Berkshire Pulse Finds New Home

08:03AM / Saturday, January 11, 2025Print Story | Email Story

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Berkshire Pulse announced the recent purchase of an historic mill building in downtown Housatonic to serve as the organization's future, permanent home.

Pulse closed on the 3-story, 13,350 square foot facility at 410 Park Street on Dec. 20, 2024, made possible through gifts from several donors.

"Berkshire Pulse was founded with the core belief that dance and the creative arts can profoundly enrich peoples' lives—and that everyone should have direct access to the arts, regardless of their age, abilities, or life circumstances. Our community in Housatonic has been incredibly supportive of this mission since we first started holding classes here nearly 20 years ago, and we are grateful for their continued encouragement today," said Bettina Montano, founder and artistic director of Berkshire Pulse. "This new space will allow us to expand our programs, offer more opportunities for local artists, and deepen our impact and connection with the community. We can't wait to envision how our Pulse will evolve now that we finally have a permanent home and a place to grow."

Early in 2025, Pulse will begin the planning process to refine the renovation designs, timeline, and funding requirements to convert 410 Park from a private residence to a new, dynamic dance and creative arts center. Project planning costs will be partially supported by a feasibility study grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council's Cultural Facilities Fund program.

Though the building's purchase and acquisition costs have already been fully underwritten through contributions, the project's planning and construction expenses will need to be raised separately through an anticipated multi-million dollar capital campaign to be launched by Berkshire Pulse's Board of Directors and volunteers later in 2025.

"We are so grateful to these extraordinary donors whose transformational gifts have laid the foundation for what promises to be a bright new future for Pulse," said Abigail Rollins, Executive Director of Berkshire Pulse. "And on the cusp of Pulse's 30th anniversary, we look forward to seeing how our future home will not only allow us to fulfill our mission in new, exciting ways, but also to serve as a community resource for Berkshire-area artists and families for generations to come."

30 years ago, Bettina Montano began an afterschool program (initially called "The Flowering Child Performing Arts Program") for children in a gym in Stockbridge. Pulse has had many "homes" since its founding. Coincidentally, one of the locations rented to host Pulse classes in the early years - and Pulse's first home in Housatonic - was at 410 Park Street. Friends of the organization donated considerable time and resources to convert raw space on the bottom floors of 410 Park into two dance studios where Pulse held classes for seven years before the property was ultimately sold and converted into a private residence.

Since 2014, it has rented 6,500 square feet on the third floor of Rubin Mill (located next door at 420 Park Street) for its studios and administrative offices. Pulse will continue to operate its Youth Performing Arts and Community Classes at Rubin Mill for the next several years while it undergoes the construction and capital campaign work required for 410 Park. In addition to maintaining classes in Housatonic, Pulse will continue to offer its many off-site In-School and Community Outreach programs, including its expanded presence in Pittsfield through its partnership with the Berkshire Boys & Girls Club.

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Pryor & Peacock's Whimsical Furniture Environmentally Friendly

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:17AM / Friday, August 21, 2026

The company uses digital printing to create the upholstery fabric, saving water and saving vintage furniture from ending up in landfills.

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — A unique furniture store has popped up on Elm Street this month.

Mom-and-daughter store Pryor & Peacock is hosting the pop-up storefront from Aug. 13 to Aug. 25 at 6 Elm. The New Marlborough business is co-founded by Rosalina Wright and Luca Shapiro, who is also the creative director.

Their online shop was created in 2024 but they wanted people to see the pieces in person, so they're renting the space for a limited time before a long-term tenant moves in.

The store sources prints to create unique fabrics and reimagines vintage and antique furniture acquired at auctions, local shops, and online.

"We source prints from all over the world that date from the late 1600s up through mid-20th century, and Luca turns those prints into fabric by manipulating them, scanning them, oftentimes has to add or subtract things, and then we manufacture the fabric using only digital printing, which is very environmentally friendly, unlike traditional textile printing," Wright said.

Upholstering the furniture can take weeks of work. Shapiro looks for the perfect design for each piece and, if need be, uses Adobe Photoshop to extend the art work to fit or enhance the print.

"One of the most difficult parts comes in marrying the fabric to a piece of furniture because we only use antique and vintage frames also to be earth friendly, and they're also more beautiful and durable than new furniture," Wright said. "So the image has to go with the furniture, so that takes a lot of work."

One of Pryor & Peacock's missions is to be environmentally friendly. Digital printing doesn't use the same amount of water as traditional textile productions do nor does it contaminate water with ink according to their website.

Not only are they saving water, but they are saving furniture from going into the landfill while also using more durable furniture that doesn't break as easily as current pieces. They started their business to create something unique and to help the environment together.

"It's creating something nobody else is doing. People can't continue to buy throwaway furniture. Six percent of American landfills is furniture, and digital printing not only opens up the possibility of being able to put unique images on a piece of furniture, but it also is, as I said, environmentally friendly. So, for us, the excitement is to take an old East Lake settee that somebody's going to store in their barn and forget about, and make it something completely new and surprising," Wright said.

They hope their furniture helps bring a pop of fun to someone's home.

"We think our furniture is very whimsical and surprising, and most furniture today is oatmeal colored couches and gray neutral chairs, and it's boring," she said.

The two named their business after their mothers' maiden names to honor them and believe the name reflects their pieces.

Shapiro works in interior design outside of the business and the two liked working together and thought it would be great to start a business together. Shapiro says they can work well together and that her and her mother, Wright, has flipped houses before and have the same eye for design.

"So it's very easy for us to work together. When we see something, generally we agree on whether it works or doesn't work on a piece. We agree on the color schemes and that sort of thing. So it's very fun and fulfilling to work together," Shapiro said.

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