Celebrate “Creativity as a Radical Act of Love” at the 2026 Berkshire Art Center Gala on May 16

Stockbridge, MA – May 6, 2026 — Berkshire Art Center (BAC) will host its 2026 Gala on May 16 from 6–9 PM at Ventfort Hall in Lenox. The event will bring together artists, educators, students, collectors, and art enthusiasts from across the Berkshires to celebrate creativity, community, and the joy of making art.

Proceeds will fund the expansion of BAC’s renowned ceramics studio, youth art camps and after-school classes, and a wide range of studio programs and community engagement efforts serving children and adults throughout the region.

Set within the Gilded Age mansion and gardens of Ventfort Hall—a historic contemporary of BAC’s own Citizens’ Hall in Stockbridge—the Gala theme, “Creativity as a Radical Act of Love”, invites guests to embrace creativity as an expression of our love for life and for one another.

This year’s event marks an important moment for the organization. After a one-year pause, BAC has reimagined its annual gala as one that reflects the organization’s evolving mission and the growing need for accessible creative spaces. At a time when many individuals and families are navigating stress, disconnection, and barriers to participation, this gathering affirms creativity as essential.

“Creativity is life affirming, and sharing what we create with others is an act of true love and openness,” said BAC Executive Director Dr. Laura Dickstein Thompson. “As a teaching art and cultural center, our message to students and the wider community is, ‘Your perspective matters. Your creative expression has value.’ BAC believes such encouragement is deeply loving and socially transformative.”

Part celebration and part creative experience, the 2026 Gala will weave together artistic elements throughout the evening to celebrate past accomplishments and advocate for future support.

A highlight will be a display of parade puppets created by students during BAC’s April Break Camp with award-winning puppet maker Eric “Homeslice” Weiss of Homeslice Puppetry. Inspired by global traditions of parade puppetry, from Lunar New Year dragon processions to iconic American celebrations, students worked collaboratively to design and construct these expressive “marching giants,” reflecting both imagination and teamwork.

The project culminated in a joyful performance for families on BAC’s lawn, with the puppets now preserved for their next appearance in Pittsfield’s annual 4th of July Parade.

Many of the participating young artists were able to attend camp through scholarships and transportation reimbursements made possible by generous donors and support from the Mass Cultural Council.

Two BAC-affiliated artists will also be on hand to share their unique works with Gala attendees.

• ●  Berkshire-based artist John Clarke will guide guests in the live creation of a collaborative artwork during the evening. Beginning with a large-scale photograph of the center’s grounds, Clarke will invite attendees to contribute their own marks using pastel and colored pencil. The finished piece will be auctioned at the close of the evening to support BAC’s programs and scholarships.
• ●  Chatham-based artist Wes Bruce will share insights about the monumental work he is planning to produce this spring as BAC’s inaugural “HeartSpace” Artist-in-Residence, exploring how creative practice can foster reflection, presence, and connection within community spaces.

A curated wine tasting presented by South Egremont Spirit Shoppe will feature wines served in handmade ceramic vessels, honoring Berkshire Art Center’s celebrated ceramics program.

The evening’s live auction and paddle raise will be led by longtime community leader and former State Representative Smitty Pignatelli, whose deep roots in the Berkshires and longstanding commitment to public service bring both energy and warmth to the stage. Known for his engaging presence and strong support of local cultural and nonprofit initiatives, Pignatelli will guide guests through the evening’s giving opportunities and auction moments, helping to inspire generosity in support of BAC’s community-driven mission.

The program will also feature remarks from BAC Board Chair Mike Zippel, Thompson, and Ceramics Studio Manager Lorimer Burns.

“This evening reflects the spirit and vision of Berkshire Art Center—creative, welcoming, and rooted in community,” said Zippel. “Funds raised by the Gala will help strengthen our foundation, expand our offerings, and sharpen our focus on helping people of all ages explore creativity, connect with other creative people, and feel good about it.”

Event Schedule

May 16, 2026 | Ventfort Hall, Lenox | 6–9 PM

6:00–7:30 PM — Cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, wine tasting, and collaborative art experience
7:30–8:00 PM — Community reflections on creativity
8:00–9:00 PM — Desserts, drinks, paddle raising and raffle, continued celebration

About John Clarke

John Clarke is a multimedia artist who has lived in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts since 2007. Born in central Massachusetts amid landscapes of mills, rivers, trains, and bridges that continue to shape his work, Clarke studied classical music composition at Bates College in Maine. His practice merges painting, pastel, gesso, graphite, photography, writing, and music, drawing on his background as a composer to create images guided by rhythm, sound, and gesture. Clarke’s work often explores the tension between what is revealed and what is obscured—what he calls “looking through the curtain”—using techniques such as long-exposure photography and layered drawing to blur the boundaries between artistic forms. His recent projects combine photographic prints, text, and expressive mark-making into richly layered pieces that weave memory, narrative, and abstraction. Often described as a “renaissance man,” Clarke has also been a songwriter and musician, releasing music with bands including The Best Times and Bell Engine as well as his solo album All Beneath Our Train. His artwork has been exhibited widely and featured in publications including The Artful Mind and ArtAscent Magazine.

About Wes Bruce

Wes Bruce is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work blends story-led architecture, immersive installations, poetry, social practice, and collaborative filmmaking. Originally from Northern California, he studied Art Education at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego and now lives in Chatham, New York. His projects center on community participation through workshops, social initiatives, and collaborative creative processes that invite participants to co-create and shape the work. Bruce has partnered withcontemporary art museums, youth nonprofits, schools, and libraries, and his work has been featured at MASS MoCA’s Kidspace, the Peabody Essex Museum’s Art and Nature Center, the New Children’s Museum, and the Denver Children’s Museum.

This spring, Berkshire Art Center celebrates a major milestone with its first-ever site-specific installation at Citizens’ Hall by artist Wes Bruce. As our inaugural HeartSpace Artist-in-Residence, Bruce inaugurates a bold new chapter of immersive, place-based artistic practice at BAC.

About Berkshire Art Center

Berkshire Art Center is a nonprofit community arts organization serving the Berkshires with studios in Stockbridge, Massachusetts and in partnership locations throughout the region. For decades, the organization has provided accessible, high-quality arts education for children, teens, and adults through classes, workshops, camps, and artist-led programs.

Through scholarships, community partnerships, and a wide range of creative offerings, Berkshire Art Center works to ensure that everyone in the region has the opportunity to experience the transformative power of creativity.

Berkshire Art Center is supported in part by these organizations: Adams Bank; Beacon (Berkshire) Bank; Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation; Greylock Federal Credit Union; Lee Bank; Fairbanks Family Foundation; Feigenbaum Foundation; Mass Cultural Council; Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership (ASOST); Milltown Foundation; Only in My Dreams Events; Rotary Club of Pittsfield; South Egremont Spirit Shoppe.

Individual benefactors include: Dr. Daniel and Samantha Becker; Sheila and Chris Blum; Vicki Bonnington; Gideon Brown; Dr. Susan Dickstein and Dr. Tony Saccone; David Gilbert; Liz Gioia; Nancy Fitzpatrick; Angela Hall; Bobbie Hallig; Ellen and Scott Hand; Jane Iredale and Bob Montgomery; Leslie and David Jaimeson; Kelly and Bill Kaiser; Chris and Donna Meyer; David Mickenberg; Kevin and Marybeth Mitts; The John C. & Katherine M. Morris Foundation; Seth Nash; Smitty Pignatelli; Martin Vetterlein; Mike Zippel and Oskar Hallig.

Learn more at berkshireartcenter.org.