Finding more galleries on a downtown walk in Bennington

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When it comes to the visual arts, there’s a lot to see and do in downtown Bennington, Vt. In the past two years the downtown has grown to become its own destination for those seeking arts and crafts in a variety of media, with several shops and galleries located within walking distance of each other. The amount of exhibition space downtown has also increased, with a new gallery and an ongoing program that brings the work of local and regional artists to storefront windows. Flanking the corner of U.S. Route 7 and state Route 9, in the large marble building that once housed the First National Bank, is Fiddlehead at Five Corners, which co-owner Joel Lentzner calls “a retail theater.” Lentzner and his partner Nina Hardt spent many years as furniture-makers travelling throughout the country and met many crafters along the way. The store is an all-star lineup of their favorites; items include prints, hand-blown glass, furniture, lamps, and sculptures. They have a special room for kids’ items and each month they have a mini-exhibit from a local artist in what used to be the vault of the former bank. Sarah Dole’s Left Bank Gallery, a few doors down on West Main Street, is chock full of interesting gifts and decorations. While she usually holds monthly exhibitions every summer in her upstairs gallery, this year she decided to focus on her downstairs shop and take time for her own artwork. Earlier this summer she had planned to hold a show of her own work, but she has postponed it until a later date. Entering the Left Bank is like stepping into another world. With global influences including Chinese calligraphy, Indian weaving, and Renaissance art, Dole creates an atmosphere that is both inviting and eye-opening. The smaller items make her shop/gallery most unique: a collection of unique greeting cards and prints, pillows made from a women’s co-op in India, and wrapping paper that is worth framing on its own. The small storefront located to the right of Left Bank is of Katie Cleaver, a metalsmith who has been in business for more than 25 years. Her small store specializes in contemporary jewelry with some sculpture. Cleaver said she has become so busy that she no longer takes custom orders, “unless someone is willing to wait for a year.” Around the corner, next to Your Belly’s Deli on Pleasant Street, is the historic Stark Hose Co. building, headquarters of an former neighborhood fire station. The building, with a Dutch style roof, was renovated through an adaptive reuse program by the North Bennington-based Vermont Arts Exchange (VAE). An artist apartment is located upstairs, and downstairs the Stark Hose Gallery opened this past winter. Currently, the VAE is holding an exhibit of photographs from students at the Parsons School of Design in New York City. And they’re gearing up for this fall’s WindowWorks program, which invites local artists to submit artwork that may be chosen to go on display downtown in one of the many store windows. Heading east on Main Street, The Pea Pod has a wide variety of gifts and accessories for the home, including pottery, clocks, candles and lamps. For art supplies, both Knapp’s Pets, Hobbies and Music on Main and Jay’s Art Shop and Frame Gallery on South Street are excellent resources. Jewelers include Tofel Jewelers and K.F. Armstrong Jewelers, longtime dealers in fine jewelry. And just a jaunt down the road, up Route 7, one will find an interesting mix of items at Hawkins House, which has handmade games, hand-woven rugs and much jewelry. Each of these venues has its own unique quality, and it is rare to find one hub with so many options.
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Retiring Superintendent Named to North Adams' Women's Hall of Fame

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
 NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Superintendent Barbara Malkas last week was inducted into the Women's History Hall of Fame in North Adams. 
 
The honor was established several years ago by Mayor Jennifer A. Macksey to recognize women who have played important roles in the city's history. 
 
At the end of last week's School Committee meeting, Macksey asked if anyone knew who Julia Dewey was. 
 
"No? She was the first female superintendent that served from 1893 to 1895 and another fun fact, did you know that Dr. Barbara Malkas is the second female superintendent serving from 2016 to now," the mayor said.
 
Malkas, who is retiring at the end of the school year, "is a true testament of a community leader for her stewardship and volunteer work within the city and beyond," said Macksey.
 
She listed the awards the superintendent has been presented, including the Against the Tide Award from the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, of which Malkas is president, Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents' 2019 President's Award for Outstanding Contribution to Education, the Unsung Heroine Award during COVID-19, Commonwealth Superintendent of the Year in 2024, and the Zonta Club of Berkshire County award for building a better work for women and girls.
 
"Dr. Malkas, you've been a mentor, a trusted colleague and a friend to many of us over the years," said the mayor. "I see it most fitting as you prepare for your retirement to honor you for your unwavering commitment to education, to our students in this great city of North Adams. ... 
 
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