First Fridays Artswalk

The Berkshire Art Center (BAC), 141 North Street, will continue to offer Free Artmaking Drop-Ins on the First Friday of the month from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, year-round. For the month of July, The Berkshire Art Center will also feature two window displays: “All Fired Up Again: Open Call” by the Berkshire Potters Collective (north window) and “Sue Browdy, Potter: The First 65 Years” (south window).

For the July 5 First Fridays Artswalk, Living In Recovery, 75 North Street, will feature artworks by Shane Ott and Jeff Malderez. Living in Recovery will also feature “the art of poetry”, with poems written by Living in Recovery members from a writing workshop led by Maurice Taylor, staff member and founder of Poetic Recovery. Words will be a written crafted expression of the impact the art on display has had on the writers. These will be posted alongside or near the artwork. Stop in from 5 to 8 pm on Friday, July 5 to explore the art and speak with the artists.

Shane Ott’s canvases are a mesmerizing journey into the dark depths of the human psyche. Hailing from Pittsfield, MA, Ott fearlessly delves into the complexities of the human experience, laying bare the raw and honest emotions that lie within all of us. With his chosen medium of Painter, Ott captures the essence of freedom, both in its elusive nature and its ultimate liberation of the soul.

Jeff Malderez is a British/French visionary artist originally hailing from the charming seaside town of Torquay, England, now residing in Pittsfield, MA.

With his masterful skill and intricate techniques, he creates stunning works that capture the essence of divinity. His pieces are an exploration of life and its intricate complexities, revealing the true beauty found within its depths. Through the medium of both digital and traditional art, Jeff aims to bridge the gap between the seen and the unseen, uniting all beings into one universal consciousness.

THECOLLAB, 163 North Street, will feature artworks by Noah Beauregard and Mike Carty, July 5 – July 31. There will be an opening reception with the artists on Friday, July 5 from 5 to 8 pm, and a free Live Performance by SACR3D from 7 to 8 pm.

Noah Beauregard (b. 1996, USA) is a Berkshire County, MA painter. Drawn to painting and design and as a child, Beauregard’s art focuses on abstracting common images through form and color. Beauregard pushes recognizable scenes into a bright, bizarre world of saturated color and mythic design. The human form and un-worldly plants are common motifs in his work.

Michael Carty is a painter living and working in downtown Pittsfield. A Northeastern University graduate, he holds degrees in Graphic design, photography, and art history. His paintings reflect a union of his love for the Impressionists combined with his graffiti and graphic design background.

The Berkshire Black Economic Council, 33 Dunham Mall, Suite 101, will feature “The Creative Journey” by DeSean Scales for the July 5 First Fridays Artswalk. There will be an opening reception on Friday, July 5, from 5 to 8 pm.

Artist Statement:

“My name is DeSean, and I'm a photographer based in Pittsfield, MA. Photography entered my life unexpectedly, my Creative Journey transformed from a casual hobby into a passionate pursuit of constant growth. Growing up in the Berkshires, I was surrounded by beautiful landscapes that sparked my love for the outdoors and sunsets. Equipped with just a cell phone at the time, I began capturing the world around me. Initially, the goal was simple: Take pics of the sunsets and landscape.

As time passed, my curiosity deepened, and I found myself photographing almost everything—landscapes, friends, family, cars, you name it. My early photos were far from perfect, but that didn’t matter to me. I wasn’t striving to be the best; my goal was to capture moments that brought me joy. It was never about what I was photographing; it was always about the "why." My "why" has always led back to the simplicity of happiness.

Driven by this newfound passion, I embarked on a self-taught journey into the world of photography. I delved into textbooks and YouTube videos, attended online workshops, and immersed myself in research about cameras and techniques. I constantly applied my learning in the practical world and readjusted my skills as needed. This journey led to buying my first camera and starting a new chapter in my life, one I never thought would lead me to where I am today.

I lost my mom suddenly in 2020, which was devastating. Growing up with a single mom and not knowing my father well, losing her felt like losing a part of myself I could never get back. She was my biggest supporter, seeing things in me that I didn’t see in myself at the time. She pushed me to pursue my dreams and never settle. About 13 months later, I lost my uncle to cancer. He was also a very important person in my life. Both were taken from this earth way too soon. I stopped taking photos and lost my motivation to push forward, I wanted to give up, I felt lost and confused and questioned everything about my life. I found myself in a dark place for a while.

I had to make a choice: continue to be depressed and give up on life, or strive to be the best version of myself, as I knew they both would want. I chose to use photography as my crutch, leaning on the craft to get me through the hard days, and I still do now. Those two are my driving force; my craft is the flame that keeps the darkness away.

Photography has taught me so much about myself and has helped me grow both personally and professionally. It has pushed me out of my comfort zone, forced me to adapt to various situations, and helped me navigate adversity. Photography has given me hope and connected me with so many people, allowing me to experience life in ways I could never have imagined. When I think about my purpose, I think about connection. My camera has become a tool for me to connect with others and share their stories, bringing them moments of happiness in their lives, which has been incredibly rewarding.

In every frame, I aim to capture not just an image, but a connection—a shared moment of joy, reflection, or understanding. Whether I am photographing people, landscapes, or objects, photography is my way of bringing light into the world, one frame at a time. I hope to continue using my craft to forge meaningful connections and inspire others to find beauty in their lives.”

The Marketplace Cafe - Pittsfield will feature still life paintings by Lori Bradley in “Biosphere” for the month of July. There will be a reception with the artist during the July 5 First Fridays Artswalk from 5 to 7 pm.

In “Biosphere”, Lori Bradley explores what we invite indoors, what we leave outdoors, and the illusion that we can separate ourselves from nature.

Lori Bradley is a painter and digital artist who divides her year between North Adams and southeastern, MA. Inspired by birds, animals, and natural forms, she creates large-and small-scale oil and acrylic paintings. Flora and fauna are often metaphors for human situations and emotions explored in her paintings. Lori taps into the mysteries and depths of her themes with layered colors and textures.

On Friday, July 5, 5 to 8 pm, NUarts gallery + studios, 311 North Street, will open their Hall Gallery to the public featuring the works of resident artists. The artists of NUarts include: Ma’leek Adams-Powell, Casey Dougherty, Marney Schorr, Elina Estrella, Myk Daigle, Brent Ridge, Julia Britell, Richard Britell, Madeleine Boga, Dawn Meltzer, Laura Thompson, Kathy Gideon, Joan Rooks, and Kate Merlini.

The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue, will present CATA’s “I AM A PART OF ART”, July 5 – August 20. The exhibit will be on view during the First Fridays Artswalk on July 5 from 5 to 8 pm, and there will be a free Exhibit Celebration on Thursday, July 11 from 4 to 6 pm.

I AM A PART OF ART, Community Access to the Arts’ Annual Art Show, features more than 150 paintings and drawings by artists with disabilities from across Berkshire County, MA and Columbia County, NY. This annual exhibition is the culmination of hundreds of visual arts workshops that CATA holds throughout the year for teens, adults, and elders with disabilities across Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and Columbia County, New York. Through these workshops, CATA artists grow creatively, learn new techniques, and build community. Works in the exhibit are professionally matted and framed, and available for sale, with proceeds providing commissions to the individual artists. The curated exhibit features a wide range of styles, including abstract and representational paintings, drawings, photographs, collage, sculpture, and printmaking, as well as comics, illustration, and stop-motion animation.

Community Access to the Arts
Cultural Pittsfield

Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. and Framework, 431 North Street, will feature “Pittsfield Parade Posters Through The Years” for the July 5 First Fridays Artswalk. There will be an opening reception on Friday, July 5, from 5 to 8 pm, and vintage parade posters will be available to purchase for $10. The show will be on view Monday-Friday through the end of July by visiting the Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. offices during normal business hours.

The Pittsfield Let It Shine! Public Art Partnership is seeking a student artist to co-create a new mural to be located at the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority Intermodal Center located at 1 Columbus Avenue, Pittsfield. This call is open to 2D student artists, currently enrolled or recent graduates of high school or college, living in or going to school in Pittsfield, MA.

The selected artist will work alongside a mentor artist to develop and execute a 20’w x 6’h transit-themed mural. This mural opportunity is intended to foster the next generation of mural artists in the City of Pittsfield. A $2,000 stipend will be awarded to the artist and supplies will be provided by the Let It Shine! Public Art Partnership.

The Pittsfield Let It Shine! Public Art Partnership is seeking a student artist to co-create a new mural to be located at the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority Intermodal Center located at 1 Columbus Avenue, Pittsfield. This call is open to 2D student artists, currently enrolled or recent graduates of high school or college, living in or going to school in Pittsfield, MA.

The selected artist will work alongside a mentor artist to develop and execute a 20’w x 6’h transit-themed mural. This mural opportunity is intended to foster the next generation of mural artists in the City of Pittsfield. A $2,000 stipend will be awarded to the artist and supplies will be provided by the Let It Shine! Public Art Partnership.

The application (available in English and Spanish) opens on Monday, June 17 and closes on Sunday, June 30 at 11:59 pm. The selected artist will be notified via email on Monday, July 15. The mural must be created and executed by the selected artist, alongside a mentor, by August 31, 2024. The completed mural will be unveiled during the September 6th First Fridays at Five.

The student artist will be selected based on the quality of their artistic composition, ex*****on and creativity; connection to Pittsfield; desire to learn from a mentor; capacity for growth; and the overall impression of their submitted art. Applicants may submit up to 10 images of two-dimensional visual artwork, and the art submitted does not have to be mural work specifically. The selected artist must work in tandem with a mentor artist to develop a concept that is both transit-themed and will be cohesive with the current abstract mural, “Welcome to Pittsfield,” at the Intermodal Station. The student artist will be the lead on painting with the mentor artist serving as a guide and assistant.

The online artist application in English can be found at https://forms.gle/ksWj4Eent9ujxucCA

The online artist application in Spanish can be found at https://forms.gle/j1yyRQ6tJE48GC337

The Let It Shine! mission is rooted in making art accessible to all, building confidence in Pittsfield, and creating stronger ties between residents and their downtown. The Let It Shine! Public Art Partnership is a group of Pittsfield-based community members from Downtown Pittsfield, Inc./Downtown Pittsfield Cultural Association (fiscal agent), City of Pittsfield Office of Cultural Development, Pittsfield Artists in Residence: Huck Elling and Jesse Tobin McCauley, and Mill Town Foundation who have formed to organize public art and revitalization on North Street, empowered by organizing efforts through MassDevelopment’s TDI. MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) is a program for Gateway Cities designed to accelerate economic growth within focused districts.

This year, Let It Shine! will operate a mentoring program in Pittsfield Public Schools surrounding downtown with the goal of educating young artists and building bridges between young people and downtown that boost economic vitality. Public art will be created with and by local youth in ways that engage children with themes of activism, environmentalism, and entrepreneurship.

Let It Shine! expresses gratitude for support from its major 2024 sponsors: Mill Town Foundation, Lee Bank, a grant awarded by Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation's Arts Build Community initiative with funding from the Barr Foundation, Fiegenbaum Foundation, TDI Local funding from MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative, Pittsfield Cultural Council, NBT Bank and General Dynamics. An additional thank you is extended to the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority for their partnership on this project.

For more information on the Pittsfield Let It Shine! Public Art Partnership, email Jesse Tobin McCauley at [email protected] or call the City of Pittsfield’s Office of Cultural Development at 413-499-9348.

Get a first look at the July 5 Artswalk here: https://downtownpittsfield.com/2024/06/july-5-first-fridays-artswalk

In the immortal rallying cry of the Ramones: HEY! HO! LET’S GO!

In other words, the Berkshire Art Association would like to alert all interested artists that the Visible show submissions are flying in like bees to a flower!

This visually vibrant show is always a must see and it only manifests every two years, so let’s get rocking with more submissions and let the art world see you shine.

The call is officially open and closes on Sunday, June 29. Please go to https://visible2024baabiennial.artcall.org to submit your work and to learn more details about the show.

Visible will run from Friday, October 4 through Saturday, November 23, 2024 at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts in Pittsfield, MA.

For the month of June, The Berkshire Art Center will feature two window displays: “Scallops and Swirls” by Abby Klein (north window), a playful exploration of whimsy across ceramics, paintings, and prints, and “Sue Browdy, Potter: The First 65 Years” (south window).

The Berkshire Art Center (BAC), 141 North Street, will continue to offer Free Artmaking Drop-Ins on the First Friday of the month from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, year-round!

The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue, will present “In Practice” by Ellie Kreischer for the month of June. There will be an opening reception during the First Fridays Artswalk on June 7 from 5 to 8 pm.

“In Practice” started as a series of six small color pencil studies created late one night in July 2023. Inspired by the forms and use of color in these pieces, Ellie has created an entire body of new work that will be installed in the Lichtenstein Center’s gallery. The work represents an exploration of new materials informed by an intuitive approach to the artistic process.

Roots and Dreams and Mustard Seeds, 119 Fenn Street, will feature 5 local artists during the First Fridays Artswalk on June 7 for one-night only, 5 to 8 pm. Artists include Nicole Fecteau, Kiel, Olly Diamond, and Hernan and Jackeline Bonilla. Mediums include mixed media, drawings, paintings, and Amigurumis (knitted stuffed animals).

The Clock Tower Artists at 75 South Church Street will host an open studios event in their beautiful, light-filled space on Friday, June 7, 5 to 8 pm, and on the “First Saturday,” June 8, 1 to 5 pm. Witness the artists’ artistic processes firsthand and be captivated by an eclectic blend of masterpieces that will enchant and inspire you.

During the First Fridays Artswalk/First Fridays at Five on June 7, a free art shuttle to and from the Clock Tower Artist Studios will run from 5 to 7 pm – every 15 minutes from City Hall on Allen Street. The Art Shuttle is provided and operated by RSVP Volunteers.

Artists with Open Studios at the Clock Tower on June 7 include Karen Carmean, Deborah H Carter, Joan Palano Ciolfi, Randy Foulds, Marion Grant, Nava Grunfeld, Caroline Kelley, Bruce Laird, Mark Mellinger, Linda Petrocine, Shany Porras, Sally Tiska Rice, Ilene Richard, Audrey Shachnow, Jordan Stone, Stefanie Weber, and Carmel Wilson.

Hotel on North will feature Beyond the Surface: The Depth of Identity by Jody King Camarra, June 7 through July 4, 2024. There will be an opening reception with the artist during the First Fridays Artswalk on Friday, June 7, 5 to 8 pm.

Jody King Camarra’s latest exhibit is a convergence of collage and mixed media exploring self-discovery. With each piece, the viewer is invited on an introspective odyssey. Within Camarra’s work, layers are palpable – some strikingly visible while others lie concealed beneath the surface. In this exploration, every fragment is essential to the whole, mirroring our human complexities. Through mixed media layers, Camarra’s work in this exhibit serves as a reminder to embrace both the beautiful and the flawed, the visible and veiled.

The Marketplace Cafe, 53 North Street, will feature “Scattered” by Jill Gustavis for the month of June. There will be a reception with the artist during the June 7 First Fridays Artswalk from 5 to 7 pm.

“Scattered” features small works of quiet moments and pieces from the private collection of artist Jill Gustavis. A Berkshire native, Jill is inspired by a wide range of local subjects, from still lifes and florals, to landscapes and animals. Working primarily in watercolor, Jill uses layers of color and value to sculpt a sense of presence between the subject and viewer.

The First Fridays Artswalk in downtown Pittsfield returns on Friday, June 7 from 5 to 8 pm as part of the City of Pittsfield’s First Fridays at Five. Participating venues include Berkshire Art Center, Clock Tower Artists, Dottie’s Coffee Lounge/Dorothy’s Estaminet, Hotel on North, Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, Marie’s North Street Eatery and Gallery, Marketplace Cafe, NUarts gallery + studios, Roots and Dreams and Mustard Seeds, and the Soda Chef. There will also be Interactive Pottery Demos in Palace Park with Jim Horsford and a Free Kids’ Paint and Sip on Dunham Mall.

Download the Downtown Pittsfield app in the App Store or on Google Play to follow a virtual walking tour of art on your cell phone.

The Clock Tower Artists at 75 South Church Street will host an open studios event in their beautiful, light-filled space on Friday, June 7, 5 to 8 pm, and on the “First Saturday,” June 8, 1 to 5 pm. Witness the artists’ artistic processes firsthand and be captivated by an eclectic blend of masterpieces that will enchant and inspire you.

During the First Fridays Artswalk/First Fridays at Five on June 7, a free art shuttle to and from the Clock Tower Artist Studios will run from 5 to 7 pm – every 15 minutes from City Hall on Allen Street. The Art Shuttle is provided and operated by RSVP Volunteers.

Artists with Open Studios at the Clock Tower on June 7 include Karen Carmean, Deborah H Carter, Joan Palano Ciolfi, Randy Foulds, Marion Grant, Nava Grunfeld, Caroline Kelley, Bruce Laird, Mark Mellinger, Linda Petrocine, Shany Porras, Sally Tiska Rice, Ilene Richard, Audrey Shachnow, Jordan Stone, Stefanie Weber, and Carmel Wilson.

The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue, will present “In Practice” by Ellie Kreischer for the month of June. There will be an opening reception during the First Fridays Artswalk on June 7 from 5 to 8 pm.

“In Practice” started as a series of six small color pencil studies created late one night in July 2023. Inspired by the forms and use of color in these pieces, Ellie has created an entire body of new work that will be installed in the Lichtenstein Center’s gallery. The work represents an exploration of new materials informed by an intuitive approach to the artistic process.

The Berkshire Art Center (BAC), 141 North Street, will continue to offer Free Artmaking Drop-Ins on the First Friday of the month from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, year-round. For the month of June, The Berkshire Art Center will also feature two window displays: “Scallops and Swirls” by Abby Klein (north window), a playful exploration of whimsy across ceramics, paintings, and prints, and “Sue Browdy, Potter: The First 65 Years” (south window).

The Marketplace Cafe, 53 North Street, will feature “Scattered” by Jill Gustavis for the month of June. There will be a reception with the artist during the June 7 First Fridays Artswalk from 5 to 7 pm.

“Scattered” features small works of quiet moments and pieces from the private collection of artist Jill Gustavis. A Berkshire native, Jill is inspired by a wide range of local subjects, from still lifes and florals, to landscapes and animals. Working primarily in watercolor, Jill uses layers of color and value to sculpt a sense of presence between the subject and viewer.

On Friday, June 7, 5 to 8 pm, NUarts gallery + studios, 311 North Street, will open their Hall Gallery to the public featuring the works of resident artists.

Hotel on North, 297 North Street, will feature Beyond the Surface: The Depth of Identity by Jody King Camarra, June 7 through July 4, 2024. There will be an opening reception with the artist during the First Fridays Artswalk on Friday, June 7, 5 to 8 pm.

Jody King Camarra’s latest exhibit is a convergence of collage and mixed media exploring self-discovery. With each piece, the viewer is invited on an introspective odyssey. Within Camarra’s work, layers are palpable – some strikingly visible while others lie concealed beneath the surface. In this exploration, every fragment is essential to the whole, mirroring our human complexities. Through mixed media layers, Camarra’s work in this exhibit serves as a reminder to embrace both the beautiful and the flawed, the visible and veiled.

Marie’s North Street Eatery and Gallery, 146 North Street, will feature a multi-media piece “Within These Scales” for the June First Fridays Artswalk. For this exhibit, curator and co-owner of the Eatery, Niel Davis, is building a framed outline, 40 feet long, in the shape of a dragon (2024 is the Year of the Dragon). Part of the interior of the dragon will be fabric that represents its scales. The other scales will be artist representations of some of the 27 basic human emotions attached to the wall. Visitors are invited to take in the visually pleasing dragon and to try to identify the artists’ intended rendering of a particular emotion.

Roots and Dreams and Mustard Seeds, 119 Fenn Street, will feature 5 local artists during the First Fridays Artswalk on June 7 for one-night only, 5 to 8 pm. Artists include Nicole Fecteau, Kiel, Olly Diamond, and Hernan and Jackeline Bonilla. Mediums include mixed media, drawings, paintings, and Amigurumis (knitted stuffed animals).

Dottie’s Coffee Lounge/Dorothy’s Estaminet, 438/444 North Street, will feature “FOR THE LOVE OF: Culture, The Figure, and the Landscape” through the end of June. Dottie’s will remain open until 10 pm on Friday, June 7 hosting live music with local cover band, Mr. Doubtfire, from 7 to 10 pm.

“FOR THE LOVE OF: Culture, The Figure, and the Landscape” features Katunemo (a group of 13 painters, photographers, poets, and musicians who celebrate their common culture), Ernie Kirk’s photographs of the human figure, and landscape paintings by Kathy Glenn.

Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. and First Fridays Artswalk will host a Free Kids’ Paint & Sip on Friday, June 7, 5 to 8 pm, as part of the First Fridays at Five Family Fun Zone on Dunham Mall (100 North Street).

This free Paint & Sip is best suited for ages 5 to 12, although younger and older children are welcome. All materials, instruction, and juice will be provided. Children are welcome to drop in anytime over the course of the event, and all children must be accompanied by an adult.

Download the Downtown Pittsfield app in the App Store or on Google Play to follow a virtual walking tour of art on your cell phone.

First Fridays Artswalk is supported in part by a grant from the Mass Cultural Council, and a grant from the Pittsfield Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

This program is also supported in part by The Feigenbaum Foundation.

First Fridays at Five is a brand-new event led by the City of Pittsfield and Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. taking place in downtown Pittsfield from May-September. Season partners and sponsors include: the Feigenbaum Foundation, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, Mill Town Foundation, MountainOne, and the Pittsfield Cultural Council.

Check out all of the June 7 First Fridays at Five events at lovepittsfield.com/first-fridays.

The Soda Chef at 161 North Street hosts a rotating window display by Fɪɴᴇ Aʀᴛ ʙʏ Nɪᴄᴏʟᴇ Mᴀʀᴄʜ!

Nicole is an emerging artist born and raised in the Berkshires. Intrinsically inspired by Mother Nature’s glory and equally as moved by the magic of capturing moments photographically, it was only in a matter of time that her creative, unrefined edge would merge with alluring images.

Berkshire Museum is proud to announce the bi-annual celebration of the history of art-making in the Berkshires and surrounding areas!

GUIDELINES & REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBMISSION

All artists 18 years and older residing within an approximate 60-mile radius of Berkshire Museum are welcome to submit an application.

Eligible submissions: Two-dimensional work includes painting, drawing, mixed media, printmaking, and photography; three-dimensional work includes sculpture of all media. 2-D work may not exceed 288 total linear inches (including framing). 3-D submissions over 100 lbs. must be installed by the artist and should not exceed a 48” x 48” x 48” footprint. Maximum weight for 3-D sculptures is 500 lbs. Video work will be reviewed but limited to available monitors at the time of the exhibition. 2-D work must be delivered ready to hang.

The jurors reserve the right to disqualify any work not suitably presented, or any work appearing not to correspond to the entry image.

Artists may enter up to three works completed after January 2020.
The exhibition will be accessible during normal business hours from October 5th to January 5th, 2024. Artists are responsible for timely local drop-off and pick-up of their work. Works not picked up by January 19, 2024, will be considered abandoned. Berkshire Museum will not ship work back to the artist.

Berkshire Museum reserves the right to photograph and video any submitted work for documentary, educational, and publicity purposes.

Receipt of the completed application form constitutes your agreement with all conditions established in the prospectus.
Berkshire Museum will insure artworks for the artist’s commercial value upon receipt of the work, and through the duration of the exhibit.

Artworks created using Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) will not be accepted.


TIMELINE & IMPORTANT DATES

Applications: NOW OPEN
July 14, 2024: Application deadline
August 30, 2024: Notification of acceptance via email
September 16 – 27, 2024: Works delivered to Berkshire Museum
October 4, 2024: Opening Reception & Award Ceremony, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
October 5, 2024 – January 5, 2025: Exhibition on view
January 6 – 10, 2025: Artists to pick up works at Berkshire Museum

See you tonight!

“FOR THE LOVE OF: Culture, The figure, and Landscape” opens at Dotties Coffee Lounge this Friday, 4 to 6 pm, during the May 3rd First Fridays Artswalk as part of First Fridays at Five!

Living in Recovery, a peer recovery support community at 75 North Street, will feature work by artists Shane Ott and Jeff Malderez on Friday May 3, 5 to 8 pm, during the First Fridays Artswalk. Every hour on the half hour, all are welcome to participate in free coffee and canvas workshops. There will also be kids’ art projects with Katrina. The entrance to Living in Recovery is on McKay Street.

Jeff Malderez

Jeff is a British/French artist residing in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts.

Much of his visionary artwork is co-created with AI together with his connection to and inspiration from Spirit. One glance at any of his pieces transports the viewer into a myriad of worlds that encompass the various emotional, mental and spiritual states of human experience and existence. This affords them the opportunity to look deeper into their own inner world and enables them to identify with a wide range of human emotions, from pain to unconditional love.

Through this medium, the artist brings the viewer on a journey of personal exploration and healing. The many variant colors, textures, and hues make the journey palpable to those willing to look more deeply into themselves and the world around them as being One.

Shane Ott

Shane Ott's canvases are a mesmerizing journey into the dark depths of the human psyche. Hailing from Pittsfield, MA, Ott fearlessly delves into the complexities of the human experience, laying bare the raw and honest emotions that lie within all of us. With his chosen medium of painter, Ott captures the essence of freedom, both in its elusive nature and its ultimate liberation of the soul. His bold and audacious strokes embody the rebellious spirit of the artistic mind, inviting viewers to explore their own innermost feelings. Ott's work speaks to the relentless search for authenticity and the unapologetic quest for truth, inviting us to embrace the darkness and discover the light within.

Living In Recovery