Get preschoolers off to a good start...with art (and have a lot of fun, too). The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute's Start with Art program is an exciting, free series for preschoolers and their parents on the second Saturday of each month through March. Special gallery tours and art activities will be held from 10 am to 12 pm and are best suited for three - to six-year-olds and their parents. Saturday, January 12 will focus on food and art. Parents and children are invited to attend any or all of the sessions.
Begin the morning by exploring the collection with a gallery guide specially designed for preschoolers. Stops on this self-guided tour include John Constable's The Wheatfield, a gift to the Clark in 2007; Lawrence Alma-Tadema's The Women of Amphissa, one of the largest paintings at the Clark; and Pieter Claesz's Still Life from 1640.
Age appropriate "painting talks" will introduce families to eye-opening details in some of the best-loved works of art at the Clark. At 10:30 am, discover Alfred Sisley's Apples and Grapes in a Basket. At 10:45 am, "sample" Pierre-Auguste Renoir's The Onions and Apples in a Dish.
Does all this fun make you hungry and creative? Try painting on cookies with edible paint. Make a snack and a work of art! Create a macaroni box with decorative paints, pasta, and a small container. Copies of works of art in the Clark's collection will be available for coloring.
Start with Art continues on February 9 on the subject of animals. March 8 focuses on flowers and plants.
A visit to the Clark is a rewarding family experience year-round with 140 acres of scenic meadows and trails providing ample opportunities for families to cross-country ski, snowshoe, sled, or spot the many birds inhabiting the area. The Clark's grounds are open to the public free of charge. Free admission to the galleries is always offered to children 18 and under and students with valid ID.
The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown. The galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm (daily in July and August). Admission is free November 1 through May 31. Admission June 1 through October 31 is $12.50 for adults, free for children 18 and younger, members, and students with valid ID. For more information, call 413-458-2303 or visit www.clarkart.edu
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Former Harry's Supermarket Under Construction for Restaurant
Late last month, the Conservation Commission greenlit some tree pruning on the property. New windows and a new door can be seen in the front of the building.
"It's a substantial renovation that's currently underway here," Brent White of White Engineering said, speaking on behalf of the applicant and owner, Huajie Zhu.
A fire gutted the longtime Wahconah Street supermarket in 2023, and the following year, Zhu purchased the property for $460,000 two years ago to build a restaurant with hibachi in the existing footprint of the more than 100-year-old building.
White explained that the project has been ongoing for over a year, and the Community Development Board granted the property a waiver to reduce the minimum required number of parking spaces so that additional spaces aren't needed.
He noted that, looking at the site plan, there is very little room to do so. A mirror will be installed near the sharp turn on Bel Air Avenue to alleviate traffic concerns.
Pruning will be done on trees in the southeast corner of the existing paved parking lot, as a number of branches are hanging over. The new owners also intend to patch, sealcoat, and re-stripe the parking lot.
A fire tore through the building less than an hour after the supermarket closed for the day three years ago. An automatic sprinkler system is required for the new use.
Cassidy Flynn scattered five hits in a complete-game effort in the circle as Lenox upset top-seeded Hoosac Valley, 3-2, in the quarter-finals of the Division 5 State Tournament. click for more
Brayden Durant struck out seven and walked one in a complete-game effort on the mound Saturday to pitch the Drury baseball team to a 6-0 win over Keefe Tech in the quarter-finals of the Division 5 State Tournament at Joe Wolfe Field. click for more
Jason Codey struck out 13, walked two and allowed just an infield single as the Generals earned a 7-1 win over Wahconah to claim their third straight regional title. click for more
Gracelyn Wright struck out eight, and Genevieve Lagess went 3-for-5 with four runs batted in as the Hurricanes beat Monson, 17-3, to claim their first Western Mass title in four years. click for more
For the boys, Ward Bianchi helped lead the way with a win in the shot put and a second place in the javelin as the Mounties finished 16 points ahead of runner-up Pittsfield (pending the results of the pole vault, which were unavailable at 11 p.m. Friday night). click for more
