ArtWeek Berkshires 2024 Welcoming Submissions

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — ArtWeek Berkshires, a county-wide collaboration, will take place May 17-27.

The ArtWeek committee posted its call for artists.  The non-juried event is free to all Berkshire County individuals, organizations, and businesses interested in showcasing creative work. Submissions from actors, cartoonists, crafters, dancers, designers, filmmakers, illustrators, mimes, multimedia artists, musicians, performance artists, poets, puppeteers, theater artists, visual artists, writers – and more – are welcome. 

The event will feature open studios, gallery talks, theater, performances, workshops, and more interactive experiences.

ArtWeek Berkshires features more than 100 events each year.  It has previously taken place in the fall but will be moving to the spring for this year.  The county-wide collaboration features Berkshire County’s five Cultural Districts - the Downtown Great Barrington Cultural District, Lenox Cultural District, North Adams Cultural District, Upstreet Cultural District in Pittsfield and Williamstown Cultural District.

"After much discussion from artists, participants and the steering committee, we are thrilled to be moving this event to the spring to kick-off the season in the Berkshires," said Jen Glockner, Pittsfield’s Cultural Development Director and ArtWeek Berkshires 2024 Steering Committee co-chair along with Laura Brennan, Assistant Director and Economic Development Program Manager at Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. "This is a call to all artists and organizations.  We are encouraging everyone to consider submitting an event to ArtWeek Berkshires, whether you’re an emerging artist or seasoned professional."

Funds pooled by the five cultural districts through their Cultural Districts Initiative grants from Mass Cultural Council make this event possible.  Promotions include:  billboards within Berkshire County; posters; flyers; print and digital ads as well as social media promotion.  

If you are an artist, arts organization, or business that would like to participate in ArtWeek Berkshires 2024, you may sign up through this online form:  https://1berkshire.jotform.com/240214256876155.  

Go to https://berkshires.org/artweek-berkshires/ for more information or reach out to your closest Cultural District. You can contact them at:

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Wahconah Students Join Statewide 'SOS' Call for Rural School Funding

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

DALTON, Mass. — Students at Wahconah Regional High School are urging the state to fully fund Rural School Aid that supports essential services that shape their future.
 
Rural districts across the state participated in Rural and Declining Enrollment Schools Week of Action to insist Beacon Hill fully fund rural aid at $60 million. 
 
Schools across Massachusetts sent their pleas for aid to lawmakers through letter-writing campaigns, sign-making, and coordinated gatherings where students and educators formed the letters "SOS."

Wahconah students did something different — they created an educational video detailing the need for increased funding for rural schools with the school's music teacher Brian Rabuse, who edited the video, Assistant Superintendent Aaron Robb said. 

The advocacy efforts move the issue from spreadsheets to show the human cost of a funding formula previously described as "remarkably wrong." 
 
During an interview with iBerkshires, students expressed how districts without rural aid would have to make reductions in world language programing, mental health support, extracurricular opportunities, and other areas they find essential. 
 
"Our students deserve the same quality of education as any child in Massachusetts, regardless of their ZIP code," Superintendent Mike Henault said in a press release.
 
"The week of action is an opportunity for our communities to come together and make it clear to Beacon Hill that the status quo is no longer acceptable." 
 
Rural schools attempt to create the same quality education as urban and suburban areas while balancing high fixed costs of transportation and operations of geographically large, low-population districts.
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