Although it’s the merry month of May, summer is just around the corner and that means it’s time to lock-in some cool summer programs for your kids. Here’s a sampler to tickle your kids’ imaginations of what their summer in the Berkshires might be like:

For starters, there are terrific kids focused playshops and summer camps available for a host of ages from Great Barrington to Williamstown. On the northern tier, June 22-29, at the Berkshire Hills Motel, families are invited to Kids Create Art. Friday night opens with a Smore’s Party. (Remember those days of roasting marshmallows over an open fire then sandwiching them between graham crackers and a Hershey’s chocolate wedge?) Relive that delicious experience with your kids before they sink their hands into creating their own garden toad from clay. Instructor, Gail Sellers, of River Hill Pottery oversees this adventuresome workshop. A visit to Kids Space at MASS MoCA is also included. Check out the link for more details.

Several more distinctive summer camp programs include team sports and traditions celebrated annually at Camp Winadu for boys; Danbee’s refreshing setting in Hinsdale makes for ideal gymnastics, tennis or dance programs for girls. At Pleasant Valley Sanctuary, summer camp features daily ecological field trips; Lenox’s Belvoir Terrace combines the arts providing an awesome experience for developing skills and self-confidence for girls; and at Lake Buel, there are five distinct summer camps that share the Berkshires summer scenery.

Also, a new summer day camp for youngsters opens July 9 at Berkshire Botanical Gardens. Farm in the Garden Camp will focus on growing a garden for food, caring for farm animals, even running a family farm stand.

Are there other summer activities to preview? Of course! A hike on Mount Greylock invites families to explore nature and wildlife – up close and personal.

Finally, if you’re still in doubt, simply log-on to the Bureau’s website for an all-encompassing selection of summer camp opportunities.
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A Berkshires native, Ann grew up in Dalton as the oldest of five children who were encouraged to use their imaginations for fun and play. Today, Ann lives in Pittsfield and enjoys family fun and adventure with her fourteen year old son.

It was a rainy day when we pulled past Canyon Ranch and into the Shakespeare & Company parking area. Inside, we met up with Greg Hughes who has worked for Shakespeare and Company in some capacity since high school. He explained that many of the administrative staff are actors and actresses themselves so who better to represent the organization? He also told us that the organization is distinct in its focus on classical theatre and “performing as the Elizabethans did.”

Like most non-profits, the theatre company survives through a combination of memberships, gifts, grants, tuition charges and ticket sales. Their trainings, in particular, range from month-long intensives to residencies and summer institutes for college level performers. They also have teacher trainings and programs that reach the elementary level for kids.

One of the things that struck me in walking the grounds was the historical structures and multiple venues. There is an outdoor stage in the middle of a vast field (I joked with Greg that I would write about their great landscaping in my piece, perhaps not the thrust he had hoped). But in all seriousness, imagine the energy when two or three productions are being staged simultaneously!

We toured the main theatre – The Founders’ Theatre – which seats 406 guests. I was impressed to see the clever layout; I really don’t think there is a bad seat in the house. Thin steel poles are used to avoid obstruction and seat comfort looked quite good. While seats can run around $95, Greg pointed out that the non-profit does have discount programs for folks in the Berkshires.

The audience is a mix of tourists and locals, a combination of community theatre and stagecraft with a regional draw. Theatre-goers can choose from a wide range of plays including Mark Roberts’ Parasite Drag, the comical Tale of the Allergist’s Wife or Norman Plotkin’s Cassandra Speaks—a one woman show! Those will all show at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, a cozier venue also on campus.

On the main stage, we have The Tempest starring Olympia Dukakis as well as King Lear, Endurance and Terry Teachout’s play about Louis Armstrong. It promises to be a grand season! To add to the excitement, this is Shakespeare & Company’s 35th Anniversary so keep watch for festivity announcements. From modest theatre start-up to what it is now, Shakespeare & Company has evolved and proved again and again that the Berkshires can rival major metropolitan areas when it comes to performance art.

The theme: “Rebellion and Revolution,” according to Artistic Director, Tony Simotes. Read more about upcoming performances here.

Theater doesn’t stop at Shakespeare & Company, productions abound in the Berkshires so be sure to take time to visit all of our theaters. This summer look for:

• Fiddler on the Roof, Lord of the Flies, just the names evoke images, a big season is planned at Barrington Stage Company.
• Williamstown Theatre Festival starting in late June, will present Valley of Fear to the Importance of Being Earnest.
• The Berkshire Theatre Group which includes The Colonial Theatre and Berkshire Theatre Festival has productions such as A Chorus Line and Edith as well as comedy and music concerts.
• If you are in Great Barrington, check out the great line up at The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center.

Another ‘must-visit’ this summer includes the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. This world dance extravaganza is almost a who’s who of stellar dance groups. Genres include ballet, jazz, contemporary and more. Dancers hail from Israel, Canada, Germany, Australia and Brazil to name a few.

For the layman, bring the whole family out to the Pillow’s Community Dance Day on Sunday, July 1st from 9:30 – 12:30. It’s free and includes beginner dance classes and yoga. Enjoy exhibits, observe classes and take a historical tour of the grounds. A free Master Class from choreographer Crystal Pite’s company Kidd Pivot Frankfurt RM will begin at 10:00. Pre-register for this class at 413-243-9919 x5.

The series of events that are planned at the Pillow is just mindboggling. You have to see it to believe it! Learn more at the Jacob’s Pillow website and come celebrate their 80th Anniversary Season starting this June!

Be sure to check out all the great festivals and events going on at the Berkshires.org website. To get you excited about all the Berkshires has to offer here are a few events you do not want to miss:

• Experience the power of poetry and the spoken word at WordXWord Festival in Pittsfield between Aug. 13th-20th.
• From “God’s Trombones” to African-American art and heritage, enjoy Lift Ev’ry Voice from June 19th to July 23rd (county-wide event).
• May 31st – June 3rd catch the Berkshire International Film Festival in Great Barrington for the best in independent film-making.
• Artswalk, a visual art walk in “upstreet” Pittsfield June 1, July 6, Aug. 3, Sept. 7 from 5-8 pm (First Fridays!).
• MASS MoCA concerts, dance parties, alt cabaret, cinema lounge, kidspace, family concerts, receptions and galleries in North Adams.
• Starting May 24th from 3 pm to 7 pm, and every Thursday thereafter, West Stockbridge’s Farmer’s Market.
• Monday, July 23rd marks the start of Berkshire Fringe: silent auction, open bar, dancing and great performance art.

More than just a location, the Berkshires is a state of mind, so easy to fall in love with.
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Todd Fiorentino is a freelance writer for the Berkshire Visitor’s Bureau and a grant writing consultant (www.thebestgrants.com). He holds a degree in professional writing from UMASS, Boston and has written extensively on health and wellness topics. Todd also runs Energy Rising Massage Therapy (www.energyrising.net) on North Street in Pittsfield.

Summer in the Berkshires means lush emerald lawns, exuberant hydrangea blossoms, humming bumblebees in a meadow of wildflowers; even the cool slap of the waves in a shimmering lake.  Spending time out-of-doors is bliss.  So imagine this: Unpack a brimming picnic basket of artisanal cheeses, delicate salad greens, and a crusty baguette and uncork a bottle of wine for an alfresco dinner, and then relax on your blanket to enjoy a symphonic concert performed by one of the foremost orchestras in the world.  At Tanglewood, of course, this is not a fantasy but a common scenario, with an appreciative crowd of thousands populating the expansive green lawn at the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

At Jacob’s Pillow, the internationally-acclaimed dance festival set in the Becket woods, dancers on the Inside/Out Stage perform on a hillside with the verdant valley as a backdrop.  Every summer, the Pillow’s two theaters host incomparable performances by stellar dance companies from across the United States and around the world, for enthusiastic audiences who make their way to the one-time farm.

This is the magic of summer in the Berkshires: experiencing extraordinary natural beauty paired with superb performances, not only at Tanglewood and the Pillow, but at cultural venues, large and small, across the region.  And of course, a sumptuous picnic is a delight, whether enjoyed at one of the cultural venues, in one of the area’s parks or forests, or at home on the deck or patio.

For the passionate gardener, inspiration is abundant during a visit to Berkshire Botanical Garden, one of the oldest such gardens in the country, where more than 3,000 species and varieties of plants are cultivated in an array of display gardens, both functional and ornamental, gracing the organization’s fifteen-acre property in Stockbridge.  Enhanced by annual shows of art and sculpture sited outdoors, the Garden is a thriving center of education, offering a tempting roster of talks, classes, and workshops in beautiful surroundings.

Naumkeag, the McKim, Mead & White-designed home of the Choate family, now a house museum owned by the Trustees of Reservations, is another site not to be missed by the dedicated gardener. Mabel Choate worked with famed landscape architect Fletcher Steele in the 1930s and 1940s to create not only a lovely series of gardens, but the marvelous Blue Steps, where a grove of graceful birches flanks a descending succession of fountain pools.  Chesterwood, the home of renowned American sculptor Daniel Chester French, also is a house museum and boasts its own elegant gardens, and at Bidwell House, tucked away in Monterey, the gardens echo the plantings appropriate for an historic homestead.

Reveling in the summer sun while playing eighteen holes is another fine way to enjoy the beauty of the Berkshires, and there are excellent golf courses, open to the public, stretching from Williamstown to Great Barrington, with a number of miniature golf courses and driving ranges in the area as well, perfect for a family outing.  For the family with a taste for adventure, try one of the several zip-line canopy tours or embark on a thrilling white-water rafting trip on one of the many scenic waterways in the region.

Adventure of another kind can be found on stage at the very fine regional theaters in the Berkshires, where the busy summer season offers an enticing array of choices.  The Tony Award-winning Williamstown Theatre Festival features sophisticated productions of plays, both new and classic. Musical theater thrives at Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, and the company is well-known for developing new works, both dramas and musicals.  The Berkshire Theatre Group in Pittsfield and Stockbridge, which includes the venerable Berkshire Theatre Festival and the Colonial Theatre, offers a variety of comedies, dramas, and musicals on three stages, two in important historic buildings.  And in Lenox, excellent productions of works by the Bard himself, as well as contemporary plays, can be found at Shakespeare & Company.

For many, summer in the Berkshires translates to an intoxicating and satisfying series of exceptional cultural and arts experiences, from the fine museums and galleries to the world-class performances in theater, music, and dance.  But the region has so much more to offer: inspiring gardens, outdoor adventures, family recreation, and all in a lovely, bucolic, revitalizing setting.  See a play in the afternoon and an orchestral concert the same evening, spend the day kayaking on the Stockbridge Bowl, or find a friendly hammock and read a good book. The Berkshires truly offer something for everyone.

The Civil War in the Berkshires? Really? – when the closest battle was fought some 300 miles to the south – at Gettysburg. True, but the Civil War did impact life in the Berkshires and the Berkshires did influence the course of the war. Some 5,000 men from the region served in the Union Army and Navy and many of their wives and mothers aided the cause from home. Citizens paid taxes and made donations to pay and outfit their town’s soldiers. And Berkshire mills hummed away rolling out clothing and printing money for the cause.

One of the most famous regiments of the Civil War was the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment. This was the “Glory” regiment of African American men from the north. Here, too, the Berkshires made its contribution. Eighty-two of the 1200 or so men in the regiment come from the Berkshires – an astonishing contribution of manpower given the very small African American population in the region. The men served with a level the courage, devotion, and discipline that helped the Union triumph, end slavery, and made African Americans full citizens. Nearly half the Berkshire men sacrificed their lives or their health.

These men are honored in the Berkshires by the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment Trail, established in 2011 by the Upper Housatonic Valley African American Heritage Trail. The trail takes visitors to 24 sites from Dalton south to Sharon, CT. Those interested in the Berkshire’s patriotic history, the Civil War, or African American history can visit the homes of some of the men, churches they helped found, memorial statues on town greens, and the cemeteries where they are memorialized. Highlights include the Hoose House in Dalton, the oldest African American home in the Berkshires, the shared gravestone of brothers Francis and Levi Jackson in Great Barrington; the two men were cousins of civil rights pioneer W. E. B. Du Bois, and Rev. Samuel Harrison’s restored home in Pittsfield. Rev. Harrison was the regiment’s first chaplain and his reason for joining tells us exactly what the regiment meant to its men: “having urged others to enlist [I] thought it my duty to set the example believing that the war would ultimately be war of emancipation, and bring freedom to millions in bondage.”

A trail guide is available online at AfricanAmericanTrail.org and the book, On the Other Side of Glory, (available in local book and gift shops and at UpperHousatonicHeritage.org) provides a history of the 54th and details about the Berkshire men who served.
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David Levinson is a cultural anthropologist and has authored or co-authored four books on African American heritage in the Berkshires.

Tanglewood and the Berkshires – some pairings are so perfect, it’s as if they were meant to be.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s exquisite summer home has been a beacon for music-lovers, families, groups, and world travelers since 1937, packing their bags for the Berkshires with concert schedules in hand, and converging on this idyllic estate tucked within the hills of Lenox and Stockbridge. Today, not only has Tanglewood grown into the country’s most beloved music festival, but the Boston Symphony Orchestra and those who come to see them have created a kind of enchanted atmosphere found nowhere else in North America. Whether Tanglewood is already an annual part of your summer, or you are about to embark on your dream Berkshire vacation, there is no better time to experience this cultural gem than during Tanglewood’s blockbuster 75th Anniversary Season.

The pre-season schedule is practically a mini-festival in itself! Running from June 22 – July 5, concerts include Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, Diana Krall, the Mark Morris Dance Group, A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor, the Emerson String Quartet, and three James Taylor performances.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra then arrives for the official Opening Night at Tanglewood on July 6, launching the season with the same all-Beethoven program that opened Tanglewood back in 1937, and ending the evening with a grand fireworks display.

The BSO is the anchor for every Tanglewood season, performing different programs every Friday and Saturday evenings, as well as Sunday afternoons – including a gala Tanglewood 75th Celebration on July 14, and Tanglewood-on-Parade on Aug. 7. The greatest names in classical music join the BSO throughout the summer, such as violinists Anne-Sophie Mutter and Joshua Bell; conductors Andre Previn, Charles Dutoit, and Lorin Maazel; pianists Emmanuel Ax and Jean Yves Thibaudet; and vocalists Susan Graham and Gerald Finley.

For many concertgoers, it’s also the Boston Pops that defines the ideal Tanglewood experience. The July 8 matinee conducted by Keith Lockhart with Bernadette Peters has already become one of the most highly anticipated events of the summer. On August 18, the Pops will celebrate Laureate Conductor John Williams’ 80th Birthday with a gala concert featuring guests Jessye Norman, Yo-Yo Ma, and many others. And on August 24, Keith Lockhart will lead the Pops in a Boston Pops specialty, “Gershwin and Friends”. Plus, be sure not to miss Train returning to Tanglewood for a solo concert on Aug. 31, and jazz great Chris Botti presenting an up-close performance in lovely Ozawa Hall.

This listing only touches the surface of this very special season. Visit www.tanglewood.org for up-to-date concert information, exclusive online presentations, pre-ordered picnic options, and so much more.
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Jason Lyon is the Associate Director of Group Sales at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, and Tanglewood

The long and hilly routes provide the perfect settings for those who wish to test their legs in a friendly and competitive atmosphere. “This is a fantastic course,” explained John Eustice, a former US Pro Cycling champion and president of Sparta Cycling. “It is a very challenging route, reminiscent of a Tour De France stage in the Vosges Mountains of Eastern France.”

The Berkshire Cycling Classic is one of fifteen races on the UCI World Cycling Tour and the only one in the United States. The race will feature route selections of 62 and 81-miles (100k and 130k) and overall times for both distances will be recorded and ranked according to age group. The top twenty-five percent finishers in each age group qualify for the world championship in South Africa in September.

The ride will also feature several former professional cyclists including cycling legend Erik Zabel who won more than 200 pro races including multiple stages of the Tour de France and won the green jersey that’s awarded to the race’s top sprinter a record six times.

The entry fee is $85 and includes technical support provided by Mavic USA, well-positioned “feed zones”, or rest stops, complete with energy food, choices for hydration, and areas to relax as they tackle the course. Pre-registered riders will receive a commemorative t-shirt and vendors will be on-hand to sell a limited edition jersey. The fee also includes a post ride meal through a local restaurant. Many of the local hotels and inns are offering discounts. For more information and to register, go to www.berkshirecyclingclassic.com.

For dedicated shoppers, it’s a real thrill to discover just the right gift for a friend or family member, the ideal accessory for a favorite outfit, or even that perfect piece of artwork to complement the living room décor. When making that special purchase supports the local creative economy and is often a one-of-a-kind item, so much the better. One of the best local sources for inspired shopping? Museums. Museum shops carry merchandise that is as carefully curated as the exhibitions, and often reflects the style and personality of the institution, making it easy to judge whether a particular museum shop is likely to have the ideal item in stock. And at most museums, it’s possible to enjoy the shop without necessarily visiting the museum’s exhibitions.

At MASS MoCA in North Adams, the shop is called Hardware, and it’s the ideal spot to find a gift for a friend with hip, cool, contemporary taste. A recent visit resulted in the purchase of vivid, graphic scarves and a tempting assortment of cards. Unique jewelry by local artisans fills a display case. There are very cool books and toys for kids, many designed to encourage creativity: the assortment is colorful and creative. For adults, a curated selection of books on art and design is a great source of inspiration, as are the catalogues from a number of MASS MoCA exhibitions. Finally, platters and bowls embellished with Sol LeWitt graphics are functional and beautiful. A visit to the bricks-and-mortar Hardware is fun; and there’s a good selection of items in the virtual shop as well, at www.massmocashopping.org.

At The Clark in Williamstown, visitors will find a spectacular assortment of more than 2,000 art books, from classic to modern, for art lovers of all ages. Take your favorite painting home on a poster, on notecards, or even a mousepad. Colorful and appealing choices children include puzzles, art supplies, and origami kits. Gear with the Clark logo, from mugs and umbrellas to caps, is also available. The shop is open during gallery hours, and the online shop is at www.clarkart.edu.

A traditional Shaker oval box is a lovely and practical gift, and the store at Hancock Shaker Village offers a large selection of handcrafted reproductions. Baskets, herbs, soaps and lotions, books on Shaker lore and history, prints of Shaker drawings, even wonderful gift baskets brimming with Shaker-style treats can be purchased. Visit the online shop as well at www.hancockshakervillage.org.

More than 500 prints (in a range of sizes, framed or unframed) of Norman Rockwell’s paintings are available at the shop at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, both at the museum and online at www.nrm.org. The shop is a treasure trove of Rockwell items, from puzzles and mugs to books and stationery. Specially chosen assortments of books are offered at two local house museums. At The Mount in Lenox, the bookstore stocks the works of Edith Wharton, fiction and non-fiction; shop online at www.edithwharton.org until The Mount opens on May 5. Chesterwood in Stockbridge, which opens for the season on May 26, has a charming museum shop, and the book selections there include volumes on historical gardens, landscape, architecture, sculpture, and travel; check chesterwood.org for more information.

At Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, the Little Shop is stocked with items that echo the current exhibition, Taking Flight: Audubon and the World of Birds. Plush toy birds made to look and sound like the real species; books and stationery; and charming bird houses and bird feeders for the garden are just right for spring.

Museum shop purchases can be a delightful reminder of a memorable afternoon at the museum or the chance to make a more significant investment in a hand-crafted bracelet, basket, or ceramic bowl by a Berkshire-based artisan. Museum shops are a terrific resource for anyone who regards shopping as something of an artform.
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Lesley Ann Beck, the director of communications at Berkshire Museum, has been writing about culture and the arts in the Berkshires since 1998.

Hmm…aah! Yup! It’s definitely here. The sweet-scented air of April is stirring up feelings of adventure—perhaps enjoying unexpected discoveries in old haunts? Take the Norman Rockwell Museum for instance. Located in Stockbridge, the second oldest town in the Berkshires (1834), this world-class attraction has two levels in the main building. Most folks are drawn to the montage of familiar paintings in the galleries easily seen from the entrance. But have you ever ventured down a set of stairs leading to a lower level?

Here, in addition to a hands-on art room for kids’ workshops, the museum presents the collection of covers painted by Rockwell for the Saturday Evening Post. Most often, humorous themes depicting typical family life, the funny side of baseball and catching someone off-guard, invite families to relive moments of nostalgia. And, did you know that your family can also visit his studio? Footpaths lead from the main building to a rustic, red barn. Inside, his “perfect” studio is laid-out exactly the way he left it.

Another cool museum to explore is Ventfort Hall in Lenox. Once a family’s summer residence, this colossal cottage from the Gilded Age (1890-1920) continues to undergo meticulous interior remodeling. If it’s been several years since your last visit, it’s time to take another look. The entire first floor is now open for viewing and many rooms on the second floor have been restored as well. Oh yes, Ventfort Hall is full of mysteries and some say ghosts!

At Arrowhead, home of Herman Melville, there’s a ton of discoveries to be made. Set against a woodland landscape, folks are invited into the Melville farmhouse. Climbing the stairs to his study, visitors gain a real sense of Herman’s life in the 1850s. He loved living there, naming the property “Arrowhead” after finding an arrowhead while working in the fields. The 2012 season will present live theatre written by the Melville family. Check out their web site for more details.

Have you ever visited Western Gateway in Heritage State Park, North Adams? It’s almost hidden from Route 8, tucked away in what was once a bustling train depot. In addition to climbing aboard a full size locomotive, there are actually two museums to explore: the North Adams Museum of History and Science features rare artifacts set on three floors; and the Visitors Center’s museum which offers eclectic displays for all ages including a model train exhibit of North Adams in the 1850s, and a video describing the phenomenal event of blasting through almost five miles of earth and rock to lay train tracks connecting to eastern Massachusetts. You might also take a peek at their web site for free monthly events.

Finally, did you that the Little Cinema inside the Berkshire Museum has expanded its viewing season? Yup! And the Berkshire Camera Club also meets there. This club is open to any photography enthusiasts.

So, if rediscovering the Berkshires appeal to you, start now and plan your family’s next trip here and discover some of the Berkshires hidden gems.
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A Berkshires native, Ann grew up in Dalton as the oldest of five children who were encouraged to use their imaginations for fun and play. Today, Ann lives in Pittsfield, and enjoys family fun and adventure with her fourteen year old son.

To anyone who thinks museums are for rainy days: think again. Many museums in the Berkshire region benefit from sensational settings, not just as a beautiful environment but as another space to explore.

One clear example is The Clark, which sits on 140 rolling acres with multiple trails that wind through fields, woods and pastures, offering spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. Pack a snack to enjoy at one of the picnic tables conveniently arrayed throughout the property.

The Norman Rockwell Museum also enjoys a scenic setting on 36 acres overlooking the Housatonic River Valley. Every other year the natural environment is enhanced with an outdoor sculpture show.

Despite its downtown location, MASS MoCA makes artistic use of its outdoor space. Visitors are greeted by “Tree Logic,” maple trees suspended upside down that grace the museum’s entrance, and the monumental sculpture Primary Separation across the way. The courtyard is graced with a new installation, “The Expanded Field,” that intertwines the Museum’s industrial past with nature in three distinct microenvironments. These works join the popular installation “All Utopias Fell,” an Airstream RV re-imagined as a crash-landed satellite, which visitors can explore by ascending a stairway in an old boiler plant and traversing a metal walkway. MASS MoCA also exploits its outdoor space by showing films and throwing concerts and dance parties in the warmer months.

Historic sites and house museums also exploit their outdoor spaces, usually with splendid gardens, such as those at Edith Wharton’s home and garden, The Mount; Naumkeag, a property of the Trustees of Reservations; the Bidwell House Museum; and Steepletop, the home and garden of poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. At Arrowhead, home of Herman Melville, be sure to check out the view of Mt. Greylock, widely believed to have inspired the author’s masterpiece, Moby-Dick.

Many of the iconic structures at Hancock Shaker Village, such as the Round Stone Barn, are best known by their striking exteriors, though the interior architecture is equally impressive. The HSV experience is incomplete without a tour of the gardens, to understand the Shakers’ agricultural and medicinal-herb know-how, and this month visitors will delight in the annual arrival of Baby Animals, with lambs, chicks, calves, piglets, kids, and other newborns scampering about.

Chesterwood, home of Daniel Chester French, opens at the end of May, when the estate’s gardens will be at their greatest glory. If you’re keen on art in the wild, return at the end of June when the annual contemporary sculpture show opens. It’s a chance to wander through the woods and encounter unexpected artwork.

Finally, the Art Omi International Arts Center turns the museum experience inside out. This oft-overlooked gem has a diminutive gallery and café, perched on the edge of The Fields Sculpture Park, a 60-acre expanse of rolling hills and various natural environments dotted with eye-popping contemporary sculpture. It’s open year-round, for everything from summer picnics to winter cross-country skiing. It’s a great way to appreciate art in the great outdoors.
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After one year as a second-home-owner, Bess Hochstein became a full-time Berkshire resident, settling in the quiet hamlet of Tyringham, where she enjoys country life with Kipp and their two rescued corgis, Remington and Hobbes. Previously a director of marketing and client communications for a major investment company, she’s now a freelance writer, editor, and communications strategist, and the cultural correspondent for RuralIntelligence.com. She has written for many publications, including Real Simple, The Boston Globe, The Wine Enthusiast, Ceramics Monthly, and Healing Lifestyles & Spas. Find out more at www.besshochstein.com.

Markonish crisscrossed the country, east to west, north to south, she researched more than 800 artists and visited 400 studios in nearly every province and territory in Canada for her research. She rode snowmobiles in the Yukon and spent not just Canadian Thanksgiving (in mid-October) up north but also Canada Day (July 1) in country.

Her initial interest in Canada was partly as an antidote to the contemporary art world’s reliance upon the exotic – in recent years artists from China and India have gotten the much attention on the international art scene, yet work from Canada is less thought about. Markonish was certain that great art was being made just north of the 49th parallel and was delighted to discover in Canada, a fascinating world of art, rich in craftsmanship with a deep interest in landscape and identity.

Oh, Canada focuses mostly on artists less recognized outside of Canada, providing a fresh glimpse of a vibrant art scene that is too little known in the United States. While most of the work will be new to US audiences, the dozen new commissions are an exciting part of the show. These include an EP of songs by art-alternative folk rock band The Cedar Tavern Singers AKA Les Phonorealistes titled Oh Canada, Oh Canada, is an absurdist romp through imagined genres of Canadian art like Neo-lumberjack Abstraction, Relational Lacrosse, and Beaver Dam Earthworks; Micah Lexier’s A Coin in the Corner, in which a series of newly minted coins will be installed treasure hunt-style throughout the museum; and already installed in Mass MoCA’s 90-foot long Hunter Center Hallway is Democracy by Gisele Amantea, which adapts a Louis Sullivan design in flocking. In late April, work will begin outside on Michel de Broin’s Tortoise, a sculpture constructed from twelve picnic tables, and Dean Baldwin will be making a new installation that will also function as an outdoor bar.