Press

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.

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Health Systems has announced that Charles Redd, MS, RN, the organization’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, has been named a 2025 “Community Star” by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health in recognition of his contributions to rural health care.

Redd was honored for his leadership in developing programs that expand access to care across the Berkshires. He will be featured on the National Rural Health Day website on Nov. 20, spotlighting his work alongside other honorees from across the country. The recognition highlights the impact of individuals dedicated to strengthening health care in rural communities.

Berkshire County — Two local restaurants, Bigg Daddy’s Philly Steak House in Pittsfield and Hinsdale Pizza House in Hinsdale, have spent the month stepping up for neighbors facing food insecurity. During the recent lapse in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, the two businesses collectively provided more than 750 free meals, and with SNAP now restored, both are turning their focus to offering free Thanksgiving dinners.

Owners Xavier Jones and Jason Reed say community donations helped fuel their efforts, but rising food costs and increased need have made this year especially demanding. Still, both restaurants are committed to meeting the moment, with Jones preparing 40 full Thanksgiving meals and Reed planning to give out at least eight, supported by donated funds.

As residents rallied behind them, the owners said the outpouring of generosity reflects the strength of Berkshire communities and their willingness to support one another when it matters most.

PITTSFIELD — Youth Alive, the multicultural arts program founded in 1995, celebrated its 30th anniversary this weekend at the Berkshire Innovation Center, honoring decades of dance, music, and mentorship for Berkshire County youth.

The event reunited current participants and alumni who reflected on how the program’s step, hip-hop, African dance, and percussion offerings have helped them find confidence, community, and cultural pride.

Founded by Shirley Edgerton, Youth Alive and its sister mentorship program ROPE continue to uplift young people of color through arts education, leadership development, and global learning opportunities, including cultural exchanges in Africa. As the organization plans for its next chapter, its mission of resilience, empowerment, and multicultural celebration remains firmly at the center.

Pittsfield, Mass. — The Horizons program at Miss Hall’s School is actively preparing students for their futures by fostering civic engagement and career exploration through hands-on experience. 

The program culminates in the junior and senior years with volunteering and internships in students’ prospective fields of interest, partnering with over 50 organizations this year. Program Director Caterina Penna emphasizes the importance of placing young women in STEM and traditionally male roles, providing valuable experience. 

Seniors like Izzy Aponte (child psychology) and Sara Rahiman (law and government) are honing their skills through placements like the Morningside Community School and state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier’s office. Students agree that these off-site experiences provide invaluable knowledge, preparing them for college and beyond.

PITTSFIELD — 18 Degrees recently held its annual meeting, highlighting a year of dedicated work supporting children, families, and communities across Western Massachusetts. Despite ongoing funding challenges and shifting federal policies, the nonprofit continues to expand its impact through early education, foster care and adoption, youth development, and family well-being programs.

Leadership shared updates on their ambitious 2025–2029 strategic plan, strengthened advocacy efforts, new professional development initiatives, and a major grant that will enhance early childhood spaces. With more than 20 programs and a commitment to belonging and opportunity, 18 Degrees remains a vital resource for hundreds of local residents each day.

LENOX — Classical guitarist Raphaël Feuillâtre recently appeared at Tanglewood’s Linde Center, opening the venue’s fall and winter programming with an intimate performance in Studio E. The concert highlighted Feuillâtre’s refined technique and expressive approach, drawing listeners into the warmth and versatility of the classical guitar.

An international prizewinner and one of the leading young figures in the field, Feuillâtre is known for bringing fresh energy to traditional repertoire. His Tanglewood program centered on Spanish and Latin American works, showcasing both the instrument’s emotional depth and the close, acoustic setting that defines the Linde Center’s off-season concerts.

Lenox — Past and present collide in Stacey Isom Campbell’s compelling new play, “1999,” which opened its world premiere run at WAM Theatre in an “adroitly mounted production.” The layered narrative jumps between 2019 and a pivotal year for Oscar-winning filmmaker Emma Middleton (Zoe Laiz): 1999, a time of coercion and silence that predated the #MeToo movement.

When a student (Zurie Adams) challenges Emma’s film class curriculum over a predatory filmmaker, the play explores the cost of ambition, complicity through silence, and whether celebrated art can be separated from its “monstrous” creator. Directed by Genee Coreno, the production successfully juggles these complex, timely issues of trust and betrayal, with Laiz holding the center in an “effectively considered performance.” The resulting drama insists that in Campbell’s world, human truths are anything but simple.

North Adams — Mass MoCA has launched its own record label, Mass MoCA Records, with its first release from The Kasambwe Brothers, a musical trio from Malawi who recorded their self-titled debut album at Studio 9. 

The new label, a collaboration between the museum and Los Angeles producer Harlan Steinberger, aims to create a space where artists can experiment freely and record original work beyond the pressures of the commercial music industry. 

The project highlights Mass MoCA’s commitment to supporting global artistry and fostering creative exchange right here in the Berkshires.

PITTSFIELD — Four Berkshire restaurants have received more than $68,000 through MassDevelopment’s Food Insecurity Grant Program to help feed residents in need. The awards were part of a statewide effort that distributed $900,000 to 31 independent restaurants.

In Pittsfield, BB’s Hot Spot, Marie’s North Street Eatery and Mazzeo’s Ristorante were selected, receiving $11,420, $13,000 and $10,000. Bigg Daddy’s in North Adams received $34,200, the largest share of any Berkshire recipient. The funding allowed local businesses to prepare and deliver meals to food banks, senior centers, schools and emergency distribution sites at a time when concerns about food insecurity continue to grow.

PITTSFIELD — Delores Moore has been named iBerkshires’ Teacher of the Month in recognition of her more than 30 years of dedication to educating and supporting local students.

Recently retired from Pittsfield Public Schools, Moore continues to serve children through her role as a senior site coordinator with 18 Degrees’ after-school program at Conte Community School. Known for her hands-on approach to learning and deep connection with families, Moore has made a lasting impact through programs that promote science, social-emotional learning, and cultural awareness. Her recognition highlights the role of committed educators in creating safe, supportive environments that help students thrive.

NORTHAMPTON — Kenyan-born farmer Aoma Muma is bringing Bombeta Farms to Northampton with support from Grow Food Northampton and the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust, marking a new collaboration aimed at expanding equitable access to land and housing for farmers of color. Muma will become the first farmer in residence at Grow Food Northampton’s community farm, where the program pairs affordable housing with access to farmland.

Raised in Kisii, Kenya, Muma grows cultural crops alongside New England produce, serving communities seeking foods that reflect their traditions and nutritional needs. The initiative is intended to support sustainable farming while creating long-term opportunities for historically marginalized farmers in Western Massachusetts.