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All of the activities listed are Housatonic River Summer 2004 sponsored events. For more details, visit www.HousatonicRiverSummer.org .

June 18, 6:30 p.m., book signing and panel discussion

For the book "Art and the River," published by the Sheffield Art League, there will a panel discussion at 7 (including some book essayists and artists) and a book-signing at 6:30 at the Bushnell-Sage Library, Sheffield. Panelists will include Geoffrey Young and Rachel Fletcher.

June 19, 9 to 1, Lenox canoe trip

Join Berkshire Wildlife Sanctuaries director Rene Laubach for a five-mile, four-hour naturalist-led canoe trip on the wildlife-rich Housatonic River in Lenox. Children must be over 10 years old, know how to swim and be accompanied by an adult. Canoes, paddles, personal flotation devices available at $20 per person. The trip is from the Mary Decker Boat Access on New Lenox Road, Lenox, to Woods Pond. Meet at Decker Boat Access. Preregistration is required. Bring food, drink, sunscreen, insect repellent, hat and wear shoes you do not mind getting wet/muddy. For information, call the HVA office at 394-9796.

June 20, 6:30 to 9 p.m., Summer Solstice Sun Shine

Celebrate the longest light of the year at the Clapp Park Little League Field, Pittsfield. The Berkshire Fiddlers, Berkshire Hillsmen and Cantarella Dancers will perform. Participants will create the setting and the evening. Visitors should bring a picnic supper (no alcohol), lawn chair or blanket, votive candle and flower-color balloon, and wear festive midsummer's eve attire. Sponsored by the United South Neighbors Association.

June 21 through July 30, Art & Science Workshop

A children's workshop on river ecology and hydrology with sculpture and dance; the dance to be performed at the NRM Festival Day on Aug. 14, at the Flying Cloud Institute in New Marlboro. For more information and registration, call 229-3321 or flycloud@earthlink.net

June 21, 7 p.m., summer solstice stroll on the Mary Flynn Trail

A guided tour of the new, handicap accessible nature trail along the Housatonic River, commissioned by the Laurel Hill Association in 2003 to commemorate their 150th annniversary. The level, packed-surface trail is accessible to all abilities -- 1.2 miles roundtrip. The trailhead is reached by crossing the Memorial footbridge from the parking area at the end of Park Street, Stockbridge. Call 298-5595 for further information. Rain date: Tuesday, June 22, 7 p.m.

June 24 through June 27, 10 to 3, Free access to hiking trails at Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio

For opening week only, beginning Thursday, June 24, the Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio, at 92 Hawthorne Street in Lenox, is offering free admission to the 46-acre estate's grounds only. The restored trails are rated "moderate" difficulty for walkers, with some uneven terrain and no handrails. Walks of the estate gardens and grounds are rated "easy," with paved surfaces and handrails on steps. Visitors must register for their free tickets at the ticket booth. Hourly tours of the House & Studio begin at 10 and admission is charged. For more information, call 637-0166 or e-mail info@frelinghuysen.org .

June 24 through the summer, 10 to 3, art exhibition, Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio

Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio will be hosting a special exhibit, "From Stockbridge Church to Housatonic River: A Modern Artist's Affection for the Berkshires," in which the cornerstone painting, a 1935 abstract painting entitled "Stockbridge Church," has been lent by the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pa. Two special lectures, one by Director Kinney Frelinghuysen on Saturday, July 17, and the second by Berkshire Eagle columnist Richard Nunley on Friday, Aug. 20, will be given. For more information, call 637-0166 or e-mail info@frelinghuysen.org .

June 24, 5 to 7:30, book publication party for 'Art and the River'

A party will be held at the Geoffrey Young Gallery, 40 Railroad St., Great Barrington, 528-6210, sponsored by the Sheffield Art League.

June 25 through Oct 11, Chesterwood Sculpture Show

"Reflections of Nature," an exhibition of contemporary sculpture, will be on display June 25 through Oct. 11. An opening reception for the show will be held on Friday, June 25, from 6 to 8:30 on the grounds of Chesterwood in Stockbridge. For more information, call 298-3579 or e-mail chesterwood@nthp.org .

June 26, 8:30 to 12:30, canoe trip

Sponsored by the Massachusetts Audubon's Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, watch for frogs, muskrats, fish, herons, waterfowl, and migrant songbirds along the meandering Housatonic River. This leisurely paddle will travel into the backwater marshes and inlets of the biologically diverse Housatonic River Wildlife Management Area. Novice paddlers are welcome; canoes are provided. Must be able to swim. Children must be at least 10 years of age. Fee: $20 members/$25 non-members. To register and for more information, call the Sanctuary at 637-0320.

July

July 1 through 31, art exhibits

The Sheffield Art League will present framed art shows at Welles Gallery in Lenox and Dewey Memorial Hall in Sheffield in conjuction with Housatonic River Summer 2004. Open Thursday through Monday from 10 to 5.

July 1, 3:30, SAL Art Show

An opening reception and awards show will be held at the Welles Gallery at Lenox Library in Lenox.

July 1 through Aug. 26, art exhibition

The exhibition "Woldemar Neufeld's Bridges of the Housatonic" will open to the public today. Open Wednesday through Friday from 3 to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 5. For more information, call 394-9796.

July 2, 4 to 6, SAL Photo Show

An opening reception and awards show will be held at the Doreen Young Gallery at Simon's Rock College in Great Barrington.

July 3, 3:30, SAL Art Show

An opening reception and awards show will be held at Dewey Hall in Sheffield.

July 3, 9 to 5, Sheffield River Day

Sponsored by the Sheffield Association, Sheffield Land Trust, Sheffield Friendly Union, Sheffield Historical Society, Bushnell-Sage Library, Sheffield Boy Scouts, Sheffield Kiwanis Club and Sheffield Art League, the Sheffield River Day will be held from 10 to 2, and will include the following events:

Family river races and picnic: At 10 a.m., canoe and kayak race. BYOB (Bring Your Own Boat and approved classical PFD-life vest), limited to 30 vessels; entrance fee, $5 per boat. Participants register and sign waivers. Register by 9:30 a.m. at the Kellog Road, Sheffield, access to the river. Prizes to be awarded to winners and "most original themed costume" and "most decorated boat."

At 11:30, "Rubber Ducky" race. Participants will purchase rubber ducks during the weeks prior to the event, with proceeds being donated to benefit river viewing (benches, picnic areas). Each purchaser of a duck ($2/one, $5/three) receives a number, listed with the purchaser's name. Ducks will be launched at 11:30, and the race terminates at the Old Covered Bridge. Winning ducky sponsors will receive prizes. Activities for small children will be held in the picnic area during the morning events.

At 12:30, bring a picnic lunch with your own table service. Hot dogs and refreshments will be served. Music by Tom Ingersoll and friends. Awards for the two races, original costumes, decorated boats will be given. There will be a tree planting and dedication by the Sheffield Tree Project at this time.

Also, during the day: Geological tours at 1 and 2 by Flying Cloud Institute at the Sheffield Pottery; raku demonstrations from noon to 4; exhibit and photographs (by local students) hosted by the Sheffield Historical Society; HRS Juried Art Show, open all day with an awards ceremony from 4 to 6 at Dewey Hall, and an exhibit and talk on the river at the Bushnell-Sage Library.

July 3 through Aug. 29, 'Life Along the River' Exhibition

The Sheffield Historical Society's exhibition, "Life Along the River," will open Saturday, July 3, in the Old Stone Store as a part of the Sheffield River Day festivities. The exhibit will close Aug. 29. Native American artifacts, including a canoe and recently donated arrowheads which were gathered along the fields near the riverbanks once the spring floods were over, will be among the many objects on view. A section of the exhibition will be devoted to photographs and will include the famed Sheffield covered bridge. The stories of farm families working the land and other uses of the river will be explored. The Old Stone Store is open Saturdays from 10 to 2 and Sundays from 11 to 3. For more information or to make an appointment to view the exhibition during weekdays, call 229-2694. The Stone Store is located on Route 7 on the Sheffield Green.

July 5 through July 31, SAL Photo Show

Doreen Young Gallery, Simon's Rock College, Great Barrington, in conjunction with Housatonic River Summer 2004. Open 1 to 6, Monday through Saturday.

July 9, 4 to 7, Art Exhibition

An opening reception for "Woldemar Neufeld's Bridges of the Housatonic" will be held at Chesterwood in Stockbridge. For more information, call 394-9796.

July 10 through Aug. 29, art exhibition, "The Green Invasion"

An exhibition of botanical paintings of invasive species by the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators will be on display. Open Monday through Friday from 10 to 5, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5. HVA Office, Cornwall Bridge, Conn. An opening reception will be held July 9 from 3 to 5. For more information, call 860-672-6678.

July 10, 9 to 5, aHa! Day aHa! Festival Day

In Thailand, the Loi Kratong Festival honors Phra Mae Khongkha, the goddess of water, by the Kratong (floats) that are decorated with incense and candles to float along rivers. Inspired by this Asian tradition, aHa!, the association of Housatonic artists, will sponsor the event, "Peace Like a River."

This is a call to artists to create candle boats which will be launched for the Housatonic River. Our vision is to launch the boats in the early evening so that they will be viewed as night falls, floating down the Housatonic, lit by candles. This event will coincide with Sculpture Now's opening event in Housatonic at Berkshire Mountain Bakery. These boats are to be made from biodegradable materials. For more information, visit www.housatonicriversummer.org . On the day of the event, prior to launch, various galleries in Housatonic will host openings showcasing the boats. Artists are encouraged to find a sponsor for their boats and the monies from sponsorship will be donated to River Walk.

July 10, RiverBelt Greenway Walk, New Milford, Conn.

On this approximately five-mile walk along New Milford's River Road participants will have a chance to see first-hand the impact of invasive species in riverside and woodland areas and learn how they can help to protect the natural habitats. Meeting location still to be determined. Easy walking. Wear good shoes, bring water. Rain Date TBD. For additional information and reservations call, 860-672-6678.

July 10, 4 to 7, SCULPTURE NOW Show Opening

An opening reception for Sculpture In & By the River 2004 presented by SCULPTURE NOW at the Berkshire Mountain Bakery in Housatonic will be held. For more information, e-mail annjon@bcn.net .

July 15, 10 to noon, Riverside Vegetative Buffer Planting Tour and Walk.

"Riverside Vegetation can stop water pollution: What to plant and Why," led by HVA Berkshire Program Director Dennis Regan and naturalist Charles Smith. Visit HVA's riverside buffer garden and learn how you can protect the river from polluted runoff and invasive species while beautifying its shores. Sponsored by the Housatonic Valley Association. Meet at their office at 1383 Route 102, South Lee. No fee. For more information, call the HVA office at 394-9796.

July 17, HVA Housatonic River Day, Kent, Conn.

Join HVA, Rainwater Farm and the Kent Land Trust for a festive celebration of the Housatonic River. Start the day with a walk on the Appalachian Trail along the river led by HVA Land Protection Director Elaine LaBella and Ann Sherwood of the Appalachian Mountain Club Trails Committee. Learn about the trail's history and the river's ecosystem. Meet at 9 a.m. for this four-hour, five-mile walk at Southgate Trail Head, River Road in Kent. Wear good walking shoes. Bring water and a snack. Participants may return to their cars by foot or shuttle ride. Reservations required.

Then visit Rainwater Farm and the Kent Land Trust on Route 7, south of the monument. Starting at noon, there will be activities for the whole family including games and contests, river walks, farm tours. There will be food vendors, home grown vegetables, farm-fresh barbecued chicken, special presentations on riverside buffer gardens and invasive species and music. Artist paint-out and more. For hike reservations and further information call, 860-672-6678.

July 17, 1:15, Gallery Talk

Director Kinney Frelinghuysen will give a talk titled "From the Housatonic to Stockbridge Church: A Modernist Painter's Affection for the Berkshires" at the Frelinghuysen Morris House and Studio, 92 Hawthorne St., Lenox. For more information, call 637-0166.

July 24, 2, Slide Show & Talk

Maureen Hickey will give a slide show and talk titled "A Return to Arcadia: Nineteenth Century Berkshire County Landscapes" at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield. Fee: $5 members; $12.50 non-members, included Museum admission. This slide presentation illustrates the historical and geographical influences that drew 19th century American landscape painters such as Thomas Cole, Arthur B. Durand and Frederic E. Church to the Berkshires. Art historian and museum educator Maureen J. Hickey will present the cultural context surrounding these artists, including other writers of the period such as William Cullen Bryant, Hawthorn, and Melville, and their patrons who summered in the area and how those influences were embodied in the style and content of the 19th century landscape painting. Followed by a reception, and time to view the 19th and 20th century painting gallery.

July 25, HRI River Festival Day

A day to celebrate the cleanup of the Housatonic River and advocate for further clean up of the PCBs. The river is still one of the most contaminated rivers in the country. HRI's annual river awards and new lifetime achievement awards will be presented. Music, naturalist guided canoe trips, children's activities, food, and environmental fun will all be part of the day's activities. Lee Soccer Field, Route 102, Lee. For information, call Tim Gray at 243-3353 or e-mail timegray@berkshire.net .

July 30, noon, Village Fair Days Guided Walk

Walk from the Green to Boardman Bridge, New Milford, Conn. Visit HVA's Booth on the Green. Fair hours on Friday, July 30, and Saturday, July 31, are from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. On Saturday, join HVA for a guided walk paralleling the river, from the Green to Boardman Bridge. Meet at the bandstand at noon. For additional information and reservations for the walk, call 860-672-6678.

July 31, 8:30 to 2:30, canoe trip

From the Sheffield Covered Bridge to Bartholemew's Cobble. Offered jointly by The Trustees of Reservations and the Housatonic Valley Association. Explore an extraordinarily scenic nine-mile stretch of the Housatonic River, rich with wildlife and local history. Two naturalist/guides. Fairly strenuous six-hour trip. Bring a picnic lunch. For more information and to register, call 394-9796. Pre-registration is required; minimum eight participants. TTOR and HVA Members: adult $40, child (12-16) $25. Nonmembers: adult $60, child $35.



August

Aug. 5 through Sept. 6, Sheffield Art League

A Members Art Show will be on display at Dewey Memorial Hall, Sheffield. Open Thursday through Monday from 10 to 5. An opening reception and awards show will be held Friday, Aug. 6, at 4 p.m.

Aug. 7, 10 to 8, Storefront Artists River of Art Festival

Pittsfield's River of Art Day will be held from 10 to 8. Pittsfield's Storefront Artists will present a series of art installations and performances inspired by the river under the title "Pushing Creative Boundaries," utilizing music, video, sculpture and the written word. Hands-on art projects and an outdoor arts fair are also being planned.

At 2 p.m., RiverMASS, a performance/community event created by singer/songwriter JoAnne Spies, at Stephen's Episcopal Church. A diverse group of musicians and people representing the Berkshires will celebrate the East and West branches of the Housatonic River, uniting in a ceremony that includes pageantry, bang-on-a-can style music and audience participation.

For more information on instrument-making workshops, the Water Orchestra or to add your river prayer/song to be used in the performance, please e-mail JoAnne Spies at spiesart@aol.com">spiesart@aol.com . In collaboration, the Berkshire Museum will presents an event titled "Artistic Exploration of the River":

At 11 a.m. "Sleepy Hollow," will be performed by Shaker Mountain Performing Arts.

At 1 p.m. a "Berkshire Landscape" gallery tour and discussion, and children's art workshop will be held.

Members: Adults $5, Children (3-18) $3. Non-members: Adults $8, Children $5. Includes museum admission.

Aug. 9 through Aug. 13, 10 to 3, HooHaa Art Safari

A five-day children's art workshop for children ages 7 to 10, taught by Lisa Abbatomarco, the workshop is sponsored by IS183 Art School of the Berkshires. Tuition: $175 per week, 10 percent discount for siblings. Early drop off available at 8:45 a.m., $25 per week. Celebrate the rivers of our land, specifically the Housatonic River. Using shadow puppets and intricate stick puppets unfold the magic of these waters. The workshop will culminate in a final production on Aug. 14 at the Norman Rockwell Museum. For more information, call 298-5252.

Aug. 13 through Sept. 19, art exhibition

"Housatonic River Reflections," an exhibition featuring the art of contemporary regional artists will be an homage to the beauty of the Housatonic River and its surrounding landscape. An opening reception for this exhibition will be held Aug. 13 from 4 to 6. Artworks will include award-winning pieces from two juried exhibitions sponsored by the Sheffield Art League, as well as those by other artists invited to participate because of their noted affinity for the regional landscape. Hosted by the Norman Rockwell Museum. Free with museum admission.



Aug. 14, 9 to 7, River Festival



Housatonic River Family Festival Day will be held from 10 to 5, sponsored by the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge.

A daylong celebration of the Housatonic and its art, history and ecology featuring hands-on art programs, nature presentations, gallery tours, performances and more. Many regional organizations will be represented. Free with museum admission.

The celebration will feature:

• Art workshops for children and adults
  
  
• Plein air painting demonstrations
  
  
• Guided sculpture tour of "Sculpture In & By the River 2004"
  
  
• Children's sculpture treasure hunt
  
  
• IS183 young artist artwork display
  
  
• IS183 drop-in Pageant Puppet workshop
  
  
• IS183 Housatonic River HOO HAA performance
  
  
• "Nature/Ecology Connections" -- interactive water quality and educational displays, storytelling and talks. Macroinvertebrate tanks, microscopes, storm drain models, River Raptor discussion.
  
  
• Talks and demonstrations relating to river life and ecology
  
  
• Nature walks
  
  
• Fly tying and fly fishing with Trout Unlimited
  
  
• Information distributed by regional artistic and ecological organizations

• River performance by Thunder Bay
  
  
• Dance performances by Tom Truss/Flying Cloud
  
  
• Musical performances