Category: Voices

Our local communities share their stories — the Hill Country Observer offers a place to lift up many perspectives, from many backgrounds and experiences, bodies and minds, places and languages — from many migrations and diasporas and Native roots and more.

  • Issue:

    Self-portraits for a digital age

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    Exhibit puts Instagram ‘selfies’ among art exploring gender, identity The South African photographer Zanele Muholi’s 2012 portrait of Kekeletso Khana, part of her “Faces and Phases” series, is among the works on view in the current “Possible Selves” exhibit at WIlliams College Museum of Art. The show also includes 200 Instagram images.Photo courtesy of Williams read more

    Self-portraits for a digital age
  • Issue:

    Honoring black history in the Berkshires

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    Group aims to transform former church into visitor, cultural center Beth Carlson and Wray Gunn Sr. stand in front of the former Clinton A.M.E. Zion Church in Great Barrington. Carlson and Gunn both serve on the board of a 2-year-old nonprofit group that hopes to transform the building into a visitor and cultural center celebrating read more

    Honoring black history in the Berkshires
  • Issue:

    Celebrating light in a season of darkness

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    Exhibit explores traditions through artwork from children’s holiday books “Cultural Traditions: A Holiday Celebration,” now on exhibit at the Norman Rockwell Museum, includes Uri Shulevitz’s illustation from “Dusk” (2013), above, and Brian Pinkney’s images for the book “Seven Candles for Kwanzaa,” right. Courtesy Norman Rockwell Museum/Copyright Uri Shulevitz   By KATE ABBOTTContributing writer STOCKBRIDGE, Mass.People read more

    Celebrating light in a season of darkness
  • Issue:

    From Japan, fine art for the masses

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    Hyde exhibit explores Ukiyo-e prints and their influence in the West The printmaker Tsuchiya Koitsu’s “Snow at Zojoli” (1933) is among the works included in an exhibit of Japanese woodcuts that opens this month at The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls. Syracuse University Art Collection/courtesy The Hyde Collection   By KATE ABBOTTContributing writer GLENS FALLS, read more

    From Japan, fine art for the masses
  • Issue:

    Images from across a spectrum

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    Keavy Handley-Byrne’s photograph “Alice Cuts My Hair” (2018) is among 38 works by contemporary artists in the exhibit “Spectrum: Exploring Gender Identification,” which runs through Nov. 18 at Gallery 51 in North Adams. courtesy Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts/Gallery 51   By KATE ABBOTTContributing writer NORTH ADAMS, Mass.A father sits at his desk, holding his read more

    Images from across a spectrum
  • Issue:

    Paris of Impressionism through women’s eyes, hands

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    At the Clark, exhibit traces struggles, triumphs as artists sought equality Rosa Bonheur’s “Plowing in Nivernais” (1850) is among more than 80 paintings featured in the exhibition “Women Artists in Paris, 1850-1900,” whichs runs through Labor Day at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown. Courtesy American Federation of the Arts   By read more

    Paris of Impressionism through women’s eyes, hands
  • Issue:

    Radcliffe Bailey’s art connects the threads of history

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    Photos, music play roles as artist explores African diaspora In “Other Worlds Worlds” (2011), the artist Radcliffe Bailey puts the label from an album by jazz composer Sun Ra at the center of a mechanical model of the solar system. The work is among 40 pieces by Bailey that are on view as part of read more

    Radcliffe Bailey’s art connects the threads of history
  • Issue:

    Ross Gay gathers fruits of joy and sorrow in verse

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    Poet Ross Gay to read works in Bennington Ross Gay’s third and most recent book of poetry, “Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude,” was a finalist for the National Book Award and winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award. He’ll read his works on Wednesday, May 16, at Bennington College. Courtesy photo   By KATE ABBOTTContributing read more

    Ross Gay gathers fruits of joy and sorrow in verse
  • Issue:

    Landscapes that bear witness to life

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    MoCA show draws on artist’s experiences of rural South Allison Janae Hamilton’s “When the Wind Has Teeth” (2015) is among the works featured in her new show, “Pitch,” which opened March 24 at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams. courtesy Mass MoCA   By JOHN SEVENContributing writer NORTH ADAMS, Mass. A new read more

    Landscapes that bear witness to life
  • Issue:

    A springtime bouquet of the arts

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    Author’s visit to The Mount is among 30 Berkshires events in ArtWeek The author Julia Pierpont, above, will visit The Mount in Lenox to discuss her new work, “The Little Book of Feminist Saints,” in one of 30 ArtWeek events planned around Berkshire County between April 27 and May 6. Courtesy photos   By KATE read more

    A springtime bouquet of the arts