UpCountry Magazine, Summer 2020

Adventures in the Berkshires and Southern Vermont

SUMMER 2020

Summertime fun!

Ready, Set, Get Outside!

Summer Previews

Where to hike, bike, kayak and more ‌

Events for every social calendar

Featuring: The UpCountry Golf Guide Women on the Greens 20-20 Hindsight: An online celebration of UpCountry cultural venues

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contributors Meggie Baker [Summer Previews, page 23,] is the calendar clerk for The Berkshire Eagle.

A member of the American Theatre Critics Association, Jeffrey Borak [Summer Previews highlights, page 23,] has been the Berkshire Eagle’s arts editor and theater critic/writer since April 1986. In addition to writing about theater, he has acted with community theaters in Ghent, N.Y., and also New York’s Mid-Hudson Valley.

Summer has not been canceled

4

Ready, Set, Get Outside!

6

From the editor: Get outside, explore, discover something new 7 activities that will get you off the couch and out your front door

Summer Previews

23

The UpCo Golf Guide

42

Women on the Greens

45

Find out what’s happening and when with our annual events calendar Our annual directory of clubs and courses in the Berkshires and Southern Vermont

Women golfers ‘make their mark’ on the course UPCOUNTRY DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE

20-20 Hindsight: Canceled, postponed and streaming UpCountry cultural venues are missed, not forgotten.

Read online at upcountryonline.com

On the cover: Jessica Chittenden and Skylar, a chow/husky mix, paddleboard on Onota Lake. Berkshire Eagle File Photo.

Publisher Fredric D. Rutberg

Art Director Kimberly Kirchner

Vice President Jordan Brechenser

Regional Advertising Managers Berkshire County, Mass.: Kate Teutsch

frutberg@berkshireeagle.com

jbrechenser@berkshireeagle.com

Executive Editor Kevin Moran

kmoran@berkshireeagle.com

Editor Jennifer L. Huberdeau

jhuberdeau@berkshireeagle.com

Proofreaders Margaret Button Lindsey Hollenbaugh Tim Jamiolkowski

kkirchner@berkshireeagle.com

kteutsch@berkshireeagle.com

Bennington County, Vt.: Susan Plaisance

splaisance@manchesterjournal.com

Windham County, Vt.: Jonathan Stafford jstafford@reformer.com

UpCountry Magazine is a publication of New England Newspapers Inc.

Noah Hoffenberg [“5 Hiking Spots,” page 9,] is a word-peddling mountain biker who spends all his time in the hills of Western Massachusetts, grousing among the porcupine and woodchucks.

Jennifer Huberdeau [“Summer has not been canceled,” page 4,] is editor of UpCountry magazine. She also pens the column “Mysteries from the Morgue” for The Berkshire Eagle.

Jack Lyons [“20-20 Hindsight,” upcountryonline.com,] is a senior at the University of Notre Dame and a native of South Burlington, Vt. Christopher Parker - [“20-20 Hindsight,” upcountryonline.com,] is a summer intern with the Berkshire Eagle. He originally hails from New York City and currently attends the University of Notre Dame.

Greg Sukiennik [“5 State Parks to Visit,” page 11] is the Vermont Statehouse Editor for the Bennington Banner, Brattleboro Reformer and Manchester Journal.

Mike Walsh [“Women on the Greens,” page 45,] is a sports writer with The Berkshire Eagle, where he authors the biweekly Powder Report column. He’s a borderingon-30 snowboarder with a degree from Marist College and a natural curiosity for the finer things in life.

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FROM THE EDITOR

Summer has not been canceled Get out of the house, explore, experience something new Summer is upon us and I can’t wait to get out there to visit some of my favorite places in the Berkshires and Southern Vermont (and add a few new ones to that list).

Yes, some of you may be saying, “wait a minute, so much isn’t happening this summer …” And that is true, a lot has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, but there’s still so much that is happening.

So, I’ll take this opportunity to remind you that this is your chance to get out there and explore, to experience something new.

Of course, this summer’s activities and visits to cultural venues are going to be very different and require some more thoughtful planning than in summers past. Impromptu day trips aren’t yet part of the “new normal” of our post-pandemic phased reopening plans. Venues that we could normally visit on a whim, now have reserved/timed-ticketing systems, limits on the number of patrons allowed, physical distancing rules, and of course, face-covering requirements.

Planning ahead does put a damper on the spontaneity of summer fun, but I’ve realized this “new normal” forced upon on us by COVID-19 has a few advantages: • We’ve slowed down. The new rules of operation for businesses, cultural organizations and restaurants, are allowing us to slow down and become more observant of the world around us.

The next time you visit a museum, be prepared to take it slow and really experience the exhibitions. Limitations on the number of patrons will give you more room to explore and more time

with each piece. And many museums will still open new shows this season, albeit, they may not be the ones originally intended for this summer. To find out what shows are opening this season, check out our Summer Previews calendar, starting on page 23.

• We’ve rediscovered outdoor recreation. With the closure of non-essential businesses in March, the majority of us found ourselves home (or working from home) with more time on our hands and fewer available activities. More people are participating in outdoor activities than prior to the pandemic stay-athome orders: walking, running, biking, fishing, hiking, kayaking and birding. If you’re looking for a new activity to try or just a new location to try out, check our feature, Ready, Set, Get Outside!, pages 6-15, for a few suggestions.

If the golf course is your chosen form of outdoor recreation, we have you covered, too. Our annual UpCountry Golf Guide begins on page 42. With it, you’ll find a special spotlight highlighting a few of the region’s women golfers, beginning on page 45.

• We’re exploring new places. If you’ve never visited one of our many historic properties, now is the time to take advantage of timed-ticketing and limited crowds. Depending on what phase of reopening you’re in, you may not be able to visit inside the historic houses just yet or be limited to self-guided tours. But don’t let that stop you from making a visit.

The majority of these spaces, if not all, have gardens to explore and trails to hike.

• We’re exploring familiar places in new ways. It’s true, there will be no competitive picnicking on the lawn of Tanglewood this summer, but you can still visit the grounds. For a select few weeks, you can register for a time to visit the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s summer home to walk the grounds or just sit for a spell.

Tanglewood is just one of our many beloved cultural organizations, festivals and events that had to cancel their seasons this summer. But if the past few months have taught us anything, it’s how resourceful, resilient and creative their organizers can be. In 20-20 Hindsight, found on upcountryonline.com, we pay tribute to 40 cultural institutions that aren’t with us this season and share the alternative ways they are connecting with the public this summer.

Yes, this summer season, and even the fall season, looks much different as we move forward in these uncertain times but that doesn’t mean we can’t safely enjoy what has reopened. Take time to educate yourself before you head out; don’t assume the rules and offerings at each place are the same as before. Please, be patient — this “new normal” is very fluid; rules and guidelines change quickly. And remember, we’re all in this together.

Jennifer Huberdeau, Editor jhuberdeau@berkshireeagle.com

Ready, Set, Get Outside!

Where to hike, bike, kayak and more ...

7 activities that will get you off the couch and out of the house

The Berkshires and Southern Vermont, as we know it, won’t be the same this summer. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do. We came up with 7 activities — from bird-watching to kayaking — and some suggestions as to where you can do them, to keep your summer full.

If one thing is certain about the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that more Americans are participating in outdoor recreation than before the outbreak. Hiking, running and cycling have seen an upward trend, as individuals and families seek respite in outdoor activities. In June, The Associated Press reported that bicycle sales in April and May registered their “biggest spike in the U.S. since the oil crisis of the 1970s.” Sales of adult leisure bikes tripled in April, while overall bike sales doubled from the year before.

Bike riding is a great form of exercise and way to enjoy time outside while still being able to socially distance. It’s also a great way for children to burn off extra energy and for families to enjoy some time outside the house.

To help riders looking for alternatives to their normal routine, we reached out to some local cyclists, who suggested a variety of routes with different terrains and levels of effort.

— Jennifer Huberdeau

Ashuwillticook Rail Trail Lanesborough, Cheshire and Adams, Mass. mass.gov/locations/ashuwillticook-rail-trail

Bike paths and rail trails, like the 12.7-mile Ashuwillticook Rail Trail that runs from Lanesborough to Adams, are great places for cyclists of any experience level. The trail is accessible from numerous locations along the route and is open for biking, running, walking and in-line skating. The 10-foot-wide trail offers a paved, level surface for users with scenic views of Cheshire Reservoir, Mount Greylock and the Hoosic River.

Portions of the trail will be unavailable for part of the summer, as 11 miles of the trail are upgraded and resurfaced. The southern portion, from the Berkshire Mall Connector Road parking lot in Lanesborough north to Church Street in Cheshire, reopened at the beginning of July. Phase II of the project, from Church Street in Cheshire north to the Adams Visitors Center, is expected to be closed through early fall. The newest portion of the rail trail, 1.5 miles running from the Adams Visitors Center north to Lime Street in Adams, will remain open throughout both phases of the project.

Route 7 south through New Ashford into Lanesborough, turning onto Rockwell Road to make the 10-mile ascent to the summit of Mount Greylock. From there, descend the mountain using the steeper Notch Road into North Adams. From Notch Road, follow Route 2 East back to Williamstown to complete the loop.

Kennedy Park - Lenox Mountain Intro Loop Arcadian Shop, Lenox, Mass. trailforks.com/route/kennedylenox-mountain-intro-loop/map

For those looking for a route to tackle with a mountain bike, one of the best places to head to in the Berkshires is Kennedy Park in Lenox. This 10-mile loop, posted on trailforks.com by a member of the Berkshire chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association, is listed as an intermediate introductory loop that begins at the Kennedy Park entrance behind the Arcadian Shop at 91 Pittsfield Road, Lenox, travels through Kennedy Park and includes a climb up Lenox Mountain. Four miles of this ride are spent climbing, with the other 6 being flat or spent in descent.

Kennedy Park has several other mountain bike paths that are maintained by the town and Berkshire NEMBA. Trail maps are available at the Arcadian Shop or at townoflenox.com.

Manchester Local (Wendy’s Way) Manchester, Vt. ridewithgps.com/routes/9580147

This 5.9-mile ride, created by Bike Manchester Vt on ridewithgps.com, travels along paved highways and back roads in Manchester. Begin at the Dana L. Thompson Recreational Park on Recreation Park Road and head out on to Vermont Route 30, taking a right and traveling along Bonnet Street for 1.8 miles before turning onto North Road.

After 1.7 miles on North Road, take a right on to Maple Street and follow it for 1.1 miles, taking a slight right as the road becomes Main Street. After about three-tenths of a mile, take a left onto School Street and then a right onto Bonnet Street. Another five-tenths of a mile and you’ll take a right onto Recreation Park Road, returning to the start of your journey.

Williamstown to Pownal

Mount Greylock

Williamstown, Mass,. and Pownal, Vt. ridewithgps.com/routes/27879422

Williamstown, New Ashford, Lanesborough, Adams and North Adams, Mass. ridewithgps.com/routes/260136

Enjoy the bucolic countryside as you ride from downtown Williamstown, Mass., north across the state line through Pownal, Vt., before looping back.

Beginning at the Milne Public Library travel around the roundabout, exiting onto Main Street/Route 2 East. After onetenth of a mile, turn left onto Park Street. After traveling eighttenths of a mile, turn right onto U.S. 7 North, staying on the road for 5.9 miles. Turn right onto Burrington Road, remaining on the road for 1.9 miles before turning right onto US Route 7.

After a half-mile, turn left onto North Pownal Road. Take a slight left onto VT 346 after 3 miles. Follow VT 346 until it turns into U.S. 7 South. Remain on Route 7 South, through the roundabout in Williamstown, ending the ride back at the library.

Mount Greylock is a destination for cyclists who like a challenge. This route, created by Bike New England on ridewithgps. com, is the less challenging of the two routes to the summit.

But, this 37-mile bike ride is no piece of cake, it just avoids the steeper inclines and hairpin turns faced in an ascent from Notch Road in North Adams.

Beginning at the Milne Public Library in Williamstown, follow Previous: Kennedy Park, Lenox, Mass. Berkshire Eagle File Photo.

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Orvis, in Manchester, not only offers daily fishing reports at orvis.com/vermont-fly-fishing-reports but also will recommend fishing spots to callers seeking advice: 802-362-3750.

Gale Meadows Pond

Gale Meadows Road, Londonderry, Vt. Known for: largemouth bass

Gale Meadows Pond is a 195-acre man-made pond in the 707-acre Gale Meadows Pond Wildlife Management Area, owned by Vermont Fish and Wildlife. The pond is known for its largemouth bass, but you can also catch bluegill, pumpkinseed, rock bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, and brown bullhead.

Harriman Reservoir Whitingham and Wilmington, Vt. Known for: smallmouth bass

Harriman Reservoir, Vt. Brattleboro Reformer File Photo.

Fishing is an all-season sport in Southern Vermont and the Berkshires. An angler’s paradise, the region offers ample opportunities for freshwater fishing in lakes, rivers, streams and ponds from a boat, canoe or shoreline. And there’s plenty of spots for those who enjoy fly fishing.

During the summer, when temperatures creep up, the best time to head out is in the early morning or late afternoon, when water temperatures are cooler and fish tend to bite more. In late summer and early fall, when cooler temperatures prevail, you can sleep in a little later and enjoy midday fishing.

Before heading out, know the rules of the location you’re fishing in and what you’re fishing for. Some areas, like the Battenkill River, are catch-and-release-only on the Vermont-side of the border. And be sure to check the daily catch and weight limits on certain types of fish available at your fishing spot, as different states have different limits and requirements.

— Jennifer Huberdeau

Battenkill River Manchester, Sunderland and Arlington, Vt. Known for: brook and brown trout

The Battenkill River is famous for its brown trout and abundant brook trout. The river stays cold all summer long, making it great for midsummer fishing. According to guiderecommended. com, fishing is best up along the banks and pools of the river. The upper river, near Manchester, has a soft and muddy bottom; while the lower section’s bottom is made up of gravel and small rocks.

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Harriman Reservoir, also known as Lake Whitingham, is an 8-mile-loop man-made lake with stunning views of the Green Mountains. Built in 1923 by the New England Power Co., the reservoir is a favorite spot for anglers to catch smallmouth bass.

In addition to smallmouth bass, those casting lines at Harriman Reservoir can catch lake trout, chain pickerel, largemouth bass, yellow perch and landlocked salmon. Of note, the largest chain pickerel caught in Vermont, weighing in at 6 pounds 4 ounces, was caught in Harriman Reservoir in 1974.

Housatonic River

Pittsfield, Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge and Sheffield, Mass.

Known for: brown trout, largemouth bass

Looking for a fly-fishing experience comparable to expeditions held in the western rivers of the country? It’s said the closest thing you’ll find is fly fishing on the Housatonic River. While the most popular spots for fly fishing are between Falls Village and Cornwall Bridge in Litchfield County, Conn., you can find great spots all along the river, especially in the Southern Berkshires. In these waters, you’ll catch brown trout, largemouth bass and perch.

Special regulations: no fishing within 100-feet of mouths of Beartown, Goose Pond, Hop and Mowhawk brooks from June 15 to Aug. 31.

Catch-and-release-only areas: In Lee, from the Route 20 bridge to the Willow Mill Dam and from Great Barrington, from the Glendale Dam to the railroad bridge. Only artificial bait is allowed in these areas.

Pontoosuc Lake

Pittsfield, Mass.

Known for: pike, largemouth bass, tiger muskellunge

While anglers like to head here for trout and bass fishing, Pontoosuc Lake’s greatest claim to fame is its large tiger muskies.

Both pike and tiger muskies are possible to catch throughout the year, while trout and bass are more likely to be caught in spring/ early summer. During the summer, head out early or fish in the afternoon to avoid the recreational boat traffic.

Other fish to look out for: bluegill, black crappie, chain pickerel, rock bass, pumpkinseed, white and yellow perch, yellow bullhead, common and mirror carp.

Hiking in raw nature. It's one of the reasons why Southern Vermont and the Berkshires are the destinations of choice for tens of thousands of people every year.

In this corner of New England, you can hike all year round, and that holds true whether you're trying to bag peaks, chase lowland birds and wildflowers, or just get a little fresh air.

The five hiking spots mentioned here cover some of the touchstones — in some cases, literally — of traversing the Green Mountains and the Berkshire Hills. Do as little or as much as you can handle.

— Noah Hoffenberg

Mount Greylock Adams and Lanesborough, Mass.

413-499-4262, mass.gov/locations/mount-greylock-state-reservation

At 3,491 feet, it's Massachusetts' tallest peak. It has more than 12,500 acres, including an 11.5-mile segment of the Appalachian Trail. The state reservation also is the habitat for numerous species, including 40 species of rare plants, according to the National Park Service, and its old-growth red spruce trees were designated as a national landmark in 1987.

The summit has breathtaking views, whether hiked in the summer or winter. There's also a seasonal lodge atop it, too, where warm food and drink can warm the hands and spirit.

Make sure to wear boots with a firm footbed to keep your feet free from strain and injury.

Bash Bish Falls

Falls Road, Mount Washington, Mass.

413-528-0330, mass.gov/locations/bash-bish-falls-state-park

While this spot can be a bit dangerous, because of slick rocks and fast currents, Bash Bish Falls won't disappoint with its crags and often crystal-clear river pools that don't easily lose their chill. The falls are the highest single-drop waterfall in Massachusetts, and it's a great alternative to a day at the lake or beach. Right nearby are Mount Washington State Park and New York’s Taconic State Park for those who want to take in more than one stop during a visit.

If you like beautiful views while you dine, bring lunch and a towel to lay out on the rocks and soak in some sun.

Mount Equinox

Manchester, Vt. 802-362-1114, equinoxmountain.com

A hike similar in difficulty to Mount Greylock is Manchester's Mount Equinox. From the trailhead at Burr and Burton Academy, a steady climb takes you to the summit at 3,848 feet, where hikers can see the nearby Green, White, Adirondack, Berkshire and Taconic mountain ranges.

It's another good one for four-season ascents; just make sure you're prepared for the elements with a windproof/waterproof layer and have plenty of water.

Stratton Mountain Stratton, Vt. 802-362-2307, bit.ly/3ehEn9o

Starting off at Kelly Stand Road, hikers can work their way through lush forest and rocky steps up the summit of Stratton, where there's a fire tower for some amazing views of Southern Vermont, as well as a caretaker's hut that been manned by a pair of hardy souls since 1996; they stay there from May through October, so, make sure to say hi on your way through If your knees don't feel too good going up and down lots of rock, try bringing a pair of trekking poles to help take the weight off your joints on this leg of the Long Trail.

The Appalachian Trail and Long Trail Berkshire County, Mass., and Bennington County, Vt. Appalachian Trail.org, greenmountainclub.org/the-long-trail

Berkshire Eagle File Photo.

These two legendary hiking trails of the Eastern U.S. offer a quintessential New England hiking experience. Whether you want to do a half-hour or a half-week of hiking, these two trails not only take you over two mountains mentioned in this list, but also alongside many out-of-the-way rivers, bogs, meadows, streams and ponds.

If you're the naturalist type, you'll get your fill on these two well-worn but still wild trails: everything from mice to moose call it home. Keep your eyes open when you pass through the marshes, and bring a journal to get it all down on paper to revisit another day.

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Natural Bridge State Park, North Adams, Mass. Berkshire Eagle File Photo.

You can’t escape the bucolic landscapes that make the UpCountry what it is. But, even a place filled with natural beauty and breathtaking views has a few gems that shine brighter than the rest. From the only natural white marble arch in North America to a “secret” swimming hole in Dorset, we’re highlighting wonders worth checking out, but by no means are they the only natural wonders within our region.

Please check with each venue for hours of operation, social distancing/mask requirements and for available amenities before making your visit.

— Jennifer Huberdeau

Natural Bridge State Park McAuley Road, North Adams, Mass.

413-663-6392, sites.google.com/site/newenglandsnaturalbridge/home

Tour an abandoned marble quarry and see the only natural white marble arch in North America during a trip to Natural Bridge State Park. You’ll also find a man-made white marble dam, also the only one in North America, that was constructed to serve the quarry, which operated from 1810 to 1947.

Travel along the boardwalks to take in the views of the naturally carved geological formations, including a view of the Hudson Brook as it plunges through a 60-foot-long gorge. The site has long been a tourist attraction, drawing author Nathaniel Hawthorne who chronicled his visit in “Passages from the American Notebooks of Nathaniel Hawthorne.”

Ice Glen

Park Street, Stockbridge, Mass. laurelhillassociation.org

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A place where you can see ice year-round? The north-south orientation of Ice Glen, a ravine in southeast Stockbridge surrounded by old-growth forest, makes it possible for ice to exist in deep rock crevices well into summer.

Donated to the Laurel Hill Association, the first incorporated village improvement society in the country, in 1891 by David Dudley Field, the sides of the glen are covered with old stand pine and hemlock. The tallest pine in Massachusetts supposedly stands at the south end of the glen.

To get there, cross the Goodrich Memorial footbridge at the end of Park Street and proceed over the railroad tracks and up the trail. After about ¼ mile, take the right and continue over to the glen. The hike requires climbing and holding onto boulders to navigate the trail.

Dorset Marble Quarry Route 30, Dorset, Vt.

Named as one of the “12 top-secret swimming holes” by USA Today in 2013, the Dorset Marble Quarry has been anything but secret since then. Tourists and locals make up the site’s annual 15,000 visitors, who bask in the sun and cannonball off cliffs and into the water below.

While not a true “natural wonder,” the popular swimming hole has evolved into one. Its story begins in 1785, when it became, according to historians, the nation’s first marble quarry. Dorset marble was used in the construction of the New York Public Library. Reopened mid-June, the privately-owned quarry has set up social distancing guidelines that limit the number of visitors, and require social distancing and face masks.

At the parking parcel, now named Dorset Marble Park, the adjacent grassy area has been marked with 12-foot-diameter circles, each spaced 6 feet apart, where visitors will be able to picnic.

Equinox Mountain Skyline Drive Tollhouse: 6369 Skyline Drive, Sunderland, Vt. 802-362-1114, equinoxmountain.com

At an elevation of 3,848 feet, Mount Equinox is the highest peak in the Taconic Range and the highest point in Bennington County. Its summit, which can be reached by hiking or by car, offers panoramic views of the Green, White, Adirondack, Berkshire and Taconic mountain ranges.

For those interested in a more scenic drive, we suggest taking a trip along Skyline Drive. The 5.2-mile drive, billed as the longest paved private toll road in the nation, has a number of scenic pullovers, with tables and benches. Be sure to stop at the St. Bruno Scenic Viewing Center to witness its spectacular views, and check out the interpretive exhibits and videos where you can learn more about the Carthusian monks, who make their home at the Charterhouse of the Transfiguration monastery on the mountain.

Hamilton Falls

Jamaica State Park, 48 Salmon Hole Lane, Jamaica, Vt. 802-874-4600, vtstateparks.com/jamaica.html

If you like waterfalls, you need to add the 125-foot scenic Hamilton Falls in Jamaica State Park to your bucket list. You’ll have to hike about 6 miles round trip to get to this beauty, but in the end, it will be worth it.

From the parking lot, find the Railroad Bed trailhead in the northwest corner by the picnic area. Follow the trail, a relatively easy path, for just over 2 miles, to Cobb Brook. There, you’ll take the Hamilton Falls Trail, a mile-long uphill climb to the falls.

Wading in the pools downstream from the falls is recommended.

Avoid swimming in the tub above the falls, as this is a safety hazard and has been the cause of several fatal accidents.

This page, clockwise from top left: Ice Glen, Stockbridge, Mass.

Berkshire Eagle File Photo; Dorset Marble Quarry, Dorset, Vt. Bennington Banner File Photo; Mount Equinox, Sunderland, Vt. Bennington Banner File Photo; Hamilton Falls, Jamaica, Vt. Brattleboro Reformer File Photo.

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Have you taken up bird-watching? If you have, you’re not alone. In May, The Associated Press reported that downloads of popular bird-identification apps, including those created by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, had doubled over the previous year. Also up were visits to Cornell’s live bird cams and uploads to its crowdsourced bird-logging app eBird.

Looking to venture beyond the backyard bird feeder?

Looking for a new observation spot? We found a few hot spots, for birders of varying levels of interest, that should result in multiple sightings during a visit.

Remember to check each of these hot spot’s websites before heading out for hours of operation, social distancing guidelines, trail maps, property guidelines and bird-watching etiquette.

— Jennifer Huberdeau

Gale Meadows Wildlife Management Area Londonderry and Winhall, Vt. fpr.vermont.gov/gale-meadows-wildlife-management-area

For those who like to observe birds from a canoe or kayak, the 200-acre pond and wetland complex of the Gale Meadows WMA is the place to check out. This 707-acre wildlife management area, overseen by Vermont Fish and Wildlife, boasts over 100 year-round and migratory bird species.

On the water, look for great blue heron, wood ducks and mallards, hooded mergansers and common loons. In the forested areas, Cooper’s hawk and northern goshawk are among the forest hawk species that are spotted. Other reported species seen include sandpipers, killdeer, double-crested cormorants, kingfishers, swallows, scarlet tanagers, common yellowthroats and bald eagles.

West River Trail

Spring Tree Road, Brattleboro, Vt. westrivertrail.org

A walk along the lower section of the West River Trail, which stretches from The Marina in Brattleboro to an old quarry on Rice Farm Road in Dummerston, will provide views of rich landscapes, railroad artifacts, and plenty of breeding and migratory birds.

Birds you might spy on your walk on the 3.5-mile path, built on the rail bed of the former West River Railroad, include sandpipers, egrets, herons, kingfishers, woodpeckers, swallows, wood thrush, starlings and bald eagles.

South Stream Pond and South Stream Wildlife Management Area

South Stream Road, Pownal, Vt. fpr.vermont.gov/south-stream-wildlife-management-area

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Berkshire Eagle File Photo.

Interested in spotting waterfowl or other water-loving songbirds? South Stream Pond, a 24-acre habitat within the 130-acre South Stream Wildlife Management Area overseen by Vermont Fish and Wildlife, is a great place to spot waterfowl, including black, wood and mallard ducks. Great blue herons have been spotted this season, according to reports on ebird.org, as well as kingbirds, flycatchers, vireo, swallows, waxwings and a variety of woodpeckers and warblers.

Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary

Holmes Road, Pittsfield, Mass. massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/canoe-meadows

Just a mile from the center of Pittsfield, Canoe Meadows is a respite from the monotony of everyday life. Head out on the gentle, flat trails that wind through the sanctuary’s woods, wetlands and open fields. Managed by Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, this 250-acre property provides crucial breeding habitats for grassland birds.

Birds to watch for here include red-tailed hawk, chickadees, catbirds, warblers, chickadees, yellowthroats, thrush, goldfinch, tufted titmouse, swallows and Cooper’s hawks. A downloadable checklist is available on the Mass Audubon website.

Lime Kiln Farm Wildlife Sanctuary

Silver Street, Sheffield, Mass. massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/lime-kiln-farm

You’ll observe more than birds as you hike along Lime Kiln Farm’s 2 miles of trails, which loop through fields and woodland areas. The wildlife sanctuary is home to more than 500 plant species and 50 species of butterflies.

The ¾-mile Lime Kiln Loop will take you through hayfields where bluebirds nest, past a former quarry and lime kiln, and a shrub swamp teeming with birds. For a longer walk, take the 1.8-mile Lime Kiln/Quarry/Ovenbird/Taconic Vista Loop.

The loop connects several trails on the property, which take you through woodland areas offering spectacular views of the Taconic Range and the sounds of ovenbirds.

Birds recently spotted at the sanctuary, according to ebird.org, include hummingbirds, woodpeckers, vireo, swallows, catbirds, warblers, scarlet tanager and ovenbirds.

Wherever you travel in the Berkshires and Southern Vermont, there are plenty of state parks with opportunities for swimming, boating, hiking, fishing, picnicking and just taking in the natural beauty our part of the world has to offer. Here are five examples — some well-loved, some off the beaten path, but all worth a drive.

— Greg Sukiennik

Emerald Lake State Park 65 Emerald Lake Lane, East Dorset, Vt. 802-362-1655, vtstateparks.com/emerald.html

This 430-acre park off U.S. Route 7 is named for the lake, which got its name for the way it reflects the greenery surrounding it. The 20-acre lake is the star attraction, and thanks to a prohibition on motorized boats, there’s lots of room for swimming and fishing, as well as the canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards available for rent. Emerald Lake State Park features 66 tent and RV camping sites, 37 lean-to sites and hiking trails. Park capacity will be managed to assure sufficient physical space is available for social distancing, and campgrounds will be limited to tent, RV and lean-to camping.

Jamaica State Park

Hike the Bellow’s Pipe Trail from Adams to the summit or drive up one of the auto roads, taking either Notch Road in North Adams, or Rockwell Road in Lanesborough. Atop the mountain, you can dine at Bascom Lodge, which is operating with limited seating and lodging accommodations this season.

After taking in the views, set out on one of the many hiking trails. The reservation has 70 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and other seasonal activities. Parking at the summit is $5 for residents and $20 for non-residents.

COVID-19 restrictions have temporarily closed the Veterans War Memorial Tower at the summit and the Visitors Center on Rockwell Road in Lanesborough. Camping will not be permitted on the reservation this season.

Pittsfield State Forest

1041 Cascade St., Pittsfield, Mass.

413-442-8992, mass.gov/locations/pittsfield-state-forest

Pittsfield State Forest is wild, scenic and accessible. The 11,000acre forest straddles the Taconic Range along the Massachusetts-New York border — and once there, you’d never know that you’re only a few miles west of downtown Pittsfield. There’s very brisk swimming at Berry Pond, as well as miles of trails for mountain biking and hiking, 38 camping sites and two group camping sites.

48 Salmon Hole Lane, Jamaica, Vt. 802-874-4600, vtstateparks.com/jamaica.html

No island beaches here, but the West River offers loads of kayaking, fishing and swimming for visitors. The park has 41 tent/RV sites and 18 lean-to sites within its 771 acres and a hiking trail leading to Hamilton Falls. Camping sites here are popular, so reserve early.

Woodford State Park

142 State Park Road, Woodford, Vt. 802-447-7169, vtstateparks.com/woodford.html

Want to get away from it all? At an elevation of 2,400 feet, Woodford State Park has the highest elevation camping of any park in Vermont. Situated on a mountain plateau surrounding Adams Reservoir there’s plenty to do, including hiking, canoeing, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. Brook trout can be caught in the lake. There are 103 camping sites, including 20 lean-tos, but the cabins are off-limits this year.

Mount Greylock State Reservation

Lanesborough, Adams and North Adams, Mass.

413-499-4262, mass.gov/locations/mount-greylock-state-reservation

The summit of the commonwealth’s highest peak, at 3,491 feet, offers breathtaking views spanning 90 miles in all directions. At 12,500 acres, Mount Greylock has the distinction of being the first public land used for wilderness preservation in Massachusetts.

Mount Greylock, Mass. Berkshire Eagle File Photo.

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In the era of COVID-19, there may be no better way to quarantine oneself from others than by getting into an 8- to 12-foot boat and paddling out into the middle of a lake surrounded by mountains.

Mountains are plentiful here in Berkshire County and Southern Vermont, but so are the pools of freshwater that those monstrous outcroppings have helped to fill. Whether kayaking, canoeing or stand-up paddleboarding, the paddling community in this area is as welcoming as they come and the opportunities to get on a craft and commune with nature are around every backroad curve.

As Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote, “Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat.”

While lockdowns hit big cities hard and the populace has done its best to avoid community transmission, here in Western New England we’ve found the best medicine can be located a mile into a hard paddle, when you lay your arms at rest, kick that head back and grab a deep breath of sunshine-filled and water-tinted air.

I traveled to 13 different bodies of water trying to narrow down a top-five for your summer of social distance splashing.

The selection process was tough, but bottom line you can’t go wrong making wakes in any of these delectable spots.

— Mike Walsh

Pontoosuc Lake 10 Hancock Road, Pittsfield, Mass. massachusettspaddler.com/pontoosuc-lake-berkshire

The middle of central Berkshire County’s three big paddling spots is, like Goldilocks’ favorite porridge, just right. Onota may be bigger with more beachfront, and Cheshire Reservoir boasts a heck of a straightaway, but Pontoosuc Lake offers anything and everything paddlers could crave. The 500 acres provide plenty of space for your kayak to maneuver around various WaveRunners and pontoons, there are calm alcoves and big water stretches. The mountainous views are top-notch, and you’ve got dockside beverages and dining at Lakeside Bar & Grill or The Proprietor’s Lodge.

Goose Pond

4 Ridge St., Lee, Mass. massachusettspaddler.com/upper-and-lower-goose-ponds-berkshire

One may not understand the meaning of a diamond in the rough until you duck underneath the Mass Pike and dip your oars into Goose Pond. The 225-acre hidden gem is just a short drive from Exit 2, but miles away from the feelings of a clogged interstate. Goose Pond is a serene shock to the system that jolts you out of the rat race and into the kayak calm, where still waters blend into green scenery that mixes from the large swath of the lower pond, through a small corridor that feels like your very own Berkshire County safari cruise, into the smaller upper pond. There, things are shallower, and a small island provides a standing spot to cast a line.

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Housatonic River Decker Landing, Lenox to Woods Pond Bridge, Lenox, Mass. housatonicheritage.org/plan-a-visit/paddle-the-housatonic-river/

A true Berkshire County bucket list item is paddling the Housatonic River. While there are more than 20 put-in and takeout spots along the 159 miles of paddleable water, Decker Landing to Woods Pond is a favorite for its mixture of tight, winding paths, open straightaways and wildlife This isn’t a river that will knock your flip-flops off with adrenaline, but it moves enough to keep you on pace to finish the stretch in a cool two hours. During that 5-or-so miles, you’re sure to see a variety of birdlife including some great blue herons, ospreys, red-wing blackbirds and geese. The launch spot is tight, but extra parking is available up above, and the exit is a breeze with a nice dock beneath the photo-op footbridge.

Somerset Reservoir

2041 Somerset Road, West Dover, Vt.

Not for the faint of heart, Vermont’s entrant here is a heavyweight in the western New England paddling community. Weighing in at over 1,500 acres and at 2,000 feet of elevation, Somerset can knock you around if you’re not careful. This SoVt beast lies between ski spots Mount Snow and Stratton Mountain and can get whipped up into a frenzy with high winds. Within it, though, there are tremendous opportunities for paddlers to experience different water styles and a full day of traversing in the shadows of the Green Mountains.

Somerset can be a bear to find with really only one access point at the southern tip about 30 minutes into the woods off Route 9. Once there, though, there are a ton of hiking trails and campsites, just be sure to BYOB and bring a change of warm clothes.

Lake Ashmere

121 Smith Road, Hinsdale, Mass. massachusettspaddler.com/ashmere-lake-berkshire

Debate has raged on for weeks as to the fifth and final spot on our paddle tour, but when you’ve got some thinking to do, there may be no finer place in New England than Ashmere. Here, as Ralph Emerson once said, you can live in the sunshine and drink the wild air. Ashmere is no picnic to locate, buried deep within the hilltowns of Berkshire County, and without the fanfare of Richmond Pond and Stockbridge Bowl, the main boat ramp lies at the end of a dirt path off the corner of Smith and Hickingbotham roads. The lake itself is an irregular shape, providing nearly 9 miles of liquid terrain on the perimeter despite just 217 acres of coverage. It’s a calm, cool and relatively unknown place to dip in your paddle and let the worries of the world drift away.

Honorable Mentions: • • • • • •

Stockbridge Bowl (Lake Mahkeenac), Stockbridge, Mass.

Richmond Pond, Richmond, Mass.

Cheshire Reservoir, Cheshire, Mass.

Onota Lake, Pittsfield, Mass.

Lake Paran, North Bennington, Vt. Laurel Lake, Lee, Mass. •

Lake Ashmere, Hinsdale, Mass. Photo: Mike Walsh

UpCountryOnline.com | 15

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48 Dover Hill Road, East Dover, Vt. 3 bedrooms • 1 bath • Year built: 1970 • 1,144 sq. ft. • 12.5 acres • $240,000 Sweet! First time ever on the market! Our owner designed, built and has lovingly cared for this sweet home from the beginning! Sitting on an open half acre and sporting a huge deck, front porch, lovely gardens, very pretty stone wall and a nice local view, this is not to be missed. Included in the sale is a 12-acre bordering parcel, purchased separately for protection and could be either sold separately or perhaps built on for a family member. (Keep them close, but not too close.) No exploration of perking has been done.

The home features a large kitchen with lots of light; a dining room — open to the living room — with a slider for not only light but a great view of the backyard; and a living room with a good TV wall. The walk out basement has been partially finished and has great hang out potential for teens and adults alike. Immaculate and ready to move in! Seller will consider selling furnished for an even easier move. Great for a second or primary home.

More information: Christine Lewis, CRS, CBR, GRI

Brattleboro Area Realty Cell: 802-380-2088 Office: 802-257-1335 Chris@BrattleboroAreaRealty.com

18 | UPCOUNTRY MAGAZINE | Summer 2020

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5536 Coolidge Highway, Guilford, Vt. 3 bedrooms • 2 baths • 1,680 sq. ft. • Year built: 1975 • 5.6 acres • $239,900

Incredible location! This location is so sweet. Look forward to coming home and take a sigh of relief as you drive up the winding lane of your own drive.

Listen to the Fall Brook as it cascades through your property and take the short walk to sit by the sweet falls. The brook has carved its way, creating an amazing presentation of boulders, moss and woodland. Sitting in a pretty, open spot, protected by a cared for walkable woodland and meadow (owner has groomed for a more formal effect), this contemporary home has a wall of glass looking off to the local view. Cozy as it is, or bring your own magic and do a little recreating. Walk in on the first floor to two bedrooms, an office and a full bath. Up the stairs brings you to the vaulted ceiling living/dining room, kitchen and the master with another full bath.

Just right for a weekend get away or a full time retreat after a hard day at work. A new three-bedroom septic will be installed prior to closing. A must see for the joy of nature, a kiss of inspiration and a dabble of creativity!

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Christine Lewis, CRS, CBR, GRI

Brattleboro Area Realty Cell: 802-380-2088 * Office: 802-257-1335 Chris@BrattleboroAreaRealty.com

UpCountryOnline.com | 19

45 Negus Road, West Dover, Vt. 6 bed • 5 bath • 5,500 sq. ft. • $1,495,000

One of a kind custom mountain getaway with soaring sunset views! The winding canopied driveway opens to a majestic setting with amazing views of the Green Mountains, Mt. Snow and Haystack. Enjoy summer recreation in the swimming pond, hiking on your own private 114+ acres, or just letting the worries of the world escape you while simply enjoying the views,

beautiful stonewalls and walkways, peace and quiet. This Vermont-style post-andbeam features a large open concept floor plan with beautiful exposed woodwork and joinery, natural light from the soaring windows, a floor-to-ceiling natural stone fireplace in the great room, a large country kitchen, private first floor master bedroom suite with cathedral ceilings and

20 | UPCOUNTRY MAGAZINE | Summer 2020

private deck. Additionally, there are three guest bedrooms upstairs, lower level billiard room, family room with second fireplace, bonus room perfect for a theater and two more bedrooms. Huge 2-car garage, and the list goes on. For the discerning buyer not to be missed. $1,495,000 • MLS #4810694

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585 East Orchard St., Brattleboro, Vt. 4 bed • 4.5 bath • 4,700 sq. ft. • $625,000

Country and private in feel, yet only minutes to vibrant downtown Brattleboro, sits this stunning contemporary Victorian. Sited on over two acres of landscaped grounds, the location is choice and is adjacent to The Brattleboro Country Club and Golf Course (the residence backs up to the 12th and 17th tee boxes). Superb craftsmanship is evident throughout this fine home and special features abound, including: gourmet kitchen with cherry cabinets and granite counters; beautiful living room with granite framed fireplace; formal dining room; first floor office with double closets and full bath; huge master bedroom with en suite bath and walk-in closet; three additional guest bedrooms sharing two bathrooms; family room with fireplace and a huge third floor playroom or studio.

Outside is a beautiful Phillipine Mahogany deck, a soapstone bar and a stone patio and firepit. This is an amazing home and an opportunity to own one of the area’s finest residences. $625,000 • MLS # 4807794

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479 Peru Road, Hinsdale, Mass.

4 bedrooms • 7 baths • Year built: 2003 • 5,250 sq. ft. • $1,450,00

More information: Kolleen Schmitt Keller Williams Realty Cell: 413-446-5833 Office: 413-585-0022 kolleenschmitt1@kw.com

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Luxurious lakefront living in Central Berkshire County. This spectacular home boasts well appointed upper and lower kitchens, four bedrooms, five full and two half bathrooms. Within the fenced patio you have an in-ground pool, BBQ island and plenty of room for seating. Take a bounce on the builtin trampoline on your way down to the private dock on Lake Ashmere.

The lake is motor boat friendly. This home is an entertainers paradise!

This home is perfect for multi group vacations or just hanging out by yourself. Large bedrooms allow for lots of people. Two well appointed kitchens and a BBQ island make summer entertaining the best! Pool is heated and large. Hot tub has fun lights and a waterfall. There’s a built in trampoline, a zip line and then theres the lake: large enough for a speed boat, and you can tie it right up at your own private dock.

During the winter you’re close to skiing at Jiminy, Bousquet, Berkshire East and Ski Butternut, and the ice fishing is great!

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Summer Previews

A calendar of entertainment and events in the Berkshires and Southern Vermont Wildlife rehabilitator Tom Ricardi shows the audience a peregrine falcon during a birds of prey demonstration at Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge, Mass. Berkshire Eagle File Photo. Photo illustration by Kimberly Kirchner.

Summer Previews 2020 | UpCountryOnline.com | 23

ART Arrowhead 780 Holmes Road, Pittsfield, Mass.

413-442-1793, berkshirehistory.org Arrowhead house tours will be available Thursday-Monday, 9:30 to 5 p.m. Tour attendance will be limited; call 413-442-1793 to reserve a time before purchasing tickets online. Tours will follow social distancing and other guidelines per public health advisories.

Saturday, July 11: Artist Jim Jasper has created a comprehensive set of 140 drawings illustrating chapters of Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick; or, The Whale.” Originally drawn on paper in a variety of media, a selection of the works are being reproduced and enlarged. This exhibit will be installed in the North Field at Arrowhead, in the shadow of both the home which he loved and the mountains that inspired him. The show, opening this summer, will be available to all free of charge.

Wednesday, July 22: Collections Highlights: Join curator Erin Hunt for an in-depth look at the Berkshire County Historical Society collections. Virtual program, details online.

Wednesday, Aug. 26: Collections Highlights: Join curator Erin Hunt for an in-depth look at the BCHS collections. Virtual program, details online.

Art Omi 1405 County Route 22, Ghent, N.Y. artomi.org Parking is restricted at this time.

If you arrive when the lot is at capacity, you will be turned away.

Masks are required in the parking lot and whenever you pass others on trails. Visitors must maintain at least 6 feet of distance from anyone who is not a member of their household. Avoid touching surfaces and objects, including park signage and exhibitions.

Do not share equipment such as balls, frisbees, or bicycles with those not in your household.

Restrooms and all indoor facilities are not open at this time. Visitation from anyone living outside a half-hour radius is discouraged.

Ongoing: Robert Grosvenor,

“Untitled;” Alex Schweder and Ward Shelley, “ReActor;” Agustina Woodgate, “The Source I-IV;” “HANNAH RRRolling Stones;” Aleksandr Mergold, “Oculi;” Andrea Bowers, “Somos 11 Millones;” Arlene Shechet, “Tall Feather;” Atelier Van Lieshout, “Blast Furnace,” and more.

Becket Arts Center 7 Brooker Hill Road, Becket, Mass.

413-623-6635, becketartscenter.org On view: 2020 Artist Showcase, on view in the virtual gallery now.

Bennington Museum 75 Main St., Bennington, Vt. 802-447-1571, benningtonmuseum.org Through Nov. 3: “Our Voices, Our Streets: Photographs by Kevin Bubriski.” The images by Kevin Bubriski, an internationally renowned documentary photographer who lives in southern Vermont, are from his new photo book (to be released in April), which covers a decade of American street protest that began on Jan. 20, 2001, with the inauguration of George W. Bush and ended with Occupy Wall Street in October 2011. “Gritty Streets to Green Mountains: Paintings by Scot Borofsky.” This exhibition illustrates the development of Borofsky’s work over the last 40 years, ranging from early spray paintings created in the streets of New York City, looking like modern day ancient ruins, to his more recent paintings created in his Brattleboro studio, which incorporate an evolving language of complexly layered symbols and the gestural language of paint. “(re)Sounding.” Each musical instrument in the Bennington Museum collection has its own unique story, but have remained silent for decades. Angus McCullough, Jake Nussbaum and Adam Tinkle work with the museum’s curatorial staff to meet the instruments where they are, using their current state to generate new sounds.

Berkshire Botanical Garden 5 West Stockbridge Road, Stockbridge, Mass.

413 298-3926, info@berkshirebotanical.org, berkshirebotanical.org/events July 13 and 14: Zoom Online Class:

24 | UPCOUNTRY MAGAZINE | Summer Previews 2020

Make a Tool Belt for the Garden, with textile artist Jamie Goldenberg. Participants will create garden tool belts on their own sewing machines. Familiarity with basic sewing machine use is required.

Materials and pattern included in workshop cost and can be obtained via local pick-up or shipped domestically to those registered before July 7. An additional shipping fee will apply, $25 members, $30 non-members, 4 to 6 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 1 and 2: Basic Drawing Skills: Observing Nature, with illustrator and teacher Carol Ann Morley. Learn how to look at the natural world and give shape and definition to your subject using graphite shading techniques and working with basic shapes that underlie any subject, from a plant to a landscape.

Open to all levels. Bring a bag lunch.

A materials list can be found at berkshirebotanical.org, $250, $225 members, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Aug. 3 - 5: Sketching the Beauty of Trees, with botanical illustrator Carol Ann Morley. At Berkshire Botanical Garden, students will engage in a multi-step process involving walking, observation, photography, plein air gestural sketching, creation of small studies, and finally, rendering a chosen subject in graphite or another drawing medium. Open to students with some drawing experience. Bring a bag lunch. A materials list will be provided, $375, $340 members, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Wednesdays, Aug. 26, Sept. 2: Zoom Online Class Series: Writing Wild with author Kathryn Aalto In this two-part nature writing workshop, writers will explore the first-person narrative in nature writing with an overview of subgenres: natural history, garden writing, personal meditations, country and farm life, biography and environmental writing. $45, $35 members, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 30: Botanical Dyes, with textile artist Nicole Campanale.

Learn the basics of natural dyeing, including how to prepare different natural fibers for dyeing and identifying dye plants that are easy to grow or collect in the wild. Create and experiment with dyes using different mordants, over-dying, and resist techniques on a variety of fibers. Yarn and fabric swatches for dyeing will be provided. Students are encouraged to bring a notebook to record the process and results. $100, $90 members,10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Berkshire Museum 39 South St., Pittsfield, Mass.

413-443-7171, berkshiremuseum.org Ongoing: “Art of the Hills: Narrative” viewable online. Art of the Hills: Narrative features 78 works by 64 artists thoughtfully curated from a collection of more than 530 submitted works. “Art of the Hills: Narrative” is expected to open in Berkshire Museum’s physical galleries with a community celebration on Oct. 10, 2020.

Brattleboro Museum & Art Center 10 Vernon St., Brattleboro, Vt. 802-257-0124, brattleboromuseum.org Through Oct. 12: “Alison Wright: Grit and Grace, Women at Work,” “Steven Kinder: 552,830,” “Wesley Fleming: Silvestris, Wild and Untamed,” “Steven Rose: For/ While (2020.01),” “Postcards to Brattleboro: 40 Years of Mail Art,” “Coffee & Conversation: Stories of Homelessness,” “Roger Clark Miller: Transmuting the Prosaic.”

Going forward, BMAC will be open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In recognition of the financial uncertainty faced by many, admission will be on a “pay-as-you-wish” basis. Visitors to the Museum will be required to wear face coverings and abide by physical distancing requirements.

Attendance will be limited to a maximum of 40.

Clark Art Institute 225 South St., Williamstown, Mass.

413-458-2303, clarkart.edu Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday, closed Monday.

Timed tickets can be purchased in advance on clarkart.edu.The Clark’s 140-acre campus is free and open to the public daily and features a network of walking and hiking trails with spectacular views of Williamstown and the Green Mountains of Vermont. Trail maps are available at the Clark Center and outdoor kiosks at trailheads.

Grounds are free and open to the public from sunrise to sunset.

Ongoing: The Clark’s collection features European and American paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, photographs and decorative

arts from the Renaissance to the early twentieth century. The collection is especially rich in French Impressionist and Academic paintings, British oil sketches, drawings, and silver, and the work of American artists Winslow Homer, George Inness, and John Singer Sargent.

Through Dec. 13: “Lines from Life: French Drawings from the Diamond Collection.” Tracing transformations in nineteenth-century figure drawing, the exhibition features 32 works on paper by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Eugène Delacroix, Edgar Degas, Jean-Leon Gerome, and Odilon Redon, among others. This show will open with the museum and remain on view for five months.

“Pia Camil: Velo Revelo.” This yearlong exhibition features a new, site-specific installation by the artist, as well as two of her large-scale sculptures in fabric. The title, “Velo Revelo,” pairs the Spanish words for “veil” and “reveal.” It is named for Camil’s intervention in the Manton Reading Room: a curtain made of sheer stockings that is more than 50 feet in length and “dresses” the space, partially covering both a window of the Clark’s library and a reproduction of a painting selected by the artist from the collection.

On view August through October: “Lin May Saeed: Arrival of the Animals.” Lin May Saeed’s first solo museum exhibition surveys her drawings on and works with paper as well as sculptures in Styrofoam, steel and bronze. Saeed focuses on the lives of animals and human-animal relations. With empathy and wit, she tells stories, both ancient and modern, of animal subjugation, liberation, and harmonious cohabitation with humans, working toward a new iconography of interspecies solidarity. This show will open in early August and close in October.

Through October 2021: “Ground/ work.” The Clark’s first outdoor exhibition consists of site-responsive installations by six contemporary artists presented across the pastoral setting of its 140-acre campus.

International artists Kelly Akashi, Nairy Baghramian, Jennie C. Jones, Eva LeWitt, Analia Saban, and Haegue Yang have created artworks responding to the landscape and in active dialogue with the natural environment and setting. The sculptures are being installed on a rolling basis. The show will officially

open in September and remain on view through October 2021.

First Fridays Artswalk Downtown Pittsfield 413-443-6501 View a listing and map of all participating artists and locations: Firstfridaysartswalk.com.

Fridays Aug. 7, Sept. 4: 16 art exhibitions and opening receptions throughout downtown Pittsfield, 5 to 8 p.m. Most art will be on display throughout the month. Free guided tour beginning at 5 p.m. at the Intermodal Center at BRTA, 1 Columbus Ave. Check in case of cancellations.

MCLA Gallery 51 51 Main St., North Adams, Mass.

413-662-5324, mcla.edu/ About_MCLA/area/bcrc/mclagallery-51/Spring-2020-VirtualProgramming/index.html

2020 Virtual Programming Wednesday, July 1: Genevieve Gaignard in discussion with Taryn Jordan, Black Feminist Theorist with expertise in Black Aesthetics, Du Bois Studies, and Black Poetics.

Genevieve and Dr. Jordan will discuss the force of black domesticity in Genevieve’s installation work, noon, via Zoom.

Wednesdays, July 8 and 15: Genevieve Gaignard, “Outside Looking In,” at Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, brings together several bodies of work made between 2016 and 2019 that confront antiquated ideas pertaining to intersections where blackness, whiteness, femininity, and class collide and examine the complexities of self-presentation. The first session will cover the dynamics of making a show. The initial meeting, the dialogue and then the connection, establish the relationship that makes the exhibition happen.

The second part of the series will reveal the physical process and logistics that go into the making of the space and presentation of the work. This will be an insightful and rare opportunity to engage with those on the front lines of exhibition planning and process. 5 to 6:30 p.m. Register online.

Saturday, July 11: Join Gallery 51 as they highlight and showcase talented artists from the Berkshire

BARRINGTON STAGE COMPANY Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention. At Barrington Stage Company, the necessity of health concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a reinvented, abbreviated season of plays and music performances in BSC’s reconfigured Boyd-Quinson Mainstage on Union Street in Pittsfield.

The season begins Aug. 5-16 with Mark H.Dold in David Cale’s one-man thriller “Harry Clarke” and ends in October with Arthur Miller’s “The Price.” Highlighting the offerings that come between is a tribute to Linda Ronstadt by singer-actress Ann Hampton Callaway, Aug. 31 and Sept.

1; a staged reading of a new play by Mark St. Germain, “Eleanor,” starring Harriet Harris as Eleanor Roosevelt, Sept.

4 and 5; and a concert-style-presentation of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “South Pacific,” Aug. 21-23, at an outdoor venue to be announced. The Pulitzer Prize-winning musical is slated for a fully mounted production in 2021. barringtonstageco.org — Jeffrey Borak

community and across the globe during their virtual Featured Artist segments. Artist Sula Bermudez-Silverman joins them for an hour to discuss her practice, tour her studio, and answer the viewers’ questions, noon. The link to join the call is bit.ly/G51FeaturedArtistSulaBermudez-Silverman.

Monday, July 13: Gallery 51 is pleased to offer virtual Portfolio Reviews to practicing artists. Erin Goldberger, director and owner of New Release gallery in New York, will be the guest gallerist for the month of June. Invited gallerists will spend 30 minutes with each artist via Zoom, 1 to 4 p.m. They will dis-

cuss up to three works submitted by the artist. The deadline for this review is July 6. The application can be accessed here along with a FAQ. Thursday, July 23: “DownStreet No. 2: A Talk To Move Toward Institutional Anti-racism in the Arts” with the Artist Impact Coalition community, 5 p.m., via Zoom.

Register online.

Saturday, July 25: Join Gallery 51 as it highlights and showcases talented artists from the Berkshire community and across the globe during its virtual Featured Artist segments. Artist Kim Faler joins them for an hour to discuss

Summer Previews 2020 | UpCountryOnline.com | 25

by the artist. The deadline for this review is Sept. 7. The application can be accessed here along with a FAQ. Saturday, Sept. 26: Join Gallery 51 as they highlight and showcase talented artists from the Berkshire community and across the globe during their virtual Featured Artist segments. Artist Conrad Egyir joins them for an hour to discuss his practice, tour his studio, and answer the viewers’ questions, 1 to 4 p.m. The link to join the call is bit. ly/G51FeaturedArtistConradEgyir.

Guild of Berkshire Artists berkshireartists.org Through Mid-July: “Art in the Time of Pandemic,” online art show to benefit local aid organizations.

BERKSHIRE THEATRE GROUP Berkshire Theatre Group is hosting an active, if abbreviated, late summer through late fall season of theatrical, comedy and music presentations at its Fitzpatrick Main Stage and Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge, and the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield.

Due to continuing concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, that schedule is undergoing substantial revision. As of this writing, final plans are not yet in place. Prospective theatergoers are being asked by BTG officials to check the BTG website — berkshiretheatregroup.org — for updates.

— Jeffrey Borak

Housatonic Valley Art League hvart.org July 6 - 31: Online juried art exhibition, with awards and cash prizes.

Installation Space 49 Eagle St., North Adams, Mass.

49eaglestreet.com

her practice, tour her studio, and answer the viewers’ questions, noon. The link to join the call is bit. ly/G51FeaturedArtistKimFaler.

three works submitted by the artist.

The deadline for this review is Aug 3. The application can be accessed at shorturl.at/yzMRU.

Wednesday, Aug. 5: “We Are More Than A Moment” virtual opening, 5 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 19: Genevieve Gaignard virtual send off, 5 p.m.

For five months we have had the pleasure to learn from and with Genevieve Gaignard during her residency at MCLA. It is time for us to thank her and wish her well as she leaves us to continue her work and practice.

Saturday, Aug. 8: Join Gallery 51 as they highlight and showcase talented artists from the Berkshire community and across the globe during their virtual Featured Artist segments. Artist Anina Major joins them for an hour to discuss her practice, tour her studio, and answer the viewers’ questions. The link to join the call is bit.ly/G51FeaturedArtistAninaMajor.

Saturday, Aug. 10: Gallery 51 is pleased to offer virtual Portfolio Reviews to practicing artists. Peter Mays, Executive Director of the Los Angeles Art Association and its premiere La Cienega exhibition space Gallery 825, will be the guest gallerist for the month of August.

Invited gallerists will spend 30 minutes with each artist via Zoom, 1 to 4 p.m. They will discuss up to

Thursday, Aug. 27: DownStreet Art No. 3, Genevieve Gaignard’s “A Long Way From Home” exhibition opening, 5 to 7 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 30: Featured Artist: Anina Major, noon. Anina Major is an artist who works to cultivate moments of reflection and a sense of belonging. Her work draws from anthropological research and oral histories to challenge postcolonial ideology and advocate for critical dialogue around developing cultural identities. The work unpacks the emotional complexities inherent to the transcultural dialogue that

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surfaces when mapping the migration of traditions versus foreign influences. A recorded discussion will also live on the BCRC YouTube playlist for later viewing.

Sept. 5 and 19: Guest Speakers in relation to the exhibition “Hostile Terrain 94,” noon.

Saturday, Sept. 12: Join Gallery 51 as they highlight and showcase talented artists from the Berkshire community and across the globe during their virtual Featured Artist segments. Artist Shasha Dothan joins them for an hour to discuss her practice, tour her studio, and answer the viewers’ questions, noon. The link to join the call is bit. ly/G51FeaturedArtistShashaDothan.

Saturday, Sept. 14: Gallery 51 is pleased to offer virtual Portfolio Reviews to practicing artists.

Maurizzio Hector Pineda, curator based in Southern California, will be the guest gallerist for the month of September. Invited gallerists will spend 30 minutes with each artist via Zoom, 1 to 4 p.m. They will discuss up to three works submitted

July 24 - Aug. 30: Jason Varone, “Uchronia.” Multidisciplinary in nature, and exploring the interaction of data and the physical world, the artist’s work seeks to upend expectations of the mediums of painting, video, and installation through interactions with electronic information, and disinformation.

Sept. 18 - Oct. 25: Danielle Klebes, “Aimless Pilgrimage.” In “Aimless Pilgrimage” the main subjects are people who are in a state of flux. The figures are captured in moments of uncertainty and isolation, are close in proximity but emotionally distant.

There is a sense of the in-between without a clear narrative regarding what comes next.

Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art 1040 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, Mass.

413-662-2111, massmoca.org Advanced timed-tickets available at massmora.org. Additional timed-tickets at no extra charge

required for Wendy Red Star: “Apsaalooke: Children of the Large-Beaked Bird” at Kidspace and James Turrell: “Into the Light.”

On view: “Kissing Through A Curtain;” Martin Puryear’s “Big Bling;” Blane De St. Croix, “How to Move a Landscape;” Wendy Red Star: “Apsaalooke: Children of the Large-Beaked Bird;” Ad Minoliti, “Fantasias Modulares;” Ledelle Moe, “When;” Gamaliel Rodriguez, “La Travesia;” Sol LeWitt, “A Wall Drawing Retrospective;” James Turrell: “Into the Light;” and more.

NextStage Arts Project 15 Kimball Hill, Putney, Vt. 802-387-0102, nextstagearts.org Through Aug. 31: Michel Moyse Art, a short studio tour, on YouTube.

Norman Rockwell Museum

tution,” “Norman Rockwell in the Age of the Civil Rights Movement,” “Norman Rockwell: Presidents Elections Illustrated,” “Presidents, Politics and the Pen: The Influential Art of Thomas Nast.”

North Bennington Outdoor Sculpture Show 802-442-3328, facebook.com/nbossvt Through Nov. 1: Works by Peter Barrett, Michael Biddy, Bill Botzow, Rita Dee, Matthias Neumann, David Skora, Gregory Smith and more; always free and open to the public, throughout the village of North Bennington.

Robert Frost Stone House Museum

9 Glendale Road, Stockbridge, Mass.

413-298-4100, nrm.org

121 Historic Route 7A, Shaftsbury, Vt. 802-447-6200, bennington.edu/robert-froststone-house-museum

Advanced timed-tickets available at nrm.org

Open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Through Sept. 27: “Liza Donnelly: Comic Relief,” “Rose O’Neill: Artist and Suffragette,” “The Anatomy of Rockwell’s Murder in Mississippi,” and “Burton Silverman: In Search of the Constitution.”

On view: The house, built circa 1769, is a rare example of Dutch Colonial architecture made of native stone and timber, and has changed little since Frost’s time. The Frost Stone House contains several JJ Lankes prints as well as the custom bookplates he designed for Frost.

Virtual Exhibitions: “Burton Silverman: In Search of the Consti-

Southern Vermont Arts Center 930 SVAC Drive, Manchester, Vt. 802-362-1405, svac.org July 4 - Aug. 16: 2020 Solo Show No. 1, works by Linde Caughey, Greg Cuda, Maria French, Robert Lafond, Stanton Sears, Michelle Vara, Susan Whiteman, and Ken Young.

July 11 - Aug. 30: “Monumental: Misoo Bang and Sarah Tortora.’

“Happy: Lauren Booth.”

July 11 - Nov. 1: Women Take Wilson Exhibition Series, works by artists Misoo Bang, Lauren Booth, Adrien Broom and Sarah Tortora.

The artists featured in this exhibition series individually exemplify what it means to be a successful woman artist in today’s society.

five-sessions, $90, $80 members.

Learn about character design, making 3D models, scenes, storytelling and stop motion animation.

Work from traditional cartooning, comic strips, storyboards, books and models. Schedule meetings at times that work for you and Lynne.

Tuesday, July 7: Drawing Our Planet with Susan Weiss, for ages 10-18, four-sessions, $95, $85, 3 to 4:30 p.m. Call or email Erin Kaufman at SVAC for Susan’s contact information, ekaufman@svac.org or 802-362-1405.

July 27 - 31: Adventures in Mixed Media with Susan White, for grades 2-6, $90, $80, 10 a.m. to noon. To register by email or phone please contact Erin Kaufman at ekaufman@ svac.org or 802-362-1405.

Aug. 22 - Oct. 4: Yester House 2020 Solo Show No. 2, works by Kimberly Allison, Dona Mara Friedman, Patty Hudak, Matthew Lerman, Deborah, Liljegren, Carol MacDonald, Christian Schoenig, Emily Tirioni.

Aug. 4, 8 and 11: Springboard DSLR Camera Workshop, with Maria French, for beginner/advanced beginners, $85, $75 members. To register, contact Erin Kaufman at ekaufman@svac.org or 802-3621405.

Sept. 5 - Nov. 1: “Two Sides of a Dream,” by internationally known photographer and set designer Adrien Broom.

Williams College Museum of Art

Oct. 10 - Nov. 29: 2020 Fall Member Show.

Virtual Classes July 6 - 31: Animation for Kids in grades 5-9 with Lynne DeBeer,

15 Lawrence Hall Drive, Williamstown, Mass.

413-597-2429, artmuseum. williams.edu View collection online at egallery.williams.edu/categories.

ARROWHEAD Arrowhead — home of Herman Melville and Berkshire County Historical Society on Holmes Road in Pittsfield — is offering guided tours, and the museum shop will be open Thursdays through Mondays.

The site’s 45 acres boast 1½ acres of walking trails that are open daily dawn to dusk. The museum’s virtual programs include highlights of the museum’s collection and a live performance in honor of the anniversary of women’s suffrage.

Also on tap through the fall are lectures; the traditional Melville birthday celebration; and, if all goes well, says the Historical Society’s executive director, Lesley Herzberg, the traditional “Moby Dick” reading marathon as a live in-person event. There also will be tours of Pittsfield cemeteries and various holiday events.

— Jeffrey Borak

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FAIRS, FESTIVALS AND FAMILY FUN 19th Annual Berkshire Arts Festival Ski Butternut, 380 State Road, Great Barrington, Mass. berkshiresartsfestival.com Aug. 21 - 23: Showcasing the works of over 175 local, regional and nationally-acclaimed artists and artisans, with activities for children, live music and live demonstrations throughout the weekend. No pets.

Admission: $14, $13 seniors, $7 students, $16 for a 3-day Festival Weekend Pass. Children under 10 are free. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday. There will be signage throughout the grounds reminding everyone to keep 6 feet apart. One guest at a time will be allowed in each 10 x 10 booth at the artist’s discretion. Staff will monitor social distancing compliance. Masks will be required of all guests.

their grown-ups, Iocal art educator Joey Chernila will demonstrate how to create a fun zine, or homemade artist’s book, featuring houseplants and garden friends as the main characters. A supply list will be provided upon registration. $12, $10 members, 10 to 11 a.m.

Berkshire Botanical Garden

Friday, Aug. 7: Family Fridays, Backyard Animals with instructor Rick Roth. This program designed for all ages highlights some of the furry creatures that inhabit the landscape with us. Traveling under cover of darkness, many of these amazing mammals seldom show themselves to humans during the day. The talk will include live animals: a grey fox, skunk, flying squirrels, and more. 11 a.m. to noon.

5 West Stockbridge Road, Stockbridge, Mass.

413 298-3926, info@berkshirebotanical.org, berkshirebotanical.org/events Tuesday, June 30: Zoom Online Class, The Secret Life of Plants: Plant Zines, a Family Program. In this workshop for kids or kids and

BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN Between now and the time this bucolic 24-acre site on West Stockbridge Road in Stockbridge closes Columbus Day weekend, BBG is scheduling a host of classes and workshops — most of them online; some on-campus in line with social distancing and state COVID-19 health guidelines.

The programs comprise a kind of something-for-everyone landscape — art, health and wellness, gardening, cooking, food, talks, field studies, organized walks, family activities.

The schedule is updated just about daily. You can keep tabs by phone at 413-298-3926, or online at berkshirebotanical.org/events. And, of course, if you just want to walk along Berkshire Botanical’s one-way main trail and smell the flowers, you can. The Garden is open 9 a.m to 5 p.m. daily through Oct. 12 — Jeffrey Borak

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Friday, Aug. 14: Nature Matters with Jen Lahey. Nature Matters is home to a diverse collection of animals, who were either unable to survive in the wild due to an injury or born in captivity and unable to fend for themselves. These animals are on the borderland; they are not pets, but they are also no longer able to be wild. This program will explore our relationships and responsibilities to animals, both wild and domestic pet species. 11 a.m. to noon.

Friday, Aug. 21: Snakes of the Berkshires. Meet us on the Fitzpatrick lawn as environmental educator Thomas Tying returns to teach us about snakes of the Berkshires.

Learn about reptiles in our area and how you can help protect them.

You’ll be up close and personal with a variety of snakes that call the Berkshires home. 11 a.m. to noon.

Friday, Aug. 28: Birds of Prey. Join wildlife rehabilitator Tom Ricardi for his ever popular presentation on birds of prey. This program is designed for all ages. Tom will share the natural history of these magnificent birds, demonstrate some of their unique behaviors and inspire children of all ages to appreciate, respect and conserve these important members of our wild kingdom.

11 a.m. to noon.

6. Each virtual camp program comes with a Camp@Home Kit containing all the ingredients, materials, and instructions children need to complete a full week of activities at home. $90, or $75 for Berkshire Museum members.

Hancock Shaker Village 1843 W. Housatonic St., Pittsfield, Mass.

413-443-0188, hancockshakervillage.org Outdoor spaces are open, pre-purchased admissions are required for a specific date and entry time.

Check hancockshakervillage.org for further reopening information.

Lee UCC Craft Fair & Festival in the Park 25 Park Place, Lee, Mass.

413-243-1033, uccleechurch@ gmail.com Saturday, Aug. 1: Handmade crafts with several vendors, food, and music, admission is free, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Lime Rock Park 60 White Hollow Road, Lakeville, Conn.

860-435-5000, limerock.com Lime Rock Park is open for private events following enhanced safety protocols. No guests or spectators are currently permitted.

Sunday, Aug. 30: 2020 Lime Rock Cycling Grand Prix, registration deadline Aug. 28.

Thursday, Sept. 3: Vintage Race & Sports Car Parade & The Falls Village Street Fair, 4 to 7 p.m. More than 100 cars rally 17 miles through local towns before culminating in a street fair in Falls Village.

Sept. 3 - 7: Historic Festival 38.

39 South St., Pittsfield, Mass.

413-443-7171, berkshiremuseum.org

Sunday, Sept. 6: A highlight of Historic Festival is Sunday in the Park. In the concours, nearly 300 outstanding entries are on display on Sam Posey Straight. The Gathering of the Marques offers an additional 800+ cars celebrating the event around the rest of the 1.5 mile track.

Through Aug. 21: Camp@Home series of virtual summer camps for children entering grades 1 through

Sept. 11-12: IMSA’s Northeast Grand Prix.

Berkshire Museum

NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM Norman Rockwell Museum expects to open by mid-July.

Until then, it’s offering expanded audiovisual tours that will accompany new exhibitions; and plans are in the works for live drawing sessions and Zoom programs with The New Yorker artist Liza Donnelly, and other illustrators.

Additional programs and online experiences and exhibitions are being developed. And, although the summer’s planned highlight, “Enchanted: A History of Fantasy Illustration,” is now opening next summer. In its place, the museum is hosting“Liza Donnelly: Comic Relief,” “Rose O’Neill: Artist and Suffragette,” “The Anatomy of Rockwell’s Murder in Mississippi,” and “Burton Silverman: In Search of the Constitution,” through Sept. 27.

— Jeffrey Borak

Oct. 2 and 3: Scout Day at Lime Rock. A favorite annual event of Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venturers and adults, there is no better way to spend an early Fall weekend than camping out and enjoying a Saturday of racing at Lime Rock Park.

Oct. 10 and 11: 47th Annual Harvest Arts and Crafts Show featuring over 50 vendors including local artisans, specialty food makers and more.

Saturday, Oct. 10: Rescheduled Independence Day Fireworks display, doors open at 4 p.m., fireworks at 7 p.m. $20 per car.

Vermont Wine and Harvest Festival

Oct. 16 - 18: Trans Am Fall Classic (formerly the Memorial Day Classic).

Sunday, Oct. 18: Sunday Royals Car Show, $10 at the gate, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Farm to Track picnic, $45 in advance, 12:30 to 2 p.m.

Mount Snow Route 100 North, 39 Mount Snow Road, West Dover, Vt. 800-245-SNOW, Visit mountsnow.com for information about reopening.

Saturday, Oct. 3: 12th Annual Vermont Wine and Harvest Festival, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Set in the backdrop of our world renowned Vermont fall foliage, attendees of the Vermont Wine and Harvest Festival will discover, savor and enjoy Vermont vintners, small specialty food producers, chefs, painters, publishers, cheese makers, potters, jewelers, photographers and farmers.

Sunday, Oct. 4: Vermont Wildlife Festival, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Oct. 10 and 11: 23rd Annual Mount Snow Oktoberfest.

Wilmington, Vt. vtwinefest.com Friday, Oct. 2: Enjoy the historic village of Wilmington and the fantastic soups created by valley chefs, with over 20 wines to taste, $25-$30, 5 to 7 p.m.

FILM Berkshire Jewish Film Festival Knesset Israel/BJFF, 16 Colt Road, Pittsfield, Mass.

413-445-4872 ext. 25, berkshirejewishfilmfestival.org Mondays, July 6 - Aug. 10: Virtual Festival. “Golda,” July 6 at 8 p.m.

“Give it Back!” “Ma’abarot,” July 13 at 4 p.m. “Belle and Sebastian,” July 13 at 8 p.m. “Hunting Elephants,” July 20 at 4 p.m. “Broken Mirrors,” July 20 at 8 p.m. “Latter Day Jew,” July 27 at 4 p.m. “The Rabbi from Hezbollah,” July 27 at 8 p.m.

“Rewind,” Aug. 3 at 4 p.m. “Holy Silence,” Aug. 3 at 8 p.m. “Oliver Sacks: His Own Life,” Aug. 10 at 4 p.m. “Igor and the Crane’s Journey,” Aug. 10 at 8 p.m. Tickets: $5.

MUSIC Barrington Stage Company Boyd-Quinson Mainstage, 30 Union St., Pittsfield, Mass.

413-236-8888, barringtonstageco.org Monday, Aug. 24: Marilyn Maye: Party Time, $35-$65, 7:30 p.m. At 92, Marilyn Maye “has a theatrical flair that captivates and enthralls, and jazz-spiced chops that can reach notes most singers a third her age can’t even hit in their dreams. An evening of her songs and stories will show you why she is the best in the biz. Presented without intermission to maintain social distancing.

and hilarious hijinks — accompanied by her favorite pianist (and husband) BSC Associate Artist Vadim Feichtner. Presented without intermission to maintain social distancing.

Bascom Lodge Mount Greylock, Adams, Mass.

413-743-1591, bascomlodge.net Sunday, July 5: Jazz Dinner, Michael Benedict Trio, 7 p.m.; Reservations required.

Saturday, July 18: An Evening with Jeanine Ouderkirk, 7 p.m.; Reservations required.

Sunday, July 19: Jazz Dinner, Wes Brown Trio, 7 p.m.; Reservations required.

Aug. 31 and Sept. 1: Ann Hampton Callaway: The Linda Ronstadt Songbook with Billy Stritch, $35$65, 7:30 p.m. One of the leading pop/jazz singers of our time, Ann Hampton Callaway has created an exciting night in celebration of one of America’s most beloved artists, Linda Ronstadt. Presented without intermission to maintain social distancing.

Sunday, Aug. 2: Jazz Dinner, Michael Benedict Trio, 7 p.m.; Reservations required.

Sunday, Sept. 6: Leslie Kritzer: Is It Over Yet? with Vadim Feichtner, $35-$65, 7:30 p.m. Straight from playing Delia in “Beetlejuice: The Musical” on Broadway, BSC’s favorite diva is back! Take a wild ride with Leslie Kritzer as she navigates how to move forward with fabulous songs, crazy, wonderful stories

Wednesday, Aug. 19: Music by Duo Eamon, free, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 15: An Evening with Jeanine Ouderkirk, 7 p.m.; Reservations required.

Sunday, Aug. 16: Jazz Dinner, Wes Brown Trio, 7 p.m.; Reservations required.

Wednesday, Aug. 26: Music by Oakes Smith, free, 6 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 6: Jazz Dinner, Michael Benedict Trio, 7 p.m.; Reservations required.

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concert series will be held Monday evenings. Visitors are invited to bring a picnic and blanket and enjoy great live music presented by local favorites as well as exciting new acts from outside the area. Beer from Sheffield’s Big Elm Brewery will be available for purchase.

Register online at berkshirebotanical.org or at 413-320-4794.

Monday, July 20 Jack Waldheim & the Criminal Hearts, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Registration required.

Monday, July 27: The Lucky Five, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Registration required.

Monday, Aug. 3: The Late Risers, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Registration required.

Monday, Aug. 10: Gregg Hall Band, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Registration required.

HANCOCK SHAKER VILLAGE Hancock Shaker Village opened its outdoor spaces and the Seeds Market Cafe in June, Thursdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and anticipates having most of its historical property reopened by mid-July. The total 750acre site has 7 miles of walking trails outside the village, as well as a 1-mile, one-way Farm and Forest Trail through the barnyard and village, for which pre-purchased admission, available by phone or at hancockshaker.org is required. Looking ahead, HSV is planning a mix of onsite and virtual events through late fall. HSV’s Country Fair is scheduled Sept. 26 and 27 and a new event, Rec Fest, is planned for Oct. 3. HSV officials say it’s about all things outdoor sports — biking, hiking, paddleboarding, kayaking, running, among others. And, if you have a mind to chill in the midst of all the hurlyburly, HSV will be offering goat yoga classes and calf cuddling. HSV typically ends its season mid-November, but there are those postseason traditions — Thanksgiving on the Farm in November; Hancock Holidays in December.

— Jeffrey Borak

Saturday, Sept. 19: An Evening with Jeanine Ouderkirk, 7 p.m.; Reservations required.

Sunday, Oct. 18: Jazz Dinner, Wes Brown Trio, 7 p.m.; Reservations required.

Sunday, Sept. 20: Jazz Dinner, Wes Brown Trio, 7 p.m.; Reservations required.

Berkshire Botanical Garden

Sunday, Oct. 4: Jazz Dinner, Michael Benedict Trio, 7 p.m.; Reservations required.

5 West Stockbridge Road, Stockbridge, Mass.

413-298-3926, info@berkshirebotanical.org, berkshirebotanical.org/events

Saturday, Oct. 17: An Evening with Jeanine Ouderkirk, 7 p.m.; Reservations required.

“Music Mondays in Lucy’s Garden,” a free, weekly outdoor summer

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Monday, Aug. 17: BTUs, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Registration required.

Monday, Aug. 24: The Wanda Houston Band, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Registration required.

Monday, Aug. 31: The Picky Bastards, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Registration required.

Berkshire High Peaks Festival berkshirehighpeaksmusic. org, cewmusicinfo@aol.com July 20 - July 31: Virtual Festival, featuring private lessons, master classes by faculty and guests and discussions by prominent composers, renowned pedagogues and public relations professionals.

Berkshire Opera Festival 413-213-6622, Berkshireoperafestival.org Aug. 22, 25 and 28: Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” in concert, semi-staged, $20 and up, 1 p.m. Saturday and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Friday at the Colonial Theatre, 111 South St., Pittsfield.

Berkshire Theatre Group Colonial Theatre, 111 South St., Pittsfield, Mass.

413-997-4444, berkshiretheatregroup.org

Friday, Sept. 18: Madelyn Gardner & The Happy Accidents, $12, 8 p.m.

Falcon Ridge Share and Shelter in Place Fest FalconRidgeFolk.com July 30 - Aug. 2: Day-by-day programming, from Thursday Pre-Fest Tastings, the Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase and all of the festival’s confirmed artists in one way or another, along with some archival footage, special messages from long-time vendors, radio sponsors, dancers, campers, former artists and fest friends of all stripe.

Hubbard Hall 25 E. Main St., Cambridge, N.Y. 518-677-2495, hubbardhall.org Sundays, July 12 and 26: Chamber Music - Dan Shulman Presents, $25, $10 students 21 and under, at 4 and 6 p.m. A maximum of 20 audience members with masks.

Jacob’s Pillow 358 George Carter Road, Becket, Mass.

413-243-9919, jacobspillow.org

Master Class Series Streamed every Tuesday at 4 p.m. on YouTube, are open to intermediate/advanced dancers, and are only available for the duration of the class. For more information and to RSVP, visit: jacobspillow.org/virtual-pillow/ virtual-festival-master-classes.

July 21: Contemporary Master Class with Desmond Richardson July 28: Vogue Femme Master Class with Omari Wiles Aug. 4: Ballet Master Class with Virginia Johnson Aug. 11: Class to be announced Aug. 18: Contemporary Master Class with Aszure Barton Aug. 25: Contemporary Master Class with Ami Shulman

Performances Performances premiere every Thursday at 7 p.m. on YouTube, available to watch until that Saturday at midnight. The series features

past performances. Supplemental elements are created and recorded as new content to contextualize the work for contemporary times.

These include a Pre-Show Talk by a Jacob’s Pillow Scholar-in-Residence, a Curtain Speech by Tatge, and a Post-Show Talk with the Artists. Individuals that attend the premiere at 7 p.m. will have the opportunity to live-chat with the artists and audience members from around the world. For additional information and to RSVP, visit jacobspillow.org/virtual-pillow/ virtual-festival-performances.

July 23: Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE. EVIDENCE’S Virtual Festival stream highlights Brown’s deep history with the Pillow and features Brown’s solo tribute to Katherine Dunham In Gratitude (performed at the Pillow 2002); Grace (performed at the Pillow in 2005); and New Conversations (performed at the Pillow in 2018 to live music by Grammy award winner Arturo O’Farrill). Pre-Show Talk with Jacob’s Pillow Scholar-in-Residence Melanie George; Post-Show Talk with Ronald K. Brown and Arturo O’Farrill.

Post-Show Talk with founder and choreographer Soon-ho Park.

Aug. 20: Tero Saarinen Company and The Boston Camerata. The resonance of Borrowed Light‘s U.S. premiere in 2006 led to a rare return engagement as part of the Pillow’s 80th anniversary celebration in 2012, streamed again during the Virtual Festival. The work is inspired by Shaker music and dance, seamlessly integrates singers and dancers on stage, and is presented in association with Berkshire-based Hancock Shaker Village. Pre-Show Talk with Jacob’s Pillow Scholar-in-Residence Maura Keefe; Post-Show Talk with Artistic Director Tero Saarinen and Boston Camerata Director Anne Azema.

Aug. 27: And Still You Must Swing.

Dormeshia, Derick K. Grant, and Jason Samuels Smith are three of the world’s most influential ambassadors of tap. They came together at the Pillow in 2016 along with

Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award Winner Camille A. Brown for the world premiere And Still You Must Swing, a show that captures the heart and legacy of tap dance and honors the influence of jazz roots on this outstanding art form, streamed as the finale performance of Jacob’s Pillow Virtual Festival. Pre-Show Talk with Jacob’s Pillow Scholar-in-Residence Melanie George; Post-Show Talk with Dormeshia, Derick K. Grant, and Jason Samuels Smith.

Pillowtalks Live conversations with leaders in the dance field across styles and disciplines, premiering every Friday at 5 p.m. on YouTube and available until Aug. 31. Individuals that attend the premiere at 7 p.m. will have the opportunity to live-chat with scholars, artists, and audience members from around the world.

For additional information and to RSVP, visit: jacobspillow.org/ virtual-pillow/virtual-festival-talks.

July 17: PillowTalk: Duets from Quebec. Anne Plamondon and Sylvain Lafortune, moderated by Philip Szporer, a Montreal-based filmmaker, writer, lecturer, and longtime Jacob’s Pillow scholar-in-residence.

July 24: PillowTalk: 50 Years of Ballet Hispanico. Eduardo Vilaro and special guests, moderated by Brian Schaefer, a Jacob’s Pillow Scholar-in-Residence and journalist/ writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, and many other publications.

July 31: PillowTalk: Cleo Parker Robinson’s 50th, moderated by Seth Stewart Williams, an assistant professor in the Department of Dance at Barnard College of Columbia University, and Jacob’s Pillow scholar-in-residence since 2019.

Aug. 7: PillowTalk: Liz Lerman’s Wicked Bodies, moderated by Executive and Artistic Director Pamela Tatge.

July 30: Royal Danish Ballet. The company’s Festival stream features highlights from their 2018 Pillow performance including A Folktale (pas de sept); La Sylphide (pas de deux); The Kermesse in Bruges (1st act pas de deux); Giselle (2nd Act pas de deux); and Napoli (pas de six and tarantella). Pre-Show Talk by Jacob’s Pillow Director of Preservation Norton Owen; Post-Show Talk with Artistic Director Nikolaj Hubbe.

Aug. 6: Dance Theatre of Harlem.

Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Virtual Festival stream includes Darrel Grand Moultrie’s Harlem On My Mind; Christopher Wheeldon’s pas de deux This Bitter Earth; George Balanchine’s Valse Fantaisie; and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Balamouk—all performed during their Festival 2019 engagement.

Pre-Show Talk with Jacob’s Pillow Scholar-in-Residence Theresa Ruth Howard; Post-Show Talk with Artistic Director Virginia Johnson.

Aug. 13: Bereishit Dance Company.

The company’s Virtual Festival stream highlights their rare U.S. performance and Pillow debut in 2016, and features the works BOW (that later evolved into CONTROL) and Balance and Imbalance.

Pre-Show Talk with Jacob’s Pillow Scholar-in-Residence Maura Keefe;

BRATTLEBORO MUSEUM AND ARTS CENTER The Brattleboro Museum and Arts Center had just installed “552,830,” a series of massive portraits of homeless people by Steven Kinder, and seven other exhibits when the COVID-19 pandemic closed museums across Vermont.

The museum, in downtown Brattleboro, reopened mid-June on a “pay as you wish” basis and is limiting attendance to 40 visitors at any one time. Additional exhibits include photographer Alison Wright’s “Grit and Grace: Women at Work,” glass artisan Wesley Fleming’s “Silvestris, Wild and Untamed,” and Mission of Burma singer and guitarist Roger Clark Miller’s multimedia installation “Transmuting the Prosaic.”

Advance reservation is appreciated, but walk-ins are accepted. Proper face coverings and physical distancing are required. Patrons experiencing respiratory illness symptoms are asked to limit attendance. The galleries are open Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. ­— Greg Sukiennick

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Aug. 14: PillowTalk: Dancerly Intelligences, with choreographers Brian Brooks, Marjani Forte-Saunders and Sydney Skybetter, moderated

by Maura Keefe, a longtime Jacob’s Pillow scholar-in-residence and Director of the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies at the University of Maryland.

Aug. 21: PillowTalk: La Meri and Her Life in Dance. This champion of cross-cultural dance performances was nearly forgotten, but Nancy Lee Chalfa Ruyter’s new biography sets out to change that, as Ruyter explains how and why. Moderated

by Nancy Wozny, editor-in-chief of Arts + Culture Texas, contributor to many dance publications, and Jacob’s Pillow scholar-in-residence since 2010.

Aug. 28: PillowTalk: Black Artists in Dance Today, Theresa Ruth Howard addresses both past practices and the changes afoot in this country’s established institutions, with a panel including Kyle Abraham and

John Perpener. Howard, a Jacob’s Pillow Scholar-in-Residence, is a former dancer, writer, and founder/ curator of Memoirs of Black in Ballet (MoBBallet).

Community Programs Fridays, July 10 - Aug. 28: Families Dance Together, 3 p.m., via Zoom.

July 11 and 18, Aug. 1 and 8: DELving into Dance History, 2:30 to 5 p.m. Each DELving into Dance History is designed as an ongoing series. Each two-week course explores different aspects of the Pillow’s Dance Interactive site. Each course can be taken on its own. The participation fee is $89 per course and includes Dance Education Laboratory resources and materials.

Events are held on Zoom. To register, visit jacobspillow.org/events/ delving-into-dance-history.

Special Events Saturday, Aug. 1: Dog Dance, 11:30 a.m. Meet online with your pup

and be guided through a series of simple and fun movements that highlight the beauty of our pets and the unique relationship we share with our dogs. All proceeds are shared with the Berkshire Humane Society. Event is held on Zoom.

Wednesday, Aug. 5: The Land on Which We Dance, 5 p.m. All proceeds are shared with the artists of The Land on Which We Dance in support of their important work.

Event is streamed on YouTube.

Thursday, Aug. 27: Festival Finale: Virtual Dance Party, 8:30 p.m.

Dance a celebratory farewell to a live DJ set! in celebration of the first-ever Virtual Festival at Jacob’s Pillow. Wear clothes you can groove in, and hop onto Zoom for a global moment of movement unlike any we’ve done before as Festival Artists join in to dance. Hosted by Christal Brown, Founding Artistic Director of INSPIRIT, and New York-based DJ DP One. Event is held on Zoom.

Mass MoCA 1040 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, Mass.

413-662-2111, massmoca.org Friday, Sept. 4: Car Seat Headrest, $27-$57, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 5: An evening with They Might Be Giants, $35-$65, 8 p.m.

Mohawk Trail Concerts Mohawktrailconcerts.org

NORTHSHIRE BOOKSTORE

Friday, Sept. 18: Music at the Arts Library concert, classics from string quartet repertoire and folk music arrangements from around the world, donations accepted, noon at the The Arms Library, at the corner of Bridge and Main, Shelburne Falls.

One of Bennington County’s best-known retail destinations, the Northshire Bookstore, at the roundabout in Manchester Center, has reopened its shelves to customers from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., daily. The store is still offering curbside pickup and phone and online ordering, as well.

Face masks are required.

Saturday, Oct. 3: Fall Foliage concert, The Adaskin String Trio with Sally Pinkas, piano performs Schumann and Mozart, 7:30 p.m. at Charlemont Federated Church, 175 Main St., Charlemont. $25 general, 16 and under free.

Northshire continues to host its popular author conversations over Zoom. Upcoming events include conversations with Jennifer Weiner, Paul Doiron and Sarah Stewart Taylor and Barbara Bonner

Music From Salem

­— Greg Sukiennick

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Brown Farm, 154 Priest Road, Salem, N.Y. musicfromsalem.org Tuesday, July 7: Lila Brown, viola; Marc Ryser, piano; TBA violin or

cello, 6 p.m. Reservations recommended. Rain date, July 8.

Sunday, July 12: Katie Lansdale, violin; Lila Brown, viola; Sally Pinkas and Evan Hirsch, pianos, 6 p.m.

Reservations recommended. Rain date, July 13.

Saturday, July 18: Markus Placci, violin; Lila Brown, viola; Judith Gordon, piano, 6 p.m. Reservations recommended. Rain date, July 19.

Monday, July 20: Markus Placci, violin; Lila Brown, viola; Judith Gordon, piano, 6 p.m. Reservations recommended. Rain date, July 21.

Thursday, July 30: Sharan Leventhal and Saul Bitran, Violins; Lila Brown, viola, 6 p.m. Reservations recommended. Rain date, July 31.

Saturday, Aug. 1: Sharan Leventhal and Saul Bitran, Violins; Lila Brown, viola, 6 p.m. Reservations recommended. Rain date, Aug. 2.

Friday, Aug. 14: TBA, violin; Lila Brown, viola; TBA, cello; Joe Bongiorno, bass, 6 p.m. Reservations recommended. Rain date, Aug. 15.

Sunday, Aug. 16: TBA, violin; Lila Brown, viola; TBA, cello; Joe Bongiorno, bass, 6 p.m., at The Beloved Farm, 105 McKie Hollow Road, Cambridge, N.Y. Limited to 30 in the barn with distanced seating.

Reservations recommended.

NextStage Arts Project 15 Kimball Hill, Putney, Vt. 802-387-0102, nextstagearts.org Through Aug. 31: Quarantine Sessions, singer/songwriter Emily Matthew-Muller from Guilford performs her own song, “The Girl with the Long Brown Braids.” Josh Slater performs Bach. Brandon Bell and Yvonne Chen perform Arvo Part’s “Spiegel im Spiegel” (originally for violin and piano) on wine glasses and piano. Josue Cruz, on YouTube.

Tamarack Hollow Natural and Cultural Center 1515 Savoy Hollow Road, Windsor, Mass. tamarackhollow.com Mondays: Tamarack Hollow Nature & Cultural Center and Gaia Roots World Music present West African and Caribbean drum and song

classes with Aimee Gelinas, online until further notice (regularly at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, Pittsfield) 6 p.m. beginner / 7:15 p.m. advanced. For registration and fee info email: aimee@gaiaroots.com.

Oct. 17 and 18: Tamarack Hollow & Gaia Roots World Music present The 11th Annual Berkshire Drum Fest featuring classes and performances with Namory Keita from Guinea, West Africa, with members of Gaia Roots and the Berkshire Rhythm Keepers. Saturday evening drum class and concert and Sunday daytime drum classes. (This event may be held online depending on current COVID-19 regulations, check website or email us for updates).

For event registration and fee info., email: aimee@gaiaroots.com.

Tannery Pond Concerts On the grounds of Mount Lebanon Shaker Village 110 Darrow Road, New Lebanon, N.Y. 888-820-1696, tannerypondconcerts.org Saturday, July 18: Steven Banks, classical saxophone, $30 balcony/ $39 first floor, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 1: Haochen Zhang, piano, $30 balcony/ $39 first floor, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 15: Scott Yoo, violin; Alice K. Dade, flute; Sophie Shao, cello; Maurycy Banaszek, viola; pianist TBA, $30 balcony/ $39 first floor, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 5: Paul Huang, violin, and Helen Huang, piano, $30 balcony/ $39 first floor, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 10: Inbal Segev, cello, and the Aizuri Quartet, $30 balcony/ $39 first floor, 3 p.m.

Tanglewood 297 West St., Lenox, Mass. bso.org The Tanglewood grounds will be open to the public free of charge via the Main Gate as conditions allow on Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. until noon, from July 11 through Aug. 30; procedures will be in place to help ensure the health and safety of all visitors.

Parking accommodations will be

available in the Main Gate and West (across from Main Gate) lots, with Tanglewood attendants checking registrations and directing visitors to socially distanced parking spaces. The number of cars admitted to the grounds each day will be limited. Visitors must first register at tanglewood.org to sign up for a dedicated time of arrival and view other information. Kripalu will provide an audio guided walking meditation, details at tanglewood.org.

Tanglewood 2020 Online Festival, beginning July 1 Mondays, July 6-Aug. 17: Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra Encore Performances, hosted by Stefan Asbury, favorite retrospective performances by the TMCO will be video streamed online Monday evenings starting at 8 p.m.

July 20: Andris Nelsons leads a program featuring music by Mozart and Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 with soloist Paul Lewis.

July 27: Andris Nelsons and Stephane Deneve lead music by Bernstein, John Williams, and Ravel, featuring soloists Yo-Yo Ma and Jessica Zhou.

Aug. 3: Andris Nelsons and Stefan Asbury conduct music by Beethoven and Michael Gandolfi Aug. 10: Thomas Ades leads performance highlights from recent Festival of Contemporary Music programs.

Aug. 17: Andris Nelsons conducts Act III of Wagner’s Die Walkure with Christine Goerke as Brünnhilde.

Wednesdays, July 8 - Aug. 19: Recitals from the World Stage, a series of video streams recorded at concert venues around the world and featuring artists who were to appear in Ozawa hall this summer, 8 p.m. Paul Lewis, July 8; Lucas and Arthur Jussen, July 15; Brooklyn Rider, July 22; Silkroad Ensemble, July 29; Danish String Quartet, Aug. 5; Boston Symphony Chamber Players, Aug. 12. Garrick Ohlsson, Aug. 19.

Friday evenings: BSO Musicians in Recital, 40 orchestra members in a series of newly recorded programs to be taped at Linde Center.

July 24: BSO members Tatiana Dimitriades, Xin Ding, Daniel Getz,

BENNINGTON BATTLE MONUMENT Standing just over 306 feet tall, the obelisk made of Sandy Hill dolomite commemorates the Battle of Bennington that took place on Aug. 16, 1777, and offers history lessons on that critical turning point in the American Revolution. While the observation level of the monument is closed this season, exhibits on the ground floor will remain open. A limited number of people will be allowed in at a time. Face masks are required.

While the Bennington Battle Day Parade has been canceled, a group of volunteers has pledged to hold the annual Bennington Battle Day festivities — in some form. Battle Day activities are tentatively scheduled for Aug. 16 to 18. ­— Greg Sukiennick

Catherine French, and Victor Romanul, with guest pianist Jonathan Bass (Bach, Paganini, Sauret, Rosamond Johnson, Mendelssohn, and Dvorak).

Ranti, and Jason Snider (traditional and contemporary works and arrangements for fiddle, cello, and bass, and music by Valerie Coleman and D’Rivera).

July 31: BSO members Kyle Brightwell, Daniel Getz, Mary Ferrillo, and Steven Laraia with guest pianist Brett Hodgdon (Clarke, Ulysses Kay, Berio, and Hindemith).

Aug. 14: BSO members Alexander Velinzon, Danny Kim, Adam Esbensen, Toby Oft, Stephen Lange, James Markey, and Mike Roylance (Beethoven, Gabrieli, Schein, Bach, Kevin Day, and Debussy, among others).

Aug. 7: BSO musicians Bonnie Bewick, Mickey Katz, Lawrence Wolfe, Cynthia Myers, Robert Sheena, Michael Wayne, Richard

Aug. 21: BSO members Oliver Aldort, Steven Ansell, Rebecca

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BENNINGTON MUSEUM The museum, which holds the world’s largest collection of works by 20th century primitive folk artist Grandma Moses (of nearby Hoosick Falls, N.Y.) as well as collections of local history and the Bennington Modernism art movement, reopened July 3. Current exhibits include “Our Voices, Our Streets: Photographs by Kevin Bubriski,” and “Gritty Streets to Green Mountains: Paintings by Scot Borofsky.” Visitors may also enjoy the museum’s grounds, including the George Aiken Wildflower Trail, or take virtual tours of the place through its Facebook page.

More: benningtonmuseum.org ­— Greg Sukiennick

Gitter, Julianne Lee, and Lisa Kim (Mozart, Daniel Bernard Roumain, and Schubert).

Saturday evenings: Newly created content streaming includes Great Performers in Recital at Tanglewood, spotlighting some of the artists who were to appear in the Shed in 2020 and additional guests. Gil Shaham, July 3, Emmanuel Ax, July 11. Pinchas Zukerman, Amanda Forsyth and Bryan Wagorn, July 18. Augustine Hadelich and Orion Weiss, July 25.

Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax, Aug. 1.

Daniil Trifonov, Aug. 8. Conrad Tao, Aug. 15. Joshua Bell and Jeremy Denk, Aug. 22.

Sundays, July and August: Tanglewood Music Center Chamber Concerts, audio streams of past performances of chamber, vocal, and piano music presentations, free of charge, by the Fellows of the Tanglewood Music Center, hosted

by TMC Head of Chamber Music Norman Fischer, 10 a.m.

Sundays, July 5 - Aug. 23: BSO Encore Performances from Tanglewood, 2:30 p.m.

July 19: Bernard Haitink leads the orchestra in Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 with soloist Isabelle Faust, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with soprano Camilla Tilling.

July 26: Andre Previn conducts a program including Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C with soloist Daniel Muller-Schott and Ravel’s Sheherazade, with mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung.

Aug. 2: Seiji Ozawa, in his final Tanglewood concert as BSO Music Director, leads Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, Beethoven’s Fantasia for piano, chorus, and orchestra, with pianist Peter Serkin and vocal soloists Christine Goerke, Cynthia Haymon, Florence Quivar, Vinson Cole, Anthony Dean Griffey, and Paul Plishka, and, to end the concert, Randall Thompson’s Alleluia with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus.

Aug. 9: Andris Nelsons leads the orchestra, mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and Boston Symphony Children’s Choir in Mahler’s Symphony No. 3.

Aug. 16: Boston Pops Orchestra.

Aug. 23: Giancarlo Guerrero leads Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, with soloists Nicole Cabell, J’Nai Bridges, Nicholas Phan, and Morris Robinson, along with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus.

Thursday, July 23: Tanglewood Virtual Gala, celebration of legendary american violinist Isaac Stern, free, 8 p.m. Register at tanglewood.org.

Tuesday, July 28: Family concert with Circle Round. Thomas Wilkins leads an audio-streamed performance, a collaboration with the acclaimed WBUR storytelling podcast Circle Round, 5 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 7: Tanglewood Family Fun Fest Tradition, a day of free kid-friendly activities presented by cultural organizations throughout Berkshire Country, starting at noon.

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Tanglewood Learning Institute Thursdays, July 2-Aug. 20: TLI ShopTalks, video conversations and Q-and-A with notable personalities, including Keith Lockhart and BSO musician Richard Sebring, and Mark Volpe, among others, available for streaming at 1 p.m.

Wednesdays, July 1-Aug. 19: TLI MasterPass, masterclass video streams, both retrospective and newly created, featuring Andris Nelsons, Paul Lewis, Midori, and Yo-Yo Ma, among others, teaching TMC Fellows, Boston University Tanglewood Institute students, and Tanglewood Festival Chorus singers in the intimate setting of Tanglewood’s Linde Center, available at 1 p.m.

Tuesdays, July 7 - Aug. 4: TLI Celebrates Beethoven. In-depth explorations from scholars including Kathryn L. Libin, Tom Beghin, Erica Buurman, Nicholas Kitchen, and the Borromeo String Quartet, among others, marking the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth and inaugurating a multiyear collaboration with the House of Lobkowicz, 1 p.m.

July 27 - Aug. 7: TLI OpenForum: exploring the Roaring Twenties (July 27, Aug. 3, 10, and 12 at 1 p.m.) and the Romantic Spirit (Aug. 4-6 at 10:30 a.m. and Aug. 7 at 1 p.m.) in conjunction with Great Performers in Recital from Tanglewood and Recitals from the World Stage.

Temple Anshe Amunim 413-442-5910, ansheamunim.org Saturday July 18: Havdalah and Open Mic Night, 7 p.m. Celebrate the end of Shabbat and then stay to enjoy an Open Mic Night, hosted

by Mike Duffy. All are welcome to join in the fun, whether to enjoy the performances or share your talent.

For more information contact the Temple office at templeoffice@ansheamunim.org. Register at tinyurl. com/TAAHavdalah-OpenMicNight and be sure to check ansheamunim.org for up to date information about the event.

READINGS, WALKS AND TALKS Adams Quaker Meeting House Maple Street Cemetery, Adams, Mass.

Sundays through Oct. 11: Free tours by members of the Adams Historical Society and Adams Historical Commission, 1 to 4 p.m.

Ancram Opera House 1330 County Route 7, Ancram, N.Y. 518-329-0114, ancramoperahouse.org Saturday, July 11: Crystal Radio Sessions Upstate, “Local Writers Local Voices,” 8 p.m., presented virtually.

Saturday, July 25: Series premier, “Local Characters,” 8 p.m., present-

ed virtually. Introducing AOH’s newest program: lively, free-wheeling interviews of friends and neighbors with AOH director Paul Ricciardi to learn what makes them tick. Be forewarned: audience members may even be invited to join unscripted, impromptu conversations.

Berkshire Botanical Garden

Aug. 7 - 16: Summer Play Lab, AOH is commissioning playwrights from the region to create solo and small cast plays to be performed by actors in staged readings. Presented virtually, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m.

Tuesdays, July 28 - Aug. 18: Zoom Online Class: Planting Design Part 2: The Designer’s Palette: Color in the Landscape with landscape architect David Dew Bruner, learn basic color theories and how they can be applied to the landscape to create different moods, feelings and reactions. Students will design the same garden twice with different color palettes and come to understand their own color preferences. $110, $100 members, 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Thursday, July 23: Zoom Online Event, Summer Author Series: Marta McDowell, “Emily Dickinson’s Gardening Life.” Author Marta McDowell discusses her new book, available for purchase through BBG’s online shop. This lecture explores Dickinson’s gardens through excerpts of her letters and poems and historic and modern images of her garden. Presented in collaboration with Tower Hill Botanic Garden and Timber Hill Press. $15, $10 members, book will be available for purchase, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, July 9: Zoom Online Event, Summer Author Series: Daryl Beyers, “The New Gardener’s Handbook.” Learn the why-dos of the how-tos that help gardeners grow

Thursday, July 30: Zoom Online Event, Summer Author Series: You Can Garden for Life! Toni Gattone, author of “The Lifelong Gardener: Garden with Ease and Joy at Any

Arrowhead 780 Holmes Road, Pittsfield, Mass.

413-442-1793, berkshirehistory.org Arrowhead house tours will be available Thursday-Monday, 9:30 to 5 p.m. Tour attendance will be limited; call 413-442-1793 to reserve a time before purchasing tickets online. Tours will follow social distancing and other guidelines per public health advisories.

5 West Stockbridge Road, Stockbridge 413 298-3926, info@berkshirebotanical.org, berkshirebotanical.org/events

beautiful and bountiful gardens.This program is presented in collaboration with Tower Hill Botanic Garden and Timber Hill Press. $15, $10 members, book will be available for purchase, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Age” discusses how gardeners of all abilities can grow their resilience in spite of physical limitations that might otherwise hold them back as well as how gardens can be modified for increased comfort and safety and recommendations of ergononically-designed and adapted tools. This program is presented in collaboration with Tower Hill Botanic Garden and Timber Hill Press. $15, $10 members, book will be available for purchase, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Friday, July 31 and Saturday, Aug. 1: Lecture and Field Study: New England Plant Communities. Join ecologist Ted Elliman for a lecture and field trip exploration of native New England plant communities.

The Friday lecture will cover many of the forest, meadow and wetland habitats found in Berkshire County, their physical and ecological features and characteristic plants, 6 to 8 p.m. The Saturday field trip will include visits to a variety of

July 30 – Aug. 3: Moby-Dick Fourth-Annual Read-A-Thon, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. $5 recommended donation. Call to register for a time.

Seating to listen will be limited and will be first come, first served.

Saturday, Aug. 1: Melville’s Birthday!

Old Salt’s Day! Tours of the house are free for any career sailor on Old Salt’s Day! Please reserve in advance.

Sunday, Aug. 2: Annual Monument Mountain Hike, 9 a.m., meet in the parking lot at Monument Mountain, off Route 7 in Great Barrington.

Tuesday, Aug. 25: Melville Biographical Research Lecture: Warren Broderick, $10, free for members, 6 p.m.

Bascom Lodge Atop Mount Greylock 413-743-1591, bascomlodge.net Sunday, July 12: Bird Identification with Ed Neumuth, free, 6 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 13: Boreal Forest Slideshow and Summit Walk with Aimee Gelinas of Tamarack Hollow, free, 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 20: The History and Nature of Mount Greylock’s Summit, a mountaintop walk, free, 1 to 2:30 p.m.

PARK-MCCULLOUGH HISTORIC GOVERNOR’S MANSION The Second Empire Style estate, built by attorney and entrepreneur Trenor Park and later home to Gov. John G. McCullough, is open on a limited basis for public tours at the beginning of the month. While the mansion’s grounds remain open daily, “The Big House” will be open for self- guided tours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Private tours may be scheduled. Face coverings, handwashing and safe social distancing are required while inside the mansion.

Socially-distance activities, such as yoga on the lawn and a virtual wine tasting group, are ongoing. ­— Greg Sukiennick

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morning discussion will include a presentation of many of Berkshire County’s asters and goldenrods, focusing on their identification features and characteristic habitats. In the afternoon, we’ll explore nearby natural areas to observe and identify the asters and goldenrods growing in meadows, woodlands and wetlands. A hand lens is recommended.

We will travel by BBG’s passenger van. Please dress for weather and bring a bagged lunch. $95, $85 members, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

SOUTHERN VERMONT ARTS CENTER South Vermont Arts Center opened its galleries and 100-acre campus to visitors at the beginning of the month, with solo exhibitions in the historic Yester House gallery. The “Women Take Wilson” exhibition series, featuring women artists in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, launches this month in the Wilson House with the works of Misoo Bang, Sarah Tortora and Lauren Booth. The museum will also open its new cafe, CurATE, this summer. Visitors ages 3 and up are required to wear a face covering, and the Artventure kids’ space remains closed. ­— Greg Sukiennick

forested, open and wetland habitats. Travel is in BBG’s passenger van. For Saturday field study, dress for the weather, wear comfortable shoes (we will be walking nearly the entire day) and bring a bagged lunch, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Advance registration is highly recommended, but walk-ins are welcome, space permitting. Full Course: $135, $120 members; Friday Lecture only: $35, $25 members.

Sunday, Aug. 9: Zoom Online Class: Ornamental & Edible Native Plants with horticulturists, garden designers and artists Allyson Levy and Scott Serrano. Explore outstanding and edible native plants including varieties not often seen anywhere but botanical gardens and arboreta that would make excellent additions to everyday gardens, $15, $10 members, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 13: Zoom Online Event, Summer Author Series: Kathryn Aalto, “Writing Wild.”

Author Kathryn Aalto profiles 25 women, historical and living, whose

influential nature-writing has deepened our connection to and understanding of the natural world.

Travel essay, literary biography and cultural history, “Writing Wild” ventures into the landscapes and lives of extraordinary writers and encourages a new generation of women to pick up their pens, head outdoors, and start writing wild.

This program is presented in collaboration with Tower Hill Botanic Garden and Timber Hill Press. $15, $10 members, book available for purchase, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 19: Birding by Ear in the Garden with naturalist Zach Adams. Walk the grounds at BBG and learn to identify bird species by call and song. This event is presented in collaboration with Mass Audubon Pleasant Valley.

Space is limited. $15, $12 members, 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 21: Off-Site Field Study of Peter Bevacqua and Stephen King’s Nearly Native Garden in Claverack, New York. An opportunity

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to tour a celebrated private garden and reflect on the intersection of traditional and regenerative horticulture and garden design. Led by garden and landscape designer Peter Bevacqua, who will highlight the creation of the wild “nearly native garden” and its role in the landscape. $45, $35 members, 3 to 5 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 11: “The Earth in Her Hands: 75 Extraordinary Women Working in the World of Plants.”

Author Jennifer Jewell, host of public radio’s award-winning program and podcast “Cultivating Place,” discusses her book about women influencers in wide-reaching fields, including botany, floral design, landscape architecture, farming, herbalism and food justice, creating change from the ground up. Following the lecture will be a book sale and signing. $35, $25 members, 5 to 7 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 13: Goldenrod and Asters Talk and Field Study. In late summer and early fall, asters and goldenrods come into their own. In this class taught by Ted Elliman, the

Saturday, Sept. 19: Planting Shrubs and Small Ornamental Trees with arborist Ken Gooch. Learn hands-on how to successfully transplant shrubs through correct timing, placement and techniques designed to create minimal disturbance and ensure a smooth transition to a new site. Differences between bare-root, container-grown and balled-andburlapped trees and the importance of siting will be covered. $35, $25 members, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 19: Horticultural Therapy: The People-Plant Partnership with horticultural therapist Anne Meore. Learn how the cultivation of plants and plant-related programs are used to heal, rehabilitate and improve overall wellbeing for different populations.

Experiential activities will deepen the participant’s understanding of this therapeutic modality and enhance perspective on the benefits of our relationship with plants and the natural environment. $90, $75 members, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Brattleboro Literary Festival brattleboroliteraryfestival.org Oct. 15 - 18: Schedule to be announced.

Chesterwood 4 Williamsville Road, Stockbridge, Mass.

413-298-3579, chesterwood.org Grounds open; reserve timed-tickets/parking pass online.

Saturday, Oct. 10: Voices of Poetry inside the sculptor’s studio, $20, $15 members, 2 to 4 p.m. Four award-winning poets will read original poems inspired by French’s monumental sculpture and his best known subject, Abraham Lincoln.

Hildene 1005 Hildene Road, Manchester, Vt. 800-578-1788, hildene.org The Gardens, grounds and trails at Hildene are currently open for visitors. Observe social distancing and wear masks.

Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center 14 Castle St., Great Barrington, Mass.

413-528-0100, mahaiwe.org Sundays, July 12 and 26, Aug. 9 and 23: Scott Eyerly will offer a free opera talk via Zoom prior to the Metropolitan Opera’s free streaming broadcasts, 5:30 p.m. Register online.

Mass Audubon Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, 472 West Mountain Road, Lenox, Mass. massaudubon.org Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; closed Mondays; Trails daily, dawn to dusk. Buildings and restrooms are closed.

The Mount 2 Plunkett St., Lenox, Mass.

413-551-5111, Register at edithwharton.org Wednesday, July 1: Researching the Age of Innocence online program, free, 4 p.m. Anne Schuyler, Director of Interpretation & Visitor Services and Nicholas Hudson, Curatorial Assistant, share insights from their research in preparation for of the centennial celebration of Wharton’s Pulitzer prize-winning novel.

Mondays through July 27: Discourse and Process Chats, online, 4 p.m. Moderated by Julie Scelfo, past Lecture Series presenter and author of The Women Who Made New York, these conversations will provide insight into each author’s book and their research and writing process.

July 6, Kerri Greenidge; July 13, Kimberly Hamlin; July 20, Michael Gorra; July 27, Nick BasBanes.

Sunday, July 19: True Conversations with Lily KIng and Heidi Pitlor online program, free, 4 p.m. Lily King, best-selling author of “The Pleasing Hour” and “Euphoria,” joins Heidi Pitlor, editor “The Best American Short Stories,” for an in-depth

conversation on her bestselling novel, “Writers & Lovers,” which explores the terrifying and exhilarating leap between the end of one phase of life and the beginning of another.

Thursday, Aug. 6: Telling Two Stories with Elif Batuman online program, free, 4 p.m. Author Elif Batuman and Wharton scholar Jennifer Haytock will share how their own multiple readings of “The Age of Innocence” has informed their understanding of social norms, class and privilege, from Wharton’s old New York through today.

Monday, Aug. 24: True Conversations with Curtis Sittenfeld and Heidi Pitlor online program, free, 4 p.m.

Curtis Sittenfeld, bestselling author of “American Wife” and “Eligible,” joins Heidi Pitlor for an in-depth conversation on her most recent novel, Rodham, which imagines a deeply compelling what-mighthave-been: What if Hillary Rodham hadn’t married Bill Clinton?

NextStage Arts Project 15 Kimball Hill, Putney, Vt. 802-387-0102, nextstagearts.org Through Aug. 31: Virtual Fables Storytelling — Bethany KrigerThies: Nuns with Free Kittens; Virtual Fables Storytelling: Bob Thies — The Silver Bullet; Virtual Fables Storytelling: John Young — Race Day Woes; Cooped Up Kids with Mark Nizer, on YouTube.

Park-McCullough House 1 Park St., North Bennington, Vt. 802-442-5441, parkmccullough.org Sundays: Yoga in the Garden, for all levels, free, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Bring your own mat and observe social distancing while on the grounds and while participating in all Park-McCullough activities.

Southern Vermont Arts Center 930 SVAC Drive, Manchester, Vt. 802-362-1405, svac.org Wednesday, Aug. 5: Reading Strong Female Artists virtual memoir book group with Megan Mayhew Bergman, free, 5:30 p.m. To register, contact Erin Kaufman at ekaufman@ svac.org or 802-362-1405.

Spencertown Academy Arts Center 790 Route 203, Spencertown, N.Y. 518-392-3693, spencertownacademy.org Wednesday, July 22: Community Reads event, “An American Marriage” by Tayari Jones, 7:30 p.m., via Zoom. Registration is required.

Sept. 5 - 7: Virtual Festival of Books, schedule to be announced.

Tamarack Hollow Natural and Cultural Center 1515 Savoy Hollow Road, Windsor, Mass.

Tamarackhollownatureandculturalcenter.org Saturday, July 11: Boreal SpruceFir Forest Flower, Plant, Tree and Wild Edibles Hike with naturalist and Director Aimee Gelinas, 9 a.m. to noon. Learn about the unique fauna and flora of high elevation fields and forest. For registration and fee info email: aimee@gaiaroots.com.

Tuesday, July 21: Celebrate National Moth week and Nighttime Pollinators at the Tamarack Hollow Nature and Cultural Center, 8 to 9:30 p.m. or 9 to 10:30 p.m.

Nighttime viewing and identification of moths on illuminated screens followed by moth stories and marshmallows around a campfire. Led by moth/insect specialists Betsy Higgins and Jason Crockwell with Tamarack Hollow staff. Family-friendly. Supported by the Berkshire Taconic Foundation Central Berkshire Fund. Limited space, Masks required. For registration and fee info email: aimee@ gaiaroots.com. Rain date, July 22.

Saturday, Aug. 15: Fern and Woodland Plant walk at the Tamarack Hollow Nature and Cultural Center, 10 a.m. to noon. Learn woodland ferns and flora with naturalist Aimee Gelinas. Supported by the Berkshire Taconic Foundation Central Berkshire Fund. For registration and fee info email: aimee@gaiaroots.com.

Saturday, Sept. 12: Hike to The Boulders, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This round-trip, 3-mile hike led by Aimee Gelinas is free (donations accepted). Supported by the Dalton Cultural Council and the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

Berkshire Environmental Endowment Fund. For registration and fee info email: aimee@gaiaroots.com.

Sunday, Sept. 13: Boreal Forest Ecology Slideshow and Summit Walk, Bascom Lodge and Mount Greylock Summit, 5:30 to 6:45 p.m.

Learn about the ecology of high elevation Boreal Spruce-Fir forests on a short plant/tree ID summit walk concluding with a narrated slideshow with naturalist Aimee Gelinas. Program is free (donations accepted) thanks to support from the Berkshire Taconic Foundation Berkshire Environmental Endowment and Barrett Funds. Stay for dinner after at the Bascom Lodge, visit bascomlodge.net for dinner reservation info. For info email: aimee@gaiaroots.com.

Sunday, Oct. 25: Boreal Forest Volunteer Trail Work Day at Tamarack Hollow, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Help clear trails and continue to prep the site of the future nature center – come for some of time or the whole time! Snacks and cider provided (in accordance with current guidelines). Please bring your own gloves (and lunch if staying for the day). For registration info email: aimee@gaiaroots.com.

Temple Anshe Amunim 413-442-5910, ansheamunim.org Wednesdays, July 8, 15, 22: Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Liz: “Aleinu” It’s On Us, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. With the Aleinu prayer as a jumping-off point, explore social justice, theology, choice, chosenness, and peoplehood in modern Jewish life.

This course is open to all; no Hebrew or prayer experience required.

Come with curiosity, questions, doubt, faith, and an open mind! Join us via tinyurl.com/taazoom and be sure to check ansheamunim.org for up to date information about the event.

Tuesday, July 14: All are welcome for a discussion of “The Book of V.” by author Anna Solomon, hosted

by Barbara Viniar. 10:30 a.m. Why does every little girl want to be Esther, but never Vashti, at Purim?

How have women’s lives changed, or not changed over thousands of years? We will be discussing the three contemporary characters Solomon created as she sought her own answer to these questions, and perhaps finding answers of our own. Register at tinyurl.com/BookDiscussion-BookofV and be sure to

Summer Previews 2020 | UpCountryOnline.com | 37

AMERICAN MUSEUM OF FLY FISHING The American Museum of Fly Fishing reopened on July 1, having previously opened, to members only, by appointment. Stop by to see the museum’s collection of artifacts, rods, lures, art and literature relating to and inspired by the sport, which got its start in Manchester, Vt. Located near Orvis’ flagship retail outlet, rod factory and fishing classrooms, the museum requests potential visitors to check the museum’s website, amff. org, and social media for updates. ­— Greg Sukiennick

check ansheamunim.org for up to date information about the event.

Trustees of Reservations thetrustees.org The Trustees asks that visitors follow social distancing guidelines for the health and safety of all. All buildings and inside areas remain closed. The following properties are open during normal hours: Ashintully Gardens, Ashley House, Bartholomew’s Cobble, Field Farm, Mission House, Monument Mountain, Mountain Meadow Preserve, Notchview, Tyringham Cobble, William Cullen Bryant Homestead.

Naumkeag: Grounds open in a controlled manner to limit overcrowding. Buildings closed until further notice. Purchase required entry tickets for time-specific slots at thetrustees.org.

THEATER Barrington Stage Company Boyd-Quinson Mainstage, 30 Union St., Pittsfield, Mass.

413-236-8888, barringtonstageco.org Aug. 5 - 16: “Harry Clarke,” by David Cale, starring Mark H. Dold, directed by Julianne Boyd. A sexually charged and wickedly funny one-man thriller, “Harry Clarke” is the story of a shy midwestern man leading an outrageous double life as the cocky Londoner Harry Clarke.

Moving to New York City and presenting himself as an Englishman,

he charms his way into a wealthy family’s life as the seductive and precocious Harry, whose increasingly risky and dangerous behavior threatens to undo more than his persona. Presented without intermission to maintain social distancing. $25-$65. Performances Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m.

Aug. 21 - 23: “South Pacific” in concert. Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Tales of the South Pacific” by James A. Michener, adapted by David Ives, directed

by Julianne Boyd and starring Broadway’s Alexandra Silber and Nicholas Rodriguez. Presented without intermission to maintain social distancing. $35-$65.

Performances Friday and Saturday at 5 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m., at an outdoor venue to be determined.

Saturday, Sept. 5: “Eleanor,” a staged reading of a new play by Mark St. Germain, starring Tony Award-winner Harriet Harris, directed by Henry Stram, $15, 7:30 p.m. “Eleanor” brings to life Eleanor Roosevelt, the most influential First Lady the world has ever seen. From her “Ugly Duckling” upbringing to her unorthodox marriage to Franklin, Eleanor puts her controversial life, loves and passions on the stage. Presented without intermission to maintain social distancing.

Sept. 9 - 20: 2020 10×10 New Play Festival. A reprise of the sold-out winter festival of new plays, this year’s witty and hilarious collection is ready for another outing this fall. It’s a whirlwind journey full of laughs and unexpected twists as ten 10-minute plays are performed

38 | UPCOUNTRY MAGAZINE | Summer Previews 2020

by a dizzyingly talented cast of six. $20-$49. Wednesday-Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m.

Oct. 1 - 18: “The Price,” by Arthur Miller, directed by Julianne Boyd. In the attic of a condemned Manhattan brownstone, two long-estranged brothers meet to dispose of their deceased parents’ property. Victor is a policeman who sacrificed his education to care for their invalid father who never recovered from the Wall Street Crash; Walter is a successful surgeon who turned his back on his family to concentrate on medicine and personal success.

The brothers’ confrontation escalates as they negotiate the sale of the family’s belongings with a secondhand furniture dealer. Ultimately, they both come to realize the price that each has paid for the decisions they made decades ago. $20-$49. Performances Wednesday - Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m.

Berkshire Theatre Group Colonial Theatre, 111 South St., Pittsfield, Mass.

413-997-4444, Check for season updates at berkshiretheatregroup.org.

Double Edge Theatre 948 Conway Road, Ashfield 413-628-0277, doubleedgetheatre.org July 22 - Aug. 9: “6 FEET APART, ALL TOGETHER,” a Summer Spectacle for the time of COVID-19.

Visitors will interact with the land, visual installation, and small scenes from the past, as well as a look toward what we are creating together for the future. “6 FEET APART, ALL TOGETHER” will be performed in rounds to allow for less than 10 people per group.

Hubbard Hall 25 E. Main St., Cambridge, N.Y. 518-677-2495, hubbardhall.org Aug. 4 - 8: “All’s Well that Ends Well,”

by William Shakespeare, directed by David Snyder. Limit to 50 audience members per performance with social distancing enforced, masks required. 6:30 p.m., on the Great Lawn, off Main and Washington Streets, Cambridge, N.Y.

Weston Playhouse Walker Farm, 705 Main St., Weston, Vt. 802-824-8167, westonplayhouse.org Sept. 24 - Oct. 18: “An Iliad,” by Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare, based on Homer’s “Iliad.”

Williamstown Theatre Festival 413-458-3200, wtfestival.org This year, Williamstown Theatre Festival is creating a season in collaboration with Audible, the world’s largest producer and provider of original spoken-word entertainment and audiobooks. The WTF season on Audible will be made available for global Audible listeners to enjoy and experience. Visit wtfestival.org for more information.•

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A messy kind of magic Alex Kamaroff turns tape and paint into works of art at Glendale Brook Studio in Lenox, Mass.

Alex Kamaroff ’s painting technique is simple but maddeningly difficult. He creates magic using only artist’s tape, acrylic paint and a hair dryer. That’s it. Come and watch him paint in his gallery, Glendale Brook Studio at 27 Church St. in Lenox, Mass., which he does most days and always on Saturdays. He loves to explain what he’s doing and is happy to demonstrate.

What looks like a mess of different kinds of tape on a canvas interspersed with seemingly random flashes of paint becomes a vivid, exciting work of art when the tape is pulled away. This style is called “hard edge” because the tape creates precise and distinct edges. Visitors are fascinated by the process, and kids are allowed to try it. They learn right away that it’s a lot harder than it looks, but they love finding that out.

Now flash back to New York City in 1958. Alex was a little boy. He would take the train in from Long Island (back then, kids could do that alone) and meet his grandmother in Penn Station.

From there they would go to the Museum of Modern Art, at his request. Grandma Ethel, a feisty lady who ignored bus fare for children (Him? He has no money!) would sit patiently on a bench for hours while her rambunctious grandson ran around, soaking up the priceless works of art that were all around him.

He didn’t know they were priceless. He didn’t know that he was in a famous place. He only knew that he was mesmerized by what he saw, and that it felt like a second home.

Following a fruitful career as a novelist, an innate talent came out of its shell and began to take over. It happened when Alex spilled a can of paint and became fascinated with how it moved.

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Learn More: Glendale Brook Studio,

Lightning struck. He painted every day, all day, continuing to study the 20th century masters, and he practiced, practiced, practiced. Local businesses began to buy his paintings. After a few years of growing popular demand, he opened his own gallery.

The business had a sensational opening, followed by a whirlwind of two summer seasons. A significant number of paintings sold, and Alex continued to hone and develop his style. While he is deliberately influenced by the masters, he always adds his own signature twist. If you would like to own a Miro, say, but can’t afford to spend $17 million, try a Kamaroff. It pays homage to Miro and also allows you to have an original piece of art. Original art is very different from a poster. Not only does it have authenticity, but it has the electric immediacy of the artist who created it. You own the real thing. Today, Alex Kamaroff is one of the finest hard edge painters in the world. There aren’t that many of them, because many artists don’t get it, and few attempt it. But for him it was finding the shoe that fit.

Alex was especially gratified that paintings sold to people all over the world. You never know who is going to stop by in Lenox, which is a thriving arts community. His paintings are now in London, Brazil, Israel (where it hangs next to an original Mondrian), Alaska, Boston, and New York.

Successful years brought more confidence and better art. Alex is eagerly looking forward to this year’s summer season, because now he knows it’s working. When you open an art gallery, you don’t quite know what to expect. As with any new business, you hope that people will walk in, you hope they will like what they see, and you hope they will buy paintings. Buoyed by past years’ accomplishments, Alex was encouraged to move into fresh directions in his work. He is always doing something new and is always surprising himself. Visitors love the new directions; they understand that what they see on any given day is not what they might see on any other day.

In a few short years, Glendale Brook Studio has become an integral part of the flourishing Lenox community. Alex looks forward to greeting you in the gallery. He’s the one in the paintstained sweat shirt. •

27 Church St., Lenox, Mass.

413-551-7475 | glendalebrookstudio.com

THIS SPREAD: Glendale Brook Studio owner Alex Kamaroff (top left) creates bright, energetic paintings in his Lenox, Mass., workplace, which is open to the public.

Photos by Casey Albert.

The UpCountry Golf Guide 2020 The golf course at Wyndhurst Manor and Club, formerly known as Cranwell Spa and Golf Resort, in Lenox. Eagle File Photo.

Please call ahead/check the website of the individual golf sites for the most up-to-date information and COVID-19 guidelines.

THE BERKSHIRES’ 18-HOLE COURSES Bas Ridge Golf Course LOCATION: 151 Plunkett Ave., Hinsdale, Mass.

TYPE: Public, with memberships available PHONE: 413-655-2605 WEBSITE: basridge.com PAR: 70 RANGE: No COURSE DESCRIPTION: As the shortest regulation course in the county, this pretty layout is a favorite for recreational golfers — especially seniors — although there are plenty of holes that will challenge any level of player.

Skyline Country Club LOCATION: 405 South Main St., Lanesborough, Mass.

TYPE: Public, with memberships available PHONE: 413-445-5584 WEBSITE: skyline-cc.com PAR: 71 RANGE: Yes COURSE DESCRIPTION: The Lanesborough layout offers plenty of elevation changes

to challenge golfers — playing with a member can really help first-time visitors — and features gorgeous views of Pontoosuc Lake from atop the course.

Taconic Golf Club LOCATION: 19 Meacham St., Williamstown, Mass.

TYPE: Semi Private, with memberships available PHONE: 413-458-3997 WEBSITE: taconicgolf.com PAR: 71 RANGE: No COURSE DESCRIPTION: Taconic, considered Wayne Stiles' best work and recognized as one of the best courses in New England and top college courses in the nation, tests all facets of a golfer's game while building to a spectacular climax with a string of great finishing holes.

Wahconah Country Club LOCATION: 20 Orchard Road, Dalton, Mass.

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TYPE: Semi Private, with memberships available PHONE: 413-684-2864 WEBSITE: wahconahcc.com PAR: 71 RANGE: Yes COURSE DESCRIPTION: Wahconah, the site of the final competitive tournament round played by the legendary Bobby Jones, in 1948, is a beautiful layout and features some of the county's most challenging holes. The terrace overlooking the par-5 18th green offers a perfect setting annually for Wahconah's popular Little Brown Jug best-ball tournament.

Waubeeka Golf Links LOCATION: 137 New Ashford Road, Williamstown, Mass.

TYPE: Public, with memberships available PHONE: 413-458-8355 WEBSITE: waubeeka.com PAR: 71 RANGE: Yes COURSE DESCRIPTION: Waubeeka, blessed with spectacular views of Mount

Greylock and also one of the county's best-conditioned public layouts, received rave reviews from some of the state's best amateur golfers when it hosted the Massachusetts Public Links Championship in 2016.

Wyndhurst Manor and Club LOCATION: 55 Lee Road, Lenox, Mass.

TYPE: Resort, open to the public with memberships available PHONE: 413-637-1364 WEBSITE: wyndhurstmanorandclub.com PAR: 69 (men); 71 (women) RANGE: Yes COURSE DESCRIPTION: With narrow fairways and well-guarded greens, accuracy off the tee is far more important than distance.

Some of the greens, especially on the back nine, slope dramatically from back to front. The course was built by Wayne Stiles and John Van Kleek in 1926.

THE BERKSHIRES’ NINE-HOLE COURSES Donnybrook Country Club

greens that will test anyone's chipping and putting ability.

LOCATION: 775 Williamstown Road, Lanesborough, Mass.

TYPE: Open to public, with memberships available PHONE: 413-499-7888 WEBSITE: donnybrookgolf.com PAR: 36 RANGE: No TEE TIME POLICY: Call the pro shop to set times COURSE DESCRIPTION: A fun course with elevation changes and beautiful scenery — check out the view from the back tee on the par-5 fifth hole — that offers golfers no shortage of playing options with huge teeing areas on most of the holes.

General Electric Athletic Association

Forest Park Country Club LOCATION: 41 Forest Park Ave., Adams, Mass.

TYPE: Open to the public, with memberships available PHONE: 413-743-3311 WEBSITE: fpccadams.square.site PAR: 34 Range: No COURSE DESCRIPTION: Located at the base of Mount Greylock and founded in 1900, the Forest Park layout — it’s an Alexander Lindley design — is a relatively short course with rolling fairways that create plenty of uneven lies and small

LOCATION: 303 Crane Ave., Pittsfield, Mass.

TYPE: Open to the public, with memberships available PHONE: 413-443-5746 PAR: 36 RANGE: No COURSE DESCRIPTION: The course, built in the 1930s for General Electric employees and executives, features some elevation changes — the steeply downhill second shot on the par-4 second hole is a prime example — and while all of the par 4s measure less than 400 yards, the 560-yard sixth hole is one of the county's toughest par-5s.

Greenock Country Club LOCATION: 220 W. Park St., Lee, Mass.

TYPE: Open to public, with memberships available PHONE: 413-243-3323 WEBSITE: greenockcc.com PAR: 35 (men); 37 (women) COURSE DESCRIPTION: Greenock, designed by the legendary Donald Ross, offers traditional old-school charm while challenging golfers with elevation changes on approach shots and challenging putting surfaces.

Worthington Golf Club LOCATION: 113 Ridge Road,

General Electric Athletic Association, Pittsfield, Mass.

Photo by Stephanie Zollshan.

Worthington, Mass.

TYPE: Open to public, with memberships available PHONE: 413-238-4464 WEBSITE: worthingtongolfclub.com

PAR: 35 RANGE: Yes COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is home to the highest hole in Massachusetts, at an elevation of 1,700 feet.

SOUTHERN VERMONT’S GOLF COURSES Bellows Falls Country Club LOCATION: 12 Country Club Road, Bellows Falls, Vt. TYPE: Nine-hole public course, with memberships available PHONE: 802-463-9809 WEBSITE: bellowsfallscountryclub.com PAR: 35 (men); 36 (women) RANGE: No COURSE DESCRIPTION: An

excellent course for seniors and recreational golfers, with all of the par-4 holes measuring less than 400 yards.

Ekwanok Country Club LOCATION: 3262 Main St., Manchester, Vt. TYPE: Private PHONE: 802-362-2220 WEBSITE: ekwanok.com PAR: 70 RANGE: Yes

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This Walter Travis and John Duncan Dunn-designed course, dating to 1900, isn’t long, but it is very challenging, especially around and on the demanding putting surfaces. Named by Golf Digest as Vermont’s best course.

The Golf Club at Equinox LOCATION: 108 Union St.,

Manchester Village, Vt. TYPE: Resort, with memberships available PHONE: 802-362-7870 WEBSITE: playequinox.com PAR: 71 RANGE: Yes COURSE DESCRIPTION: Equinox, ranked as a top-10 course in Vermont open to the public by several publications, mixes beautiful views with classic mountain golf, which means plen-

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ty of elevation changes and undulating greens.

Manchester Country Club LOCATION: 229 Beech St., Manchester Village, Vt. TYPE: Private PHONE: 802-362-2233 WEBSITE: mccvt.com PAR: 72 RANGE: Yes TEE TIME POLICY: Guests at area inns can get starting times through the inns.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: The course, designed by Geoffrey Cornish in 1967 and renovated by Cornish and Steve Durkee in 2003, will test all aspects of your game and features an especially strong set of par-3 holes.

Mount Anthony Country Club LOCATION: 180 Country Club Drive, Bennington, Vt. TYPE: Public, with memberships available PHONE: 802-442-2617;

pro shop: 802-447-7079 WEBSITE: mtanthonycc.com PAR: 71 RANGE: Yes COURSE DESCRIPTION: The course, established in 1897, recently has undergone a renovation under the guidance of A. John Harvey that takes advantage of the club’s location in the Green Mountains.

Stamford Valley Golf Course LOCATION: 194 The Lane, Stamford, Vt. TYPE: Nine-hole public course PHONE: 802-691-9144 WEBSITE: stamfordvalleygolf.com PAR: 36 RANGE: No TEE TIME POLICY: Reservations are recommended, but not required. Times can be made seven days in advance by calling the pro shop.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: A short course that features several driveable par-4

holes for the longer hitters.

A great walking course and a fun course for seniors.

Stratton Mountain LOCATION: 5 Village Lodge Road, Stratton Mountain, Vt. TYPE: 27-hole resort course, open to public with memberships available PHONE: 800-787-2886 WEBSITE: stratton.com PAR: 71 RANGE: Yes COURSE DESCRIPTION: The 27-hole facility, which has hosted six LPGA tournaments, is a classic mountain course. It offers plenty of variety, with three distinct nines that are aptly named Lake, Mountain and Forest.

Brattleboro Country Club LOCATION: 58 Senator Gannett Drive, 348 Upper Dummerston Road, Brattleboro, Vt. TYPE: Public, with memberships available

PHONE: 802-257-7380 WEBSITE: brattleborocountryclub.com PAR: 71 RANGE: Yes COURSE DESCRIPTION: Brattleboro, winding around and through dense forests, is a challenging course with plenty of elevation changes to keep the golfer guessing.

Mount Snow Golf Course LOCATION: Country Club Drive, West Dover, Vt. TYPE: Public, with memberships available PHONE: 802-464-4254 WEBSITE: mountsnow. com/golf PAR: 72 RANGE: Yes COURSE DESCRIPTION: The two nines offer different experiences, with the front nine more open with scenic expanses, while the back nine winds through wooded terrain. The rolling fairways are relatively wide and the greens large. The course is 2,000 feet above sea level. •

Mount Anthony Country Club, Bennington, Vt. Photo by Caroline Bonnivier Snyder.

44 | UPCOUNTRY MAGAZINE | Summer 2020

Women on the Greens

Women golfers ‘make their mark’ on the course

2020, the “Year of the Woman,” celebrates the centennial anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. With this in mind, we thought it would be fitting to celebrate the women golfers of the Berkshires and Southern Vermont.

We sought out a few to find out what brought them to the putting greens and what keeps them coming back.

Editor’s note; The interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

By Michael Walsh

Kay McMahon LPGA Teaching & Club Professional Hall of Famer/ owner, EduKaytion Golf, Lenox, Mass.

Q. What is your current relationship with or role within golf?

A. I have a background in physical education, and I played every other sport but golf. After college, we were playing softball and just kept getting beat up. So, my girlfriend and I decided to play more golf, and I went out and won the state amateur in Minnesota two years in a row.

I decided I’d turn pro, so I bought a Volkswagen van and traveled to California.

I first had to play on a men’s mini-tour, me and 150 guys. Then I was on a small women’s tour. I went to nine qualifying schools for the LPGA, and missed by a shot three times. But during that time, I wound up in Palm Springs, Calif., where I worked for Arnold Palmer at Ironwood Country Club for 10 years. That’s how I really got into the teaching end of it.

Q. How did you first get

Photo by Andrew Lomas/ Unsplash

Kay McMahon.

Photo by Stephanie Zollshan

UpCountryOnline.com | 45

into playing, and what made you stick with it?

seen hundreds and hundreds of swings and shots, but she hit the ball like I had never seen a player hit it. I’ll never forget that. She played with us for a while, and just had something in her swing I had never seen before from a women’s player.

She just had it.

A. Growing up in Minnesota, we had a lot of kids in the neighborhood, so my dad built a little three-hole golf course around the house with little flower pots and flags. I always say I started at the age of 5, and we were little entrepreneurs. Kids could come play for a dime, and we’d sell lemonade. My parents played and we’d come along, and eventually they belonged to a country club. I took a few lessons and just went on.

Maru Leon Griffin Owner, Mount Anthony Country Club, Bennington, Vt. Q. What is your current relationship with or role within golf?

Q. Any advice for girls or women interested in picking up the sport?

A. I didn’t play when I was young; it was for old people. But golf is the game of a lifetime. You can still play it individually, as you get older. I think for women it can be intimidating, so if you can find a female instructor it helps a lot. We’ve developed the Golf 8.5 method, which simplifies it and makes it easy to understand. For young women, it’s the best business tool you can have, to be able to go out and play with the guys. A lot of young ladies I’ve taught had to play on boys’ teams, and they were at the bottom.

The way we get respect is for them to play better than all of them, and most have gone to become No. 1 on the boys’ teams. We need more opportunities for girls to play on girls’ teams, and that’s starting to happen.

Q. What’s your best shot, round or story from the links?

A. I got to play in three U.S. Opens. I didn’t make the cut, but it’s quite the experience. I got to play with one of the founding members of the LPGA, Marilynn Smith. I hit a 1-iron on a par-5, and she looked at me and said, “Why aren’t you on the tour?” And I said, “I’m wondering the same thing!” Shirley Spork is another founding member, and she was my mentor in the teaching division. She was my presenter when I got into the Hall of Fame.

Eloise Trainor Founder, LPGA FUTURES Tour / Assistant Instructor, EduKaytion Golf, Lenox, Mass.

Q. What is your current

Eloise Trainor.

Photo provided by EduKaytionGolf.com

relationship with or role within golf?

A. I wanted to play on the LPGA, but the opportunities weren’t there. I ran the FUTURES Golf Tour, which was the feeder system for the LPGA for 20 years.

It’s now the Symetra Tour, but after I left that, I came home to the Berkshires and since I knew golf, it was a good time to get into the instruction piece. I spent a summer at the Mount Snow Golf School, which was a great experience.

A. So, my husband and I are the owners here, bought the club in 2006. We wear a lot of hats as a small, family-owned business. Our kids are old enough to help us working as grounds crew and waitressing.

It’s a family affair. I work with events, setting up new initiatives: kids’ camp, a croquet league and our Nine and Wine league.

Q. How did you first get into playing, and what made you stick with it?

A. As a teenager, I grew up in Venezuela, and my parents belonged to a golf course down there. Everybody in my family played, and my dad played a lot. I wasn’t really into it a ton, but I wish I paid more attention and I’d be a better golfer now.

Q. How did you first get into playing, and what made you stick with it?

A. I grew up on an estate in Canaan, N.Y., and the man who owned it was a golfer. We converted pastures he used to have horses on into a four-hole golf course. So, I was mowing greens when I was 12. Otherwise, I never would have played. From there, he introduced us to it, and the first 18-hole course I played at Stockbridge Golf Club.

Q. What’s your best shot, round or story from the links?

A. My game wasn’t that accomplished competitively. As a tour operator though, one instance I remember seeing hundreds of players off the first tee. I saw Karrie Webb, Meg Mallon, Tammie Green, but this one brand new player came out, named Carolyn Peck. I announce her, and I’ve

46 | UPCOUNTRY MAGAZINE | Summer 2020

Maru Leon Griffin.

Photo by Michael Walsh

I had the basics, but 14 years later, I’m just joining the 18-hole league. The kids are older, I can put more time into it. My husband grew up learning to play at Mount Anthony, so we wanted to bring it back to its roots.

probably my favorite simply for where it was.

Pam Kraft Assistant Professional, Taconic Golf Club, Williamstown, Mass.

Q. Any advice for girls or women interested in picking up the sport?

A. I set up a 9-hole league here, mostly because I felt like I needed a league where I didn’t feel pressured. I just wanted to learn the game, make it social and less structured. We have a great clinic that we start with every Wednesday and then go on to play nine holes. When I first got here, I felt intimidated by the 18-hole ladies. I wasn’t at that level. Of course, they welcome you in, but I felt like I slowed them down. A lot of women feel they have to be good right away, and I think making it more social has worked for a large group of women and it’s quickly grown. That’s exciting. I think it’s a great vehicle to meet people and make relationships. It’s a slow game, and by the 18th hole, you have a new relationship. But to start, it doesn’t matter if it’s three holes, six holes, play a bit here and there.

Q. What is the best course you’ve played locally and beyond?

A. I do have great memories of the course I grew up on, it’s called La Lagunita Country Club in Caracas. Here in the states, there are some beautiful courses in Florida, and, in Vermont, Equinox is beautiful and Woodstock Country Club.

Melanie Boese Owner, Brattleboro Country Club, Brattleboro, Vt. Q. What is your current relationship with or role within golf?

A. This is my sixth season as owner and general manager of the Brattleboro Country Club. My late husband, Jack Judge, and I took over the club in the fall of 2014 because it was headed toward insolvency.

I believe the course is an important part of Brattleboro’s history and it’s a great asset to the area. I learn more about the golf industry every day, and I’ve got an incredible view from my office window.

I’ve been involved with the National Golf

Q. What is your current relationship with or role within golf?

Melanie Boese. Photo by Michael Walsh

Course Owners Association since 2015 and was due to represent the state at National Golf Day in Washington D.C. for the third year before COVID-19. I feel truly blessed.

Q. Any advice for girls or women interested in picking up the sport?

A. I would say try it! Golf is a tremendous stress reliever, and it’s some great one-onone time for Lillie and I. She wants to be a veterinarian, so I tell her she should be working toward a golf scholarship!

Women’s golf scholarships are some of the most underutilized scholarships there are. We are offering PGA camps this year, and we have a number of kids that play with their parents and grandparents. That’s one of the great things about golf, instead of sitting on the sidelines watching your kids play, you can all play together. What other sport can an 8 and 80-year-old play together?

A. I’m the assistant pro here; it’s my fifth season. I came from Stratton Golf School, where I worked for 14 years.

I’m an ex-Wall Streeter, so it’s kind of a second career. I worked at Manchester Country Club and Equinox beforehand.

It’s mostly meet-and-greet, checking people in for tee times, going over rules and regulations; really anything the members need, and any tournaments we run.

Q. How did you first get into playing, and what made you stick with it?

A. I started golfing in 2001. I was a field hockey and semi-pro softball player, so I picked up the sport pretty quickly. I played a little bit when I worked on Wall Street, but I was working so much, and it was more of a non-women’s sport at that time. A lot of men were doing business out there, so the opportunity wasn’t there. But I played in a lot of tournaments on outings with other companies and

Q. What is the best course you’ve played locally and beyond?

A. I don’t get out much during the season, so most of my golfing away from the course is during the winter at events like the PGA show and NGCOA annual meeting. I’ve had the opportunity to play in Florida, Texas and California, down on Cape Cod and even in Mexico. I like Stowe, Sugarbush and Tater Hill. I got to play Ko Olina in Hawaii. That was

Pam Kraft. Photo by Michael Walsh

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loved it. I went into golf full time when I retired.

Q. Any advice for girls or women interested in picking up the sport?

A. It’s never too late. I teach physical education at Williams College, and I tell them, just because you don’t have the time now, [doesn’t mean] you can always use it in the future. You can go back to it, and it’s become a big sport for women from a business point of view.

Q. What is the best course you’ve played locally and beyond?

A. Taconic is amazing. It’s a special place.

My dad was a Williams graduate, and I’d come down when he came back to the football games. There are several great places around. Dorset Field Club in Vermont is great, Equinox as well. Kingsbarns in Scotland was amazing, Fishers Island Club off New York is incredible, Royal Poinciana in Florida is great, Greywolf in Canada, Ridgewood Country Club, where the Deutsche Bank Championship was held.

Julie Dapron Burr & Burton Academy graduate/Stonehill College golfer Q. What is your current relationship with or role within golf?

A. I’m playing golf at Stonehill College, just finished my first year. It was super great. I worked my entire life to play college golf. I absolutely love it; I love my team, we’ve traveled to Texas and Michigan for tournaments. Although our spring season was cut short, our coaches are already planning for an exciting fall season.

Q. How did you first get into playing, and what made you stick with it?

A. I probably started playing when I was 4. My mom golfed when she was younger, and she introduced my dad to it. Now, my dad plays all the time. He brought me when I was little, carrying a bag bigger than me.

Julie Dapron. Photos courtesy of Robert Simmons, Stonehill College

Debbie Storie. Photo by Michael Walsh

Q. Any advice for girls or women interested in picking up the sport?

Q. How did you first get into playing, and what made you stick with it?

A. Just pick up a club. It’s the most rewarding and frustrating sport you’ll ever play. You need persistence, but it’s super rewarding. You get to meet so many new people, and if you want to be competitive, you can go to all kinds of places to play. It grows you and tests you as a person. There are hard days, but I’d say pick it up and don’t give up.

It’s a brutal sport, but so rewarding at the same time.

A. I started golfing when I started working here back in 1983. I grew up down the street and just started hitting balls.

There was a customer that would come here all the time who was a golf instructor, so he showed me some things and I picked it up. It’s nice not to be stuck inside all day.

Q. What’s your best shot, round or story from the links?

A. Sophomore year of high school, the state championship at Newport Country Club, is way up there. I had an awful practice round. But the next day, at states, I had my best round ever. Making pars, birdies, out of nowhere I shot a 77 and won the state championship. I wasn’t expecting to win it at all. Somehow, I pulled myself together and flipped the switch. You can play amazing one day and awful the next; you can’t take anything for granted in this sport.

Debbie Storie General Manager, Baker’s Golf Center, Lanesborough, Mass.

48 | UPCOUNTRY MAGAZINE | Summer 2020

Q. Any advice for girls or women interested in picking up the sport?

A. Just stick to it. There are a lot of people who will tell you that girls can’t do things.

Don’t listen, you can do anything the guys can do. Start out by taking a lesson to get the basics, and just keep at it. Find some other girls you can talk into going out with you to play. Make it fun. We need more girls out golfing.

Q. What’s your best shot, round or story from the links?

A. I like to use my driver. I can hit a long ball, show up the guys and you could see the look on their face. By the third hole, they’re asking you, ‘How’d you do that?’

The rest of my game isn’t that great, but I could always drive. •