Area Guide
Visual ArtsSterling & Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown houses the eclectic, timeless collection featuring more then 30 Renoir paintings and other French impressionist paintings including Monet, and June 2010 the summer exhibition Picasso Looks at Degas, should not be missed! Williams College Museum of Art, a short walk or drive from The Orchards, is a leading teaching museum, with one of the most extensive collections of any college museum. The Williams College Museum of Art houses over 13,000 works that span the history of art. Within the broad range of time periods and cultures represented, the collection emphasizes modern and contemporary art, American art from the late 18th century to present, and the art of world cultures. Mass MoCA, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts. Since opening in 1999, MASS MoCA has become one of the world's premier centers for making and showing the best art of our time. With annual attendance of 120,000, it ranks among the most visited institutions in the United States dedicated to new art. More than 80 major new works of art and more than 50 performances have been created through fabrication and rehearsal residencies in North Adams, making MASS MoCA perhaps the most fertile site in the country for new art. The museum thrives on making and presenting work that is fresh, surprising, and challenging. The Norman Rockwell Museum Norman Rockwell Museum houses the world's largest and most significant collection of original Rockwell art. Highlights include enduring favorites from Rockwell's Saturday Evening Post covers, the powerful Four Freedoms, and the nostalgic Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas. The Norman Rockwell Archive contains more than 100,000 photographs, letters, and other rare mementos. A visit to the Museum is an uplifting experience. Founded in 1969 with the help of Norman and Molly Rockwell, the Museum is dedicated to the enjoyment and study of the work of America's favorite artist. The Museum's changing Norman Rockwell exhibitions present an illustrated chronicle of American life and showcase our nation's ideals of kindness, tolerance, democracy, and freedom, as interpreted through the artist's spirit, wisdom, and gentle humor. The Harrison Gallery The Harrison Gallery specializes in contemporary American artists, with a focus on landscapes. The works are created by traditional New England painters, American Impressionists, photographers, watercolorists, and mixed media artists. The Harrison Gallery prides itself in representing a wide variety of styles to serve diverse tastes. The gallery's collection also includes etchings, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, and fine art ceramics. With both local pride and an international scope, our artists range from Williamstown talent to Berkshire residents, the New York School to the California School, and a handful of international artists. |
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Other MuseumsHancock Shaker Village The Shakers called this community "The City of Peace." Hancock Shaker Village is a welcome retreat from today's hectic pace that offers so much to see and do. This beautifully restored village, set amongst acres of farm, woodland and pasture, is home to the premier collection of Shaker buildings and artifacts. Graceful Shaker furniture, craft and household items are exhibited in 20 historic buildings, each an architectural gem. The Round Stone Barn, most famous of all Shaker buildings, is a testament to Shaker efficiency, innovation and design. The Berkshire Museum There’s something for everyone. Offering a unique blend of exhibitions, galleries, and attractions for families of all ages. See exhibitions, fine art, and sculpture from around the world. Explore the touch tank and aquarium. Be amazed at our collection of artifacts from Native American cultures and ancient cultures of Egypt, China, and more. Marvel at the technology that awaits in the new Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation. |
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TheatreWilliamstown Theater Festival, On the Main Stage, see a raucous new all-male version Stephen Sondheim's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, a transcendent production of Thornton Wilder's Our Town filled with a cast of WTF favorites, and invigorating stagings of a pair of rarely-revived 20th century masterworks, John Guare's Six Degrees of Separation and Lanford Wilson's Fifth of July. Williamstown Film Festival, The Williamstown Film Festival was founded in 1998 to fill a cultural gap in a part of Massachusetts known for its world-class museums, theater, music, and dance - the Berkshires. Because film seemed the missing link in an artistically rich region, some two dozen local residents and graduates of Williams College felt strongly that a film festival could bridge the gap The film festival is celebrated annually in late October. Barrington Stagefounded in 1995, is a not-for-profit professional theatre company in the Berkshires (MA), with a three-fold mission: to produce top-notch, compelling work; to develop new plays and musicals; and to find fresh, bold ways of bringing new audiences into the theatre, especially young people. The new Mainstage season will kick off June 17 with Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, which runs through July 17. The remainder of the season includes Yasmina Reza’s Art, July 22-Aug. 7; and Alan Ayckbourn's Absurd Person Singular Aug. 12-29. On BSC's Stage 2, Matthew Lopez's The Whipping Man runs May 26 – June 13, and the return engagement prior to Off-Broadway of Mark St. Germain's Freud's Last Session June 22 – July 3. BSC's Musical Theatre Lab on Stage 2 will present the world premieres of Pool Boy by Nikos Tsakalakos and Janet Allard July 13 - Aug and The Memory Show by Sara Cooper and Zachary Redler Aug. 18-29 Berkshire Theater Festival Artistic Director/CEO Kate Maguire is pleased to announce the 2010 Berkshire Theatre Festival season. This season features one world premiere, two musicals, and multiple classics from the theatrical canon. Critically-acclaimed directors David Auburn, Anders Cato, Kyle Fabel, Wes Grantom, Eric Hill, John Rando, and E. Gray Simons III will be charged with bringing this season of theatre that matters to life. Among the actors appearing this year in Stockbridge are Jayne Atkinson, David Chandler, Jeremy Davidson, Richard Easton, Michel Gill, and Randy Harrison. According to Ms. Maguire, “I think this year could be one of our most artistically exciting seasons ever. We’re producing masterpieces like Macbeth as well as premieres like William Donnelly’s No Wake. Of course it’s always wonderful when we’re able to bring actors and staff back “home” for the year and let them turn their creative energies loose. I’m most proud of the talent we have attracted to direct these wonderful works. These are some of the finest directors in the country and I’ve done my best to match these visionaries with pieces that they are excited about and will challenge them as well. I’m looking forward to seeing where they take us.”. Shakespeare & Company, Launching its 32nd season in the culturally-rich Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts in Lenox, Shakespeare & Company aspires to create a theatre of unprecedented excellence rooted in the classical ideals of inquiry, balance, and harmony; a company that performs as the Elizabethans did — in love with poetry, physical prowess, and the mysteries of the universe. With a core of over 150 artists, the company performs Shakespeare, generating opportunities for collaboration between actors, directors, and designers of all races, nationalities, and backgrounds. Shakespeare & Company provides original, in-depth, classical training and performance methods. The company also develops and produces new plays of social and political significance. Shakespeare & Company's educational programs inspire a new generation of students and scholars to discover the resonance of Shakespeare's truths in the everyday world, demonstrating the influence that classical theatre can have within a community. |
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MusicTanglewood, summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra- annually draws over 350,000 visitors. Each season offers not only a vast quantity of music but also a vast range of musical forms and styles, all of it presented with a regard for artistic excellence that makes the festival unique. Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, is one of the world's most prestigious arts organizations, home to America's longest running dance festival, a National Historic Landmark, and an incomparable experience for audiences and artists. Every year visitors, dancers, choreographers, composers, teachers, experts, and novices interact, discuss, and explore the art of dance with more than 50 dance companies performing on three Festival stages and more than 200 free performances, talks, tours, events, art and photography exhibits, and more. |
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SportsThe Berkshires are also a year-round haven for outdoors enthusiasts. In the Spring and Summer, the county's many tennis courts and golf courses welcome you, including the renowned Taconic Golf Course, just minutes from the hotel, or Waubeeka Golf Links an 18-hole public golf course at the base of the Taconic Mountain Range. White Water Rafting, Rock Climbing and Canopy Ziplines are exhilerating adventures within just a short drive along the the Mohawk Trail. In the fall, the simple beauty of the changing colors can be appreciated from a trail in the woods - or a window by a fire. Hike the Appalachian Trail, take a walk, push a stroller, ride a bike, or rollerblade on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail. Hike to the top of Massachusetts highest peak, Mt. Greylock. The Clark has 140 acres of beautiful hiking trails and Geo-caching. When the snow falls, skiers flock to nearby Jiminy Peak, and to the many cross-country trails through the woods. |
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