Mt. Greylock, Massachusetts
Wednesday Evening Presentations and Dinners are provided in collaboration with the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area: http//www.upperhousatonicheritage.org
Talks on Nature and Culture, often related to the mountain and the Berkshires.
Talks are free and open to the public.
Talks starts at 6.
Dinner served after the talk and will be served Family-style and priced according to menu (reservations required for dinner: 413-743-1591).
A Dinner follows each Talk
Schedule 2010:
May 19: "Identifying and Foraging for Local Mushrooms"
Marty Klein will talk about mushrooms in the county and on the mountain. Sign up for the field trips that he leads later in the season.
May 26: "Decreasing The Impact of Roads on Wildlife; You can't get there from here"
Jane Winn, Executive Director of the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT), leads a discussion about how all roads impact wildlife, and how to reduce and/or reverse that trend.
June 2: "Celtic Music"
Rakish Paddy performs foot stomping, heart throbbing Celtic style music at the Lodge.
June 9: "Did Henry David Thoreau Find Heaven on Mount Greylock?"
A talk by author Lauren Stevens covers Thoreau's famous trek up Greylock.
June 16: "Ventfort Hall"
Jeffrey Folmer, Executive Director of Ventfort Hall, will talk about the restoration and reuse of this historic building.
June 23: "Local Cheese & Beer"
Cheese and Beer producers from the Berkshires pair up to present their wares and discuss the making of.
June 30: "The Civilian Conservation Corps and Bascom Lodge"
Alec Gillman, presents a talk about the CCC on Greylock and the building of Bascom Lodge.
July 7: "Honeybees on the Mountain"
They're here! A discussion about all things bees. Learn about the fundamentals of beekeeping. Presented by Northern Berkshire Beekeepers Association.
July 14: "Music by Wintergreen"
Wintergreen, a folk trio, performs a mixture of traditional and contemporary music from the British Isles and America. Performing indoors or weather permitting, outdoors.
July 21: "Hoosac Harvest and Community Supported Agriculture"
July 28: "What you always wanted to know about home-brewing"
Kevin Andrews, Homebrewer and owner of Berkshire County Homebrew Supply and Chris Post of Wandering Star Craft Brewery will talk about the ease and pleasures of Homebrewing, and how Homebrewing inspired Chris to build Wandering Star Craft Brewery.
August 4: "Berkshire Highlanders"
August 11: "The Galileo Affair"
Bill Minardi returns to Bascom Lodge to discuss and examine Galileo's conflict with the church, his trial and condemnation and the impact it had as an example of the "conflict" between science and religion.
August 18: "Greylock in Time and Space"
Talk and discussion at 6:00pm by Alec Gillman. Alec Gillman, DCR Interpretive Ranger at Mount Greylock State Reservation, presents an exploration of the mountain's history and nature with a PowerPoint slide show. Discover connections between man's desire to shape the mountain at the same time protect it's wildness. Fun facts about and visions of the mountain shall be revealed on your way to becoming a true "Greylockophile."
August 25: "Rob Thompson's Victrola, a Night of 78s."
Rob Thompson returns with his hand crank Victrola and all guests are invited to bring their favorite 78s to play this special evening.
September 1: "Tap Dance - Its History and Relationship to Jazz"
Presented by Tony Waag, Executive Director, New York City Tap Festival.
September 8: "Movie Night"
September 15: "The Lichen and Mosses of Berkshire County"
Presented by Scott LaGreca, PhD
Natural Science Coordinator, Berkshire Museum.
In August Scott will be a "Creative Resident" at the Lodge during which time he will study the moss and lichen of the mountain and present his findings on September 15. Such studies reveal important information about our environment.
September 22: "Five Flavors of Traditional Chinese Diet and Medicine"
Herbalist Steve Linscott's talk will cover how and why the Chinese are particular about the color, smell, flavor and shape of food and the "harmony of five flavors". In order to acquire richer gustatory experience, they have invented many flavor treating techniques by using seasonings during cooking.
The "harmony of five flavors" serves to realize direct gustatory enjoyment first, which at the same time provides important regulative and healthcare functions to the human body.
September 29: "Hoosic River Revival"
Judith Grinnell, Chairman of the Hoosic River Revival Coalition, presents details on how the river is being groomed for a comeback.
October 6: "Berkshire Grown"
Barbara Zheutlin, Executive Director of Berkshire Grown, will talk about all things locally grown.
October 13: "The Museum of the Arts of World War II "
October 20: TBA
October 27: "Using Theatre to Benefit Women and Girls"
WAM co-founders, Leigh Strimbeck and Kristen van Ginhoven, will talk about how they use theatre to benefit women and girls. They will discuss why reading 'Half the Sky" by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn inspired them to found WAM Theatre. Some selections from their November production of Tony nominated playwright Sarah Ruhl's contemporary farce, 'Melancholy Play' (which will benefit the Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts) will be read by the cast.
Breakfast optional (see menu page).
Call 413-499-4262 to register.
More events will be posted throughout the season.
All events are free and open to the public.
Note that there might be different hours for each event.
Sunday, July 11: "Love the Berkshires Quiz Game", 3-5pm
Phil Smith creator of the Berkshire Quiz Game will present a contest to test ones knowledge of the Berkshires. Prizes will be awarded.
Monday, July 12: "Greylock Arts, Art & Technology", 6pm
Marianne and Matt from Greylock Arts will discuss Ephraim & Sadie Hatfield's exhibition, "Not for Sale", at DownStreet Art in North Adams as well as the technologies (i.e. sensors, microcontrollers, and telephony) used in the exhibition.
Sunday, July 18: "Fly Fishing Demo", 5pm.
A demonstration of fly casting techniques at Bascom Lodge by Fred Moran, an experienced fly casting instructor.
Learn the basics in this participatory event as Fred demonstrates (on the dry mountain top) the proper tactics for successful accuracy and distance in casting a fly.
Equipment provided.
Sunday, July 25: Music by Bruce Mandel at 6pm.
Bruce will perform one of his "house concerts" at the Lodge.
Monday, July 26: Melanie Mowinski, at 6pm.
Melanie, the Lodge's Creative Resident for June, will discuss and present work made during her residency at Bascom Lodge.
The Bascom Lodge Creative Residency Program was started in 2009. It provides room and board at the Lodge for individuals involved in any creative practice, including (but not limited to) the Visual Arts, Literature, Natural Sciences and creative mountain top daydreaming.
Sunday, August 1:"A Night of Argentinean Music", 6pm
Tomas Murmis and Ignacio Long return to Bascom Lodge. This time they team up with some fellow compatriots to bring the sounds of Argentina to the Berkshires.
Monday, August 2: "Drawing Marathon, Calling All Artist!", 8pm - 8am
Andrew Davis will preside over an all night drawing marathon at Bascom Lodge on Monday August 2, starting at 8 pm and continuing until 8 am the following morning (optional breakfast served at 8am). All artists are invited to participate. Bring materials and energy (coffee will be supplied). The results will be curated and shown at Davis's gallery, in a show opening August 26 and running through September.
Sunday, August 8: "PEAK SHIATSU, Demo by Elfi", 4 - 6pm
Participants can sign up for future sessions at the Lodge.
Saturday, August 14:
At 9pm the DCR and the Amherst Area Amateur Astronomy Association are co-sponsoring a star gazing party on the summit of Mount Greylock.
Free and open to the Public. Appropriate for all Ages.
Event will be cancelled only is there is heavy cloud coverage or rain.
Please contact the Mount Greylock Visitors Center (413-4499-4262) or the Astronomy Association (413-320-2509) about questions relating to the program or status of the event based on weather.
Sunday, August 15:"David Bowman, Timber Frame Demonstration", 2 - 4pm
David Bowman has been timber framing for 18 years and will demonstrate the art of timber framing using only hand tools. Outdoors (indoors if raining).
Sunday, August 22: BCA Mount Greylock Rockwell Road Hill Climb, 9am
Presented by the Berkshire Cycling Association.
Starting at the Visitor Center Gate at 9am and finishing at the War Memorial on the summit.
With breakfast buffet to follow at Bascom Lodge.
For info and registration go to:
Due to popular demand, Rakish Paddy returns to Bascom Lodge.
This Sunday's event will be held on the front lawn (weather permitting) or indoors if raining.
Art Workshops 2010
presented in collaboration with
4 Week Sketchbook Club
at Bascom Lodge
Tuesdays in June, 5:00 - 6:30PM
Meeting at Bascom Lodge students and experienced sketchers alike are invited to enjoy
the highland evening beauty found at the summit of Mount Greylock.
Artist -Educator, Karen Arp-Sandel offers
discussion about keeping a sketchbook for recording visual observations from
drawing in nature to landscape subjects. An avid sketcher, Karen brings her
sketch book everywhere and recently exhibited her sketchbooks of Italy at the
Lichtenstein Gallery in Pittsfield.
At the end of 4 weeks all
participants are invited to share their sketch books with the group & community
and join for dinner
at the Lodge (June 22).
Materials are simple: a small
scale sketch book, your favorite drawing implement- pen, pencil or even colored
pencils. Karen will demo various portable materials for easy on site sketching.
Sketch Club will meet on
Tuesdays: June 8,15, 22 and 29 during the approach of Summer Solstice light. Rain
or Shine. In the event of inclement weather, we will sketch natural objects or
guide book subjects inside
Bascom Lodge.
Cost (per daily session): $10.
To register email:arpsandel@fairpoint.net
Or phone: 518-781-3413
Painting the Landscape on
the Summit of Mt. Greylock
10am-4pm
This workshop will take place on the peak of glorious Mt. Greylock at the newly renovated Bascom Lodge.
Included will be information on how to perceive
the landscape for purposes of painting: methods
of creating compositions, principles of perspective and basic watercolor techniques such as washes, gradations, color mixing, transparent layering and the sequencing of making a watercolor painting. Individual guidance offered and individual expression encouraged. The class will meet outdoors. In the event of inclement weather the
class will be postponed until the following day, September 19.
Cost: $99.
To register, email or phone: paula@paulagottlieb.com 413-634-0066
