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Hopes are high as summer begins a return to ‘normal’
Getting back into the swing of things
Hopes are high as summer begins a return to ‘normal’
After a year without picnics on the lawn at Tanglewood and delayed openings, cultural venues across the Berkshires are ready to welcome back visitors with new exhibitions, new music, new performances and a slate of robust offerings.
As we ease into an unprecedented summer season, we reached out to a handful of the leaders of our many cultural institutions, asking them to share their hopes for and thoughts about the upcoming season, as well as what to expect from their organization.
Michael Beck
Susan Wissler
Brian Cruey
“Compared to last year’s subdued summer, we are all very excited about what 2021 holds in store for us. Berkshire Botanical Garden is once again welcoming visitors from near and far, and we are so happy to share the beauty of our gardens and our wonderful ART/GARDEN exhibitions with a broader public. In addition, the many classes and special events we have planned will allow our community to once again gather in the Garden. We are so ready for this!”
Michael Beck, executive director of Berkshire
Botanical Garden
“The past 15 months have been a whirlwind for The Mount. With every new regulation and safety measure, we have kept the safety and comfort of our patrons and staff at the top of our priorities. I am extremely pleased with the season we are presenting. We moved all programs outdoors and will be utilizing every inch of the property. There will be lectures and readings under an open-air tent, dance throughout the gardens, and music in a gently sloping fi eld just below the stable. We are hoping for great weather and look forward to a full and busy summer in the Berkshires.”
Susan Wissler, executive director of
The Mount
“The year ahead, for us, is all about inclusion. While we were so grateful to open safely last year during the pandemic, our capacity was obviously limited. Now, with vaccinations on the rise, I’m very much looking forward to welcoming people back in larger numbers and making sure everyone has a chance to enjoy our properties and programming. We learned a lot of valuable lessons during the past year and plan to apply them and constantly improve as we return to a new normal.”
Brian Cruey, director of the Southern Berkshires
Portfolio for The Trustees of Reservation
“We are looking forward to this summer in the Berkshires with great anticipation and excitement as we welcome visitors to our hiking trails and beautiful properties across the region. We were grateful that so many of these sites served as a refuge for people throughout the past year but know that there will be a diff erent, more relaxed and upbeat energy as folks return to explore Monument Mountain, go birding at Bartholomew’s Cobble, enjoy date nights, concerts and tours with incredible views at Naumkeag or enjoy a special getaway at the Inn at Field Farm in 2021.”
Beryl Jolly, vice president of cultural properties for The Trustees of Reservation
“Summer has never felt so good. I don’t think I will ever take for granted again the joy of sitting on a lawn listening to live music on a starry Berkshire night, or hiking along a trail, or picnicking with friends. As Shaker brother Daniel Orcutt said, ‘Wise is he who can take the little moment as it comes and make it brighter ere ‘tis gone.’ “
Jennifer Trainer Thompson, director and CEO of Hancock Shaker Village
“We are looking forward to a season that will begin to feel like the kinds of Berkshire summers we all love: full of great art and culture, open and welcoming for visitors, and sparked by the energy and joy of sharing these pleasures with family and friends. We have wonderful special exhibitions that we think our visitors will love — ‘Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne: Nature Transformed,’ ‘Nikolai Astrup: Visions of Norway,’ and ‘Dürer and After;’ our popular outdoor exhibition ‘Ground/work’ continues through October 17; our permanent collection galleries are always full of great works including some exciting new acquisitions; and we’re hosting a busy schedule of special events and programs, with both live and virtual off erings.”
Olivier Meslay, director of the Sterling and
Francine Clark Art Institute
Jennifer Trainer Thompson Olivier Meslay Laurie Norton Moff att
Tracy E. Moore Jeff Rodgers
“How timely and welcome it feels to off er worlds of escape, creative inspiration, and wonder at Norman Rockwell Museum this summer. Visitors can escape into other realms through a magical exhibition of fantasy illustration, a fantastical sculpture show on the grounds, and may be surprised by Rockwell’s own forays into depicting imagined vs. his portrayal of real-life moments for which he is renowned. We are elated to see the Berkshires reopening safely and thrilled to welcome new and returning friends.”
Laurie Norton Moff att, director and CEO of the Norman Rockwell Museum
“Summer is a special season in the Berkshires and we’re excited to welcome everyone back to Mass MoCA. With the return of weekly courtyard performances and FreshGrass, the opening of James Turrell’s remarkable C.A.V.U., and museum-wide festivals like Time of Now, we’re excited to see our galleries and courtyards buzzing with activity again.”
Tracy E. Moore, interim director of the
Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
“I’m full of optimism as we enter what will surely be an extraordinary summer at the Berkshire Museum. There’s a palpable feeling of joy in our galleries, as people begin to reclaim the social, cultural, and exploratory aspects of their lives. And I simply can’t wait for August, when we open our newly renovated second fl oor fi lled with new exhibitions, challenging ideas, and fresh experiences.”
Jeff Rodgers, executive director of the
Berkshire Museum
“All of us at the BSO feel a sense of joyful anticipation about the 2021 Tanglewood season when we will once again make music for our devoted audience members. It promises to be a season to remember and cherish.”
Andris Nelsons, music director of the Boston
Symphony Orchestra
“After such a challenging year, it’s pure joy to look forward to bringing audiences and artists back together again in our fi rst-ever multi-platform festival, taking place outdoors on our beautiful campus and online to be enjoyed by people all over the world. Audiences will be invited to experience the natural environment at the Pillow in new ways. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back.”
Pamela Tatge, executive director and artistic director of Jacob’s Pillow Andris Nelsons Pamela Tatge
“Throughout the pandemic, my message to the Shakespeare & Company team has been, ‘Don’t focus on what we can’t do; let’s focus on what we CAN do.’ I was glad that we were able to off er online programming, as well as The Berkshire Drive-In, a collaboration with the Berkshire International Film Festival. As we move into the summer of 2021, we’re delighted that the list of what we CAN do now keeps growing and expanding. Most of all, we’re really looking forward to seeing our patrons in person again!”
Allyn Burrows, artistic director of
Shakespeare & Company.
“reopening, regeneration, refl ection, renewal, REBUILDING!”
Kate Maguire, artistic director and CEO of
Berkshire Theatre Group.
“Theater makers make. It is only through the action of making theatre that we can access the purpose, impact, connectivity, power, thrill, beauty, humor and joy of what happens when one group of humans creates a story in front of another group of humans; when we hear laughter, see tears, experience demonstrations of appreciation, satisfaction and transformation from the humans who receive the work we will be better equipped to answer how we feel and what this all means after a year of making work remotely, for a global audience of listeners on the Audible platform. Theater makers make. We are so lucky to be alive and to make with and for our audience in Williamstown this summer.”
Mandy Greenfi eld, artistic director of the
Williamstown Theatre Festival
“I’m tremendously excited that the performing arts are opening up in the Berkshires. We are especially pleased to be presenting productions both outdoors under a tent and indoors at the Boyd-Quinson Stage safely. Audiences also seem excited about the return of live theater.”
Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director, Barrington
Stage Company
PHOTO CREDITS:
Moore: PHOTO PROVIDED BY MASS MOCA Nelsons: PHOTO COURTESY OF TANGLEWOOD Tatge: PHOTO PROVIDED BY HAYIM HERON/ JACOB’S PILLOW Greenfi eld: PHOTO PROVIDED BY WILLIAMSTOWN THEATRE FESTIVAL All others: BERKSHIRE EAGLE FILE PHOTOS
