The Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires Celebrates 10 Years

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — April marks ten years since the founding of the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires (NPC).

With a mission to help nonprofits connect, learn and grow, NPC provides infrastructure and support to over 1,000 local organizations, stated a press release.

"Nonprofits needed a place to turn for practical help," said Founder and Executive Director Liana Toscanini. "We’ve worked to ensure every organization—large or small—feels supported and connected."

During the early years, NPC developed its core programs such as educational workshops, a Giving Back guide, and the annual Berkshire Nonprofit Awards. Volunteer and resource fairs soon followed, along with a philanthropy curriculum for middle-school students. During COVID, NPC introduced legislative town halls and executive convenings to provide timely guidance and connection during crisis. More recently, NPC launched an equity academy and a board matching service.

"Generous corporate support played a much bigger role in supporting NPC than I would have imagined," said Toscanini. "Getting an earmark from the Commonwealth was a gamechanger, thanks to our former State Rep. Smitty Pignatelli and a very supportive legislative team. Barr Foundation and a few individuals provided additional support to help bring NPC to where it is now, with 2.5 staff and an annual budget of $450,000."

An award-winning organization, Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires is preparing for growth and its next decade of impact. Under the guidance of new Executive Director, Samantha Anderson, who takes the helm at the end of April, the organization will embark on strategic planning to determine how best to support a sector battling burnout, funding cuts, increased need, baby boomer retirements, and attacks from the federal administration.

"People are still amazed that nonprofits employ one in four people in Berkshire County," said Toscanini. "I hope we moved the needle a little bit to change the narrative from ‘There are too many nonprofits’ to ‘Nonprofits fuel the local economy and deserve more support.’"

To learn more about upcoming events, new leadership, and tenth anniversary celebration, visit npcberkshires.org.

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

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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