[Forum] Northern Berkshire Arts

Wed Mar 28 11:40:37 EDT 2007

one short note about a peddestian way on eagle str.NOthat would be the death
nail for all of us on eagle st.
if you love eagle st. so much get caugh there once in a while or buy in
while you still cane
dan

On 3/26/07, Joshua Field <joshua at joshuafield.com> wrote:
>
> hi ralph,
>
> yep - this is the correct address for communication with the group.
> thanks for your thoughts - in particular, the lewitt project and the
> ando addition at the clark are great to note and tend to be forgotten
> when talking about the scene here. it should be a great press buzz when
> they open.
>
> your note about restaurants ties to our williamstown visitors'
> experience in north adams. when we would venture to gideon's or now
> gramercy i am surprised to see a lot of faces i recognize from the
> williamstown business community. it seems like those folks are willing
> to travel to a fine dining restaurant (there aren't that many in
> williamstown outside of mezze and mill on the floss), particularly in
> the summer.  likewise, i frequently see williamstown folks at mass moca
> events and at cafe latino before or after an event. i also see an
> increasing number of williams students at brewhaha...
>
> it seems to me that the difficulty we face with our neighbors from
> williamstown is not that different from the problem we've been
> struggling to solve regarding visitors to mass moca. the lack of
> critical mass in interesting things to see/do in north adams means that
> folks tend to get back in their cars and leave. honestly, it is hard to
> blame them. at the moment, downtown is pretty empty and half of the
> occupied storefronts are banks, insurance companies and other entities
> which have nothing to offer visitors (and nothing to offer them after
> 5pm when people are dining).
>
> things that might impact this in a positive way (most have been
> mentioned before):
>
> 1. art installations downtown.
> the massmoca sound art installations and the cac downtown installations
> were both positive steps which have since been abandoned. i, for one,
> would love to see a "can't miss" installation like the upside down trees
> installed on eagle street.
>
> 2. bridge of flowers type attraction downtown.
> on a similar note - take a page from shelburne falls' book. they
> invested in the "bridge of flowers" which really is just an old trolley
> bridge with flowers planted on it. yet, with signs on route 2, they draw
> tons of foot traffic downtown with a relatively simple and inexpensive
> attraction.
>
> 3. eagle street pedestrian walk.
> wthis has been discussed (in fact, there is an architects rendering of
> the idea at city hall!) but nothing has ever been pushed forward. again,
> i think there needs to be a "can't miss" centerpiece, and for the sake
> of north adams' well being - would someone do something with the big
> brick building on eagle street?! apparently, the manuel family would
> rather see it fall down than sell if for a reasonable amount.
>
> are there other ideas that people have about how to get people do more
> than either visit massmoca or dine in north adams? what do we or could
> we  have to offer?
>
> --
>
> // www.joshuafield.com
> // joshua at joshuafield.com
> // +1 [413] 329-4789
> // 121 Union Street, Studio 1E
> // North Adams, MA 01247 USA
>
>
>
> ralph brill wrote:
> > Hi All:  I have caught some of the Berkshire Arts Forum e-mails over
> > the past weeks.  Is this the correct address for communications?  I am
> > pleased to feel the Positive Energies.  Allow me to add these comments:
> >
> > 1)  It took MASS MoCA several years and tries before it found its
> > place.  Once the Sol LeWitt Galleries are open a Larger and Different
> > Growd will appear in North Adams.  Presently, MASS MoCA announces
> > about 125,000 Visitors per year and The Clark announces 175,000
> > Visitors.  With the LeWitt Galleries Open and with The Clark's New
> > Galleries these numbers might jump to 200,000 Visitors which
> > translates to about 15,000 Arts Visitors per Month coming through
> > North Adams.  We need to be Ready for that!  Will We?
> >
> > 2)  Pittsfield's 40,000 Population is more than double the population
> > of North Adams and Williamstown Combined.  Pittsfield is benefitting
> > because Artists are finding Affordable Spaces as they are moving out
> > of Great Barrington, Northampton and from Boston and NYC.  They are
> > that much Closer to the Buying Public versus the Viewing Public in
> > North Adams.  It has taken Pittsfield more than 20 Years to
> > transition.  North Adams' turn is next.  If you ask some of the
> > Artists why they chose Pittsfield they will also say there is More To
> > Do There.  Pittsfield's Arts Community has also benefitted from the
> > $Millions that GE was required to give back to that community for
> > Polluting It.
> >
> > 3)  Pittsfield has Several Very Good Restaurants.  Williamstown has a
> > Few.  North Adams has a Shortage.  Good Food and Good Art Go Together.
> >
> > 4)  For whatever reasons, it is a Struggle for the Williamstown
> > Community to travel further East than Wild Oats.  It is easier for
> > those Residents to go South 30 Minutes to Pittsfield than the 10
> > Minutes East to North Adams.  It should be noted, however, that some
> > of the Concerts held in the Eclipse Mill have brought Williamstowners
> > who stated that they were glad to happen upon our Galleries.
> >
> > 5)  With all its pronouncements, North Adams isn't all that Arts
> > Friendly.  Cities like Beacon, Kingston, Hudson and Pittsfield
> > understand the dynamics and that Supporting the Arts Aids the
> > Economy.  Simple things like Gallery Signage shouldn't have to be so
> > bureaucratic.  It has taken the Eclipse Mill almost a year and I
> > believe the Windsor Mill Signs are taking a long time as well.  I have
> > had several parties complain that they couldn't find the Eclipse
> > Mill.  North Adams' Tourist Office is open only Part Of The Year.  If
> > North Adams sees itself as only a Seasonal Tourist City - then that's
> > what it will become!  Almost 50% of North Adams' Storefronts are
> > Vacant.  A Seasonal City is Not Sustainable for the Mechants and
> > Galleries.  In the meantime, the Vacant Storefronts could become
> > Spaces For The Arts like Pittsfield's Successful Program.
> >
> > 6)  Now that the Creative Economy Blueprint has been announced it is
> > up to Us to make sure that the Northern Berkshire Arts Community gets
> > a Meaningful Seat at the Table.
> >
> > 7)  Several of the Surrounding States have Hotel/Arts/Food Tourism
> > Packages.
> >
> > 8)  This is the Last Week of my Leonard Freed Show.  The Gallery will
> > be Open Friday Evening and Saturday Afternoon.  Some of the Freed
> > Photos will reappear at the Leica Gallery in NYC in May.  My next Show
> > will be the Paintings and Photographs of Eve Sonneman whose works are
> > in the Collections of MoMA, MET, Corcoran, Pompidou, etc.  Please stop
> > by. - Ralph
> >
> > BRILL GALLERY
> > Ralph Brill, Director
> > Eclipse Mill - Studio 109
> > 243 Union Street
> > North Adams, MA 01247-0786
> > 800.294 2811
> > www.brillgallery109.com <http://www.brillgallery109.com>
> >
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> >
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