Community Calendar

Presented under the Berkshires’ summer skies, Romeo and Juliet proves that even the ultimate case of love at first sight can lead to… well, chaos.

Meddling families and murderous duels meld to offer an evening of sword fights, swinging soirees, and secret weddings — but the play is also full of exuberant vulgarity, harsh brutality and above all, the tingling, unbearable delight of young love.

This milestone Summer Season will support new theater in development created by 220 artists, through 12 public performances, including one immersive dance-concert production, 10 residencies, eight television pilots and screenplays, two panel discussions, and more at Marist University: July 11 to August 3.

Audiences will experience stories in their earliest stages before they go to Broadway, major resident and international theaters, movies theaters or TV.

This group of artists has been recognized by every major award, including the Pulitzer Prize, Tony, Obie, Oscar, Emmy, etc.

The Norman Rockwell Museum is honored to present a rare series of early twentieth century lighting advertisements by Norman Rockwell and fellow Golden Age illustrators Maxfield Parrish, N.C. Wyeth, Dean Cornwell, Stanley Arthurs, Worth Brehm, and Charles Chambers created for Edison Mazda Lamps, a division of the General Electric Company. These luminous, richly painted works were widely circulated in published advertisements through the 1920s and are on loan to the Museum for the first time through the generosity of GE Aerospace.

“Once a Tree: Continuity, Creativity, and Connection” explores the deep-rooted significance of trees in Haudenosaunee culture, tradition, and creative expression. Featuring the work of 42 artists and more than 100 objects—including decorative and utilitarian baskets, cradleboards, snowshoes, ladles, lacrosse sticks, toys, instruments, carvings, and sleds—this exhibition highlights the important relationship between nature and artistry. Selected from the Museum’s permanent collection, the exhibition was created with guidance from curatorial consultants Terry Chrisjohn III (Oneida), Preston Jacobs (Mohawk), and Sheila Ransom (Mohawk).

"Separated but Unbroken: The Haudenosaunee Boarding School Experience" explores the lasting impact of the Thomas Indian School, once located on the Cattaraugus Reservation south of Buffalo, NY, and The Mohawk Institute near Branford, Ontario. These institutions, which enrolled a significant number of Haudenosaunee students, were part of a larger system that sought to erase Indigenous identities while deeply shaping the lives of those who endured them. Co-curated by Erin Keaton (Mohawk), the exhibition sheds light on Haudenosaunee resilience.

State Senator Michelle Hinchey is partnering with the Columbia County Office for the Aging and Neighbors of Northern Columbia County to host a Senior Resource Fair in Valatie on Wednesday, July 23, from 10 AM to 1 PM. This free community event will connect Columbia County seniors with services and support, including:
*Health and Wellness
*Housing Resources
*Benefits Help
*Free Refreshments
No registration required. For questions, contact Senator Hinchey's office at 845-331-3810.

The Yiddish Book Center is now offering masked tours of Yiddish: A Global Culture, our permanent exhibition. Visitors can experience the incredible story of Yiddish on this 45-minute tour.

Masked tours are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on:

Monday, May 19
Monday, June 30
Monday, July 28

The tour guide as well as all guests on the tour will be masked. There is no additional charge for these tours and no advance registration required. If you have any questions about our Masked Tours, please email us at access@yiddishbookcenter.org.

Suggested donation: $12

We also offer tours that do not require masks on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. and Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m.

Learn more and plan your visit: https://www.yiddishbookcenter.org/events-and-store/plan-your-visit-hours-and-directions

Yiddish Book Center hours:
Sunday–Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Address:
1021 West Street
Amherst, MA 01002

Phone number: 413.256.4900

Every Saturday in July, join us for fun and interactive programming inspired by the art of Norman Rockwell and Walter Wick, creator of the I SPY books for children. Try your hand at making art inspired by these beloved illustrators. You’ll want to return again and again with a variety of fun and engaging experiences for the whole family; it’s the perfect way to spend some quality time together on your Saturdays this summer!
For more information, visit https://www.nrm.org/events/list/?tribe_eventcategory%5B0%5D=795&hide_subsequent_recurrences=1

New York, NY: Pleiades Gallery announces the opening of Flying Colors, an exhibit featuring the paintings and monoprints of Joyce Weidenaar. The Artist Reception will take place on Saturday, July 12 from 3-6 PM. A New York based artist, Weidenaar is also a ballroom dancer, and will host a ballroom dance in the gallery on July 26 from 3-6 PM.
“Form over Function” is often not a compliment, but in Joyce Weidenaar’s paintings and monoprints, that’s exactly the point. Weidenaar sees shapes and colors of ordinary objects and heightens them to create visual poetry.
Weidenaar’s paintings are bursting with color. The subject matter is often something ordinary – fans, or kites, or crushed soda cans – but presented in surprising compositions that engage and amuse the viewer. Objects are rendered realistically but their framing and coloration brings out abstract qualities that call for a more discerning look.
Her monoprints explore the myriad texture possibilities of found materials. Feathers, leaves, mesh, Halloween netting, onion bags, and crazy yarns are all employed to generate mysterious images in her abstract prints.
“I am always on the lookout for an unusual subject for a painting or material for a print. I relax my mind and focus on a form itself, apart from its meaning or association. If the shape is inherently interesting, it’s a good candidate to be transformed into something unusual. And if there’s some whimsy in the final product, so much the better. I want my work to generate a surprise, or a smile.”
The show will be on display from July 8-August 2 at Pleiades Gallery at 547 W. 27th St., Suite 304, NY, NY. Entry is free and the gallery is open Tuesday-Saturday from 12-6 PM. The opening reception on Saturday, July 12, 2025, from 3-6 PM is free and open to the public.
Weidenaar has been pursuing her art full time since 2015, after retiring from a business career. Her works have been seen in numerous solo and group exhibitions nationwide. She is a member of National Association of Women Artists, The Art Students League of New York and the West Side Arts Coalition. Her paintings and prints are viewable on Instagram (@joyceweidenaar) and on her website (Joyce WeidenaarArtworks.com).

Join us on July 23 as Planetarium Adventures brings a portable planetarium show to the Great Hall of the Arkell Museum and Canajoharie Library. Enjoy the world of astronomy and the wonderment of our solar system with this fun and interactive presentation.

Limited Seating; Two Show Times: 12pm & 2pm

This is a free program for kids and tweens. Registration requested.
For questions call 518-673-2314 ext. 106 or email info@arkellmuseum.org

Woodstock's weekly farmer's market bursting at the seams with local produce, live music, artisan producers and events for all ages - don't forget to bring the kids!