Flying Cloud Institute Appoints New Education Coordinator

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Flying Cloud Institute (FCI) has hired Christian Drake as Education Coordinator. 
 
In this role, Drake will work in the summer programs, vacation camps, classroom residencies, community events, and with the FCI team to inspire the next generation of artists and engineers. He brings multifaceted educational experiences to the organization as it continues to partner with local school districts to bring meaningful learning to students. Drake recently led the 2025 STEAM Challenge Night and a physics residency at Stearns Elementary School, while also offering after school SMArt Labs in Pittsfield and Great Barrington.
 
"I am an artist at heart, and I find my talents are specifically suited to interpreting science with other people. I'm really excited about hands-on, courage-building, experiential education. In Flying Cloud, I have found an organization that shares my values, in the critical habitat of ‘where science meets art,'" said Drake.
 
Drake's past experience includes teaching STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) at LEAF Charter and Francis W. Parker Schools, as well as leading interactive and experiential science lessons at Nature's Classroom. He has also served as a park interpreter for the Mohawk Trail State Forest, where he overhauled and re-invigorated programming to engage and educate visitors about the park's unique forest ecosystems, geology and history, earning a 2023 MassDCR Excellence in Interpretation Award. 
 
Drake holds Massachusetts licensure to teach Middle School math and science for grades 5-8. He earned his Masters degree in education from Westfield State University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Hampshire College. 
 
"We welcome Drake to the FCI team to inspire young people and educators through dynamic experiences with science and art that ignite creativity," remarked Executive Director Maria Rundle. "We feel so lucky to have found an educator in sync with our mission!" 
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Pryor & Peacock's Whimsical Furniture Environmentally Friendly

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
 

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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