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MCLA STUDENTS PRODUCE MAJOR PUBLICATION

NORTH ADAMS, MA – For the first time, students at (MCLA), along with Dr. Tony Gengarelly, chairman of the Fine and Performing Arts Department, have produced a major publication. A project of the advanced museum studies class, the book, “Exploring Nirvana: The Art of Jessica Park,” highlights Park’s career as an artist as well as her lifelong struggle to overcome the developmental disorder of autism.

Sponsored by the Shield Institute/Pure Vision Arts, in New York, NY, the book will be introduced on May 28, at the opening reception for the art exhibition, “The Art and Life of Jessica Park,” at MCLA Gallery 51, 6-8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, and marks the first time that “Exploring Nirvana” will be available to the general public.

Told in various accounts by art and autism professionals, as well as by fine and performing arts students who had the opportunity to work with Park, the book is result of four years of dedicated work. Students contributed 26 essays and helped with fundraising and marketing. Columbia University professor Dr. Oliver Sacks, whom The New York Times called “the poet laureate of medicine,” wrote the book’s foreword. “

Our museum studies classes have been doing exhibitions all along, but the book project is a new addition we hope to continue. It involves yet another process of bringing the work of an artist to the attention of the public, which is what arts management is all about,” Gengarelly said. “‘Exploring Nirvana’. . .is an important and comprehensive chronicle that elegantly enlightens us about the life and work of an extraordinary woman and important contemporary artist,” said Pamela Rogers, director of The Shield Institute Pure Vision Arts studio.

Professionals from the field of autism also praise the publication. According to Dr. June Groden, director of the Groden Center, an autism research institute in Providence, R.I., the book is “a student project with professional results” that will appeal to many readers. And, Ann Telfer, president of the Ann Arbor Autism Foundation, said, the book is “a gift not only to the 1.5 million families affected by autism, but to the entire world. . . . ‘Exploring Nirvana’ should appeal not only to individuals interested in or affected by autism, but to anyone with an interest in visual art and the process of artistic creation.”

The project, which involved 34 MCLA students and spanned four years, began in spring 2004 with an exhibition of Park’s art at the College’s 94 Porter Street Gallery, which drew hundreds of visitors. The popularity of this exhibit led to the idea of a catalogue of Park’s work, which became a course called “Topics in Arts Management: Art Book,” in fall 2004, where students did research about autism and Park, and wrote essays about her paintings. Nine students from the spring 2004 exhibition, joined by 10 students new to Park and her art, created an initial group of 18 entries that serve as the basis for “Exploring Nirvana.” Eleven of these students continued to work on the book project into the spring of 2005 and, in the second course on the subject, “Art Book II,” students generated eight more entries, developed a book layout, and raised money to support its publication.

Having begun as a 54-page catalogue, “Exploring Nirvana” grew over the next three years into a 96-page volume with 86 color illustrations. In spring 2007, yet another museum studies class – involving seven more students – organized a traveling exhibition, “The Art and Life of Jessica Park,” to provide a context for the release and marketing of the book. The first venue for the exhibit is MCLA Gallery 51. “

It is through this kind of experiential learning that so much about human nature and the working world can be understood and then combined in a project that invites all students on various levels to participate and to share their insights and enthusiasm about the remarkable art of a truly extraordinary person,” Gengarelly said.

The exhibition, “The Art and Life of Jessica Park,” will run through June 22.  “Exploring Nirvana” will be on sale at the gallery for $19.95. MCLA Gallery 51 is at 51 Main St., North Adams. The Gallery is open daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  For more information about the exhibition, call 413-664-8718, or go to www.mcla.edu/Gallery51 . For more information about “Exploring Nirvana,” go to www.mcla.edu/JessicaPark or www.jessicapark.com

NAPL Announces Art Exhibit, Computer Class

North Adams, MA - Paintings by Williamstown artists Carole Ott and Barbara Joseph will be exhibited at the North Adams Public Library throughout the month of May. The artworks may be viewed any time the library is open:  Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 to 8, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 to 5, and Saturdays from 9 to 1 PM. Call 413-662-3133.

Registrations are also being accepted at the library for a four-week session of computer classes with A1 E11. On Thursday, May 8, a beginner computer class will be held. Classes begin at 6 PM and end at 7:30. The program is free but registration is required; interested individuals must commit to four classes. Registration may be done by visiting or calling 413-662-3133.

NAPL Hosts "Altered Books" Open House May 13

North Adams, MA - The North Adams Public Library, 74 Church Street, is hosting “Altered Books,” featuring the work of 31 Drury High School Seniors, all this month. There will be an open house on Tuesday, May 13 from 6:00-7:30 PM. The artists will be on hand to discuss their work and light refreshments will be served. Call 413-662-3133.

MCLA AND STOCKBRIDGE LIBRARY TO PRESENT READING MAY 4

NORTH ADAMS, MA - –Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) and the Stockbridge Library will present “African Americans and the Revolutionary War” on Sunday, May 4, at 1 p.m. at the Stockbridge Library. The event is free and open to the public, with limited seating.

Featured speakers include Dr. Gary B. Nash, professor of history at the University of California in Los Angeles, and Dr. Graham H. Hodges, professor of history at Colgate University. Professors Nash and Hodges will read from their new book, “Friends of Liberty: A Tale of Three Patriots, Two Revolutions, and the Betrayal that Divided a Nation: Thomas Jefferson, Thaddeus Kosciuszko, and Agrippa Hull.”

Stockbridge Library is at 46 Main St., Stockbridge. For more information, or to reserve seating,
contact Barbara Allen at 413-298-5501 or ballen@cwmars.org.

David McLaughlin Presents "Unfolding History of the Berkshires" May 10 at WordPlay

NORTH ADAMS, MA‹ Saturday, May 10, at 7:00 p.m. WordPlay, a monthly reading series co-sponsored by Inkberry and Papyri Books, will be held at Papyri Books, 45 Eagle Street. This month, the featured reader is David McLaughlin, the author of The Unfolding History of the Berkshires.

McLaughlin will discuss how he worked with scores of residents and local experts to uncover revealing facts, insider tips and captivating stories, and how the book¹s unique format evolved. He will also illustrate his commentary by projecting images and timeline segments from the book. McLaughlin is a widely published author who was born in Boston, grew up in Montague, and visited the Berkshires regularly as a young man.

Gail Burns of Williamstown will host the event for Inkberry.

After the reading, there will be a brief intermission, followed by the popular WordPlay open mic. Refreshments will be available, and admission is free and open to the public.
For additional information regarding Inkberry or these readings, contact Inkberry by phone at (413) 664-0775 or visit www.inkberry.org.

About Inkberry ­
Inkberry promotes the literary arts in the Berkshires with events and community partnerships that celebrate and support writing and reading. Inkberry is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Author Ellen Perry Berkeley to Speak at NAPL April 25

North Adams, MA - The North Adams Public Library is pleased to announce that Ellen Perry Berkeley, award-winning author, will be a guest speaker at the library’s “Tea & Talk” book discussion group on Friday, April 25 at 11 AM. Call the library at 413-662-3133 or http://www.naplibrary.com

Western MA Poetry Slam April 22 at NAPL

North Adams, MA - The North Adams Public Library invites local poets to attend a Western MA Poetry Slam on Tuesday, April 22 at 6 pm.  If you think you are a poet, we will give you 3 minutes to prove it.   Winners will receive prizes donated by local business and go on to the Grand Finale Poetry Slam at the Eric Carle Museum in Springfield MA in May. Spectators are invited to come and hear the local talent. Local amateur poets also meet at the library every Thursday evening at 6 PM for a poetry reading circle. All local poets are invited. For more information call the library at 413-662-3133 and ask for Marcia or Robin.

Evening Book Discussion Group Formed at NAPL

North Adams, MA - The North Adams Public Library is pleased to announce the formation of an evening book discussion group, “The Happy Bookers.”  The first meeting is Tuesday April 15 at 6:30 PM at the library. Maureen O’Brien, library volunteer and avid reader, is facilitator. All programs are free and open to the public and registration is not required.  For information, call Robin at 413-662-3133.

Photographer Rosalie Winard to Speak at Sheep Hill April 20

Williamstown, MA - The public is invited to a talk and book-signing with photographer Rosalie Winard on Sunday April 20th from 2 – 4 PM at Sheep Hill.

Winard’s stunning images of wetland birds are brought together in her new book, Wild Birds of the American Wetlands, published by Welcome Books, distributed by Random House.  Winard spent more than ten years photographing large birds of the wetlands throughout the country. She will discuss her experiences in capturing the images in the book, copies of which will be available for purchase and signing at the event. The program is sponsored by the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation and North Berkshire Audubon.

Winard’s ongoing connection with Williamstown began when she visited here in the 1990s to photograph local artist Jessy Park as part of a photo essay on autistic adults.  She is pleased to introduce Wild Birds of the American Wetlands at the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation’s Sheep Hill headquarters. 

“Conserving habitat is critical to the survival of the species illustrated in my book” Winard states.  “I am pleased to be working with the WRLF to help raise awareness about the need for preserving wetland habitats.”

Random House describes Rosalie Winard as ‘at once a documentary photographer, artist, and student of natural history. Winard, in each of her photographs, slips soundlessly into a vivid and detailed realism’.

The WRLF is a land conservation organization dedicated to preserving important habitats, working landscapes and rural character.  Sheep Hill is located approximately one mile south of the Williamstown rotary on Route 7.  More information – call 413-458-2494

WordPlay Features Poets Derek Mong & Jeffrey McRae

NORTH ADAMS, MA— Saturday, April 12, at 7:00 p.m. WordPlay, a monthly reading series co-sponsored by Inkberry and Papyri Books, will be held at Papyri Books, 45 Eagle Street.

For National Poetry Month, there will be two area poets. Derek Mong holds an MFA from the University of Michigan and is the recipient of a Jay C. and Ruth Halls Poetry Fellowship from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Choice Prize from the Missouri Review, and the Happy Hour Poetry Award from Alehouse Press. His poetry, prose, and translations appear in The Kenyon Review, PLEIADES, Cream City Review, TriQuarterly, Crazyhorse and elsewhere. He will read from his manuscript, Such Breath Passed Through My Hands. 

Jeffrey McRae teaches creative writing and literature at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, MA. He earned an MA in Writing from the University of New Hampshire and an MFA in Poetry from Washington University, St. Louis. He has recently published work in Beloit Poetry Journal, Cimarron Review and Rattle.

Gail Burns of Williamstown will host the event for Inkberry.

After the reading, there will be a brief intermission, followed by the popular WordPlay open mic. Refreshments will be available, and admission is free and open to the public.

For additional information regarding Inkberry or these readings, contact Inkberry by phone at (413) 664-0775 or visit www.inkberry.org.

About Inkberry – Inkberry promotes the literary arts in the Berkshires with events and community partnerships that celebrate and support writing and reading. Inkberry is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.