Reimagine Dunham Mall Calls for Public Art

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Organizers of Reimagine Dunham Mall announced two calls for public art and a project update on Spring 2025 installations to support the use and beautification of Dunham Mall.
 
Reimagine Dunham Mall aims to support area business, recreation, pedestrian networks, and parking accessibility for residents and visitors of downtown Pittsfield.
 
In the Spring of 2025, Pittsfield residents can expect to see a new public art piece installed in Dunham Mall as part of the first of two installation phases. Also, as part of phase one, 8 large planters with Heritage Birch trees will be installed to provide shade and natural habitats, as well as smaller planters with annuals, bistro seating, bollards (to enhance safety of the pedestrian area), and wayfinding elements like a kiosk and Pittsfield branded banners.
 
Two calls for art are open now for projects to be installed on Dunham Mall. The calls for art close on Sunday, Feb. 2 at 11:59 PM.
 
The first is for a Digital Map of Downtown. Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. is seeking an artist to produce a digital map of downtown Pittsfield that will be centralized in Dunham Mall and reproduced for use throughout downtown. Map boundaries will be the Colonial Theatre and Carr Hardware (South/North) and two blocks out in the East/West directions. Final map dimensions (delivered digitally) should be 36"x 24" with standard bleed. The budget for design is $2,000. Artists must have their own technology to produce the image. The chosen artist will be recognized by name in all reproductions of the work, but Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. will own the rights to the final image. View the application here: https://forms.gle/ttTY8T8TJ46MhKtSA
 
The artist will be selected based on past work examples, connection to Pittsfield, and ability to complete the project within the project timeframe. The final map must be completed no later than March 31, 2025. This project is funded by the Reimagine Dunham Mall project.
 
The second call for art is for a large mountable mosaic for Dunham Mall. Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. is seeking an artist to produce a large mosaic that will be installed in Dunham Mall. The piece will be mounted on a brick wall and should have dimensions of 10' wide by 8' high. The budget for art is $3,000 with an additional $500 stipend for materials. Artists must have their own tools to produce the mosaic. View the application here: https://forms.gle/oHL7DeNrV1aNoxESA
 
The artist will be selected based on past work examples, connection to Pittsfield, and ability to complete the project within the project timeframe. The final mosaic must be completed no later than March 31, 2025. Designs must be family friendly, and the theme of the work should reference the natural beauty of the Berkshires. This project is funded by the Reimagine Dunham Mall project.
 
The project timeline for both calls for art is as follows:
  • Sunday, February 2: Artist call closes
  • Friday, February 7: Artist selected
  • Friday, February 28: Initial design sketch due
  • Monday, March 31: Design finalized and delivered
  • TBD: Dates of installation
Reimagine Dunham Mall was made possible by community contributions from residents, friends at Pittsfield Beautiful, and a Commonwealth Places grant. The Downtown Pittsfield Cultural Association (DPCA), The City of Pittsfield, MassDevelopment's Transformative Development Initiative (TDI), Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. (DPI), and the Pittsfield Community Design Center are spearheading this project.
 
For more information, visit downtownpittsfield.com or call Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. at 413-443-6501.

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Pittsfield Council Says 'Yes' to Soccer at Crane Park

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

The pitch will have the logos of the city and the US. and Massachusetts soccer associations. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is gladly accepting a "mini-pitch" from the U.S. Soccer Foundation to bring games back to Crane Park. 

Fueling excitement around the World Cup, U.S. Soccer has been working with the Massachusetts Youth Soccer League to make these facilities available to 20 communities — one of which will be at the park at the intersection of Benedict Road and Springside Avenue. 

The City Council accepted the gift on Tuesday during its regular meeting. 

A mini pitch is a compact, modular field typically used for soccer, and it can also accommodate inline skates. It has a galvanized steel border with built-in goals and a rubber plastic surface that is clicked together; installed on the existing inline hockey court. 

Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham said he has gone door to door speaking with nearby residents, and they are "really excited" about the upgrade. He also sees it as a great addition. 

"They say that nobody really uses the court a ton now, and they are excited to see kids back on there playing," he said. 

Decades ago, the Crane Park facility was a wading pool. It closed in 1980, and before the turn of the century, it was filled in and marked for hockey. 

Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath explained that the wooden border around the rink is showing its age, has been vandalized and tagged, and the facility is seeing a "real decline" in use. 

"This would seem to be an appropriate spot for us to remove the board system that's in place and install the mini pitch system through this grant," he said. 

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