and wetland.

Bone up on local history

The Shakers left their mark in the Berkshires and Lebanon Valley in neighboring New York State. In Pittsfield, Hancock Shaker Village is the former home of a Shaker community, with 20 historic buildings and a working farm. You can visit the dwellings and the famous Round Barn, explore the exhibition of Shaker artifacts, or take a 90-minute guided tour. Herman Melville’s Arrowhead was once home to the author of Moby-Dick. (It’s said that the mountain view outside his office window was the impetus for writing the tome.) Besides touring the house, originally built in the 1780s, you can explore the landscapes that inspired the author by following the Melville Trail (one is Pontoosuc Lake). Arrowhead is stewarded by the Berkshire County Historical Society, which incorporates its collections in changing exhibits on Berkshire and Pittsfield history.

Onota Lake

The Marketplace Cafe Barrington Stage Company

Explore Chatham & Kinderhook

Two Jewels of Columbia County

In a piteous PR stunt, North Tarrytown, New York, changed its name to Sleepy Hollow in 1996, just because Washington Irving alluded to some physical features of the suburb in his seminal work, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” At the time, Kinderhook, New York, residents hardly noticed, confident in the knowledge that the characters and narrative in the story of Ichabod Crane’s battle with the Headless Horseman were based on Irving’s time in Kinderhook. There he befriended a lanky oneroom schoolteacher and cavorted with Dutch socialites.

Today, Kinderhook continues to pay no mind to North Tarrytown. The Ichabod Crane School District sports teams fixate instead on a respected adversary: Chatham. Chatham sprung up in tandem with Kinderhook. A prosperous mill town on the Boston-to-Albany rail line, Chatham’s historic main street rivals the handsomeness of any other in region. But Kinderhook and Chatham aren’t stuck in the past. These villages are forging a new legacy as destinations with stellar dining, shopping, and a sophisticated agrarian energy.

Culturally Connected

Attractions in the towns are anchored by arts destinations. In Kinderhook, Jack Shainman Gallery: The School, has proven itself over the past decade to be a home to world-class art. The School has presented work from the likes of Nick Cave, JeanMichel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, and so many more artists of historical and contemporary relevance.

In Chatham, the Crandell Theatre is a picture-perfect representation of an historic, nonprofit, independent movie house. The lovingly restored theater is home to a rounded program, showing significant films of every genre and hosting the Film Columbia Film Festival each October.

Other attractions include the Mac-Haydn Theatre in Chatham and Kinderhook sites like the James Vanderpoel House of History. Kinderhook also contains the impressive home of one of America’s least remarkable presidents, the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site and, of course, the one-room Ichabod Crane School House.

Chatham Brewing

Eating Out

If you find yourself starting your day in Kinderhook, first, go for breakfast, lunch, or brunch at Morningbird Cafe in the front in the Kinderhook Knitting Mill complex. An egg sandwich with sausage (from Lovers Leap Farm down the road), chimichurri, and sambal is a standout. Around the corner, Broad Street Bagel Co. is giving locals and transplants what they crave.

Kinderhook’s evening scene is highlighted by the inviting painterly window glow from Saisonnier. Inside, they’re serving curated cheeseboards, sandwiches, and tinned fish selections alongside a guided world tour of libations. One can easily have a little glass and plate there before flying over to the Aviary, in the Knitting Mill, for farm-to-table fine dining in a distinctive open space.

Or, if you’re on your way through Chatham on Route 66, the Bartlett House serves fresh-baked goods and meals that are delicately decadent. Run by the same team behind the Maker in Hudson, the bakery and cafe is historic (it was originally a train station hotel) and refined. In the village, try Our Daily Bread, a local bakery institution known far and wide for their gluten-full and glutenfree loaves.

Dinner options in the village continue to diversify in variety and creative quality. Chatham has Lagonia’s Bistro and the People’s Pub for elevated grub and Chatham Brewing is offering gastropub fare alongside its well-known beers.

Farm Fresh

When shopping for a dinner at home or for a party of great size, both towns have places to load up on locally grown ingredients. The Chatham Berry Farm and Chatham Real Food Market have been connecting farms to tables since before it was a catchphrase.

Likewise, Kinderhook’s fertile legacies include Golden Harvest Farms and Samascott Orchards, north of the village. Golden Harvest is home to the Harvest Spirits Distillery, turning farm fruit to apple jack, brandy, and more. The farm also hosts the Harvest Smokehouse, which uses apple wood from the orchard to impart its barbecue with hyper-local flavor. Samascott too is beloved for its historied community presence, ice cream, and cider donuts.

Shopping Local

Clothing and gifts acquired here, and there, are likewise imbued with a sense of place. The Chatham Bookstore has been embedded into the center of the village’s picturesque Main Street for generations, as has American Pie, Chatham’s mini, high-end old-school, home-town department store. Kinderhook’s Knitting Mill is also now home to OK Pantry for home goods and gifts and a boutique perfumery, 2 Note

So, while “Sleepy Hollow” is stuck in the past, Kinderhook and Chatham are telling new stories, informed by history but taking advantage of the creativity of its culture and commerce.

Bartlett House

Chatham Berry Farm

Trail Mix

Guided Hikes in the Region

Hoofing it up and down our local trails is fun and rewarding but can be intimidating for novices. A guide-led trail hike gives newbies the whole experience, with the reassurance of a seasoned hiker who knows the trails.

Jeff Poushter is the Tie-Dyed Trail Guide, based in North Adams, Massachusetts. He offers a range of hikes throughout the Northern Berkshires from short, easy, two-hour ones ($35 per person) up to strenuous, all-day hikes ($90). One of the most popular hikes he leads is one up Ragged Mountain, a three-to-four-hour, moderateto-strenuous hike to an abandoned ski resort in Adams, where you’ll encounter ruins of chairlifts among the wildlife. Tiedyedguide.com

A solo pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago inspired Mindy Miraglia to lead mindful hikes around the Berkshires. At Berkshire Camino, launched in 2020, Miraglia curates day-long and multi-day hikes (with overnights at local inns). Sample Southern Berkshires itinerary: Hike from the Connecticut

border to Lenox via woodland trails, the Housatonic Rail trail and quiet country roads. Relax the first day in a barrel sauna and enjoy drinks around a firepit before nestling into a soft bed. Begin the next day with a breakfast buffet before a seven-mile jaunt through the Southern Berkshires, ending at a boutique inn such as Little Cat Lodge in Hillsdale, Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, or Lifehouse Berkshires in Lenox, where you’ll enjoy a dinner. Repeat for the next two days, lengthening the hikes by a mile or two each day.

Berkshirecamino.com

The Taconic Hiking Club celebrates its 92nd year on the Taconic Crest Trail, Capital Region, and Berkshires. The club welcomes guests to join a hike if they meet fitness requirements. If they like the experience, annual memberships are only $10/year. Hikes are rated from C (easy, i.e. three miles of the Kinderhook Preserve) to A+ (very strenuous: 10-plus miles and 4,000 feet of elevation gain).

Taconichikingclub.org

Helping the Berkshire County Community Thrive

In 1924, a group of passionate residents of Berkshire County formed the organization now known as Berkshire United Way. For the past 100 years, their work has been rooted in the idea that everyone should have an equitable opportunity to thrive in this beautiful region.

Every year, Berkshire United Way directs a community fundraising campaign that raises money to support the county’s greatest needs as determined through local survey and data assessments. The generous gifts received from individuals are combined with donations from their friends and neighbors to award grants that are invested directly back into the community.

Currently, Berkshire United Way is working to increase access to high-quality programs for children and teens, support mental health needs, and to improve economic opportunities—contributing to a greater overall quality of life in Berkshire County. Anyone can take part in supporting the community through Berkshire United Way’s annual campaign. Learn more and donate at Berkshireunitedway.org

A student participates in a creative dance program with scholarship support funded by Berkshire United Way.

15 Crissey Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230 Fitness Center • Aquatics Center • Events • Community Programs

Sculpturedale

A Kent Sculptor Goes Wild

Kent, Connecticut, is probably the last place you’d expect to go on a pseudo safari. Which would explain why drivers taking picturesque Route 7 near Kent Falls State Park might do a double (or triple) take when they spot a fairly wild kingdom out of the corner of their eye.

Okay, the animals aren’t real. But they’re imaginative and compelling enough to make you want to stop and explore the life-size, rusted sculptures on the hill. The figures are the work of sculptor Denis Curtiss, who fabricates the pieces in his nearby workshop using a variety of with a band saw, fumes extractor, welders, and his own handmade tools.

He and his wife, Barbara, welcome visitors to their property—a neatly manicured, four-acre swath of beautiful countryside—to roam and take in the views of the creatures. They call it Sculpturedale. Curtiss refers to the property, which also showcases Barbara’s gardens, as a “working gallery.” The animals are strategically placed: a pig and bear are spotted in the distance on a grassy hill; elephants lurk nearby when you first enter the driveway. You can’t

miss his best-selling sculpture—a baby elephant sitting on his backside. Take a walk and meet a squirrel, a blue heron, and the form of another species: a dancer.

Curtiss, who grew up in Cornwall and graduated from Oliver Wolcott Technical High School in Torrington, first began creating large sculptures of what he calls “the dancers,” eight-foot wooden and metal figures stretched into a variety of positions. Then came the animals, of which he’s sold hundreds to people from all over the world, including 20 to the late singer Andy Williams for his own yard and for his Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri. Prices range from $75 to $12,000, which was what someone paid for a Texas Longhorn he sculpted.

All of the pieces at Sculpturedale are for sale. His work has been displayed at countless sculpture exhibitions, and, locally, you can visit some of the Curtiss menagerie at the Interlaken Inn in Lakeville.

“I love talking with people,” says Curtiss, who quickly came out when I arrived for a visit. He jokingly refers to himself as a “cheap New Englander,” and says no advertising is needed: Eighty-five percent

of his customers come right off Route 7, attracted by the simple Sculpturedale sign and the animals lurking up top. It doesn’t hurt that Sculpturedale was mentioned in a New York Times story on Kent, or that Curtiss was included in HGTV’s “Off Beat America” or that the garden was named one of the places to visit in Yankee magazine’s annual travel issue.

Customer Lisa Vaeth of North Canton says she’s enjoyed the artist’s work since the 1990s, when she commissioned Curtiss to do a dog sculpture for her husband. “There’s something so magical about his sculptures,” she says. “I’m always astounded by the life they bring to the garden.”

Of course, the fact that Curtiss works in steel, and the sculptures are exposed to the elements, means that a certain patina forms on the sculptures after time outside in damp conditions. But that doesn’t seem to be a problem for Curtiss or his customers. “The people I sell to want rust,” he says.

Visitors are welcome most afternoons and weekends.

Kent, CT

Deniscurtisssculpture.com

Story by Lauren Curran // Kent, CT //

An elephant and a rhino prowl the garden at Sculpturedale.

PYO Flower Farms

Brittany Hollow Farm Flowers, Rhinebeck, NY

Not all of us can or want to grow our own flowers. Fortunately, these farms let you tiptoe through their pick-your-own flower fields and create a bouquet. Of course, the growing season depends on temperatures and moisture, so be sure to check each farm’s social media for updates before heading out.

Second Drop Farm

“It’s about the memories made, the laughter shared, and the connections forged amidst the rows of vibrant berries and fragrant blooms,” say Second Drop Farm’s owners, Samantha and Patrick Elliott. Their English lavender is the first flower to bloom in June (small bundle, $15; 2-inch bundle, $15). At the beginning of July, the zinnias, dahlias and strawflowers make their appearance ($1 per flower) and keep popping up until the first frost. Mid to late-July, the farm offers sunflowers in a variety of center and leaf colors, $2 per stem. They’ll bloom until early fall. Buckets, scissors—and instruction—are provided. Lanesborough, MA

Seconddropfarms.com/youpick

Brittany Hollow Farm Flowers

Beginning the last week in June or in early July, Brittany Hollow Farm opens up for the annual picking of, well, annuals. Among the flowers they grow are zinnias, snapdragons, sunflowers, and marigolds, plus greenery to enhance your bouquet. Upon arrival, you’ll be given a one-gallon bucket which you can fill up for $25. Bring the bucket back another day and it’s $20 to refill it. Note: This farm accepts cash and checks only, no Venmo. Rhinebeck, NY

Brittanyhollowfarmflowers.mystrikingly.com

Hudson Valley Cold Pressed Oils (and Sunflowers)

Imagine a 75-acre field of sunflowers. Better yet, go visit it. Hudson Valley Cold Pressed Oils came to growing sunflowers as a pick-your-own venture after harvesting them to create cold-pressed sunflower oil. The company, run by several generations of the Haight family, has grown and now produces not just oil but also flour, muffin and pancake mixes, sugar scrubs, and other products made from sunflower oil. So many people would pass by the fields and stop to admire them that the family decided to make their sunflowers available to the public. The flowers are ready for picking between the last week of July and Labor Day Ten flowers or fewer, $3 per flower. More than 10, $30 for the bunch. They’ll provide the buckets; you bring your own clippers. (Interested in their other products? Check out the tent on site.)

Pleasant Valley, NY

Hudsonvalleycoldpressedoils.com

Vine Gate Lavender Floral Farm

The first time we visited Vine Gate Lavender Floral Farm four years ago, the initial crop of lavender was just coming up. The farm has expanded and now includes zinnias, sunflowers, Amaranthus celosia, dahlias, marigolds, peonies, snapdragons, and even more varieties. The lavender season kicks off around the third week of June and runs through early August, while the other flowers are available for your picking pleasure most of the summer until early October. The lavender is $8 for a bunch or two bunches for $15. The other flowers are $10 per bucket.

Hillsdale, NY

Vinegatelavender.com

Second Drop Farm, Lanesborough, MA

Hudson Valley Cold Pressed Oils, Pleasant Valley, NY

Vine Gate Lavender Floral Farm, Hillsdale, NY

Table Talk Five Regional Furniture Makers

From elegant to extravagant and traditional to whimsical, regional furniture makers are crafting a wide-ranging variety of (often) one-of-a-kind items. Established local carpenters, metalsmiths, and makers are helping to define the contemporary regional esthetic in vivid ways. Here’s where to find some of them.

Peter Superti, working out of Red Hook, New York, crafts striking sculptural furniture that bends the contextual and functional nature of what furniture is “supposed to be.” His creativity informs pieces suited for the home, like custom cabinets, beds, and dressing tables. (Fun fact: Superti designed and fabricated the table and chairs for Marina Abramovic’s MoMA show, “The Artist is Present.”)

Sawkille Company, in nearby Rhinebeck, is a husbandand-wife team— Jonah Meyer and Tara DeLisio— who blend minimalism with traditional austerity. The clean lines and rough-hewn textures of Sawkille furniture works anywhere from historic farmhouses to ultra modern dwellings.

Rachael Que Vargas Studio, based in Hudson, is best known for turning scrap metal into centerpiece outdoor fireplaces,

but the artist is also an expert maker of mosaics and visual art, specializing in anatomical prints.

JK Custom Furniture and Design, in Great Barrington was founded by Joshua and Kristen Kanter. The duo crafts fine wood cabinetry and interiors, as well as furniture, and has a popular line of high-quality, rustic edge cutting boards, perfect for daily use or your next cheese board.

Rustic Gardens in Kent Connecticut provides custom cedar work for the inside and outside of the home. Recognizably fashioned from twigs and branches, the furniture is woodsy without kitsch, taking advantage of natural lines in a modern and sophisticated way. Likewise, outdoor furniture, fences, arbors, pergolas and even bridges, brings this classic New England tradition into the 21st-century.

Likeminded Objects in Hudson is home to the playful creations of Elise McMahon. Bright colors and bold shapes abound as she uses recycled materials to make side tables with wiggly bases, denim children’s furniture, as well as lamps, mirrors and more employing McMahon’s iconic, cartoonish design of a head in profile.

Take a seat from Sawkille Company’s line of handcrafted chairs: Senate, Penn, Fiddleback, Rabbit, and Rainbow.

Oldies But Goodies

Six Antiques Marketplaces to Explore

For a day of antiquing, spaces with multiple vendors give you entry into individual worlds of antiques and collectibles.

Rhinebeck Antique Emporium

The Route 9 warehouse calls itself the “Hudson Valley’s largest venue of antiques, appraisals and auctions under one roof.” In addition to 40 vendor booths, the emporium employs a repair team to restore heirlooms to their original value. Staatsburg, NY

Rhinebeckantiqueemporium.com

Hyde Park Antiques Center

The 1770s carriage house, a handsome 9,500-square foot antique itself, holds historic treasures within: over 50 vendors of everything from bureaus and armchairs to dishware, clothing, vinyl records, and collectibles. Hyde Park, NY

Hydeparkvintageemporium.com

Beekman Arms Antique Market

This antique market is located behind the Beekman Arms, a tavern that’s been operating continuously since 1766. The shop is set in a two-story barn and its 33 vendors offer not just antiques but also contemporary furniture. Shoppers looking for jewelry and paintings can do well here. Rhinebeck, NY

Beekmandelamaterinn.com/antique-market

Door 15 and Center Space Vintage

That 300,000-square-foot warehouse, just steps from the Hudson train station, is an amalgamation of various antiques vendors. Door 15 is a 27-dealer collective of antiques, vintage, furniture, clothing and textiles, plus architectural salvage. The vendors change fairly frequently and the website listing the dealers may not be up to date, so you just have to go in and wander. Door 21, on the other side of the building, is inhabited by the Antiques

Warehouse, which is fully owneroperated. In the middle is Center Space Vintage, another multi-dealer collective. You can walk straight through from one to the another—you just have to meander to comprehend the vastness and variety contained in this warehouse. Hudson, NY @door15hudson @centerspacevintage

Wright’s Barn and Flea Market

The Wright family’s former dairy barn was converted to a teen dance hall, and in 1980 it was turned into a flea market by Jim Wright’s father. Now it’s run by Jim and his wife Carol, both former teachers. The building itself has been recognized as a Connecticut historic landmark. The market has 16 antiques and collectibles vendors across two floors. What’s most charming about this venue, aside from its

bucolic country setting, is the cafe, which serves comfort food like chili and hotdogs, and Carol’s popular scones. Torrington, CT Facebook.com/wrightsbarncafe

Berkshire Emporium & Antiques

“Old, new, collectible, and handmade” is how owner Keith Bona describes Berkshire Emporium & Antiques, a sprawling 20,000-square-foot, 25-room, two-floor wonderland. You won’t find super high-end antiques, but as you wander from room to room, you will find collectibles of the sports, jewelry, knickknacks, and clothing variety, as well as Berkshires souvenirs, lavender products, food items, and the Emporium snack bar.

North Adams, MA

Berkshireemporium.com

Hyde Park Antiques Center, Hyde Park

Summer

Arts

PREVIEW

Acollective bravo to the artists, to the presenters, and to the audiences. You can’t have one without the other, and the cultural life of the Rural Intelligence region thrives because of that sublime trinity. So a bravo goes out to the organizations, large and small, that program and produce the theater, dance, musical performances, and art exhibits. Kudos aplenty to the performers who grace our stages and the visual artists who show us another way of looking at the world. And finally, let’s give ourselves—the audience—a big round of applause, for showing up and supporting artists and presenters.

A recent article in the Berkshire Eagle reported that in the wake of the pandemic years, last summer’s audiences were closer to normal attendance at most area stages and concert spaces. And with the lineup of events this season, it’s not unreasonable to expect that attendance will be even higher. We’ve chosen 10 out of the almost endless offerings in each of the arts we’re looking excited about. (It’s a tough job, but we elect ourselves to do it.) They are but suggestions, a taste, to galvanize you to make some critical decisions and buy some tickets. Then pat yourself on the back for choosing to fill your cultural cup to the brim in the Rural Intelligence region.

Extra-Credit Kudos

A number of our venerable presenters are celebrating important anniversaries this year, and we always like to recognize their work and longtime contributions to the arts of the region. Here they are, by the numbers.

150

Tanglewood is commemorating the 150th birthday of its founder, the conductor Serge Koussevitzky, as well as the 100 years since his appointment as BSO music director (1924-1949). Concerts will showcase his legacy via pieces commissioned or premiered by him.

95 Music Mountain is one of the longestrunning festivals of its kind in the world and is playing it’s 95th season with programs reflecting the theme “From Struggle to Triumph: The Power of Music.”

30 Barrington Stage Company is turning 30. Now run by Alan Paul, who replaced founder and artistic director Julie Boyd upon her retirement, its programming is as vibrant and relevant as ever.

25 MASS MoCA celebrates its first quarter century and continues to amaze with its blockbuster exhibitions, artist-in-residence series, live performances, and music festivals.

Urban Bush Women perform at Bard Summerscape, Annandale, NY, June 28-30.

Photo by Rick McCullough

Bard Fisher Center

Annandale, NY Fishercenter.bard.edu

“Ulysses”— Elevator Repair Service

A New York City-based company, Elevator Repair Service creates original works crafted from a range of texts. At Bard, the troupe explores James Joyce’s Ulysses in a production that presents a new way of appreciating the masterpiece. In the ERS version, seven performers sit down for a sober reading when chaos ensues. The multimedia aspect comes in through the layered sound design. This is a Bard SummerScape commission—and we’ve seen enough of SummerScape’s commissioned work to know that whatever they put out is going to be an event. June 20-July 14.

Shakespeare & Company

Lenox, MA Shakespeare.org

“A Body of Water”

Playwright Lee Blessing (“A Walk in the Woods” at S&Co. in 2022) brings us what’s been called “existential with a touch of the absurd.” An older man and woman wake up one day in an isolated setting above a body of water. Not only that—they’ve both come down with a case of amnesia. A young woman appears, offering tantalizing clues to the couple’s identity. Intrigued? We are. In the Roman Garden Theatre. June 21-July 21.

“The Comedy of Errors”

And now, for a little high-brow levity, is “The Comedy of Errors,” taking over Shakespeare & Company’s outdoor mainstage. It’s got all of Shakespeare’s trademarks: mistaken identities, two

Theater

sets of twins separated by a storm at sea, misunderstandings, and mishaps. Tradition at its best. In the Arthur S. Waldstein Amphitheatre. July 13-August 18.

Berkshire Theatre Group

Pittsfield and Stockbridge, MA berkshiretheatregroup.org

Mel Brooks’s “Young Frankenstein”

It was Berkshire Theatre Group’s first announced production of the season and we’ve been excited ever since. You’ve watched the movie (how many times?), and now you can enjoy the classic comedy as a musical, with music and lyrics by the great Mel Brooks. All your favorite characters will be there: Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, Igor, and Inga, getting star turns with tunes like “The Translyvania Mania” and “He Vas My Boyfriend.” Scary? Probably not. So funny it’s scary? We’ll see. At the Colonial Theatre. June 27-July 21.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Pipe Dream”

While BTG’s lineup includes several intriguing plays—among them “4,000 Miles,” “Abe Lincoln in Illinois,” and “The Weir”—you can’t fault us for putting the spotlight on Rodgers and Hammerstein, particularly one of the duo’s shows that’s been seen by hardly anybody. “Pipe Dream” is a musical based on John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row. Rarely performed, it has all the hallmarks of the Rodgers and Hammerstein genius, and offers themes of love and resilience among the drifters and dropouts who call Cannery Row home. At the Unicorn Theatre. July 25-August 31.

Story by Lisa Green SUMME

Elevator Repair Service stages “Ulysses” at Bard Fisher Center, Annandale, NY, June 20-July 14.

Photo by Owen Hope

Scan here to see what’s playing on area stages.

Bill Bowers performs "It Goes Without Saying" at Chester Theatre Company, Chester, MA, July 18-19.

Chester Theatre Company Chester, MA Chestertheatre.org

Bill Bowers, “It Goes Without Saying” In its 35th season, Chester Theatre Company is presenting two world premieres (“Will Sacrifice,” July 25-August 4, and “Unreconciled,” July 4-14). But we’re especially curious about “It Goes Without Saying,” written and performed by renowned mime Bill Bowers. It’s probably not what you’re thinking; this mime speaks, sharing true stories in an autobiographical tour de force. From growing up gay in the wilds of Montana to studying with Marcel Marceau, the stories are funny and heartbreaking as Bowers explores the role that silence plays in all our lives. July 18-19.

Barrington Stage Company Pittsfield, MA Barringtonstageco.org “Forgiveness”

You can’t go wrong with any of BSCs opening musicals, and this year (its 30th), BSC is opening with a blockbuster,” La Cage aux Folles” (June 11-July 6). (BSC will also be mounting the Broadway musical “Next to Normal” August 13-September 8). But we must champion prolific local playwright Mark St. Germain (“Freud’s Last Session,” “Becoming Dr. Ruth”), who hands us “Forgiveness,” a world premiere in which the audience serves as judge and jury. It’s based on actual circumstances in Minnesota, where a convict is allowed to seek forgiveness from the governor. After the character pleads his case, you’ll decide the ending. On the St. Germain Stage, July 30-August 25.

“A Tender Thing”

Ponder this: What if Romeo and Juliet did not die as teenagers, but lived on into old age? Author Ben Power did just that, rearranging and reimagining the scenes of Shakespeare’s play into a new tale of love and sacrifice. It will be fascinating to meet up with the two characters as a mature couple toward the ends of lives. On the BoydQuinson Stage, June 25-July 20.

Great Barrington Public Theater

Great Barrington MA Greatbarringtonpublictheater.org

“Survival of the Unfit”

Playwright Oren Safdie’s latest work focuses on a 30-something man, still living at home with his parents, who introduces his new girlfriend to his parents. The four-hander is a dramedy (how could it be anything but?) about family dynamics and dysfunction where honesty is dished up, along with just desserts. The play will be directed by Matthew Penn. At the McConnell Mainstage, July 6-21.

Williamstown Theatre Festival

Williamstown, MA Wtfestival.org

“Pamela Palmer”

Couple dynamics seem to be a major theme this summer. In “Pamela Palmer,” playwright David Ives puts a noir spin on this romance, where the title character has a bizarre suspicion about her seemingly perfect life with her husband, only for them both to become entangled with the detective she hires to investigate. July 23-August 10.

Mac-Haydn Theatre

Chatham, NY Machaydntheatre.org

“The Fantasticks”

There’s a reason “The Fantasticks,” which opened off Broadway in 1960, is the longest running show in US theater history, playing 17,162 performances. If you haven’t experienced this magical musical, take in MacHaydn’s production of the romantic fable about two young lovers, their meddling fathers, and the letting go of illusions. A lovely, whimsical bit of theater just as summer begins to bid adieu. September 5-15.

Rural Renaissance

The Stissing Center Brings World-Class Performances to Pine Plains

Nearly a century after Pine Plains Memorial Hall was originally built, the stately three-story brick building that had sat empty since the 1990s began a journey back to its former glory. In 2014, local philanthropist Jack Banning spearheaded the purchase of the building and, working closely with a group of residents, restored it to its original purpose as a rural community hub and beacon of civic pride.

In 2019, the renamed Stissing Center for Arts and Culture unveiled its transformed main auditorium, Banning Hall—a rusticchic performance space with an accessible glass entryway and rebuilt proscenium stage. Next on the docket is a final wave of construction that will restore the upper and lower levels of the building, adding an intimate second performance stage, community multi-use space, and office space for staff and other arts and community-focused nonprofits.

In the years since it opened, the center has become known for world-class performances that range from leading classical and folk musicians to Broadway stars, dance ensembles, theater productions, comedy acts, community movie nights, enriching children’s programming, and more.

This summer’s lineup showcase’s the center’s rich diversity of programming, from household names to rising stars.

On June 15, American Patchwork Quartet (APQ), led by multi-Grammy award-winning

guitarist/vocalist Clay Ross, brings to the stage its masterful confluence of timeless American folk songs, jazz sophistication, country twang, West African hypnotics, and East Asian ornamentation.

Broadway lovers will thrill for “An Evening with Sally Mayes” on June 29. Mayes, perhaps best known for her Tony awardwinning performance in the Roundabout Theater revival of “She Loves Me,” weaves together an evening of song, stories, and personal reflections of the lives of the talent that makes Broadway so unforgettable.

August 31 brings an appearance from musicians from the New York Philharmonic—including assistant principal violist Cong Wu and Nathan Vickery, the youngest cellist ever to join the Philharmonic. The quartet will explore the brilliance and lyricism of string repertoire, including the works of Schubert, Francaix, Panderecki, and Faure.

The summer wraps up with Alan Cumming’s new tour-de-force one-man show, “Uncut,” on September 28. The performance from the Scottish-American polymath, who has played God, the Devil, Hitler, the Pope, a teleporting superhero, Hamlet, all the parts in “Macbeth,” and the Emcee in “Cabaret” in the West End and on Broadway, is sure to draw a crowd. Thestissingcenter.org

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Alan Cumming

The Wildwoods

Music

We have a calendar of events devoted to music and dance performances. Scan here for the lineup.

by

The Merz Trio performs at Music Mountain, Falls Village, CT, on September 8.

Photo

Dimitri Mais

Tanglewood Lenox, MA Tanglewood.org

Andris Nelsons conducts Koussevitzky-commissioned composition, and Stravinsky featuring Paul Lewis piano

This year Tanglewood is celebrating its founder, Serge Koussevitzky, on the occasion of his 150th birthday and 100 years since his appointment as BSO music director (1924-1949). Nelsons will conduct two Koussevitzky commissions—Stravinsky’s “Symphony of Psalms” and Thompson’s “Alleluia,” both with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus (James Burton, conductor)—to be performed alongside Copland’s “Piano Concerto” (a composition Koussevitzky helped premiere) with Paul Lewis and James Lee III’s 2022 work “Freedom’s Genuine Dawn” with narrator Thomas Warfield. July 28.

Tanglewood Recital Series: Kirill Gerstein, Joshua Bell, and Steven Isserlis

Let’s not forget about all the fabulous recitals that happen every summer in Ozawa Hall. Pianist Kirill Gerstein, violinist Joshua Bell, and cellist Steven Isserlis come together to play a program of Debussy, Ravel, and Faure. Three guys playing incredibly romantic music. Can you say dreamy? July 31.

Popular Artist Series

Our hats are off to you if you can still snare tickets to James Taylor on July 3 and 4 (his 50th anniversary performance—how can that be?), but there may still be tickets available for some of the other very popular artists: Kool & the Gang and En Vogue (June 23), Boys II Men (June 27), Jon Batiste (June 28), Brandi Carlile (June 30), Jason Mraz with the Boston Pops (July 2), Beck with the Boston Pops (July 23), and the triple bill of Judy Collins, Rufus Wainwright, and the Indigo Girls (August 30).

Music Mountain Falls Village, CT Musicmountain.org

The Merz Trio: “Alma Mahler Goes West”

Music Mountain Summer Festival in Falls Village, Connecticut, is one of the longest-running festivals of its kind in the world. It’s playing out its 95th season with the theme “From Struggle to Triumph: The Power of Music,” a look into the creative ferment that produces works of unquenchable uplift and beauty. Doing their part, the Merz Trio offers a program that explores the musical and cultural collisions of the Second Viennese School with contemporary music of that period through the lens of Alma Mahler’s fabled journeys through the United States. The second half features an arrangement for piano trio of the mesmerizing sextet “Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night).” September 8.

Story by Lisa Green

Jon Batiste performs at Tanglewood, Lenox, MA, on June 20.

Photo by Jonny Marlow

The Foundry

West Stockbridge, MA Thefoundryws.com

ARKAI

How about adding some electroacoustic music into the mix? ARKAI, a violin and cello duo of Juilliard grads, has been making waves with their genre-defying string music, fusing classical virtuosity with sounds of a rock band, jazz combo, and a string quartet. They’ve played in the world’s most esteemed halls, now they’ll be playing for us at The Foundry. July 27.

The Garage at Chatham

Chatham, NY Thegarageatchatham.com

Taka Kigawa, Pianist, And GAC World Premiere

The Garage at Chatham calls itself a summer arts series “in the tradition of the 19th-century salon,” and while it did have its start in an elegantly outfitted garage, it’s moving many of its concerts, theater, and dance events to larger venues within Chatham while maintaining its intimate ambiance.

Pianist Taka Kigawa, called a “phenomenon” by the New York Times, joins GAC, along with a clarinet, violin, and cello trio, to perform Olivier Messiaen’s rarely heard masterpiece “Quartet for the End of Time” (1941). Also on the program: a world premiere by composer Charles Coleman, commissioned by GAC. This concert will be presented at Cady’s Hall on Chatham’s Main Street, and all of the concerts are free. Amazing. July 13.

Berkshire Opera Festival

Great Barrington, MA Berkshireoperafestival.org

“Faust”

You know the story: Old Dr. Faust sells his soul to the devil to be young again. A tale of tragedy and redemption is Charles Gounod’s masterpiece. Berkshire Opera Festival is staging the French romantic opera at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center. BOF never misses: We’re confident it will be as outstanding as all its previous productions. August 24-30.

The Mahaiwe

Great Barrington, MA Mahaiwe.org

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Uplifting vocal harmonies and signature dance moves are the hallmark of South Africa’s Ladysmith Black Mambazo. With a career total of 19 Grammy Award nominations (five as winners) under its belt, the group comes to Great Barrington to celebrate the 2024 release of Soothe My Soul…Songs from Our South African Church, and 50 years of joyous, inspiring music. August 9.

Norfolk Chamber Music Festival

Norfolk, CT Music.yale.edu/Norfolk

Ives: Likes & Dislikes

Yale School of Music’s summer festival is sited on an idyllic landscape in Norfolk—and in the now-air conditioned Music Shed. The festival’s theme this year, “Charles Ives and the American Tradition,” celebrates American music and its influences with a special emphasis on Charles Ives, in observation of the 150th anniversary of his birth. Ives, a musical maverick, was a big fan of certain composers (Beethoven among them), but had a distaste for others, including the modernist composer Edgard Varese (whose piece, “Octandre,” is on the program). Flutist Tara Helen O’Connor and trombonist Scott Hartman are joined by Norfolk Fellows in this concert. July 5.

Imani Winds

The Grammy Award-winning Imani Winds are celebrated for their revolution and evolution of the wind quintet through dynamic playing and adventurous programming. The program includes “Black and Brown II: A Celebration of Composers of Color,” featuring works by Paquito D’Rivera, Damien Getter, and others. The musicians are the featured performers for the festival’s 2024 gala on this night, so you can enjoy the concert or go all in on the gala events. July 20.

Imani Winds plays the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival in Norfolk, CT, on July 20.

Dance

Scan here for our full calendar of events.

by Ron Thiele

Paul Taylor Dance Company perfroms at PS21 in Chatham, NY, on August 2-3.

Photo

Bard Summerscape

Annandale-on-Hudson, NY Fishercenter.bard.edu

Urban Bush Women

Over its 40-year history, this company has demonstrated, again and again, how stories can be told quite clearly through dance; indeed, how dance can sometimes say so much more than words. Though set in a fictional jazz club, choreographer and Urban Bush Women founder Jawole Willa Jo Zollar’s “SCAT!

The complex lives of Al & Dot, Dot & Al Zollar” draws upon real family history to tell this “love story of two people making their way during the Great Migration through song, dance, and storytelling.” With an original score by Craig Harris played by a live jazz band and the UBW’s now-expansive, now-subtle, always vibrant dancing, expect this joint to be jumping. June 28-30.

The Foundry

West Stockbridge, MA Thefoundryws.com

Happenstance Theatre

There’s plenty of movement in any circus. But the physical comedy in Happenstance Theatre’s “PREPOSTEROUS!” has been elevated to into a realm of whimsy you won’t find in the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus. This recontextualized circus, where vintage clowns become circus animals and sing as a human calliope, will offer music and movement and mime… and, rumor has it, pie (presumably, not to eat but for shtickrelated purposes). June 29.

PS21

Chatham, NY Ps21chatham.org

Paul Taylor Dance Company

Paul Taylor, the eponymous founder of this venerable modern dance troupe, and one of the very familiar names in the early modern dance family “tree,” died in 2018. Although these days the company’s repertoire also includes works by other famous choreographers, as well as dances by newer generations, this program will include three Taylor-made works: the stark, enigmatic, etched “Runes” from 1975; the regal yet playful 1988 “Brandenburgs;” and his elegiac “Promethean Fire,” from 2002. The formal grandeur of that last piece almost crosses a line into melodrama but instead the stoic virtuosity of the fine dancers helps viewers see—and feel—the visceral truth and beauty of this, one of Taylor’s late gems. August 2-3.

Ismaël Mouaraki, “Le sacre de Lila”

Quebec-based choreographer Ismaël Mouaraki’s company, Destins Croisés, depicts, through a contemporary/ modern dance lens, the “traditional mystical and musical celebrations” of lila (“night”) ceremonies of Mouaraki’s native Morocco. In Mouaraki’s 2022 “Le sacre de Lila” the dancers— eight men—rave together, ecstatic, and rest, sometimes against another, exhausted. Set to Antoine Berthiaume’s electronic score, the sometimes trippy, sometimes trancelike atmosphere at times conjures a pulsing nightclub, at other times a campfire on a beach. Ritualism, sensuality, danger, and beauty linger and mix. August 24-2.

Story by Janine Parker //

Happenstance Theatre performs at The Foundry, in West Stockbridge, MA, on June 29.

Photo by Leslie Swan

Jacob’s Pillow Becket, MA Jacobspillow.org

The Royal Ballet of the United Kingdom

Any chance to see “the Royal,” as it’s known, one of the world’s top ballet companies, is reason enough to hurry for a ticket. There’ll be even more electricity in the air, given that this is the first time the company is appearing at the Pillow. There’ll be 12 performances in the Pillow’s two main theaters over the course of five days. The programs will include works by iconic British choreographers of the past—Frederick Ashton, Kenneth MacMillan—and present—Wayne McGregor and Christopher Wheeldon; as well as Pam Tanowitz, the recipient of this year’s prestigious Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award. July 3-7.

Ballet du Grand Theatre de Geneve

The first time I saw this company, in 2007, was at its first Pillow appearance; and it was the first time I’d seen the work of choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. Now the director of the group, Cherkaoui has a particular knack for creating visually sumptuous choreography that elicits both creaturely and human qualities from the dancers. The all-Cherkaoui program includes his stunning, erotically (and acrobatically) fey duet “Faun”—an homage to Vaslav Nijinsky’s shocking (at the time) 1912 “L’apres midi d’un faune”—and “Noetic,” a dance theater ensemble work with a driving, sometimes haunting original score and a shapeshifting, seemingly alive sculpture. July 10-14.

MoBBallet: Creating Pathways to Performance

Full disclosure: Over the years, I have been an ardent fan, a grateful student, and occasionally, a lucky colleague of the dynamic Theresa Ruth Howard, the dancer, teacher, journalist, diversity consultant, and now, curator/director of these performances. MoBBallet (Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet) features Black and brown dancers culled from various companies. The program includes ballets exclusively by Black choreographers. July 10-11.

Camille A. Brown and Dancers

Longtime Pillow audiences have had the pleasure of witnessing the continuous, and, given her huge talent, inevitable, rise of dancer and choreographer Camille A. Brown. Her resume has expanded in very prominent ways, with directing and/or choreography work for television and Broadway. She returns to the Pillow stage with her own company of dancers to present “I AM,” a world premiere inspired by a very particular episode from the HBO series “Lovecraft Country.” Will Josephine Baker be conjured here, as she was in that TV episode? July 31-August 4.

Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca

It’s been more than 20 years since Noche Flamenca—the fabulous company of dancers and musicians directed by the celebrated Barrio and her husband, Martin Santangelo—has gifted the Pillow with its electric yet poetic presence. The program will include excerpts from the new work “Searching for Goya,” a series of vignettes inspired by the paintings of Francisco de Goya. The preview performance of “Goya” I saw last year at Williams College made an indelible impression—the choreography, music, lighting, costumes, props, and stage decor seemed to meld together in a way as if indeed a painting come to life. It’s an epic work with an epic artist—Barrio—at its center. August 14-18.

Dance Theatre of Harlem

Co-founded in 1969 by the Black ballet icon Arthur Mitchell in the aftermath of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, Dance Theatre of Harlem continues to be an essential institution showcasing excellent Black and brown ballet dancers in a field which continues to struggle, appallingly, to be truly diverse and equitable. DTH has been coming to the Pillow almost right from its beginning. With new director Robert Garland at the helm, this beloved Pillow “family member” will perform a program that represents its past and present, including works by Garland, George Balanchine, and William Forsythe. August 21-25.

Ballet du Grand Theatre de Geneve performs at Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, MA, July 10-14.

Photo by Gregory Batardon

Scan

MASS MoCA

North Adams, MA Massmoca.org

“The Plastic Bag Store”

This expansive multi-disciplinary project, a collaborative production between MASS MoCA and Williamstown Theatre Festival, is billed as “a tragicomic ode to the foreverness of plastic.” It features a supermarket, its shelves stocked with thousands of original, handsculpted items made from discarded, single-use plastics. Brooklyn-based artist Robin Frohardt is a 2018 Guggenheim Fellow for drama and performance art.

May 9-September 2.

The Clark Art Institute

Williamstown, MA Clarkart.edu

“Fragile Beauty: Treasures from the Corning Museum of Glass”

Corning Incorporated, a renowned materials science company known for glass and ceramic innovations including Corelle tableware and smartphones’ Gorilla Glass, established a museum in 1951 to preserve and feature glass objects from around the

world. What a delight, then, to have the opportunity to see 28 pieces from the collection without making the four-hour drive to Corning, New York. Presented in the Clark’s Michael Conforti Pavilion, these objects draw upon plants, animals, and other aspects of nature for inspiration—and are some of the most exquisitely gorgeous things you will see this summer.

July 4-October 27.

Berkshire Museum

Pittsfield, MA Berkshiremuseum.org

“The Wild Indoors: The Animal Art of Julie Bell”

Julie Bell’s paintings are like chameleons; defiantly singular on their own, they seemingly shift genre depending on context. Described as an illustrator, fantasy artist, science fiction artist, comic artist, imaginative realist, and ARC Living Master, Bell makes highly detailed, emotional paintings inspired by nature, narrative, and the human figure. For this exhibition, Pennsylvania-based Bell will showcase around 30 paintings of wildlife—domestic and exotic, innocent and dangerous, calm and chaotic. June 1-September 29.

The Proof of Awareness , Loretta Hui-Shan Yang, glass, 2006.

From “Fragile Beauty: Treasures from the Corning Museum of Glass” at the Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, MA, July 4-October 27.

Carrie Haddad Gallery

Hudson, NY Carriehaddadgallery.com

“The Summer Show”

Self-described as “the first fine art gallery in Hudson, NY,” Carrie Haddad Gallery is a staple of Hudson’s art scene. “The Summer Show” is group exhibition featuring new abstract paintings by Shawn Dulaney, Joseph Maresca, and Bruce Murphy as well as technicolor Hudson Valley landscapes by the late Bill Sullivan (1942–2010).

Germantown, New York-based artist Stephen Walling will debut intricately carved and painted abstract wood wall sculpture, and Dora Somosi will present a new series of cyanotypes in the second-floor photography gallery. June 21-August 11.

Time and Tide V, Shawn Dulaney, watercolor on paper, 30 x 22 inches

Image courtesy of the artist

Berkshire Botanical Garden

Stockbridge, MA Berkshirebotanical.org

“Microcosms”

Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Leonhardt Galleries are something of a hidden treasure in the regional gallery scene as the Garden is best known for, well, its gardens. But the fairly new exhibition program has mounted impressive shows from local and national artists whose work is inspired by the natural world. This summer, the galleries will feature a solo exhibition of works by Connecticut artist Peter D. Gerakaris. The installation will feature mixed-media artworks that showcase environmental motifs, including endangered and rare flora and fauna, pollinators, and topographic-inspired imagery. June 7-August 4.

Bernay Fine Art

Great Barrington, MA Bernayfineart.com

“Summertime”

Aptly titled, “Summertime” will feature the work of roster artists

Karen Lederer, Jason Middlebrook, Janet Rickus, and Joy Taylor as well as Columbia County-based artist Lawre Stone. This group show offers five diverse interpretations of the eternally interpreted still life. Middlebrook is the most literal; his paintings on live-edge wood slabs often retrace the history of each tree through its growth rings. Like seasoned chefs, Lederer, Stone, and

Taylor reduce their subjects to shapes, textures, colors, and marks that intensify and enrich the beauty of natural phenomena. And trompe l’oeil paintings by Rickus, a Berkshire favorite, are expertly crafted studies of relationships—both literally and metaphorically. July 13-August 11.

Susan Eley Fine Art

Hudson, NY Susaneleyfineart.com

“Simple Gifts

Upon walking into Susan Eley Fine Art in downtown Hudson, you may, at first glance, think you are looking at a room full of Andy Warhol’s screenprints. At three feet by three feet, his iconic portraits are the size of many of Rachel Burgess’s monotypes featured here. Complementary color palettes are similar as well. However, the difference between the two lies not simply in age but in concept. While Warhol deconstructed fame, Burgess elevates the ordinary; specifically, flowers brought to her by her husband, an NYPD detective, from her local corner deli in Manhattan. Burgess immortalizes the short-lived flowers by printing them on a monumental scale, allowing her to “pay tribute to the things we take for granted, to the city, to its essential workers and services and to the fundamental relationships that underpin our lives.” July 5-August 18.

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Geary

Millerton, NY Geary.nyc

“Just Drawing”

A new series of drawings on paper by Brooklyn-based artist

Catherine Haggarty is a welcome tonal shift to the monumentality of many of the exhibitions on this list. Haggarty’s intimate snapshots of her life unfold in the gallery like Polaroids on a coffee table. “Using a floor (wood grain or tiles) as a location but also as a subject lets me invite the viewers into a thinking space but also a physical space that they may recognize,” the artist writes. “This nod to physical material which often frames our home experience is personal but also universal.” June 8-July 28.

Wassaic Project

Wassaic, NY Wassaicproject.org

“Tall Shadows in Short Order”

Wassaic Project’s annual summer exhibition is always a large one—30 to 40 artists present their work in Maxon Mills, the organization’s seven-story, 8,000-square-foot historic grain elevator. If the setting isn’t enough to entice you to check out “Tall Shadows in Short Order,” the work of these three participants may be. Argentinian artist Luciana Abait will be featuring a site-specific version of her installation “The Maps that Failed Us,” an imposing, geographically illogical, and impassable mountain range that alludes to arbitrary borders and displaced migrants. Katie Peck, a summer 2024 artist-inresidence, will be creating a nearly life-sized felt semi-truck

Specimen #18

Catherine Latson, hand-dyed cotton thread, cotton, wire, 2020 26" (diameter), 5" deep (unframed), 32" x 32" x 6" (framed in acrylic shadowbox).

From "Octopus's Garden" at Kenise Barnes Fine Art, Kent, CT, July 13-August 25.

driven by Midge Gertrout the Rainbow Trout, a character Peck created to bring awareness to “all creatures’ and plant life’s future living in a quickly escalating carbon-filled atmosphere.” And Robin Crookall’s sophisticated black-and-white photographs are actually images of miniature models the artist constructed to challenge viewers’ preexisting notions of reality, memory, and place. May 18-September 14.

Kenise Barnes Fine Art Kent, CT Kbfa.com “Octopus’s Garden” Rounding out this road trip with a return to the theme of our natural world is an exhibition featuring four artists interested in the relationship between organisms and ourselves. Envisioning the future, where technology will be indistinguishable from life, Peter Hamlin uses painting, drawing, printmaking, and prefabricated objects informed by elements of storytelling and mythmaking. Michiyo Ihara’s meticulously crafted pen drawings explore the profound connection between the fleeting moments of blossoming flowers and the evolving essence of the soul. Catherine Latson’s gorgeously organic wall-mounted sculptures blur the lines between animal and plant, realism and fantasy, sculpture and specimen. And Julie Maren’s “Biophilia” installations of natural, artificial, and recycled materials—such as acorn tops, glass beads, and glitter—conjure an engineered symbiosis or connectedness of nature and the artificial. July 13-August 25.

Story by Julia Dixon // Art

Going MAD

MAD Magazine at the Norman Rockwell Museum

“What, Me Worry?

The Art and Humor of MAD Magazine”

June 8-October 27

Mad magazine delivered more than 60 years of humor, satire, and stupidity during its run between 1952 and 2019, peaking in popularity with two million subscribers in the early 1970s. After its reformatting from a banned comic book to a magazine in 1955, Mad never really changed its approach and identity, appealing to a readership that was mostly pre- and early adolescent and largely (but far from exclusively) male. Mad’s artists and writers—aka “The Usual Gang of Idiots”—were guides who made fun and made sense of the adult world without talking down to their young audience.

Alfred E. Neuman and Norman Rockwell, Richard Williams, oil on canvas, 2002, cover illustration for Mad Art: A Visual Celebration of MAD Magazine and the Idiots Who Create It (Watson Guptill, 2002).

James Halperin Collection, Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com. MAD and all related elements ™ & © E.C. Publications. Courtesy of DC. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.

The publication’s frantic, anarchic, and technically sophisticated visual energy is on full display at Tthe Norman Rockwell Museum’s summer blockbuster, “What, Me Worry? The Art and Humor of Mad Magazine” running through October 27. The show includes over 250 original illustrations and cartoons across seven decades. Also on view is Mad memorabilia such as the official Mad straitjacket, Mad hats, a statue of Alfred E. Neuman, and a Gulf War chess set.

The art of Mad was “the graphic equivalent of slapstick,” in the words of Judith Yaross Lee, co-editor of a scholarly appraisal of the magazine, Seeing Mad. The connection to Rockwell, according to Stephanie Haboush Plunkett, the exhibition’s co-curator, is that the artist himself was a humorist. “Rockwell could do very serious works, but he was also extremely funny” Some of the master’s work from the Norman Rockwell Museum collection will also be on view to illustrate the point. Stockbridge, MA Nrm.org

Photo by Murray Engineering