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Short and Sweet: February in Pittsfield
By Veronica Bosley
February 2008
Another winter in the Berkshires—but are we nearing the end? Only the groundhog can say for sure, but one thing that’s certain is that there is a lot going on in the Berkshires this time of year besides Valentine’s Day festivities. February, despite being the shortest month of the year, is jam-packed with art events all over the county, especially in the city of Pittsfield (And for the romantics in the audience—don’t worry. We still have some of that Valentine’s Day fun in store this month).
I recently had the chance to chat with Leslie Ferrin, owner of the Ferrin Gallery in Pittsfield. The gallery recently moved from its location in Lenox to its current address at 433 North Street and has since become a staple in the city’s growing arts and culture scene.
“We wanted to move to Pittsfield because there was so much going on and so much opportunity for those of us in the arts community.” explained Leslie. “When we decided to open the gallery in Pittsfield we were riding the wave of something that was already there, but also helping that wave grow at the same time.
“Pittsfield’s been a great place to be because everyone is so excited about the arts here and there has been a lot of connections and collaborations made between galleries, arts organizations and businesses. We all really enjoy one another and it’s a really great community we’re building here.”
Since its move to Pittsfield the Ferrin Gallery has been busy, with almost 20 shows in 2007 alone. And by the looks of it, 2008 will be just as full. On Feb. 9 the gallery will open two shows: Firing Partners: Hedgehog Kiln, Hillsdale, NY, which will feature the work of Dan Bellow, Ben Krupka and Mark Rowntree, and Vaal London Kane’s Motion Pictures: Photography. The opening reception for these two shows will take place on the 9th from 4-6 p.m.
The Ferrin Gallery’s February show is the first in the Firing Partners series, organized to show connections between groups of studio potters and artists who work together and share firings in wood fueled kilns. Mark Rowntree's kiln, nicknamed "The Hedgehog" (not to be confused with the groundhog), is located in Hillsdale, NY just over the Massachusetts border. It is fired twice a year, most recently in January 2008.
The anagama kiln, which holds more than 500 pots, was built in 2006 with the help of Ben Krupka from Norfolk, Connecticut and his students from Bard College at Simon's Rock. Daniel Bellow of Great Barrington joined the firing group in 2007. The kiln fires for six or seven days, uses about fifteen cords of wood and involves "a cast of dozens" to cut the wood, stack it and then throw it in the raging fire, all under Rowntree's direction. Photographer Jason Houston will show a related multimedia presentation on the firing process.
Firing Partners focuses on making connections—connections between potters and artists firing at the same kiln. Vaal London Kane also explores connections through her work: "My landscapes known as "Motion Pictures" are photographic images captured from a moving vehicle. In making this connection, I posit that life is nothing more than transformation and nothing less than movement, raising questions of irony, ritual, relevance and our place in a world of ephemera, potential and progress."
The galleries in Pittsfield collaborate and connect in many ways, one of which is holding openings on the same night so people can have an evening filled with art. After the opening at Ferrin Gallery you can check out what’s happening down the street at the Storefront Artist Project, located at 124 Fenn Street. Their upcoming show, "Word Up!" An exhibition of art & other things by the Board Members of the Storefront Artist Project, will include work by Peter Dudek, Maggie Mailer, Gabrielle Senza, Leslie Ferrin, Meryl Joseph, Evan Lurie, Geoffrey Young, Colleen Quinn and several others. The public reception for the show will take place from 6-8 p.m. on Feb. 9 and will continue to be on display until March 2.
The Storefront Artist Project will hold one of their popular salons at Dottie’s (on the corner of North Street & Maplewood in Pittsfield) on Feb. 13, 6-8 p.m. Pillow Talk, a collaboration between artist Gabrielle Senza and poet Marc Zegans, explores the human comedy through erotic haiku and graphite images drawn with sensitivity and light. Senza and Zegans' collaboration unfolds as a conversation between form and text playing out across the pages of a pillow book, an intimate set of musings on Eros expressed in raucous, tender, vulnerable human form. For all of you Valentine’s Day junkies out there, this is the perfect event to warm you up for the big day.
If you’re in the market for some Valentine’s Day goodies you can also head over to The World’s Best Imported Chocolates and Art, where you can get your chocolate fix and your art fix at the same time. The shop is located about 15 minutes from downtown Pittsfield at 4 Housatonic Street in Lenox, MA.
To finish out the month of February in Pittsfield, the Ferrin Gallery will have works on display as a public preview for IS183’s Rock the Opera silent auction, where visitors will have the chance to bid on exciting silent auction prizes, such as great getaways, delectable dinners, fabulous furniture, and winsome work by local artists including IS183 faculty, staff and students. Early bidding begins during the preview reception at the Ferrin Gallery on Feb. 21 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. This benefit dance party blends the grit and theatrics of rock and roll with the drama and sophistication of classical opera and will take place Saturday, March 1 at Pittsfield’s Masonic Temple.
The last full official month of winter should be busy enough to keep your mind off of the cold weather. Spring is on the horizon, and even though Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow we know the winter can’t last forever—so let’s enjoy it while it’s here!
About Veronica Bosley
Veronica Bosley holds a bachelor of arts degree in Art History from Mount Holyoke College and is currently program coordinator for the Massachusetts College of Liberal Art's Berkshire Cultural Resource Center. A native of the Berkshires who has worked in the area art scene for several years, Veronica is excited by the growth of the creative economy and cultural community in the region. She lives in the first apartment house built in the city of North Adams, which she shares with her fiancé, Tyler, and two cats, Veronicat and Station. Veronica can be contacted at: bvbgalleries@gmail.com.