The Bennington Museum invites you to join a panel of Neil Rappaport's former Bennington College students from around the country as they discuss his lasting impact on the field of photography and on their personal growth under his tutelage.
The discussion will be held on Saturday, October 21 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. This lively discussion is ideal for both those who knew Neil and those who want to discover the man behind the art. The discussion is in conjunction with the exhibit In Place: The Photographs of Neil Rappaport, running at the museum until November 3. The program is free with admission to the museum.
Participants in the discussion will include students who have gone on to careers in photography, all in very different areas of the profession. Jeff Curto is a photographer and Professor of Photography at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. His particular interest is in photographing Italy and its history.
Steve Brettler is the president of E. Phillip Levine Inc in Boston. This company is a successful camera supplier for over 50 years. The company is the largest New England resource for professional photography equipment.
Also present for the discussion will be Jonathan Barber, a Cambridge, New York photographer, and Eileen Travell who works in The Photograph Studio at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Susan Alancraig is a photographer who lives in Cambridge, New York and works in international community development. Finally, Simon Biswas, a photographer and graduate of Skidmore College will join in the discussion. He has recently been photographing and writing about three Washington County, New York dairy farms.
In Place: The Photographs of Neil Rappaport, is an exhibit of the former Bennington College professor, who established the photography department at the college. The work in the exhibit primarily focuses on his "visual census" of Pawlet, Vermont residents from 1980-1990. These intimate photographs give a glimpse into a Vermont that is swiftly disappearing.
The discussion on October 21, organized by Neil's wife Susanne, will give a glimpse into the creator of these stunning photographs. The Bennington Museum is located at 75 Main St. (Route 9) one mile west of the intersection of Routes 7 and 9 in downtown Bennington, Vermont. Open daily except Wednesdays from 10 am- 6pm through Columbus Day. After that 10 am - 5pm. For more information, visit the website at www.benningtonmuseum.org or call 802-447-1571.
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BRTA Extending Free Rides to Non-ADA Communities
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority is extending fare-free rides to non-ADA communities.
BRTA Advisory Board on Thursday voted to let non-ADA communities participate in fare-free rides through June.
"The advantage of fare-free is to introduce more citizens to the services," said member Douglas McNally.
The request was brought up earlier this month to the finance committee, which recommended the extension.
Last year, BRTA was awarded $699,733 from the state for fare-free service from Jan 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2025. The funding was provided in the fiscal year 2025 budget signed by Gov. Maura Healey in July and builds off two years of successful pilot programs.
The fare-free initiative was for fixed routes and ADA paratransit services.
Transit to Pittsfield for non-ADA communities would cost as much as $25 for a trip, which could be hard for some riders.
"There could be a pent-up demand that we realize financially it could cause you to not go to your doctor's appointment because you couldn't afford to take a $25 trip one way to go to the doctor's and then go home," Administrator Robert Malnati said.
The BRTA had about $7,000 in the budget to put toward this initiative.
"This way here it opens the door to know what we're about, how can we help them, in utilizing funds that are still there and just expanding the other service so it made sense," said Malnati.
Residents in 17 communities will now have the opportunity. The communities being Alford, Becket, Clarksburg, Egremont, Florida, Hancock, Monterey, Mount Washington, New Marlborough, Otis, Peru, Richmond, Savoy, Sheffield, West Stockbridge, Washington and Windsor.
Malnati believes this was a good step to get people to know what the BRTA does.
"I think it's a step in the right direction… We are the whole Berkshire region so why are we only limiting it to 13 communities? Why can't we open it to everybody, so we will," he said.
Ashlyn Lesure scored 18 points, and Regan Shea and Emma Meczywor added 15 and 11, respectively, as the Hurricanes successfully defended their 2024 state crown and won the program’s fourth state title in a run that has seen Hoosac Valley go to the state final nine times since 2014. click for more
Pittsfield High's Matt Dupuis and Lee's Devyn Fillio Sunday won the boys and girls individual high school bowling State Championships at Spare Time.
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Capped by Sam St. Peter’s come-from-behind win in the final bout of the day to win the 285 crown, the Spartans placed second at the Western Massachusetts Division 3 Championships at Mount Greylock. click for more
