RURAL INTELLIGENCE

09/29/2026

Two exceptional classical music performances are coming to The Hotchkiss School this October.

On Sunday, October 4 at 4:30 PM, the Hotchkiss Concert Series brings acclaimed violinist Pinchas Zukerman and pianist Shai Wosner perform Beethoven's celebrated violin sonatas. On Saturday, October 10 at 7:30 PM, the Hotchkiss Philharmonic Orchestra with renowned violinist Siqing Lu presents an all-Sibelius program, conducted by Fabio Witkowski.

Both performances take place in Katherine M. Elfers Hall, Esther Eastman Music Center at The Hotchkiss School. Free and open to the public.

Learn more: https://www.hotchkiss.org/arts/news

09/14/2026

The Salisbury Beast 5K is a method for turning pain into power.

Run it, walk it, crawl it—just come to Salisbury, Connecticut, on October 18th ready to unleash your Beast and support the next generation of outdoor emergency care specialists.

May the BEaST be with you.
Learn more: https://www.salisburybeast.com/

09/10/2026

What began in 1979 as a small produce stand has grown into Guidos Fresh Marketplace, a family-owned business still guided by a commitment to sourcing the freshest, highest quality products from the Berkshires and beyond.

Today, Guido’s locations in Pittsfield and Great Barrington bring together vibrant seasonal produce, house-made prepared foods, and a curated mix of local and regional brands that help customers feed their families well and support the wider Berkshires community.

Under its marketplace concept, separate vendors run independent businesses alongside the Guido’s departments, creating a selection and commitment to quality that helps to make Guido’s such a one-of-a-kind destination. Experience the skill of a traditional butcher at Mazzeo’s Meat and Seafood, order custom arrangements and baskets and shop for gifts at Bella Flora, and find tools for the cook at The Chef’s Shop.

Learn more: guidosfreshmarketplace.com

09/04/2026

Behind many of the Berkshires' cultural institutions, food pantries, and youth programs is a shared source of support: Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.

Serving nearly 230,000 residents across Berkshire County, Columbia and northeast Dutchess counties, and northwest Litchfield County, the foundation connects people who want to give with organizations improving.

Donors can establish charitable funds, contribute to existing ones, or work with a philanthropic advisor to develop a long-term giving plan aligned with the places and causes they care about.

"We're definitely part of the shared project of strengthening communities throughout the region," says Jenn Frederick of BTCF.

Learn more: https://berkshiretaconic.org/

Foundation Facts More about the foundation Place-based Philanthropy Berkshire, Columbia, Dutchess, Litchfield BTCF serves a unique area where New York,…

09/02/2026

Oresta Szeparowycz spent decades collecting shale from the fields and riverbeds of Dutchess County and assembling it into sculptures she almost never showed anyone. She called it her private language. The stones, she said, spoke to her with the voice of the ancestors.

She died at home in Dover Plains on August 26. She was 87. This Saturday and Sunday, "Dreamt in Stone" opens at the Millerton studio of her friend and fellow artist David Crum, free and open to the public from noon to 4pm, now as celebration and tribute.

The life behind the work is extraordinary. Born in Ukraine in 1938, she fled the N**i regime as a child and spent years in displaced persons camps before the family reached New York in 1952. She represented American art in the Soviet Union alongside Norman Rockwell, designed window murals for Bergdorf Goodman, painted for Thai royalty, and was commissioned by designers working for King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. Then, somewhere in the 1980s, she walked away from all of it, spent three years without electricity or running water in Crete, found the stones, and never looked back.

The work sat largely unseen for twenty years. David and Katie Crum organized the show after it became clear there wasn't time left to wait. Szeparowycz spent her last week on Earth sitting outside with them, going through the pieces, making the checklist. "I think it was kind of a nice way to spend your last week on Earth," Katie said.

27 Old Post Road #2, Millerton, NY. Saturday September 6 and Sunday September 7, noon to 4pm. Free.

The Ukrainian-born artist, who spent decades crafting collected shale into work she rarely showed anyone, died August 26—a week before her first major sculpture show opens at a friend's studio in Millerton.

08/31/2026

The FreshGrass Annex, the new addition to Porches Inn by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects, translates North Adams's mill-town roofs and local Shaker heritage into a new hotel wing that’s capturing our attention.

08/31/2026

The legendary Labor Day Weekend Benefit Art Sale returns to The Cornwall Library for its eighth year.

The sale runs Labor Day weekend only, opening with a cocktail reception on Friday, September 4, and continuing through Monday, September 7. Artwork runs from antique to contemporary, jazzy and colorful to classic black and white, realistic to abstract, with prints, watercolors, posters, photographs, paintings, and the occasional small three-dimensional piece. As works are purchased, new pieces take their place, refreshing the show every day.

Each work in the sale represents a gift in support of the Library's collection and its rich programming serving the people of Cornwall and beyond. Everyone is welcome.

Learn more: https://cornwalllibrary.org/labor-day-art-sale/

08/28/2026

A November ballot question would undo a decade of legal recreational cannabis sales. Here's what the measure does, who is funding it, and who is running the campaign on both sides.

08/26/2026

Composer Michael Shapiro brings a world premiere chamber version of his Frankenstein—movie score to Stissing Center this Saturday, with Boris Karloff's daughter on hand to talk about the man behind the monster.

08/24/2026

A free, self-guided tour of 28 private artist studios across the Hudson Valley.

Now in its 19th year, Art Studio Views returns September 5–6, 2026, 11am–5pm, inviting visitors to explore private studios throughout Northern Dutchess and Southern Columbia Counties, meet the artists, and experience their creative spaces firsthand.

Featured media include painting, photography, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, mixed media, and more. Admission is free and open to the public. Pets are not permitted.

For artist information, maps, and tour details, visit artstudioviews.com.