Sandisfield Arts Center Announce 2026 Daniel Manacher Prize Winners

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SANDISFIELD, Mass. — The Sandisfield Arts Center has announced the winners of the 2026 Daniel Manacher Prize for Young Artists.

The work of the 2026 winners, alongside the 2025 prize recipients, will be featured in a biennial exhibition at the arts center from August 16 -30, 2026.

The annual prize was established by Adam Manacher and Carol Birnbaum in memory of their son, Daniel Manacher, to honor his passion for art and his love of interacting with others through creativity.

2026 Winners:

The 2026 competition was judged by acclaimed American artist Virginia Overton, the first female artist to hold a solo exhibition at the Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens, New York, and her work is featured in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

?     Mari Maeve Brennan, from Sandisfield, a 2026 graduate of the Monument Mountain Regional High 

?     Tamar Byl, from Montague, MA, a recent graduate of Williams College

?     Moira Ford, from New York, enrolled at Williams College.

?     Katie Maier, from Atlanta, moved to the Berkshires in 2022

2025 Winners:

The 2025 contest was judged by Josephine Halvorson, an accomplished artist and Chair of the MFA Program in Painting at Boston University's College of Fine Arts. Josephine maintains a studio in Sandisfield.

?     Elizabeth Cheng, currently enrolled at Williams College

?     Enaya A. Ogletree, recent graduate of MCLA

?     Annie Scott, Williams College graduate

?     Evelyn Vollmer, recent graduate of Mount Everett Regional High School 

Biennial Exhibition Details

?     Opening Reception: Sunday, August 16, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM

?     Exhibition Dates: August 16 – August 30, 2026

?     Location: Sandisfield Arts Center, 5 Hammertown Road, Sandisfield, MA 01255

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Great Barrington Unveils 9/11 Memorial Featuring World Trade Center Steel

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — A piece of history will now stand in front of the Great Barrington Fire Department, serving as a lasting reminder of the courage, sacrifice, and heroism of those who rushed in, stepped forward, and answered the call on Sept. 11, 2001.
 
Hundreds of community members gathered outside the Fire Department for the unveiling of a 9/11 memorial featuring a steel I-beam salvaged from the wreckage of the World Trade Center.
 
The monument marks the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, and its effect reached far and wide beyond New York, said Deputy Fire Chief James Mead.
 
"There are moments in our lives that become markers of time. Moments when we remember not only what happened, but where we were, who was beside us, and how the world somehow felt different afterwards," Town Manager Liz Hartsgrove said. 
 
"For those of us who experienced September 11, 2001 — it is one of those moments for us to share."
 
The acquisition of the beam was a multi-year effort initiated by the late Andy Moro, former commander of American Legion Post 298 in Housatonic, and was carried on by the Legion's second vice commander, John Morris. 
 
Morris said he was able to obtain the warped steel I-beam through connections he made during his time as a New York City firefighter.
 
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