Community Calendar

Circus & the Bard: The Next Chapter bounces back July 16–26 at 11:30 am and 2:30 pm at the Tina Packer Playhouse!

Co-created by Allyn Burrows, Robin Eldridge, and Pedro Reis, Co-directed by Allyn Burrows and Pedro Reis

Shakespeare & Company and Spirit of the Circus reunite for a playful mash-up of jaw-dropping circus acts paired with Shakespeare’s beloved characters. When high-flying feats meet the Bard’s words, sparks fly, laughs abound, and something truly magical happens.

Tickets are $35 for adults, $22 for ages 13-22, and $15 for ages 3-12. Tickets are on sale now at shakespeare.org, or by calling the Box Office at (413) 637-3353

Join us on Wednesday, July 22, and Thursday, July 23, for relaxed, sensory-friendly performances.

What is a Sensory-Friendly Performance?
Sensory-friendly performances are adapted to be less overwhelming and to welcome individuals with a range of sensory needs, including people who are neurodivergent; those with cognitive, social, or physical challenges; first-time theatergoers, and others. These performances offer pre-show materials such as story synopses and “what to expect” guides, along with reduced-intensity lighting and sound, dimmed house lights, and clear theater maps. Performances are relaxed; audience members are free to come and go, and total quiet is not expected. These shows are open to all patrons.

In “Pretend till it Hurts”, Matthew Gilbert presents a series of sculptures and textile drawings that depict fatal stories with a dark sense of humor.

Blending cartoon logic with gothic imagery, Gilbert projects themes of abandonment onto crumbling architecture. The plush materials and whimsical details soften the otherwise catastrophic subject matter, adding theatrical melodrama that is both sincere and deprecating.

I propose to exhibit a selection of works from my recent series Apart. This is an ongoing body of work that reflects the tension between us as individuals and the systems that define our world. I constantly wonder how I as an artist can effectively respond to the daily injustices people experience. Growing up surrounded by the propaganda of a dictatorial regime, I resist the urge to follow that path, instead focusing on a more nuanced response.

As an immigrant from communist Czechoslovakia raised by Holocaust survivors, my personal history was shaped me to inhabit a particular vantage point—an observer of society, neither fully belonging to the world I live in nor to the one I came from. This dual perspective fuels my perception of global events, particularly the alarming resurgence of totalitarianism and its implications for us all.

The notion of civilizations collapsing, strikes a passionate chord within me, especially now, as we are powerlessly watching the awful human consequences and devastation of the middle east by cruel imperial whims.

I hope that my work, driven by a conviction that we can and must learn from the past, trying to prevent the repetition of its darkest chapters reminds the viewer of how art and joy can form meaningful modes of resistance.

I find comfort in direct interaction with materials - painting, drawing, and collage—through which I express my observations and emotions. Each mark is a contemplative act, a quest to transform feelings of helplessness into a resonant expression that speaks to me. My creative process unfolds organically, driven by intuition and a desire to uncover the unseen and the unexpected. I explore both the accumulation and subtraction, reflecting the fluidity and subjectivity of my personal experiences and insights.

In my art I’m dedicated to forging these new pathways, blending the poignant realities of our global challenges with the enduring beauty and potential for renewal that each new day brings.

This three-day retreat invites women to deepen their relationship with themselves and others through expressive arts, reflection, and heartfelt connection. Held at the historic Wiawaka Center for Women on Lake George, The Art of Relating: Pathways to Expression offers a spacious, restorative environment to slow down and reconnect with what feels true.

Now in its third year, the retreat blends intentional creativity, movement, time in nature, and soulful conversation to support women in strengthening self-trust, clarity, and authentic expression. Guided by relationship coach and author Joëlle Lydon, and rooted in the teachings of her book Unbreakable Us: Removing the Barriers to Love, this experience is ideal for women seeking meaningful connection, personal renewal, and grounded insight into how they relate.

No artistic experience required. Lodging and meals included.

50 years after their completion, an exhibition of late-artist Woldemar Neufeld’s “Bridges Across the Housatonic” paintings will open in West Cornwall, Connecticut! Join the Housatonic Valley Association, Cornwall Conservation Trust, and Housatonic River Commission on July 17 at 3 p.m. for an opening reception at 7 Railroad Street, West Cornwall, CT.

Originally created in celebration of America’s Bicentennial, this gallery will showcase original Neufeld watercolor and ink paintings, featuring bridges along the federally designated Wild & Scenic stretch of the Housatonic River. Visitors will be given a glimpse into Neufeld’s thoughts and methods as he completed this ambitious project through his reference photos and sketches, and modern-day photos of the depicted locations will welcome viewers to reflect on their own history of interactions with the river at a time when preserving our natural resources and access to open spaces is more important than ever. We hope to see you there!

Join us for a huge tag sale to benefit the Woodstock Farm Festival and their Market Bucks program, a mutual aid initiative to increases food access in our community. Expect vintage clothing and other secondhand gems, housewares, shoes, and much more! We'll be having a First Look Party on Friday with light refreshments and music, admission $15. The sale is FREE the rest of the weekend.
Price:

$15 Friday for First Look Party, FREE the rest of the weekend
5:00pm - 7:30pm Friday
10am-6pm Saturday
10am-4pm Sunday

Get ready to make some music! Local bluegrass artists Tim Wechgelaer and Chris Carey are bringing their strings and spirit to the fields at Pitney Meadows for a joyful, foot-stomping jam session.

Settle in for the first hour as Tim and Chris get things rolling, then jump in and join the fun! Bring your own instrument or borrow one of ours and become part of the music. Whether you're a seasoned picker, just learning, or simply curious to try a tune, everyone is welcome.

Not a musician? No problem! Bring a picnic, relax with family and friends, and enjoy a beautiful summer evening filled with live music on the farm.

Together, we’ll celebrate the deep-rooted connection between bluegrass music and agriculture in the Northeast… think banjo, fiddle, guitar, and mandolin echoing around the gardens and fields, drifting across the land. Come for the music, stay for the community, and leave with a song stuck in your head! 

Saratoga Arts made this program possible through the Community Arts Regrant Program, funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Join Museum Educators weekly, June - August 2026, for artmaking activities for all ages inspired by the American Stories: Revolution to Rockwell exhibition. Explore the galleries and then get creative. Everyone is welcome.

For more information, visit https://www.nrm.org/events/list/?tribe_eventcategory%5B0%5D=795&hide_subsequent_recurrences=1

Please note: These tours do not take place at the Museum. Tour groups will meet on Main Street. Transportation to Main Street from the Museum is not provided.

Take a guided walking tour of downtown Stockbridge and discover how the town and its inhabitants both inspired Norman Rockwell and appeared in some of his most iconic works of art. Explore the history of this 1734 village–including its Mohican origins.

Stops will include Norman Rockwell’s home on South Street, his first studio on Main Street, the Old Corner House (site of the original Norman Rockwell Museum), Chief John Konkapot’s property, the Red Lion Inn, the former site of Alice’s Restaurant, and more!

Limited capacity- advance reservations required. Event is rain or shine.

Meet in front of The Old Corner House, 48 Main Street; public on street parking, or designated spaces at Town Hall. Tour route is mostly flat, and on sidewalks.

Group size maximum of 24

For more information, visit https://www.nrm.org/events/norman-rockwells-stockbridge-walking-tour-17/

Rest and Relaxation at the Shaker Herb Garden

A silent hour to slow down, smell the flowers, and restore yourself in the nourishing company of over 150 healing plants at the Shaker Heritage Society Herb Garden.

Bring a blanket and rest, journal, write, read, sketch, meditate, daydream, or take time to simply reconnect with nature.

Accessibility notes: This program will be held outside on a relatively flat, grassy, surface, in mostly full sun. Some chairs and some shady areas will be available right next to the garden under the shade of the old pine tree. Restrooms are wheelchair accessible. Parking in front of the garden is available for those with limited mobility.