Clock Tower Artists Open Studios

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Clock Tower Artists Open Studios will be held this month on Friday, Nov. 3 from 5-8 for First Friday Arts Walk, and Saturday, Nov. 4 from 11-4 for Open Studios.
 
The public, including families and children accompanied by adults, are invited to explore the studios, see original artworks, learn about the processes, observe artist's tools and techniques, and engage in good conversation in his unique, light-filled space.
 
The artwork ranges from realistic to abstract, and includes wearable art, oil painting, acrylic painting, encaustic, sculpture,  performance art, and mixed media. There is ample parking, an elevator, and handicap accessibility.
 
The art studios are located on the third floor of the Clock Tower Business Park, located at 75 South Church Street in Pittsfield.
 
The Clock Tower Artists have grown from a handful artists occupying a few new and existing spaces on the north side of the third floor of the Clock Tower Business Center to thirteen creatives working out of custom-built artists' studios. 
 
Clock Tower Artists include:
 
Deborah H. Carter creates couture pieces constructed of post-consumer waste such as food packaging, corks, plastic, and other discarded items and thrifted wares.
 
Oil painter, Joanie Ciolfi, creates canvases that capture moments of stunning color and light. Her use of simple imagery, painted with expressive energy and texture, result in a fresh, contemporary take on her subjects.
 
Marion H. Grant's abstract paintings in acrylic and mixed media explore color, pattern, texture, and geometry, resulting in richly colored works full of movement and unexpected details.
 
Stacey Healy is a sculptor and painter of images inspired by animals, especially equines.
 
Caroline Kelley, an abstract painter inspired by nature, makes works that incorporate acrylics, beeswax crayons, and pencil. Building up layers, and scraping back reveal a rich history of colors and textures in her work.
 
Bruce Laird is an abstract artist whose two- and three-dimensional works in mixed media reveal a fascination with geometry, color, and juxtapositions. His surprising results are both playful and thought-provoking.
 
Mark Mellinger is a contemporary artist working In abstract painting, collage and in constructions of found material, He is interested in the materiality of the medium and the eloquence of form, more than on symbolism or meaning, aiming for a result that speaks wordlessly.
 
Using the ancient technique of encaustic , Linda Petrocine captures the restorative quality of nature using the versatile and translucent qualities of wax and paint to express environmental moods.
 
Shany Porras creates original abstract paintings that translate the language of music into works of subtle color and and gorgeous movement.
 
Her subject matter reflects her lifelong connection to the Berkshires and the people and scenes unique to the area.
 
Ilene Richard is a fine art painter who uses observations of people in everyday situations to inform her colorful figurative work. She creates emotional connections between her subjects and draws the viewer into the narrative taking place on the canvas.
 
Audrey Shachnow isa painter and sculptor who creates shimmering, gold-leaf sculptures and is currently working on a series of dream paintings which incorporate climate concerns.
 
Stephanie Weber is an action-based dancer and teaches and practices the Gyrotonic Method, physical poetry, and jazz tap.
 
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Lanesborough Village Fire/Water Receives $1M State Boost

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Fire and Water District received a $1 million boost from the state for a new drinking water well on Bull Hill Road.

While the project is expected to cost as much as $8 million, this will allow planners to gather enough information to make an informed decision about moving forward with additional permitting, design, and construction, legal consultant Mark Siegars told iBerkshires in an email.

"The Lanesborough Village Fire and Water District is pleased to announce that it is the recipient of a $1,000,000 grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP) under the Emerging Contaminants for Small and Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) grant program funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL,)," a press release from the district reads.

"The District wishes to express its appreciation to both the USEPA and MADEP for their continued support of small and disadvantaged communities as we struggle to maintain the level, quality, and security of clean drinking water to our customers."

The funds will go toward the continued development of a new well after the district discontinued its Bridge Street well because of PFAS contamination. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a wide variety of chemicals used in consumer products. Exposure to sufficiently elevated levels may cause developmental effects in infants, impact certain organ functions and the immune system, elevate cancer risk, and other health effects.

While this grant will defray many of the costs associated with developing the Bull Hill Road well site, additional financial assistance is sought to cover additional costs associated with connecting a new well to its existing storage and distribution systems, the district reported.

On Monday, the Healey-Driscoll administration announced more than $17.4 million in grant awards to 21 public water suppliers to assist with long-term solutions that address and mitigate emerging contaminants in drinking water. MassDEP selected these projects to help remove PFAS and manganese.

Grants range from $4,665 for the New Testament Church in Plymouth to $5,175,000 for the Pepperell Water Department.

The Lanesborough Fire District had the largest award of the three to Berkshire County. The Housatonic Water Works Co. received $350,000 to construct a new treatment facility to remove manganese from the drinking water source at Long Pond and the Egremont Town Hall received $38,000 to install a filtration and treatment unit.

The Lanesborough Village Fire and Water District is separate from the town and was created by a vote of its residents when the Legislature approved its formation. The district serves about 900 customers and most recently extended service to Berkshire Village following a state order requiring the Berkshire Village Cooperative Water District to repair or replace its water supply system.  

Pipelines and fire hydrants connecting the district and village were installed a few years ago through a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development grant of $1,046,200 and low-interest loan of $1.33 million, paid by the village residents.

The new well on Bull Hill Road will be on property the district acquired some time ago.  It became a prospect for development three years ago after the state ordered the district to abandon its Bridge St. well due to excessive PFAS contamination, Siegars explained.

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