Berkshire Art Center Artist Residency 2025 Applications Open

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STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Berkshire Art Center will be accepting applications for its 2025 Berkshire Artist Residency Program starting March 10.

This year, Berkshire-based artists can apply for a summer residency at four local institutions - The Red Lion Inn, Chesterwood, and now, Arrowhead and Hancock Shaker Village. A total of four selected artists will spend three months creating work inspired by the history, landscape, culture, and architecture of those institutions.

Since 2012, Berkshire Art Center has coordinated Artist Residencies that pair local visual artists with cultural institutions and historic landmarks across the Berkshires. The heart of the Berkshire Artist Residency is to give artists the opportunity to create new work inspired by their home county, stated a press release.

The extended length and flexible hours of the program give artists, who might not have the luxury to attend residencies away from home for long periods of time, the ability to further their career and create art in a way that compliments their current practice.

The program is supported in part by grants from the Stockbridge Cultural Council and Lenox Cultural Council, local agencies which are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

The Summer 2025 program begins on Memorial Day, May 26, and runs through Labor Day, Sept. 1. Artists selected receive access to the buildings and grounds of their site and support for the development, creation, and exhibition of their work. Each artist will receive an honorarium, the opportunity to present an Artist Talk, invitation to teach a course or workshop through Berkshire Art Center, and invitations to special events held at their site. Additional benefits, such as meal stipends and studio space, are site specific.

Each residency closes with a reception and exhibition of the artist's work. 

Applications are due April 10. For more information, please visit our website at: https://www.berkshireartcenter.org/berkshire-artist-residency-apply

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

Reps. Leigh Davis, Bud Williams Filing Legislation Honoring Freeman

SHEFFIELD, Mass. — State Reps. Leigh Davis of the 3rd Berkshire District and Bud L. Williams, of the 11th Hampden District, are filing legislation establishing Aug. 22 as Elizabeth Freeman Day of Equality, Healing, and Remembrance in the commonwealth.
 
The legislation would direct the governor to annually issue a proclamation recognizing the courageous contributions of Elizabeth Freeman, an enslaved Black woman known as Mum Bett, whose landmark freedom suit helped spark the legal end of slavery in Massachusetts.
 
"Elizabeth Freeman's story began here in the Berkshires, but its impact reached every corner of the commonwealth," said Davis. "More than two centuries later, her legacy continues to inspire us. Establishing Elizabeth Freeman Day will ensure that future generations learn not only about her extraordinary bravery, but also about the power of one person to change the course of history."
 
In 1781, Freeman, of Sheffield at the time, challenged the institution of slavery by filing suit against her enslaver, Col. John Ashley. In the landmark case Brom and Bett v. Ashley, a Berkshire County jury ruled in favor of Freeman and her fellow plaintiff, Brom, granting them their freedom. The case demonstrated the power of the Massachusetts Constitution's declaration that all people are born free and equal and helped pave the way for the Quock Walker decisions that ultimately ended slavery in the commonwealth. 
 
"Freeman's courage changed the course of history in Massachusetts," said Williams. "At a time when the odds were stacked against her, she stood up and demanded that the promises of liberty and equality contained in our Constitution apply to her as well. She risked everything to challenge an unjust system, and her victory helped lay the foundation for the end of slavery in our commonwealth. Her legacy deserves to be recognized and remembered by every resident of Massachusetts."
 
Although unable to read or write, Freeman understood the meaning of freedom and equality and took extraordinary action to secure those rights for herself and others. Her story remains one of the most powerful examples of individual courage in the face of injustice. 
 
Elizabeth Freeman Day will provide an opportunity for reflection, education, healing, and remembrance, said Williams. 
 
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