Program for 2009
Program by date
June-July, 2009
August, 2009
Program by type
Gallery Exhibits
Lecture Series
Special Events
Summer Solstice Bash
"Hollywood in the
Berkshires"
Guided Garden and
Artist Studio Tour
Donors' Buffet Reception
Becket Community Fair
"Singer-songwriter Laura
Wetzler
In Concert"
Progressive Dinner Fund
Raiser
Excursions
Frelinghuysen Morris
House and Studio Tour
Historic Quarry
Keystone Arches
Workshops
Drawing
Painting
Mixed Media
Sculpture
Jewelry
Crafts
Music
Writing
Gardening
Bridge
Body Fitness
Young Peoples Program
Seventh Annual Young
People's Arts Festival
Shakespeare in Becket
Dance Together at the Pillow
Art Adventures
My Images and Me
Marmalade Production's
Puppet Day
Download a pdf copy of the registration form.
Color is my particular passion, and "plein aire" painting in the Berkshire fields has for twenty years been my special joy. I struggle against the mimetic but at the same time never wander too far from the wonderful actual forms of nature, though I try to express through them my own intensities. I love expressive brush work, luxuriate in the lushness of paint in impasto work, the calling of attention to the painting process. My fascination with color has also led me recently to explore the effects of transparency and the multiple layerings of paint.
Always being in constant battle with myself on what media to present my art in 3-dimension always wins. The body is a splendid vessel to capture and create with. I feel that every cast is not only a beautiful way to bond with our bodies and life experience, but also a way to heal and nurture ourselves. From a splendid womb to a lovers' embrace, a swirl on the hip to a struggle with a health issue, this art helps me find peace in the knowledge that we are ever-changing in this circle of life.
My work is inspired by nature and the varying aspects of light, color and atmosphere. Using photos and sketches primarily as a starting point, the process takes on a life of its own, revealing an emotion more than a literal description of a place. The surfaces of my oil paintings are smooth, without obvious brushstrokes. I achieve this by layering thin veils of paint, giving the work a soft, diffused and ethereal quality. I'm drawn to compositions that are minimalist in design, which for me evokes a sense of peace and serenity, something I feel we all yearn for at times.
My sculptures strive for visual and tactile emotions stirred by striking geometrical shapes and
images that show a lot of personality and inner character. Portraying abstract forms or individuals or animals, the subjects reveal unique personal inspiration and mental images. The results - not just cold stone - meld all surfaces for an integrated, flowing whole to accomplish each creative goal.
I'm an unabashed lifelong tree hugger! Wearable art is what I attempt in my designs. Shapes and colors influenced by my love of nature become pieces of jewelry. This year’s collection will have floral pieces sculpted of polymer clay and art clay silver. All of my pieces are original and one-of-a-kind.
This series of one-of-a-kind weaving/mixed-media assemblages, "LOOK TO THE EARTH AND IT SHALL LEAD YOU..." (Job), celebrates and honors our reverent relationship to the planet earth. It calls upon all of us to preserve and maintain that covenant to be stewards during this 'tipping point' in the preservation of our land, and all the dwellers of the earth. These artworks are made of wool, silk and metallic fibers with glass, ceramic, wood and abalone combined with diverse surface elements. Hebrew calligraphy is hand-fashioned with quotes from Torah (Old Testament) Psalms and blessings.
This exhibit consists of a variety of painted wooden boxes, columns and wall cabinets. Some of the wooden structures are new (built by me) others are old. All of the old structures have been modified in some way. The painted surfaces consist of stylized Berkshire landscapes and other decorative motifs.
Since I was a child I have felt the need to create artistically through a variety of mediums. During this artistic process I feel a sense of peace and I am drawn into a world of my own. My connection to myself and to the world around me becomes more real when I am in this artistic state of mind.
I have visited the historic Chester-Hudson Quarry many times and have been intrigued and charmed by its unique features. The remnants of the operation and the railroad beds that lie dormant, reminding the visitor of the days when the granite was transported to Chester for processing into gravestones and monuments. Today it is a place of peace. Birch trees have sprouted among the chunks of granite. It is one of my very favorite spots to walk. One day I was inspired to begin a series of paintings of the quarry. What you see here today is the result. See Faith’s Garden Gate on the front lawn of the Arts Center.
I have a recurring dream that I witness something beautiful, something that seems to suspend the rules of nature, and I retrieve my camera just in time to take the most unbelievable photograph. In reality, I do carry a digital camera with me at all times, and I am on alert for those moments of which I dream. As a result I have accumulated a large catalog of images on my computer. When I do not find the photograph itself to sufficiently capture a moment of beauty, then I use drawing as my tool to fabricate an enhanced event on paper.
I am an exhibiting "found object" sculptor and graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York City. My pieces are inspired by my obsession with color. I have the unique ability to see the potential of all objects giving them an exciting new life - providing beautiful, unusual, and always surprising designs. Some pieces cluster large colorful chunks close to the neck, while others sweep low in long layers, all have unconventional closures. In this one-of-a-kind collection I use copper, gemstones and recycled glass. All materials used are perfect for direct skin contact with no discomfort.
Art you can wear! One of my favorite mediums is working with wool. Making felted bags is an art form which allows me to create art that people can take with them while making a fashion statement that is good for the earth.
He is an MIT Engineering graduate. 
In this series of paintings many of the pieces were first seen during a period of intense study of spiritual philosophy. I would do a quick sketch and make notes about the idea. Each piece illustrates a philosophical statement such as "only your thoughts effect you" or "seek not outside." People have told me that they have had strong emotional responses to the work.
Pottery is a constant quiet motion; the rhythms are like meditation, moving meditation. As I make pots I become one with the clay and beauty that is unfolding. As a potter I have the opportunity to bring the extraordinary into the ordinariness of our daily lives.
I design and string one-of-a-kind necklaces, bracelets, earrings and belts mainly from semi-precious stones and precious metals, but also unusual materials, such as fresh water pearls, glass, rubber and leather. My background includes an early career in clothing and theater design in New York City, Stockbridge and Lenox. I began experimenting with beads in the late 1990's. As in my textile work, my main interests are in color and texture. Although I am inspired by the beauty of of the Berkshires, I search the world for unusual beads. My one of a kind pieces are known for the use of color and for unusual beads.
When I am painting I think about the painting I am creating, not about how to document the look of what I see. I want to elicit a reaction to the painting because it creates a mood, brings back a memory, reminds one of the joy of color, and/or questions what art can convey. I work on paper with mixed media because I like the immediacy and freshness of making marks on paper and using traditional media in non-traditional ways is fun. There are places that become more than a location or a view, but become a part of who one is. These landscape paintings are about places that are important to me. Wherever I go I carry a sketchbook. The paintings exhibited here are done through the veil of these impressions, time, and affection.
