'Nick De Candia: A Retrospective' at Lichtenstein Center for the Arts

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — "Nick De Candia:  A Retrospective" will be on view at The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts from Jan. 11-28.  
 
The photographer passed away last year just shy of his 90th birthday.  
 
De Candia had a photography exhibit scheduled for this year at the Lichtenstein.  In light of his passing, his family is hosting this retrospective show of his work.  
 
The black and white photographs in the exhibit were taken over the course of Mr. De Candia's 50-year career and demonstrate the wide-ranging subject matter that interested him, as well as several experimental techniques that captured his imagination.
 
In his lifetime, De Candia produced a number of photo essays about such social issues as poverty, food insecurity, and teenage pregnancy. He received a grant to create a permanent installation of banner-type photos at The Berkshire Atheneum called Facing Berkshires Heritage.  "Take Another Look: A Photographic Essay on Food Insecurity in Pittsfield" was a moving photographic essay by Nick De Candia on the South Church Food Pantry.  The exhibit was shown at the Massachusetts State House in 2015. 
 
De Candia taught photography at Berkshire Community College for 32 years and at Southern Vermont College as well as at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He was public relations photographer at Berkshire Medical Center and Hillcrest Hospital. He was also a photo technician and photographer for The Berkshire Eagle and The North Adams Transcript. De Candia was well-known for a biweekly column in the Eagle called, Window in the Berkshires.  His photography has been celebrated in the Berkshires for many years. 
 
There will be a public reception for Nick De Candia:  A Retrospective on Saturday, Jan. 21, from 2-4pm. 
 
The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts is open Wednesday-Friday 11am-3pm or by appointment. 

Tags: Lichtenstein ,   photography,   

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Berkshire United Way to Massachusetts: Early-Learning Educators Need Better Wages

By Katherine von Haefen Guest Column
As reported in iBerkshires, state education officials met with Western Massachusetts childcare and early education advocates at Berkshire Community College recently. I had the opportunity to share the following testimony on behalf of Berkshire United Way and our community partners. 
 
Early childhood education provides tremendous benefits to our region. High-quality child care dramatically influences brain development and the future health and success for children in school and life, as well as provides a safe and secure space for our youngest community members so their parents or caregivers can work and provide for their families. 
 
Berkshire United Way has invested in improving early childhood development opportunities in the Berkshires for decades. We fund high-quality nonprofit child-care centers that provide slots for income-constrained families. We also support the sector by co-hosting monthly child-care director meetings to work on shared challenges and collectively propose solutions. We advocate for early childhood education and have a great partner in this work, state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier. 
 
Staffing is a key component of high-quality care. The research shows that skilled and consistent educators in a classroom create long-lasting change for children. However, wages are stagnant and frequently do not provide educators with basic financial stability. We often hear that educators have left the field because they are unable to make their finances work. Wages need to improve to better reflect the expertise and indelible impact teachers have in the field. 
 
When we look specifically at our region, our data is concerning. 
 
As Berkshire County emerges from the pandemic, we are struggling with transportation, affordable housing and lack of mental health resources, much like the rest of the state. We are also seeing a rise in economically challenged households. 
 
After nearly 10 years of decline, Berkshire County has experienced a significant jump in income inequality, now exceeding the state and national trends and far above comparable counties, according to the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. Over half of our population are "economically challenged," meaning they are working but struggling to make ends meet. A single parent with a school-aged child needs between $70,000 and $80,000 in income and public benefits just to meet their basic needs. 
 
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