The First Fridays Artswalk in downtown Pittsfield concludes its 5-month season (May through September) on Friday, September 5 from 5 to 8 pm as part of the City of Pittsfield’s First Fridays at Five.
Participating venues on Friday, September 5 include Berkshire Art Center, Clock Tower Artists, Framework by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., Hotel on North, Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, Marketplace Cafe, NUarts gallery + studios, Ralph Froio Senior Center, Roots and Dreams and Mustard Seeds, and the Soda Chef.
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 Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue, will feature We Are America Too: The Journey Continues., September 5 – 26.
The We Are America Too / Nosotros También Somos América exhibition features the artwork of more than twenty-five immigrant and first-generation American artists – local, regional and from across the U.S. – each interpreting the theme “We Are America Too” through expressions of their diverse paths of migration and belonging.
The exhibition curated by Katunemo Art & Healing, an art collective that supports immigrant artists, uplifts immigrant voices through art as a tool for resistance, healing, ancestry connection, and celebration.
The exhibition honors the contributions of immigrant communities to this country’s history, reclaiming the spirit of welcome as inscribed on the Statue of Liberty: recognizing migration as a universal human experience—one as old as humanity itself.
Through powerful works that reflect resilience, joy, pain, and creative strategy – artists from different countries, using different media, offer an intimate and collective reflection on what it means to belong.
We Are America Too / Nosotros También Somos América is not just an exhibition – it is a living and urgent statement.
The exhibition was first presented in July 2025 at Installation Space in North Adams. Now, with the inclusion of more artists and an updated vision shaped by public participation, the exhibition is coming to Pittsfield.
Artists include Ajtziij S’r Farruko, Anonymous Artists, Chatito, Clara Guatta, Cofles (GOTM), Daniela Pignatelli, Daniela Sthisel, David Melchor, Efraín Benítez, Elmer Orobio, Jannette Castellano, Majho OZ, Manu Uriona, MARU Studio & Art, María Elisa Fuller, Melani Garcia, Mica, Mica Farias Gomez, Revolutionary Sweetheart, Spirits of the Art, and Stephx.
The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts is open Wednesday through Friday, 11 am to 3 pm, and by appointment. There will be an opening reception on Friday, September 5 from 5 to 8 pm.
Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. and Framework will feature a brand-new “Pittsfield Paintbox Artist Exhibition” featuring 4 local artists at Framework by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. (437 North Street).
Featured artists are Susan Gail Catelotti, Melissa Matsuki Lillie, Anastasia Drayton, and Eternity Joy Alice Williams.
There will be an opening reception with the artists during the September 5 First Fridays Artswalk from 5 to 8 pm.
The exhibition will be on view Monday through Thursday, 10 am to 2 pm, September 5 through September 25, by visiting the Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. offices at 431 North Street.
The Pittsfield Paintbox Program is a program of the City of Pittsfield’s Office of Cultural Development. The Paintbox Program celebrates local artists, enlivens the streetscape, and discourages vandalism of utility boxes throughout the downtown. Four Paintbox designs will be installed in Pittsfield this summer by the artists in this exhibition at Framework by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc.
The gallery at Framework by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. is funded in part by a grant from the Pittsfield Cultural Council; a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
The Marketplace Cafe, 53 North Street, will feature “For the Love of Landscapes” by artist Jill McLean for the month of September. The show will feature a selection of watercolor sketches from Jill McLean’s 100 days of landscapes series.
Jill McLean is an artist living in Pittsfield, MA. A Berkshire native, Jill is constantly inspired by the local landscape while out hiking and painting. The 2024 “100 Day Project” at the focus of this show is an exploration into landscape style, technique, and composition. Completing 100 sketches in 100 days forced an intense immersion into observing and improving landscape painting skills, styles, and preferences that is reflected in all the work that has come out of Jill’s studio since its completion.
There will be an Opening Reception with the artist during the September 5 First Fridays Artswalk from 5 to 7 pm.
The Clock Tower Artists at 75 South Church Street will host an open studios event on Friday, September 5, 5 to 8 pm. Clock Tower Artists (CTA) is the largest and most diverse contemporary, working artists’ group in Berkshire County. Now numbering two dozen working creatives, the Clock Tower Artists Open Studios will feature original paintings, prints, photographs, and sculptures. Enjoy an insider’s look into the world of working artists.
Artists with Open Studios at the Clock Tower on September 5 include Karen Carmean, Deborah H Carter, Lucie Castaldo, Joan Palano Ciolfi, Randy Foulds, Marion Grant, Nava Grunfeld, Caroline Kelley, Mollie Kellogg, Eric Korenman, Bruce Laird, Lisa Loustaunau, Mark Mellinger, Linda Petrocine, Shany Porras, Sally Tiska Rice, Ilene Richard, Audrey Shachnow, Stanley Singer, Ariel Smith, Jordan Stone, Sharon Walthew, Stefanie Weber, and Carmel Wilson.
The Ralph Froio Senior Center, 330 North Street, will feature “Woven Stories” during the September 5th First Fridays Artswalk from 5 to 8 pm.
“Woven Stories” is a heartfelt quilt exhibition by older adult quilters who gather at the Ralph Froio Senior Center to create, connect, and express themselves through fabric. Each piece in the show reflects personal narratives, shared memories, and the enduring creativity of our community’s elders.
NUarts gallery + studios, 311 North Street, will open their Hall Gallery featuring the works of resident artists on Friday, September 5 from 5 to 8 pm.
Hotel on North, 297 North Street, will feature “Rear View” – New Paintings by Stacey Silkey – September 2 through October 31.
“Soren Kierkegaard believed that ‘Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forward.’ In looking backward at a moment captured in time, I bring it forward to the present while creating”, says Stacey. “A digital image is first drawn on the panel, then put away… it is both a record of inspiration and the impetus. Utilizing my knowledge of elements and principles of design, I intuitively discover line, color, shape, balance, unity, etc. while the work is painted.”
There will be an opening reception with the artist on Friday, September 5 from 5 to 8 pm during the First Fridays Artswalk; and additional work will be located next door at RARE 297.
The September “Art in the Park” artist at First Fridays at Five will be Carly Holmes. Carly will be popped up in Palace Park (near 122 North Street), inviting the community to watch her paint live and discussing her process with all who are interested.
Carly is a lifelong resident of Pittsfield and describes herself as an emerging artist with a passion for creating art. “I have always loved creating art,” Carly says. “As a child, I was constantly drawing and crafting. I have explored drawing, ceramics, and 3-dimensional design. But painting with acrylics is where my true passion lies. I view my work as a reflection of my ever-evolving interests, and as a personal outlet for self-expression.”
Carly is the City of Pittsfield’s inaugural artist-in-residence and is currently working out of studio space in the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts. Carly also recently unveiled her new mural “DOWNTOWN BOUND” on the train platform at the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority Intermodal Center located at 1 Columbus Avenue in Pittsfield. “DOWNTOWN BOUND” was created alongside mentor artist Jesse Tobin McCauley as part of the Let It Shine! Public Art Partnership.
In the case of inclement weather, “Art in the Park” with Carly Holmes will be inside the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts at 28 Renee Avenue. “Art in the Park” is supported by the Feigenbaum Foundation.
The Berkshire Art Center (BAC), 141 North Street, will host Free Drop-In Art Making during the First Fridays Artswalk on Friday, September 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.
Enjoy a rotating set of art projects for individuals and families to participate in at their own pace with the guidance and support of a Faculty Artist. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Roots and Dreams and Mustard Seeds, 119 Fenn Street, will present eco-friendly products by Aisha B. and the Cosmic CoArt Cooperative’s Cosmic Butterfly Procession project during a reception on Friday, September 5, 5 to 8 pm, during the First Fridays Artswalk.
Artist and artisan Aisha B. will be showcasing her natural handcrafted eco-friendly products which include reusable concrete candles, zero-waste soaps, clay jewelry, canvas art, and more alongside the Cosmic CoArt Cooperative’s Cosmic Butterfly Procession project which celebrates the life and migration of the butterfly, here in Berkshire County, as it mimics human migration around the world.
The Cosmic CoArt Cooperative is a multi-talented artist cooperative that strives to thread together common strengths through the living arts. They sincerely feel creating a culture of a “beloved community” while crossing borders of race, class, culture, language, ability, and creed can be done hand in hand through the forces of creativity and the human phenomenon of art.
Artists include Annalisa Jacobsen, Peppa, Aisha B., Drake, Jean Minuchin, Macarena, Beth Fairservis, Matt Brinton, Nicole Fecteau and Olly.
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. Direct link: https://downtownpittsfield.stqry.app/list/56470
First Fridays Artswalk is supported in part by The Feigenbaum Foundation.
Check out all of the September 5 First Fridays at Five events at lovepittsfield.com/first-fridays.
Event Highlights (South to North):
Artists at the Clock Tower, 75 South Church Street, Third Floor
Karen Carmean, Deborah H Carter, Lucie Castaldo, Joan Palano Ciolfi, Randy Foulds, Marion Grant, Nava Grunfeld, Caroline Kelley, Mollie Kellogg, Eric Korenman, Bruce Laird, Lisa Loustaunau, Mark Mellinger, Linda Petrocine, Shany Porras, Sally Tiska Rice, Ilene Richard, Audrey Shachnow, Stanley Singer, Ariel Smith, Jordan Stone, Sharon Walthew, Stefanie Weber, and Carmel Wilson
Open Studios: Friday, September 5, 5 to 8 pm
Marketplace Cafe, 53 North Street
Jill McLean
“For the Love of Landscapes”
Opening Reception: Friday, September 5, 5 to 7 pm
Roots and Dreams and Mustard Seeds, 119 Fenn Street
Cosmic CoArt Cooperative and the Cosmic Butterfly Procession
Annalisa Jacobsen, Peppa, Aisha B., Drake, Jean Minuchin, Macarena, Beth Fairservis, Matt Brinton, Nicole Fecteau, and Olly
Artist Reception: Friday, September 5, 5 to 8 pm
Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue
We Are America Too: The Journey Continues.
Opening Reception: Friday, September 5, 5 to 8 pm
Palace Park, 122 North Street
“Art in the Park” with Carly Holmes
Friday, September 5, 5 to 8 pm
Berkshire Art Center/Brothership Building, 141 North Street
Free Drop-In Art Making
Friday, September 5, 5:30 to 7:30 pm
Soda Chef, 161 North Street
Nicole March Art – Window Display
Hotel on North, 297 North Street
“Rear View”
New Paintings by Stacey Silkey
Opening Reception: Friday, September 5, 5 to 8 pm
NUarts gallery + studios, 311 North Street
View the Hall Gallery featuring the works of resident artists
Friday, September 5, 5 to 8 pm
Ralph Froio Senior Center, 330 North Street
“Woven Stories”
Ralph Froio Senior Center Quilters
Artist Reception: Friday, September 5, 5 to 8 pm
Framework by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., 437 North Street
Pittsfield Paintbox Artist Exhibition
Susan Gail Catelotti, Melissa Matsuki Lillie, Anastasia Drayton, and Eternity Joy Alice Williams
Opening Reception: Friday, September 5, 5 to 8 pm
Featured image: Susan Gail Catelotti