The First Fridays Artswalk in downtown Pittsfield returns for a 5-month season (May through September) on Friday, May 2 from 5 to 8 pm as part of the City of Pittsfield’s First Fridays at Five.
Participating venues on Friday, May 2 include Berkshire Art Center, Clock Tower Artists, Dottie’s Coffee Lounge, Framework by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., Hotel on North, Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, Living in Recovery, Marie’s North Street Eatery and Gallery, Marketplace Cafe, Ralph Froio Senior Center, Soda Chef, and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Pittsfield.
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.
Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. and First Fridays Artswalk will feature a different “Art in the Park” artist each month of the First Fridays at Five Season. On May 2 from 5 to 8 pm, Shelsy Rodriguez (Stephx) will be popped up in Palace Park (near 122 North Street), inviting the community to join her in creating an original painting. “Art in the Park” is supported by the Feigenbaum Foundation.
Shelsy Rodriguez is a 22-year-old student from Bogota, Colombia. She came to the United States almost four years ago in search of her own well-being and development as a person. She is an environmental science student at BCC and has a creative baking business with her mother. Shelsy’s first mural can be seen on the Intermodal Center in Pittsfield.
The Clock Tower Artists at 75 South Church Street will host an open studios event on Friday, May 2, 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 May 2 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.
Hotel on North, 297 North Street, will feature photographs by Shaun Harmon May 1 – June 30. There will be a reception with the artist on Friday, May 2, from 5 to 8 pm.
Shaun Harmon shoots people, places, things, and above all – memories. He has always had a curiosity for the world, travel, meeting people and making memories. “That love of life has lead me to the place I am today, trying to capture life through my lens,” says Harmon. “To live is to create, so let’s create together.” Learn more about Shaun at www.sph.photography.
The Ralph Froio Senior Center, 330 North Street, will feature a powerful and inspiring art exhibit showcasing the creativity of older adults living with dementia and Alzheimer’s. This special collection features artwork created by participants in the center’s Supportive Day Program, as well as pieces from local skilled nursing, in partnership with the Berkshire Alzheimer’s Association.
Through painting, drawing, and mixed media, these artists share their unique perspectives and experiences, proving that creativity and self-expression thrive at every stage of life. Stop in during the First Fridays Artswalk on Friday, May 2, from 5 to 8 pm. Select artwork will remain on display through May 30, 2025.
The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue, will present Portfolios by Pittsfield High School Art Students May 2 – 31. There will be an opening reception with the artists on Friday, May 2, from 5 to 7 pm.
The dedicated Advanced Placement (AP) students who created these portfolios have honed their skills, often taking multiple art classes throughout their high school journey. As a vital component of their curriculum, they have planned and curated a representation of their artistic work. The exhibition will feature an array of pieces, with students from Drawing & Painting, Ceramics, and Photography showcasing their creations in a salon-style format. Additionally, posters from the Pittsfield City Jazz competition will be featured, adding to the vibrant atmosphere of the event.
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Pittsfield, 175 Wendell Avenue, will feature fabric art by Kathryn Wedderburn for the month of May. There will be an opening reception with the artist on Friday, May 2, from 5 to 8 pm.
Kathryn Wedderburn was fascinated by the quilts her grandmother made from any spare fabric. Nothing was wasted. Five years ago, she encountered Elizabeth Iola Sylvan, whose fabric art is breathtaking. After two classes with Elizabeth, Kathryn began to try her hand at fabric art. With great joy, she continues to learn new techniques. The UU Church is very pleased and proud to be hosting her art again.
Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. and Framework will feature a brand-new photography exhibition by Allan Seppa, April 6 through May 22, 2025, at Framework by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. (437 North Street).
The exhibition will feature photography of Southwest America, specifically of Arizona, Utah, and Colorado.
There will be a reception with the artist during the May 2 First Fridays Artswalk from 5 to 8 pm.
Allan Seppa’s exhibition will be on view Monday through Thursday, 10 am to 2 pm, April 7 through May 22, by visiting the Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. offices at 431 North Street. This show is brought to you in part by a grant from the Pittsfield Cultural Council.
The Berkshire Art Center (BAC), 141 North Street, will offer Free Drop-In Art Making on Friday, May 2 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.
Through the end of May, The Berkshire Art Center will also feature a window display, The Legacy Exhibition, Honoring the Stories of Latina Women.
This powerful exhibition celebrates 160 Latina women living in the Berkshires, highlighting their stories, dreams, and contributions to the community. Through intimate portraits and personal narratives, Legacy reflects the strength, resilience, and diversity of women who have shaped their own paths in this region. Originally presented at the Center for Peace Through Culture, the exhibition now moves to the Pittsfield Berkshire Art Center to continue fostering dialogue and appreciation for the cultural impact of the Latina community. Legacy invites viewers to discover unique stories and connect with the cultural richness these women represent.
The Marketplace Cafe, 53 North Street, will feature Hazle Weatherfield (Recent works by Michael McKay) for the month of May. View acrylic gouache works on paper by Hazle Weatherfield, (a pseudonym adopted by artist Michael McKay), constructing implied fictions and creating totems from all-American suburban basement clutter. There will be a reception with the artist during the May 2 First Fridays Artswalk from 5 to 7 pm.
Living in Recovery, 75 North Street, will feature artworks by Shane Ott on Friday, May 2, from 5 to 8 pm, at a reception with the artist.
Shane Ott’s canvases are a mesmerizing journey into the dark depths of the human psyche. Hailing from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Ott fearlessly delves into the complexities of the human experience, laying bare the raw and honest emotions that lie within all of us. With his chosen medium of Painter, Ott captures the essence of freedom, both in its elusive nature and its ultimate liberation of the soul. His bold and audacious strokes embody the rebellious spirit of the artistic mind, inviting viewers to explore their own innermost feelings. Ott’s work speaks to the relentless search for authenticity and the unapologetic quest for truth, inviting us to embrace the darkness and discover the light within.
Dottie’s Coffee Lounge/Dorothy’s Estaminet, 438/444 North Street, will present THE INSIDE, THE OUTSIDE and the THE ARC-EN-CIEL, the work of three artists: Jess Fry, Bonnie Lingoski, and Loic Adandedjan in The Dot Gallery in May and June. There will be a reception with the artists on Friday, May 2 from 5 to 7 pm.
The Inside: Jess Frey looks for inspiration inside herself, seeking growth, wholeness and transformation.
The Outside: Bonnie Lingoski goes outside to find the scenes and views she can transform into images, with her very unique and personal color sense.
The Arc-en-ciel: Loic Adendedjan takes his camera and goes in search of the rainbow, or the arc-en-ciel, which is “rainbow,” in his native French.
Following the artists reception, there will be dinner service from 5 to 9 pm and Spoken Word/Open Mic/Karaoke with Connor Ryan from 7 to 10 pm.
For the month of May, Marie’s North Street Eatery and Gallery, 146 North Street, will feature “Hidden by the Weight of Our Scales, 2.0”. This exhibition by artist Antoine Adams and Neil Davis will be housed within the dragon Tempest, and there will be an opening reception on Friday, May 2 from 5 to 8 pm.
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/55197
First Fridays Artswalk is supported in part by The Feigenbaum Foundation.
Check out all of the May 2 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, May 2, 5 to 8 pm
Unitarian Universalist Church of Pittsfield, 175 Wendell Avenue
Fabric art by Kathryn Wedderburn
Opening Reception: Friday, May 2, 5 to 8 pm
Marketplace Cafe, 53 North Street
Hazle Weatherfield (Recent works by Michael McKay)
Opening Reception: Friday, May 2, 5 to 7 pm
Living in Recovery, 75 North Street
Shane Ott
Opening Reception: Friday, May 2, 5 to 8 pm
Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 28 Renne Avenue
Portfolios by Pittsfield High School Art Students
Opening Reception: Friday, May 2, 5 to 7 pm
Palace Park, 122 North Street
Pottery Demo with Jim Horsford
“Art in the Park” with Shelsy Rodriguez
Friday, May 2, 5 to 8 pm
Marie’s North Street Eatery and Gallery, 146 North Street
Hidden by the Weight of Our Scales, 2.0
Opening Reception: Friday, May 2, 5 to 8 pm
Berkshire Art Center/Brothership Building, 141 North Street
The Legacy Exhibition, Honoring the Stories of Latina Women
Free All Ages Art Making Drop-In: Friday, May 2, 5:30 to 7:30 pm
Soda Chef, 161 North Street
Nicole March Art – Window Display
Persip Park, 175 North Street
Live Music with Futon Lasagna
Friday, May 2, 5 to 8 pm
Hotel on North, 297 North Street
Photographs by Shaun Harmon
Opening Reception: Friday, May 2, 5 to 8 pm
Ralph Froio Senior Center, 330 North Street
Art of older adults living with dementia and Alzheimer’s
Opening Reception: Friday, May 2, 5 to 8 pm
Framework by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., 437 North Street
Photography exhibition of Southwest America by Allan Seppa
Reception: Friday, May 2, 5 to 8 pm
Dottie’s Coffee Lounge/Dorothy’s Estaminet, 438/444 North Street
THE INSIDE, THE OUTSIDE and the THE ARC-EN-CIEL
The work of three artists: Jess Fry, Bonnie Lingoski, and Loic Adandedjan
Opening Reception: Friday, May 2, 5 to 7 pm
Featured image: Hazle Weatherfield (Recent works by Michael McKay)