To “Go West” in summer to the Berkshires by car is a lush and green journey with many cultural riches to explore on the pathway to your destination. In the morning, traveling 10 or 20 miles above the speed limit on the Mass Pike is the normal pace as you jockey with gigantic trucks that are beginning their cross-country hauls. There is excitement as the altitude climbs and the region’s seductive mountains voluptuously engulf the visitor. The natural beauty of the Berkshires is enticing, awesome and relaxing. Think rural — and in some instances — forest primeval. The Appalachian Trail runs through Berkshire County, with markings noticeable along the 90.2-mile route. When you get on or off the trail, North Adams and Williamstown are perhaps the most concentrated culture zones. Campsites are available throughout the entire region and bed & breakfast accommodations are plentiful, as … [Read more...] about THE BERKSHIRES: GO WEST, YOUNG AND OLD
Issue Articles
THE SOUTH COAST: ARTS COMMUNITY WITH HISTORIC ROOTS
In the mid-1990s, local media in southeastern Massachusetts began referring to what was then called Greater New Bedford as “the South Coast.” This unabashed bit of public relations boosterism was an attempt to negate the perceived stigma of urban blight and high unemployment. It was a successful rebranding. The sometimes vaguely defined South Coast area has expanded to usually include 11 Massachusetts municipalities, and sometimes the Rhode Island border towns of Tiverton and Little Compton. However, New Bedford remains the hub of the region. In 2011, in a much- quoted article in The Atlantic Monthly, urbanist Richard Florida declared it the seventh-most creative city in the United States, based on self-described artists working per capita. The South Coast has a thriving art community with creative roots reaching back to the glory days of whaling, when New Bedford was … [Read more...] about THE SOUTH COAST: ARTS COMMUNITY WITH HISTORIC ROOTS
CENTRAL NEW HAMPSHIRE: ARTS FROM THE HEART
Plymouth is the heart of New Hampshire — a cultural center that draws visitors from all over. Arts events happen all year long, but many are seasonal — you won’t find all the same choices in summer as in winter. Downtown Plymouth is the best place to start. First, let’s hit the Museum of the White Mountains (34 Highland St.). The People’s Forest: A Centennial Celebration of the White Mountain National Forest (running through September 12) tells stories of the forest through new, recreated, and historic art and artifacts. There are so many associated events that you’ll need to check their website to see them all: www.plymouth.edu/museum-of-the-white-mountains. Let’s head to Main Street and go into the Silver Center for the Arts, on the Plymouth State University campus for “Photography Through the Trees,” featuring photographs by John Anderson, on view through September 7 … [Read more...] about CENTRAL NEW HAMPSHIRE: ARTS FROM THE HEART
BRATTLEBORO: FINE ARTS, FOOD AND FUN
It’s always a good idea to spend time perusing the art scene in Brattleboro, Vermont. For an especially serendipitous stroll, pay a visit on the “First Friday” of every month, when the town is alive with artists and aficionados and numerous galleries and cafés are even livelier than usual. Here’s a sample of venues on Main Street alone, along with featured artists during June’s First Friday. Starting at Main and High Streets, a first stop is Mitchell-Giddings Fine Arts. Opened four years ago by the husband-and-wife team of Petria Mitchell and Jim Giddings — both painters — the gallery began with works by seven local artists. Today it features contemporary art and sculpture by more than two dozen artists who reside regionally and beyond. A solo artist is usually featured for six weeks. June’s exhibition showcased Bruce Campbell’s kinetic wire sculptures, inspired, the artist notes, by … [Read more...] about BRATTLEBORO: FINE ARTS, FOOD AND FUN
LAKE CHAMPLAIN : AN AWE-INSPIRING CROSSING
When the Charlotte, Vermont ferry leaves the dock, two things will absolutely shock you. Nobody is taking cell phone pictures of what you know are Instagrammable moments (#LakeChamplain #NaturalVermont #boating), like the early morning sun filtering through a gauzy mist still clinging to the treetops of the inlet. And, people who have stepped out of their cars to take in the view are striking up conversation with people they don’t know. The conversations may just be an exchange of “wow,” but those “wows” are tinged with awe. As a metaphor, a crossing is never about getting from here to there. It is about the experience of the journey, be it artistic, deeply personal, or just plain #thrill #fun. DAY ONE The Charlotte Ferry is one of three ferries that crosses Lake Champlain and transports passengers from the New England experience to the Adirondack experience.After 20 or … [Read more...] about LAKE CHAMPLAIN : AN AWE-INSPIRING CROSSING
LIMITLESS MOTHERWELL: AMP’D UP VIBE IN PROVINCETOWN
AMP Gallery, or Art Market Provincetown, describes itself as a “live exhibition space” specializing in “cutting edge art.” It rotates art every two or three weeks during the summer months to accommodate an array of mediums that includes drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, installation, new forms, writing, music and film. AMP Gallery’s platform focuses on art discourse empowering the discovery process and providing the opportunity for artists to share their creative energy with audiences. The acronym AMP suggests the electricity of the moment and the energy Debbie Nadolney infuses into the space. Artist Jeannie Motherwell approached Nadolney about showing at AMP because she liked its vibe. Nadolney says that her space is similar in character to Sun Gallery — which operated in Provincetown from 1955 to 1959 — in its ability to tap into a sense of joie de vivre, idealism and … [Read more...] about LIMITLESS MOTHERWELL: AMP’D UP VIBE IN PROVINCETOWN