The First Fridays Artswalk in downtown Pittsfield continues its 5-month season (May through September) on Friday, August 7 from 5 to 8 pm as part of the City of Pittsfield’s First Fridays at Five.
Participating venues on Friday, August 7 include Clock Tower Artists, Framework by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., Hotel on North, Indie Readery and Records, Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, O.U.R Resurge, Sanctum Gallery, Solarium Plant Shop, 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.
Join the Clock Tower Artists at 75 South Church Street on Friday, August 7, 5 to 8 pm, to explore fresh artwork, meet the makers, and celebrate summer creativity.
Stroll the historic third floor and connect with over 20 professional artists working across a wide range of mediums. Whether you’re an art lover, collector, or curious newcomer, you’re sure to find something that sparks your imagination. Enjoy original artwork, creative conversations, and a warm, welcoming community of artists in the heart of Pittsfield.
Artists 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, Sally Tiska Rice, Ilene Richard, Audrey Shachnow, Stanley Singer, Ariel Smith, Sharon Walthew, Stefanie Weber, and Carmel Wilson.
CATA’s “I Am a Part of Art” will be on view at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue, now through August 28, 2026.
“I Am a Part of Art” is one of the largest annual exhibits by artists with disabilities in the country—featuring paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures, and more by over 250 artists with disabilities from across Berkshire County, MA and Columbia County, NY. In their works, created in Community Access to the Arts’ year-round programs, CATA artists express their unique perspectives and draw us into their world, revealing the power of art to nurture inclusion and connection.
On view at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, now through August 28, Wednesday through Friday, 11 am to 3 pm, and by appointment.
CATA artwork is available for sale and supports CATA artists.
Sanctum Gallery at 148 North Street will feature “The Spiritual Essence of Water” – The Art of Gail Gelburd and Tenzin Wangchuk, August 7 through August 30. There will be an opening reception with the artists during the August 7th Artswalk from 5 to 8 pm.
Water has long symbolized life, transformation, healing, and renewal. “The Spiritual Essence of Water” explores these universal themes through an immersive exhibition featuring the artwork of Berkshire artist Gail Gelburd and Tibetan artist Tenzin Wangchuk.
Gelburd’s richly layered mixed-media works, inspired by waterfalls in the Berkshires and around the world, combine photography, encaustic, sculpture, illuminated installations, and fabric to evoke water’s beauty, power, and spiritual presence. Her work invites viewers to reflect on the connection between humanity and the natural world.
Complementing the exhibition are sacred Tibetan sand paintings by Tenzin Wangchuk, a former senior monk and artist for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His intricate works are rooted in the spiritual traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and have been shared with the community through his long friendship and artistic collaboration with Gelburd.
Presented by Sanctum Gallery, a program of Healing Hearts Sanctuary, the exhibition will also feature artist talks, guided meditations, music, and other community programs throughout the month. Admission is free, and all are welcome.
Berkshire Art Center (BAC) will host “Kid Artwork Across All Ages, from the Summer in the Studios Program at Berkshire Art Center” at Framework by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. located at 437 North Street.
There will be an opening during the August 7 First Fridays at Five from 5 to 8 pm.
Solarium Plant Shop, 46 West Street, will feature “Layered”- Visionary Alchemy of Paper, Scissors & Glue by Margo Serina during the Artswalk on Friday, August 7 from 5 to 8 pm.
Margo Serina of Sacred Bridge Studio is a Berkshire native and life-long artist who explores with various mediums to create art while gravitating towards collage and watercolor as two of her favorite forms of expression. Her work features contrast, textures, and vibrant color combinations as well as the use of mixed media and elements of nature.
“Layered” – Visionary Alchemy of Paper, Scissors & Glue is a collection of collages Margo has created while exploring and allowing the paper she cuts and collects to come together organically in her creative process with both simplicity and articulation of the elements involved to create multi layered and cohesive images. She finds this process to be both meditative and highly therapeutic.
Hotel on North, 297 North Street, will feature Autumn Phoenix Photography for the month of August.
Autumn Phoenix is a professional artist and photographer. Her work spans landscapes, animals, cityscapes, and portraiture. Her photographs are defined by unique lighting and vibrant color to capture moments that might otherwise go unnoticed. She is inspired by her grandfather. She views each photograph as a “treasure chest” to preserve experiences long after they pass.
The show will be on view on Friday, August 7, from 5 to 8 pm during the Artswalk.
O.U.R. Resurge, 119 Fenn Street, will feature the “Awamu Artist Co-op” with artists Ashley Sposato, Matt Brinton, Nicole Fecteau, and Rochely DeJesus Melendez. “Awamu” means “Let’s go together” in Luganda!
There will be a reception with the artists on Friday, August 7, 5 to 8 pm, including a poetry reading by Ashley Sposato, a book signing with Matthew Brinton, a meal, and a table for kids to make art.
Ashley Sposato is a chronically ill poet and mixed-media artist based in the Berkshires. Through her project Idyll & Wild, she explores love, longing, grief, and transcendence with myth, ancient history, and the natural world.
On a good day, you can find her by the riverside calling to birds and buried in ancient Greek poetry. We won’t talk about other days (those are reserved for poems). More conventionally, she can be found on Substack as Idyll & Wild, and on Instagram as idyllwildpoetry.
Ashley is published in journals by “The Way Back To Ourselves” and is Pushcart Prize nominated. She is currently working on her inaugural book of poetry, Hymns for the Orchard.
Matthew Brinton’s artwork and writing are inspired by the experiences that have shaped his life. On the page and on the canvas, he attempts to express his understanding of the human condition. Matt’s hope is that by being honest about his experiences, he can connect with a universal truth and remind others that they are not alone in their struggle to find meaning and purpose.
Matt’s drawings are done in a realistic style but often incorporate a painterly and classical linear style. The drawings of landscape and still life he creates are inspired by the sheer beauty of the subjects. His portraiture mainly consists of historical figures who have impacted his life. In his portrayal of these figures, the main focus is to capture their inner spiritual lives.
Nicole Fecteau’s art is an expression of the interconnectedness of life, the unending tapestries of stories we weave as communal beings deeply connected to each other and also profoundly integrated within our natural world. Utilizing fabric, colored pencils, and embroidery, Nicole strives to portray various allusions to life and faith as a journey that brings us deeper into our shared experience, inviting us into more heartfelt levels of compassion and mercy.
Rochely DeJesus Melendez is growing in her art mediums and expanding her vision – she feels that our lives are shifting so much. These seismic oceanic currents we all feel generationally, environmentally, historically, and politically can be funneled and expressed through art in ways that invite curiosity and shift mindsets.
Indie Readery and Records, 314 North Street, will feature a collection of collage and painting on unconventional surfaces by Brent Ridge now through September 1. Stop by during the August 7 Artswalk from 5 to 8 pm.
Brent uses patterned recycled papers and fabrics in place of traditional canvas and paper. These works depict the post-industrial landscape through a tension of decay and renewal of image, material, and abstraction. Ridge is a Berkshires-based artist whose work delves into themes of industrial decay, natural beauty, and human resilience. A local artist, originally from Flint, MI, Brent has an artistic history in NYC, abroad, and in Boston before resettling in the Berkshires. He is currently the art teacher at Reid Middle School in Pittsfield, where he inspires young artists.
Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. and First Fridays Artswalk will feature Maru Domínguez as the August “Art in the Park” artist. Maru will present a special “Faces of Pittsfield Community Art Experience” for the August 7 First Fridays at Five from 5 to 8 pm.
Faces of Pittsfield is a community photography project that celebrates the people who live, work, and visit Pittsfield through the art of portraiture. This August, we invite you to become part of the artwork itself.
Together, we will create a collaborative community portrait by painting and decorating our own faces and self-portraits, celebrating the diversity, stories, and connections that make Pittsfield unique. Through art, creativity, and shared expression, we will build a collective piece that reflects who we are as a community.
Come create, connect, and celebrate with us. All ages and artistic abilities are welcome!
Be part of the portrait. Be part of the story. Be part of Pittsfield.
Maru Domínguez is a photographer, artist, and community organizer based in the Berkshires, MA. Her work centers on storytelling, community building, and creating meaningful connections through art and culture.
“Art in the Park” is supported in part by the Feigenbaum Foundation.
“Art in the Park” 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.
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/62964
First Fridays Artswalk and “Art in the Park” are 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.
First Fridays Artswalk and “Art in the Park” are also supported in part by The Feigenbaum Foundation.
Check out all of the August 7 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, Sally Tiska Rice, Ilene Richard, Audrey Shachnow, Stanley Singer, Ariel Smith, Sharon Walthew, Stefanie Weber, and Carmel Wilson
Open Studios: Friday, August 7, 5 to 8 pm
Solarium Plant Shop, 46 West Street
“Layered”- Visionary Alchemy of Paper, Scissors & Glue
Margo Serina of Sacred Bridge Studio
On View: Friday, August 7, 5 to 8 pm
O.U.R Resurge, 119 Fenn Street
“Awamu Artist Co-op”
Ashley Sposato, Matt Brinton, Nicole Fecteau, and Rochely DeJesus Melendez
Artist Reception: Friday, August 7, 5 to 8 pm
Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue
CATA’s “I Am a Part of Art”
On View: Friday, August 7, 5 to 8 pm
Palace Park, 122 North Street
“Art in the Park” with Maru Domínguez
“Faces of Pittsfield Community Art Experience”
Friday, August 7, 5 to 8 pm
Sanctum Gallery, 148 North Street
“The Spiritual Essence of Water”
The Art of Gail Gelburd and Tenzin Wangchuk
Opening Reception: Friday, August 7, 5 to 8 pm
Soda Chef, 161 North Street
Drift & Bloom: The art of Nicole March
Window Display
Hotel on North, 297 North Street
Autumn Phoenix Photography
On View: Friday, August 7, 5 to 8 pm
Indie Readery and Records, 314 North Street
Collage and painting on unconventional surfaces
Brent Ridge
On View: Friday, August 7, 5 to 8 pm
Framework by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., 437 North Street
Kid Artwork from Berkshire Art Center’s Summer in the Studios Program
Opening: Friday, August 7, 5 to 8 pm
Featured image: Gail Gelburd