Pittsfield Receives Grant from National Endowment for the Arts
PITTSFIELD — Mayor James M. Ruberto announced today that the Office of Cultural Development has received a grant of $10,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to host The Big Read, a community bookreading project, in Pittsfield. Pittsfield is one of 208 communities across the country from 46 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to receive The Big Read grant. The Big Read gives communities the opportunity to come together to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 23 selections from American and world literature. The Big Read in Pittsfield will focus on To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee during the month of October 2008.The Big Read project in Pittsfield will be a collaborative effort involving many community partners, including Barrington Stage Company, which will mount a fully staged production of the beloved book in October; Chapters Bookstore, the new independent bookstore opening on North Street in July; Pittsfield’s four high schools; the Berkshire Museum; the Colonial Theatre, which will host a screening of the classic film with some very special guests; the Friends of the Berkshire Athenaeum; the Samuel Harrison Society; Word Street, a local youth literary center; Berkshire Community College; the Literacy Network of Berkshire County; the Berkshire Law Library; Ferrin Gallery, one of the Berkshires’ preeminent contemporary art galleries; Berkshire Bank; the Pittsfield City Jazz Festival, and others.
Mayor Ruberto said, “The City of Pittsfield is excited to receive a prestigious Big Read grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the nation’s largest annual funder of the arts. The array of partners already committed to The Big Read in Pittsfield speaks volumes to the high level of enthusiasm and collaboration found in our community, and its dedication to education and enrichment through the arts.”
NEA Chairman Dana Gioia noted, “Everything the NEA does we do in partnership. I am delighted to announce our 208 new partners in The Big Read. Some are new to the program, some are returning, but all of them have answered the call to action to get our country reading again.”
Julianne Boyd, the co-founder and artistic director of Barrington Stage Company, said, “Barrington Stage is thrilled to be presenting the staged version of To Kill A Mockingbird from October 8 to 26 in tandem with The Big Read. We hope our production will inspire students and adults either to read the novel for the first time or to revisit its timeless wisdom and essential lessons of courage, respect and kindness.”
The Big Read grant will be used to promote and carry out community-based reading programs featuring activities such as book discussions, lectures, movie screenings, and performing arts events. Participating communities also receive high-quality, free-of-charge educational materials to supplement each title, including Reader’s, Teacher’s, and Audio Guides.
Organizations, book clubs, businesses, and book groups interested in participating in the Big Read in October 2008 are invited to contact Marla Robertson at 413-499-9348 or mrobertson@pittsfieldch.com. For more information about The Big Read please visit neabigread.org. For more information on National Endowment for the Arts visit arts.gov.
