Press

PITTSFIELD — A new restaurant serving authentic Afro-Caribbean cuisine has opened on North Street, bringing bold flavors and cultural tradition to downtown. DRE’s Global Kitchen offers a menu inspired by Afro-Caribbean roots, featuring thoughtfully prepared dishes that reflect both heritage and community.

Owner Andre “DRE” Lynch emphasizes the importance of sharing culture through food, creating a welcoming space where residents can experience authentic recipes and vibrant flavors. Community members are invited to stop in, support the new business, and enjoy a taste of Afro-Caribbean cuisine in the heart of Pittsfield.

GREAT BARRINGTON — The Du Bois Freedom Center will host The Scottsboro Boys Traveling Exhibit beginning Feb. 10, sharing the story of nine Black teenagers whose 1930s case became an international symbol of racial injustice. Presented in partnership with The Scottsboro Boys Museum in Alabama, the exhibit highlights the case’s lasting impact on civil rights and its connections to the legacy of W.E.B. Du Bois.

Organizers say the exhibit offers the community a meaningful opportunity to engage with this pivotal chapter in American history. A moderated conversation with museum leaders and Du Bois scholars will also take place at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center during the exhibit’s run.

GREAT BARRINGTON — Jeffrey DuBois Peck, great-grandson of civil rights leader and scholar W.E.B. Du Bois, will star in an upcoming play honoring his ancestor’s life and legacy, bringing a personal and historical connection to the production. The performance highlights the enduring impact of Du Bois’ work in civil rights, education, and social justice.

Organizers say the play offers the community a unique opportunity to reflect on Du Bois’ contributions and celebrate his legacy through the arts, further enriching local efforts to recognize one of the region’s most influential historical figures.

GREAT BARRINGTON — Taha Clayton’s artwork is currently featured at the Tremaine Gallery, showcasing his unique artistic voice within the regional arts scene. Clayton, whose work explores themes of identity and experience through expressive imagery, continues to gain recognition for his contributions to contemporary art.

Clayton’s inclusion in gallery exhibitions highlights his growing impact and the ways local artists are shaping conversations through visual expression.

WILLIAMSTOWN — The Clark Art Institute will host a lecture by Charmaine A. Nelson, Clark/Oakley Humanities Fellow and professor of art history, exploring the visual and cultural history of transatlantic slavery in eighteenth-century Montreal and Quebec. Her talk examines how systems of violence, race, and power were shaped and reinforced through art and representation.

Nelson is a leading scholar in Black diasporic studies whose work brings overlooked histories to light and connects past injustices to their lasting impact today.

PITTSFIELD — City boards and commissions have approved a permanent mural in Durant Park honoring the Black residents from Pittsfield who served in the Civil War as part of the famed 54th Massachusetts Regiment. The mural, titled Pride of the Westside, was first unveiled during 2025’s Juneteenth celebration and will now be permanently installed along the park’s fence line.

The 54th Regiment was one of the first Black units formed in the Union Army and is remembered for its bravery in battle and its role in advancing equality. The artwork celebrates their legacy and highlights Pittsfield’s connection to this important piece of American history.

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Community College marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day with its annual Day of Service, bringing together students, staff, and community volunteers for a morning dedicated to civic engagement and giving back. The event honored Dr. King’s legacy through hands-on service projects supporting local organizations throughout Pittsfield.

Participants worked together in a spirit of service, reflection, and solidarity, reinforcing the importance of community care and collective action. The Day of Service continues to be a meaningful way for BCC to promote volunteerism, connection, and Dr. King’s vision of justice in action.

PITTSFIELD — The NAACP Berkshire County Branch will host its annual Freedom Fund Awards on January 24, celebrating local and regional leaders who are advancing justice, equity, and community empowerment across the Berkshires.

The event will honor keynote speaker Tanisha Sullivan, along with Wanda Houston, Robert Mulhall, Jay Santangelo, Shannon Holsey, and Joey Pisani for their contributions to civil rights, advocacy, cultural leadership, and youth empowerment. Proceeds support the NAACP’s Freedom Fund, which provides scholarships for Black and immigrant students in Berkshire County.

GREAT BARRINGTON — Multicultural BRIDGE has relaunched its community dinner series at the BRIDGE Solidarity House, bringing neighbors together for nourishing meals, meaningful conversations, and culturally rooted connection. The return of these dinners reflects BRIDGE’s ongoing commitment to fostering belonging, grounding, and mutual support across the community.

These gatherings offer a warm and inclusive space where participants can share food, stories, and solidarity. As the series continues, BRIDGE remains focused on creating environments where diverse voices are uplifted and community resilience is strengthened.

PITTSFIELD — Peachy Balloon Decor, a Pittsfield-based event design business founded by Jessica Goines, is bringing creative, custom balloon installations to celebrations across the Berkshires and beyond. The company specializes in balloon arches, garlands, backdrops, and themed displays for weddings, birthdays, showers, corporate events, and public gatherings.

Founded out of a passion for creativity and entrepreneurship, Peachy Balloon Decor has grown through word-of-mouth and social media, with recent high-profile work including a lobby installation at the Beacon Cinema. Goines’ work emphasizes attention to detail and personalized design, helping transform event spaces into memorable visual experiences.

GREAT BARRINGTON — Multicultural Bridge is among 11 civil rights and community organizations suing the U.S. Department of Justice over the dismantling of the federal Community Relations Service, an agency that has long helped mediate racial and community conflicts across the country. The lawsuit seeks to halt the closure and restore staffing at the agency, which plaintiffs say is essential to preventing hate-related violence and supporting local conflict resolution efforts.

Leaders at Multicultural Bridge say the loss of the service has directly affected their work in Berkshire County, where the organization has relied on the agency for training, mediation support, and youth-focused programming. The case highlights broader concerns about the rollback of civil rights infrastructure and the impact on communities that depend on federal support to foster dialogue, safety, and understanding.

GREAT BARRINGTON — Multicultural Bridge recently marked a year of community work with a Solstice Dinner featuring storyteller Amber Chand, bringing together supporters, artists, and community members for an evening of food, reflection, and connection.

The event celebrated the organization’s mission of fostering belonging and cultural grounding, with storytelling that highlighted shared experiences and community resilience. Attendees enjoyed meaningful conversation and nourishment as Multicultural Bridge continues building spaces where diverse voices are honored and uplifted.

PITTSFIELD — The second day of Kwanzaa was marked Saturday at Zion Lutheran Church with a community celebration centered on kujichagulia, the principle of self-determination. Hosted by the Women of Color Giving Circle, ROPE, and the Berkshire County NAACP, the gathering brought together music, dance, African drumming, and shared food inspired by the African diaspora.

The evening featured performances by local artists and a panel discussion in which community leaders reflected on how self-determination has shaped their personal and professional journeys. Attended by about 75 people, the celebration highlighted Kwanzaa’s role as a cultural observance that honors African American heritage while fostering reflection, resilience, and collective purpose.

PITTSFIELD — The Berkshire County NAACP has opened its first permanent headquarters at 33 Dunham Mall in downtown Pittsfield, creating a dedicated space for community engagement, education, and the preservation of civil rights history. The street-level location is designed to be accessible and welcoming, offering room for meetings, public forums, and youth-focused programming.

The new headquarters also serves as a living educational space, featuring displays that highlight Black inventors, leaders, and changemakers whose contributions have shaped everyday life. Leaders say the permanent home strengthens the chapter’s visibility and long-term presence in the community, while creating new opportunities for collaboration, civic engagement, and dialogue across Berkshire County.

NORTH ADAMS — “RACE/HUSTLE,” a new exhibition by photographer and multidisciplinary artist Zora J. Murff, is now on view at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. Presented in Gallery 6.2 through November 2026, the show brings together photography, collage, painting and assemblage to examine spectacle, visual culture, capitalism and the commodification of Black life and resistance.

Curated by Philadelphia-based curator Terence Washington as part of Mass MoCA’s Curatorial Exchange Initiative, the exhibition invites viewers to interrogate their own role as spectators. Works like “Gas Money (Affirmation #1)” and the immersive installation “Metaspectacle (Race/Hustle)” blur the line between representation and revolution, positioning the museum itself as both a site of critique and complicity.

GREAT BARRINGTON — Multicultural BRIDGE is hosting a fundraiser on Saturday, Dec. 6, to support the completion of the upcoming PBS American Masters documentary, “W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause.” The event will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Solidarity Meeting House and will include hors d’oeuvres, wine, sneak previews from the film, and a Q&A session.

Directed by Peabody and Emmy Award winner Rita Coburn, the two-hour documentary explores the 95-year life and influential work of civil rights leader W.E.B. Du Bois. With recent federal funding cuts affecting production, the fundraiser aims to help meet a $100,000 goal to bring the project to completion ahead of its planned 2026 release.

GREAT BARRINGTON — Jazz pianist Isaiah J. Thompson brought his quartet to the Indigo Room at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center on Friday, Dec. 5, for an intimate holiday concert inspired by the music of Vince Guaraldi. The performance featured Guaraldi’s iconic seasonal melodies reimagined through jazz, offering audiences a festive and reflective evening.

A Steinway Artist and 2023 American Pianists Awards winner, Thompson is a Juilliard-trained musician who has performed with artists including Ron Carter, Christian McBride, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. The concert highlighted his expressive style and showcased the Indigo Room as a close-knit setting for live jazz during the holiday season.

NORTH ADAMS — MASS MoCA hosted an in-depth conversation on December 3 with political philosopher Joy James and author Jasmine Syedullah, joined by artist Zora J Murff and curator Terence Washington, ahead of Murff’s upcoming exhibition, “RACE/HUSTLE.”

The discussion explored the systems shaping Black Americans’ experiences, narratives around state violence and representation, and the ways art can illuminate these issues, offering context for the themes in Murff’s work.

Jazz vocalist and songwriter Aimée Allen will bring her quartet to Kaatsbaan Cultural Park on Saturday, December 6, at 7 p.m., presenting a mix of jazz standards, bossa nova tunes, and original compositions. The performance reflects Allen’s exploration of music as a way to “mark time and memorialize moments,” inspired by her upcoming album Sweet Ephemera.

Joining Allen are bassist François Moutin, guitarist Tony Romano, and percussionist Kenn Salters, each contributing their own improvisational style to create a unique live experience. The concert highlights Allen’s approach to music as both performance and memory, blending jazz, R&B, soul, and other influences.

GREAT BARRINGTON — Momma Lo’s Southern Style BBQ is hosting a free Thanksgiving community dinner this Wednesday, welcoming anyone in need of a warm meal or a place to gather. The family-run restaurant, located in the Barrington House Atrium on Main Street, will offer a Southern-style barbecue spread including turkey, ham, ribs, chicken, and classic sides from 1 to 4 p.m.

Led by owner Lotetta “Momma Lo” McClennon and her sons, the event reflects the restaurant’s long-standing commitment to kindness, generosity, and community connection. Donations will be accepted from those who are able, but all are welcome to attend and share in the spirit of the holiday.