Wyndham Wisdom

Berkshires Art and Soul

The hills of western Massachusetts are alive with music--and cutting-edge art, theater and dance.

 

By Necee Regis                                                                                   

 

Ah, summer in the Berkshires.

 

As you drive the winding roads through a dappled landscape of maple, red oak, beech and birch trees, past quintessential New England villages, you might not realize that this corner of western Massachusetts is home to more than 65 cultural institutions. Yet, tucked among the green hills are preeminent museums, galleries and theaters whose exhibitions and performances will satisfy any lover of the arts, serious or casual.

 

MUSIC AMONG THE TREES
The hills are literally alive with music at Tanglewood (888-266-1200; tanglewood.org), the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Located between Stockbridge township and Lenox, the estate's 500-plus acres of lawns and gardens provide a perfect backdrop for classical music, as well as occasional pop and jazz concerts. A few highlights of this summer's roster, which runs June 26-Sept. 5, include James Levine conducting symphonies by Mahler; Seiji Ozawa conducting Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2; and an all-Strauss Sunday-afternoon program.

 

Most performances take place either at the Koussevitzky Music Shed, an open auditorium that seats 5,000, or at the 1,200-seat Seiji Ozawa Hall. The seats sell out quickly, so it's best to reserve in advance. For a more spur-of-the-moment outing, bring folding chairs (or rent some there) or just a blanket, and picnic on the lawn outside either hall-- tickets are almost always available. The air smells of fresh-cut grass, and as the sun sets in the hills and the music swells, there's nothing more magical. Buy picnic fixings at the Marketplace Kitchen in Great Barrington (413-528-5775; marketplacekitchen.com), 16 miles south of Lenox on Route 7.

 

ART ON THE EDGE
For something more contemporary and experimental, head up the road about 30 miles to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, the largest center for contemporary visual and performing arts in the country (413-662-2111; massmoca.org; $15). Housed in the former Sprague Electric Co. plant in North Adams, the 13-acre MASS MoCA "campus" (as it's called) includes enormous galleries with changing art exhibitions, a bookstore, shops and restaurants.

 

This summer, expect to see "Material World: Sculpture to Environment," a series of site-specific installations by seven artists whose work explores how modest materials--plastic, cardboard, rope, paper--can be used to transform space. Also on view, as it will be for the next 23 years, is "Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective." For this exhibition, the museum constructed nearly an acre of interior walls to showcase LeWitt's large-scale wall drawings, spanning the artist's career from 1969 to 2007.

   

MASS MoCA's performing arts schedule includes music, theater, dance, film and video, and cabaret. If you get hungry, the museum has a small café, but for something special, hold out for dinner at the Gramercy Bistro (413-663-5300), a chef-owned restaurant that recently relocated to the MASS MoCA campus. Alexander Smith's creative American fare focuses on organic meats and local produce.

 

Since MASS MoCA opened its doors in the late 1980s, Boston and New York artists have flocked to North Adams, setting up studios and lofts in nearby industrial buildings. Hudsons (413-664-6530; hudsonsart.com), adjacent to the Gramercy Bistro, displays artworks along with antiques, Persian rugs and collectibles. A weekend gallery at the Eclipse Mill (243 Union St.; 413-664-9101; eclipsemill.com), a former textile mill that's home to potters, painters, musicians and other artists, shows works by residents.

 

WILLIAMSTOWN TRIO
Williamstown, five miles west of North Adams, is always abuzz with creative activity. This small town near the border of Vermont and New York is home to Williams College, and has a world-class theater festival and two influential art institutions. The Williams College Museum of Art (413-597-2429; wcma.org; admission free) holds a collection of more than 13,000 works that span the history of art. In its galleries this summer, view 18th- and 19th-century French drawings in "Works as Progress/Works in Progress," and inspect the enormous hand-attached barnacles on contemporary artist Tristin Lowe's 52-foot-long felt whale sculpture, "Mocha Dick," inspired by Moby Dick. Through July 25th, "Remington's Bronco Buster: From Art Icon to Pop Icon" showcases Frederic Remington's bronze sculpture of a rearing horse with its masterful rider.

 

At the nearby Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute, aka "The Clark" (413-458-2303; clarkart.edu; $15), an exhibition titled "Picasso Looks at Degas" pairs some 100 works by these modern masters (June 13-Sept. 12). Paintings assembled from museums in Barcelona, Paris, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and beyond examine the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso's lifelong obsession with the work of the French painter and sculptor Edgar Degas. 

 

Theater lovers shouldn't miss the Williamstown Theatre Festival (413-597-3400; wtfestival.org), which presents new plays and reinterprets the classics, as well as hosting late-night cabarets and other special programs and events. This year's productions include Thornton Wilder's Our Town.

 

CURTAIN UP
If you just can't get enough live theater, you'll find that the Berkshires are brimming with other superb performances.

 

"To be or not to be?" is an easy question to answer in Lenox, where Shakespeare & Co. (413-637-3353; shakespeare.org) has been showcasing the Bard for 33 seasons. The 2010 season presents Richard III, the story of a man who will do anything to become king and how ruthless ambition inevitably undoes him. Also on the roster are The Winter's Tale and the world premiere of Berkshire playwright Joan Ackermann's The Taster.

 

In Stockbridge, ditch your car and walk to a show at the Berkshire Theatre Festival (413-298-5576; berkshiretheatre.org). One of the country's oldest professional regional theaters, it offers a mix of revivals, classics and premieres. The Main Stage was originally designed as a casino by Stanford White in 1888; the Unicorn Theatre sits in the Mellon family's former barn. On the lineup: Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance and Shakespeare's Macbeth.

 

Close to the center of Stockbridge, stone pillars mark the entrance to the 36-acre estate of the Norman Rockwell Museum (413-298-4100; nrm.org). A New Yorker by birth, the famed illustrator is most often associated with this corner of the Berkshires. It's here that he spent his last 25 years, mining the local populace as models for his depictions of small-town American life. The museum houses the world's largest collection of Rockwell's art, presented in changing exhibits that offer something new each visit.

 

JUST DANCE
Dance lovers flock to Becket for Jacob's Pillow, America's longest-running dance festival (413-243-0745; jacobspillow.org). This summer's season runs June 23-Aug. 29 and brings some 110 ticketed shows and many more free performances, plus talks, rehearsal observations, tours and events. In July, Barak Marshall, a contemporary dance company from Israel, makes its U.S. debut in a production with music by Handel, Verdi and the Yiddish Radio Project. In August, Sweden's Göteborg Ballet presents 3xBoléro, inspired by Maurice Ravel's classic Boléro. During the free Inside/Out series, emerging dance companies perform on an outdoor stage, set among the trees. The performances, only 35 minutes each, are held Wednesday through Saturday at 6:15 p.m.--and all are welcome. In fact, that's true of almost every event in the Berkshires. It's hard to believe there's another corner of the country so rich in culture

STAY

RCI-affiliated resorts in the Berkshires
include:

 

VACATION VILLAGE IN THE
BERKSHIRES
Nestled in the mountains, this New England-
style haven is a place to enjoy summer food
festivals, winter skiing and year-round art and
culture. 276 Brodie Mountain Rd., Hancock

 

Member reviews:
"Interesting attractions were the Crane
Museum of Papermaking, where the paper
for U.S. currency is produced, and Natural
Bridge State Park."
"The views of the mountains, especially
the sunsets, are magnificent."
"Make time for a drive up Mount Greylock." 

 

WYNDHAM BENTLEY
BROOK I
The resort has hiking trails, a movie theater,
a book exchange, indoor and outdoor swimming
pools and a large hot tub. There are fishing ponds
nearby, and great cultural attractions are only a
short drive away. 1 Corey Rd., Hancock

 

Member reviews:
"The scenery was lovely and we found
lots of side trips away from the resort."
"The theater was a nice feature of the
resort."
"We enjoyed lunch at Christiansen's
Tavern."

 

WYNDHAM BENTLEY
BROOK II
This resort shares facilities with
Wyndham Bentley Brook I (above).
1 Corey Rd., Hancock

 

Member reviews:
"You can walk to the adventure park
 rides at Jiminy Peak." 
"We came to hike and relax and enjoyed
doing both."
"Park your car upon arrival and you never
have to leave the resort."

 

WIND IN THE PINES
In the southwest corner of Massachusetts,
this is a great starting point to explore the
best of the Berkshires. 949 S. Main St.,
Great Barrington

 

Member reviews:
"We enjoyed Route 7, Castle Street Cafe
and the Berkshire Brewery."
"At any time of year, this is the right place
for someone who likes the outdoors, cultural
institutions, or just wants to get away from it all."

 

For more information, including more
member reviews, visit RCI.com or call

Weeks: 800-338-7777
Points: 877-968-7476

Club Members, please call your specific
Club or RCI telephone number.