Author: Gallerie 271

As it appeared on Art In The Berkshires

Get ready for a super-packed week full of art shows, workshops, and special events! As we head into August, the air is warm, and our art scene is hot! I hope to be out and about with you over the next few days! You can catch me at the Clock Tower Artists open studios to check out the pottery by guest artists from the Berkshire Potters Collective!

This Week’s Highlights

To be honest, all of the events below are a highlight! However, I would like to welcome two newcomers to AITB. Gallerie 271 in Monterey, MA is open this weekend with an insightful art show by artist Adi Oren. The Berkshire Black Economic Council is hosting an Artist Talk with photographer DeSean Scales during First Fridays Artswalk in Pittsfield. You will find these and more below.

If you are into pottery, then you will be thrilled to see several opportunities this coming week. Artist Paula Shalan will be speaking at the Frelinghuysen on Friday. The Berkshire Potters Collective will be at the Clock Tower Artists’ Studios Friday and Saturday, and the Berkshire Art Center will be partnering with the BPC on August 5 for a Members workshop.

Don’t forget to visit our Calendar to help you plan your art activities for the week!

Friday & Saturday,

Aug. 02 & 03, 11:00 AM – 06:00 PM

IN-PERSON SHOW

Gallerie 271 (Monterey) | Adi Oren’s “Matter and Desire”

As it appeared in The Berkshire Edge

By John Skavlem

If you find yourself growing tired of the crowds at some of the larger museums, you’re in luck, as the Berkshires has plenty of alternatives.

Small private galleries have the ability to offer up new works by contemporary artists, big and small, well-known and unknown. Here in the Berkshires, we have a vast variety of galleries offering up artists working in a multitude of mediums. Offered here is a just a sampling of shows being offered in July.

‘LUCY MACGILLIS: PAINTINGS FROM ITALY’

What: Berkshire native Lucy MacGillis, who makes her home in Italy, combines an appreciation of Cezanne and Morandi with her own unique style to create oil paintings of life in Umbria.

Where: Hoadley Gallery, 21 Church St., Lenox

On view: Through July 21

Opening: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. July 6

Gallery hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily

Information: 413-637-2814; hoadleygallery.com

‘IMAGINING HEAVEN AND EARTH’

What: Moon jars created by Anne Ferril that reflect the light and shadows it casts. Naturalistic, small scale fiber art works by Pat Frik.

Where: Art on Main Gallery, 38 Main Street, West Stockbridge

On view: July 5 – 14

Opening: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., July 6

Gallery hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday

Information: berkshireartists.org

‘IN PLAIN SIGHT’ and ‘MATTER AND DESIRE’

What: “In Plain Sight” is a collection of mixed media collages by Mik Cooper, while “Matter and Desire” by Adi Oren, presents a series of colorful paintings that investigate themes of fluidity.

Where: Gallerie 271, 271 Main Road, Monterey

On view: July 5 – 13 (Cooper); July 26 – Aug. 3 (Oren)

Openings: 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. July 6 (Cooper); 4 p.m. to 6 p.m July 27 (Oren)

Gallery Hours: Noon to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Information: gallerie271.com

‘STAR BURSTS’ and ‘DANCING WITH THE ANCESTORS’

What: Bright, geometric “star cluster” patterns created by Marjorie Kaye and images that use dance as a vehicle to explore different histories by Carolyn Newberger.

Where: Future Lab(s) Gallery

On view: July 5 – 28

Gallery hours: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Closing reception: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. July 27

Information: futurelabsgallery.com

‘GRADIENT’

What: Artist Douglas Gilbert presents a series of large and small works on paper made with graphite and charcoal that focus on creating natural scenery with only intersecting lines.

Where: LAPINcontemporary, Studio 308, Norad Mill, 60 Roberts Drive, North Adams

On view: July 12 – Sept. 28

Opening: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. July 11

Gallery hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday

Information: lapincuriosities.com

‘MORRIS BENNET’

What: Morris Bennet is guest artist for the month of July. He’s showing a series of paintings that work to capture directly observable forms of nature. His work joins those of Marilyn Cavallari, Ghetta Hirsch, Sean McCusker and Mallory Rich.

Where: Gallery North, 9 Eagle St., North Adams

On view: Through July 31

Gallery hours: 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday

Information: gallerynorthadams.com

‘REACHING’

What: Group show featuring a variety of different mediums including watercolor painting, etchings, photography, sculpture and other various mixed media.

Where: Becket Arts Center, 7 Brooker Hill Road, Becket

On view: June 28 – July 21

Gallery hours: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday

Information: becketartscenter.org

‘SUMMERTIME’

What: Bernay Fine Art’s annual summertime show featuring the work of artists Joy Taylor, Janet Rickus, Jason Middlebrook and Lawre Stone

Where: Bernay Fine Art, 296 Main Street, Great Barrington

On view: July 13 – Aug. 11

Gallery hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; noon to 4 p.m. Sunday

Information: bernayfineart.com

‘OTHER PLACES’

What: Six artists who use contemporary landscape paintings to create dreamy renditions of both natural and manmade wonders.

Where: Bill Arning Exhibitions, 17 Broad St., Kinderhook, N.Y.

On view: Through Aug. 11

Gallery hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday

Artist reception: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. July 20

Information: billarning.com

‘HAN FENG’S THE GIFT’

What: A collection of photographs by artist Han Feng that transform ordinary objects into extraordinary images with the use of her lens.

Where: Mad Rose Gallery, 5916 N. Elm Ave., Millerton, N.Y.

On view: Through July 28

Gallery hours: Noon to 5 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Sunday; noon to 6 p.m. Saturday

Information: madrosegallery.com

‘JANE HUDSON: NEW PAINTINGS’

What: Vibrant colors are paired with striking geometric forms to create this minimalistic set of paintings by Jane Hudson.

Where: Spring Street Market Café, 66 Spring St., Williamstown

On view: Through Sept. 30

Gallery Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday

Information: janehudsonpaintings.com

‘RETURN AGAIN’

What: A special anniversary group exhibition featuring works from 14 artists in a gallery curated and run by artist Reed Anderson.

Where: Resident Assistant Gallery, 80 Railroad St., Great Barrington

Gallery hours: Noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday

Information: reedandersonprojects.com

‘LOST AND FOUND’

What: The work of artist Inna Zhukovsky-Zilber is the first exhibition of the season at TurnPark Art Space using works made of everyday objects to remind viewers of the shared experiences that bind people together.

Where: TurnPark Art Space, 2 Moscow Road, West Stockbridge

On view: Through July 31

Gallery hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Monday

Information: turnpark.com

‘ALCHEMY: AN EXHIBIT OF TRANSFORMATIONS’

What: Seven artists from the Berkshires come together to display their creative processes through works on paper and other mediums.

Where: Welles Gallery, Lenox Library, 18 Main St., Lenox

On view: Through July 30

Gallery hours: Open during library hours

Information: lenoxlib.org

As it appeared in The Berkshire Edge

Monterey— On Saturday, May 11th from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Gallerie 271 celebrates the opening of “Stone Spoke Worm Talk,” the work of Andy Bullard.

“Stone Spoke Worm Talk” speaks to the idea of paintings as a metaphor for fossils where the passage of time, life, and information are compressed into one image and frozen while still suggesting a vivid past.

Bullard, a Monterey resident, has an MFA from Indiana University and has exhibited his work throughout the midwest and Los Angeles.

The opening reception is on Saturday, May 11th from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Gallerie 271 at 271 Main Road in Monterey. More information can be found online.

As it appeared in The Berkshire Edge

“We did work to make it more user-friendly and make it into an attractive place,” Gallerie 271 owner Dave Hattem said about the space on Main Road that was a former garage. “I wanted to turn it into an art gallery because there is a charm to the building. This building was once a little eyesore, and now it’s something attractive.

By Shaw Israel Izikson

Monterey — The proverb “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” may apply to the property at 271 Main Road. Since it was built in 1965, the property operated as an automotive garage, most recently as John’s Auto Repair. After extensive hard work and renovation, however, Dave Hattem has turned the building into Gallerie 271, an art gallery.

Hattem, who purchased the building in November 2021, is a native of Manhattan, N.Y., but he has owned a second home in Great Barrington for over 20 years. “The property was broken down,” Hattem told The Berkshire Edge. “Cars and trucks were sitting down out front. It was originally in the Andrus family for many years. It was an interesting space, but it needed a lot of work.”

Hattem said that the family was originally going to sell the property to Fiber Connect of Egremont, who planned to tear down the existing building and build a new one. “But all the neighbors freaked out because they didn’t want a big building on this property,” Hattem said.

Hattem said he has completed several renovation projects through the years, including a brownstone project in the 1980s. “But renovating this building was a whole other level,” Hattem said. “It was rough and sobering, to say the least. It was a soup-to-nuts renovation. I started the project by scrubbing the walls and getting rid of 40 years worth of grime. I thought that was kind of above my pay grade.”

Hattem said that he thought “it would take 30 years to get the building together” by himself and eventually hired several people who were “fearless” when it came to renovating the building. “We did work to make it more user-friendly and make it into an attractive place,” Hattem said. “I wanted to turn it into an art gallery because there is a charm to the building. This building was once a little eyesore, and now it’s something attractive. While we were working on the renovation, we had people from the community constantly stop by and go, ‘What’s going on? What are you doing here?’ And that was fun because I got to meet a lot of my neighbors that way. It was a good way to connect to the community.”

Hattem said that the former garage space allows for a viewing area that “…invite[s] art, community, and the beauty of nature for a delightful exhibition experience.”

The gallery opened in July 2022 with a “test run,” as Hattem described it, featuring an exhibit by Great Barrington artist Steve Dietemann.

On Friday, June 30, the gallery will officially open for its summer season with a two-day exhibition by New York City artist Adi Oren.

The gallery will reopen again on July 28 for a return exhibition of Dietemann’s work, which will last until August 25.

When asked if he seeks out artists for exhibits or if artists seek him out for exhibition space, Hattem said “…it’s a little bit of both.” He explained, “There are a lot of artists out there who are looking for gallery space and a more relaxed relationship with gallery owners than some of the traditional galleries out there. It has been a combination of referrals and recommendations from the people I speak to. I’m a lawyer by training, so for me, it’s nice and fun to meet creative people and connect with them. I enjoy working with them to do something fun and beautiful.”

For more information about Gallerie 271, go to its website.

What do you do with an empty space in a building you’ve just renovated? If you’re Dave Hattem, you turn it into a popup art gallery. The former corporate attorney rescued a former auto service center on Route 23 in Monterey, cleaned it up, and wondered what he could do with one of the bays that would be interesting and enjoyable. He came up with the idea of a gallery, now Gallerie 271. “There are so many talented, artistic people in the Berkshires and Hudson Valley, it’s almost incredible,” he says. “I’m kind of loving meeting people from the art world and giving them a platform to express themselves and have some fun.”

My wife and I live on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and have been second homeowners in Great Barrington for close to 20 years. We love the Berkshires for the usual reasons: culture, community, and nature.

I stopped working full time as the General Counsel of a large NYC corporation at the end of 2021. In the Fall of 2021 I was open to new adventures and coincidentally saw a “for sale” sign on the old John’s Auto Repair shop in Monterey. It’s on a lovely country road and next door to the old Roadside Cafe. The building looked very sad but I thought it had potential as a project.

I started a soup-to-nuts renovation in the winter of 2022. The local community loved the transformation of this former eyesore and would regularly pop by to ask what was going on and my plans for the building. For me, it was a great way to meet and get to know my neighbors. 

I had planned on using part of the building as a “clubhouse” and place to keep my classic car, motorcycle and vintage Vespa scooter.  I wasn’t sure what to do with the former “paint room” which had been used to repair auto collisions and had very interesting lighting.  

Once the “paint room” was spruced up and the many lights were working, it cried out for some type of installation space and hence the idea of a pop-up art gallery.

I did a test run last summer with Great Barrington artist/architect/musician Steve Dietemann and it was a great success and lots of fun. Locals, friends, weekenders, visitors and artists loved the space and vibe. Our exhibition closing with Steve’s band felt like a party and the place to be on scenic Route 23.

This summer, I have lined up more exhibitions beginning with Adi Oren who works out of the Catskills and NYC on July 4th weekend. I’m hoping Gallerie 271 will be the pop-up gallery that brings together arts, the community and travelers for a different and fun art experience