'Reclaiming Revolution' Exhibition Opens at Gallery 51

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) and MOSAIC will present "Reclaiming Revolution: Intersections of Remembrance and Resistance," a group exhibition exploring the role of art in social change.

The exhibition features senior capstone work by Max Fyfe, J.C. Innocent, Mannie McBride, Cleo Murphy, and Enaya A. Ogletree, addressing themes of heritage, grief, identity, sustainability, and transformation.

An opening reception will be held on Friday, May 2, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Gallery 51 as part of North Adams First Friday’s. Opening remarks and artist reflections are scheduled to begin at 5:45 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The exhibition includes sculpture, animation, bookmaking, and painting. The artists aim to engage viewers in a conversation about art as a form of resistance, a tool for remembrance, and a means of envisioning a more just future.

Mannie McBride stated that his work connects to personal experiences and music. Cleo Murphy's series explores grief as a path to healing. Enaya Ogletree's work intends to prompt reflection on the history of cultural complacency regarding sexism and the objectification of women. Max Fyfe's work highlights the relationship between humanity and the environment. J.C. Innocent's work is inspired by Afrofuturism as a means to reclaim Black narratives and imagine a liberated future.

The exhibition will run through May 17.

Clarksburg Students Write in Support of Rural School Aid

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
07:25AM / Sunday, March 15, 2026

Mason Langenback calculated that Clarksburg would get almost $1 million if the $60 million was allocated equally.

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Eighth-graders at Clarksburg School took a lesson in civic advocacy this week, researching school funding and writing letters to Beacon Hill that call for fully funding rural school aid. 

 

The students focused on the hardships for small rural schools and their importance to the community — that they struggle with limited funding and teacher shortages, but offer safe and supportive spaces for learning and are a hub for community connections.

 

"They all address the main issue, the funding for rural schools, and how there's a gap, and there's the $4 million gap this year, and then it's about the $40 million next year, and that rural schools need that equitable funding," said social studies teacher Mark Karhan.

 

A rural schools report in 2022 found smaller school districts cost from nearly 17 percent to 23 percent more to operate, and recommended "at least" $60 million be appropriated annually for rural school aid. 

 

Gov. Maura Healey has filed for more Chapter 70 school aid, but that often is little help to small rural schools with declining or static enrollment. For fiscal 2027, she's budgeted $20 million for rural schools, up from around $13 million this year but still far below the hoped for $60 million. 

 

Karhan said the class was broken into four groups and the students were provided a submission letter from Rural Schools Advocacy. The students used the first paragraph, which laid out the funding facts, and then did research and wrote their own letters. 

 

They will submit those with a school picture to the governor.