Issue #61 | Friday, January 27, 2023

FIRST Fridays

Free Day at MASS MoCA

Free for all who walk through our doors, MASS MoCA’s annual community celebration rocks the galleries with live music, pop-up performances, art projects, and tons more! Come by and get inspired, on the house.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

10am–5pm
ARTMAKING: JOYRIDERS
Building 5
Build a miniature roller coaster car with tape and recycled materials, then take it for a ride on a recreation of EJ Hill’s iconic pink coaster.

10am–5pm
ARTMAKING: MEMORY MASKS
Kidspace, Building 10, 2nd Floor
Echoing the pop imagery of Shaun Leonardo and Bruno Miguel’s exhibition, use recycled collage materials to decorate masks inspired by personal memories.

10am–5pm
kelli rae adams
Building 6, 2nd Floor
Artist kelli rae adams will be onsite discussing her installation, Forever In Your Debt, and accepting contributions of coins from interested visitors.

10am–5pm
SCAVENGER HUNT
Pick up scavenger hunts at the Box Office or in Kidspace, Building 10, 2nd Floor

11am–4pm
ELEVATOR MUSIC
Take a ride on our super-sized elevator and be serenaded by local musicians from BAMMS and more.

11am–4pm
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION
Event Space, Building 6, 2nd floor
Chat with local community organizations including Hoosic River Revival, North Berkshire Community Coalition, Berkshires Academy for Advanced Musical Studies, and First Fridays Downtown North Adams.

12–4pm
PHOTO BOOTH
Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective, Building 7

SPECIAL EVENTS

11:30am
ROSAS DEL LAS BERKSHIRES, LATINAS 413
Building 5
A performance curated by Latinas 413, an organization that ignites the collective power of Latinas to expand their social and economic capital.

1:45pm
BLACK LEGACY PROJECT
Building 5
A musical performance from Black Legacy Project celebrating Black history to advance racial solidarity, equity, and belonging.

2:30 & 4:30pm
DISTANCED TOGETHER
Hunter Center for Performing Arts
An immersive musical experience, composed by MindTravel creator Murray
Hidary, featuring a massive ensemble of 60 musicians inviting audiences on a collective, cathartic, and healing journey.

TOURS: (Meet in the lobby near the Information Desk.)

• 10:30am Curator-led Tour (Ceramic in the Expanded Field)

• 11am History Tour

• 11:30am Marc Swanson

• 12pm Curator-led Tour (Ceramic in the Expanded Field)

• 12:30pm Highlights Tour (in Spanish)

• 1pm Curator-led Tour (EJ Hill: Brake Run Helix)

• 1:30pm History Tour

• 2pm Marc Swanson

• 2pm Highlights Tour (in Spanish)

• 2:30pm Louis Bourgeois

• 3pm Curator-led Tour (EJ Hill: Brake Run Helix)

• 3:30pm Sol Lewitt

• 4pm Slow Looking Tour

North County Happenings

>>Monthly Events<<

Every First Saturday | 9-1 p.m. | North Adams INDOOR Market at Terra Nova

Every Friday | 8-close | Karaoke at State Street Tavern
Every 1st & 3rd Sunday | 7 p.m. | Karaoke Night at The Log in Williamstown
Every 2nd Saturday | 8 p.m. | Comedy Night at Bright Ideas Brewing
January-March | Free Admission to The Clark Art Institute

Common Folk Artist Collective
Every Friday | 6-8 p.m. | Common Craft Night
Every 2nd Tuesday | 5-7 p.m. | Herbalist Meet-up
Every 2nd Sunday | 1-3 p.m. | Adams Artist Meet-up | St. Marks Church in Adams

Upcoming

January 27 | 4:30-6 p.m. | Roots Teen Center and nbCC Open Mic
January 27 | 5:30 p.m. | Good Neighbors: Kelli Rae Adams | Tourists 
January 27 | 8 p.m. | Distanced Together | MASS MoCA
January 28 | Free Day at MASS MoCA
January 29 | 3-4:30 p.m. | Knitting Workshop at Hearts Pace
January 30 | 6-8 p.m. | Plant Bingo | The Plant Connector
January 31 | 5:30-7 p.m. | Housing the Berkshires: A Coalition of Change
January 31 | 4:30-6 p.m. | 1Berkshire Entrepreneurial Meetup | Anahata Schoolhouse Yoga and Wellness Center

February

February 2 | 2023 Claiming Williams: Justice & Institutional Power | Williams College
February 3 | 5-8 p.m. | FIRST Fridays
February 3 | 7-9 p.m. | Dance Party Fundraiser | Installation Space
February 3 | 6-9 p.m. | Music & Mocktails | Hearts Pace Tea & Healing Lounge
February 4 | 7-9 p.m. | Common Folk Telethon | Northern Berkshire Community Television
February 5 | 8 p.m. | Erin Rae at Tourists
February 7, 14, 21 | Fundamentals of Coffee Classes | Berkshire Community College & Barrington Coffee Roasters
This class is about fundamentals and includes lecture, practice in cupping, a cursory understanding of roasting and the third and final class will be 3 hours and be an in depth training for professional Barista training.
February 10 | 7:30 p.m. | Live Comedy at Bounti-Fare Restaurant
February 16 | 11:30-2:30 | Arts & Humanities Virtual Internship Fair

BCC Offers Free Choke Saver Training and Food Handler’s Certification for Berkshire County

NAACP Berkshires | White Learning Programs
Every other Sunday from October to May

Want your event listed? Submit the listing here

Greylock WORKS' mini maker market returns to the Berkshires!

Find a synergetic group of local artisan vendors set up inside the doors of our 135+ year old, stunningly renovated mill building.

Our winter season will be held every 1st and 3rd Sunday, February through April, from 9:30am - 1:30pm.

Enjoy thoughtfully inspiring food from The Break Room alongside this uniquely intimate shopping experience.

North Adams WinterFest returns on February 18

All events are FREE to the public.
Vendor fees apply for Winterfest Artisan Market.

Details and events for 2023 to be announced, but will include artists', and crafters' markets, ice sculpting, horse-drawn wagon rides, Main Street bonfire, free ice skating, Children's Winter Carnival, winter fun in Colegrove Park and more. Stay tuned for details!

WinterFest Events Schedule:
Ice Carving Downtown - Approx. 9AM - 4PM
Fun in the Snow at Colegrove Park - 10AM - 4PM
Artisan & Craft Market at Terra Nova (85 Main) - 10AM - 3PM
Hot Cocoa & Cookies with MountainOne - 10AM - 12PM
Children's Carnival at First Baptist Church - 11AM - 1PM
Community Bonfire on Main St. - 12PM -2PM
Chowder Cookoff - 12PM - 2PM
Horse-drawn wagon rides - 1-3PM on Main Street
Children's Reading with Mayor Macksey - 2PM - 2:30PM
Free skating and rentals at the North Adams Skating Rink from 2-4PM

Farmer's & Artisans may follow this link to apply - https://cms9files.revize.com/.../2023%20Application%20for...

Want to part take in our Chowder Cookoff? apply here - https://cms9files.revize.com/.../2023%20Chowder...

Thank you to our sponsors! We couldn't do this without you!
MountainOne, Terra Nova Church - North Adams, MA, First Baptist Church

Funding Opportunities

The Empower Digital Grant Program has modified its grant terms to include additional funding (up to $5000) for capital expenses that can help small businesses to expand or improve their digital capabilities. As a result, applicants may pursue up to $5000 of grant funding for digital services and $5000 of grant funding for relevant capital expenses.

Best Foot Forward Facade Improvement Micro-Grants
Deadline: Applications are now open and grants will be awarded until funding is exhausted.
Apply HERE

Do you operate a first floor business?
Does your facade need updating?
Would an update improve the aesthetics of our downtown commercial district?

If you answered "YES" to these questions, help is here! 1Berkshire is accepting applications for their Best Foot Forward Facade Improvement Micro-Grants. A minimum of 47 grants of between $500-$1000 will be made available on a rolling basis to small businesses and organizations with first-floor store fronts. A maximum of $7,000 in awards will be made within any specific municipality. Priority will be given to businesses who did not receive facade improvement grants in 2022.

Community Sub-Award Application: "Insert Here" Vacant Window Art Pilot Program

1Berkshire, thanks to a one-time grant award, is excited to announce the opportunity for up to three (3) sub-award grants to communities, community organizations or individuals in Berkshire County municipalities to support the commissioning and installation of high visibility vinyl window art pieces in vacant storefront windows of downtown commercial buildings available for rent. Only one sub-award grant can be made in any single municipality, and a letter of support from the municipality is required for consideration (NOTE: municipalities should only provide one (1) organization/individual letter of support for this program to prevent redundant applications within any individual community).

Organizations that apply may be municipalities, non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, or unofficial organizations/individuals with a proven track record of project execution of this type and scale. Sub-awardee grants will be at least $5,000 each, and all work (i.e. selection of artist/art, production of vinyls, installation, etc.) must be completed by June 30th, 2023. Up to 10% of the sub-awardee grant may be utilized for administrative expenses associated with the coordination of the project. Reporting of all expenses and photos of final installations are required to be submitted by the June 30th, 2023 deadline. Failure to do so will result in the sub-awardee returning the full amount of funding back to 1Berkshire.

The Deadline to apply for this opportunity is March 3rd, 2023 and decisions will be made on awards by March 10th, 2023. Grant decisions will be based on a thorough review of all responses to this application.

Massachusetts Cultural Council

Cultural Facilities Fund - grants supporting the sound planning and development of cultural facilities. Office hours: Thursdays. 
Deadline: Feb. 2, 2023.

• Feb 2 Grant | Cultural Facilities Fund (for Cultural Orgs)

• Jul 23 Grant | Martha Boschen Porter Fund

• Aug 1 Grant | Berkshire Taconic Artist Resource Trust (for individuals)

• ongoing Grant | Hilary Teachout Covid-19 Relief Grant

• ongoing Grant | The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant

• ongoing Grant | Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Grants

• monthly Awesome Foundation Grant

• rolling Eyebeam Center for the Future of Journalism

• rolling Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants

• rolling Creative Capital x Skoll x Kickstarter Funds for Asian/Black/Indigenous/Latinx Creators

• rolling A.P.E. Open Call for Project Proposals

• rolling BridgeSong Fund: Emergency Relief for Women, Nonbinary, and Genderqueer Artists of Color

• rolling New England Musicians Relief Fund

• ongoing NEFA Grant Finder List
  
  Provided by the Artist Impact Coalition

  Financial Opportunities from the Berkshire Black Economic Council 
  

  FOR SCULPTORS:

  WEB DuBois Artist search (deadline Feb 1)

  FOR NEW ENGLAND BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES: 

  Power Forward Small Business grant (rolling deadline)

  FOR NEW ENGLAND MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES: 

  MBDA Small Business Center’s Covid-19 Relief

  FOR MASSACHUSETTS BLACK- OR WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES: 

  Mass Mutual Catalyst Fund (MMCF)

  FOR WESTERN MA WOMEN, NONBINARY, AND GENDERQUEER ARTISTS OF COLOR:

  BridgeSong Fund Emergency Relief

Workshops & Webinars

February 1 | 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Legal Considerations for Starting your Business
February 7 | 2-3 p.m. | Personal & Small Business Finance Pt 1 
February 7 | 10 a.m. to 11:30 am. | Social Media Made Simple
February 7 | 9:30-11:30 a.m. | Steps to Start your Business
February 7 | 12-1 p.m. | Why & How to Certify your Business as “Women-Owned”
February 9 | 12-1 p.m. | Efficient & Effective Business Ownership
February 14 | 1:30-2:30 p.m. | 8 Customer Retention Tips for Small Businesses
February 14 | 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Learning the Lean Business Model Canvas

PrixFixe Accounting Winter Webinar Series

February 8 | 12 p.m. | Strategies for Reducing Labor Costs

In The News

Automan Sam Brings Car Customization to North Adams

Mary Lou Accetta Honored for Advocacy In North Berkshires with Peacemaker Award

Berkshire NAACP Honors Activists at Freedom Fund Awards

City of North Adams Receives $629,000 Grant to Prevent Violence

MCLA Students to Provide Free Tax Prep Assistance in VITA Program

North Adams Movieplex to Close

Connect with Us!

North Adams Chamber Business Development Team
Marketing: Makayla-Courtney McGeeney
Business: Nico Dery