OLLI AT JACOB'S PILLOW

Norton Owen, Preservation Director, will talk at Blake’s Barn at 11:45 a.m. Bring a Bag Lunch – OLLI Chefs provide desserts and drinks Registration for members opens April 1. Registration for non-members opens May 15. The Royal Ballet of the United Kingdom From England | Pillow Debut | World Premiere | U.S. Premiere | Live Music | Only U.S. Performance Schedule: 11:45 a.m. Talk with Norton Owen, Preservation Director, at Blake’s Barn 12:30 p.m. Lunch (bring a bag lunch with you, our OLLI chefs will provide dessert and drinks) 1:00 p.m. Dessert 2:00 p.m. Performance Program features World Premiere by Wayne McGregor, created especially for Jacob’s Pillow, alongside works by Frederick Ashton, Kenneth McMillian, and Christopher Wheeldon. Include the U.S. Premiere of Secret Things by American choreographer Pam Tanowitz. The Royal Ballet Principals Matthew Ball, Mayara Magri, Natalia Osipova, Marcelino Sambé, Anna Rose O’Sullivan, and Sarah Lamb will perform along with a vibrant array of the company’s dancers. Cost: $120 for OLLI at BCC members (registration opens April 1) $130 for guests/non-members (available beginning May 15) $9 Dessert only with your own Pillow subscription (registration opens April 1) Only 50 tickets, register today! Seating will be in order received. Handicapped seating is available, be sure to note that when you register. No refunds unless space is filled from a waiting list! This program is in-person at Jacob's Pillow 358 George Carter Rd., Becket, MA Event Leader: Lesley Oransky; Special Events Chair: Arline Breskin Thank you to OLLI at BCC's Special Events Committee for organizing this and so many other great OLLI events!

CELEBRATION OF BABY ANIMALS

HANCOCK SHAKER VILLAGE OPENS FOR THE 2024 SEASON ON APRIL 13 TH WITH A CELEBRATION OF BABY ANIMALS (HANCOCK, MA – March 25, 2024) Hancock Shaker Village opens for the 2024 season on April 13 with the Baby Animals Festival, an annual signal of spring for many Berkshire residents. A family favorite for more than twenty years, visitors are invited to experience the ritual of renewal by welcoming this year’s baby animals and the newest arrivals – lambs, piglets, calves, chicks, and kids (goats, that is) – and enjoy a wide variety of events and activities throughout the Village. “The arrival of all the baby animals is a very exciting time at the Village and we can’t wait to welcome everyone to share in this experience. Baby Animals kicks-off a very special year in the Shaker community as we commemorate the 250 th anniversary of Mother Ann Lee and the Shakers’ arrival in America. Throughout the season, Hancock Shaker Village will celebrate this significant milestone with a robust program of new exhibits, installations, and events to honor the many contributions of Shaker leader Mother Ann Lee and her followers, and the many women who have brought the Shaker story to life since Hancock’s inception as a museum in 1961,” said Director and CEO, Carrie Holland. Historical narratives are presented through images, writings, recordings, drawings, samplers, correspondences, music, and objects used and made in their day-to-day lives. Contemporary reflections on the contributions of the Shaker Sisters are inspired and featured in works by eighteen women artists exhibiting this year at the Village. In a stellar achievement, the class of 2024 is a community of artists from Massachusetts and New York who have felt the impact of the Shaker influence. The result is a diverse assemblage of work encapsulating Shaker tenets, form, creativity, and function. The work shown this year brings the Shaker Sisters’ story to life in a contemporary composition, ensuring their continued legacy. Baby Animals returns for its 22 st season, opening Saturday April 13 th (through May 5 th ). Open daily from 11am to 4pm, enjoy daily talks from our farm team and explore the Village. Our popular Behind-the-Scenes tour returns this year as well. Starting at 10am, before the Village opens, these tours provide a hands-on experience with the animals and a wagon hayride around the Village (special tickets required; book online soon as they sell out quickly). And if you enjoy a day out on the farm, then you’ll love to see our flock get tidied up on Sheep Shearing Weekend, April 20-21. Celebrate the arrival of spring with our merino sheep as they get their annual haircuts. Follow the wool from sheep to cloak with demonstrations of sheep- shearing by champion shearer Fred DePaul. A woolly, wonderful weekend of family fun with all the baby animals. Baby Animals is made possible with generous support from lead sponsor ROAM: an Xtina Parks Gallery. Additional sponsorship support provided by Guardian and The Red Lion Inn.

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

Sign In to My Account Sign In A Night for Mental Health DATE AND TIME Thu, May 02, 2024 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM EDT LOCATION The Aviary 4 Hudson Street Kinderhook, NY 12106 United States DETAILS The Mental Health Association of Columbia Greene is celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month and you're invited! Join us for "A Night for Mental Health" and share in networking, great food, and a Silent Auction to benefit the many programs and services we provide to the community. Silent Auction Extravaganza: As you wander through The Aviary venue, you'll discover an array of captivating items up for bid. Bid discreetly as you vie for treasures that will make a difference. Cash Bar Delights: Quench your thirst with libations crafted by talented mixologists. The cash bar boasts an impressive selection of wines, beers, and signature cocktails. Sip, mingle, and raise your glass to supporting our cause. Culinary Delicacies: The Aviary has curated a feast fit for connoisseurs. From passed hors d'oeuvres to gourmet stations, indulge in flavors that dance on your palate. Meet & Greet with MHACG: Our Board of Directors and Executive Director, David Rossetti, welcome you with stories of hope and care for our community. Listen as we share our passion for delivering on health and wellness for all ages across Columbia & Greene Counties and learn more about the different programs we provide to the community. The Joy of Giving: When the gavel falls (silently, of course), winners emerge, their faces lit with joy. Yet, every bidder is a winner for their generosity carries on beyond this night. TICKETS Selected during registration General Admission $99.00 (1 Attendee) Bronze Sponsorship $250.00 (1 Attendee) Receive your logo displayed on digital event signage at event, a 1/4 page ad in Program book, and 1 Ticket ($99 value) Limited Number of Tickets Silver Sponsor $1,000.00 (4 Attendees) Receive recognition in all press releases & marketing materials Your logo displayed as a silver sponsor on digital event signage during event 1/2 page ad in program book Sponsor recognition on social media and newsletter 4 event tickets ($396 value) Limited Number of Tickets Gold Sponsor $3,000.00 (6 Attendees) Receive recognition in all press releases & marketing materials, Your logo displayed larger as a Gold Sponsor, Full page ad in Program book distributed at event Sponsor recognition on social media and newsletter 6 Event Tickets ($594 value) Limited Number of Tickets Diamond Sponsor $5,000.00 (12 Attendees) One VIP Sponsor Recognition in all press & marketing Logo headlined on digital event signage One VIP Reserved Table with name recognition Full page ad, inside cover, in program book Sponsor recognition on social media and newsletter 12 tickets ($1,188) Limited Number of Tickets

ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH

April is Alcohol Awareness Month In April, we observe Alcohol Awareness Month and acknowledge the adverse effects excessive alcohol use can have on health and wellness. It is also an opportunity to share strategies and resources available for addressing issues surrounding alcohol use. According to data from the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, among the 137.4 million respondents aged 12 and older self-reporting current use of alcohol, 44.5% reported binge drinking, with the most prevalent age category being 18-25 years old (29.5%). Among people 12-20 years old, 15.1% used alcohol in the past month. Estimates of binge alcohol use and heavy alcohol use in the past month among underage people were 8.2% and 1.7%, respectively. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate about 178,000 people die from excessive alcohol use in the U.S. each year. SAMHSA funds a range of programs that can reduce the health and social impacts of excessive alcohol use. This includes substance use prevention programs such as SAMHSA’s STOP Act program which funds local community coalitions to prevent underage drinking as well as treatment and recovery support services that help people with alcohol use disorders. SAMHSA’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics program, provides funding to support comprehensive behavioral health services and crisis care that is provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week, regardless of an individual’s ability to pay. Additional funding opportunities are currently open: Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking (STOP) Act Grant Provider’s Clinical Support System – Universities Building Communities of Recovery SAMHSA’s “Talk. They Hear You.”® campaign helps parents and caregivers, educators, and community members get informed, be prepared, and take action to prevent underage drinking and other substance use. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. To learn how to get support for mental health, drug or alcohol issues, visit FindSupport.gov. If you are ready to locate a treatment facility or provider, you can go directly to FindTreatment.gov or call 800-662-HELP (4357). View the Alcohol Awareness Month Toolkit

HAITI THROUGH ART

CLARK ART INSTITUTE PRESENTS WORKS BY KATHIA ST. HILAIRE IN LATEST CONTEMPORARY EXHIBITION Artist explores Haitian history and culture through mixed media, tapestry-like works (Williamstown, Massachusetts)—Featuring nearly twenty new and recent works that combine printmaking, painting, collage, and weaving, the Clark Art Institute presents Haitian-American artist Kathia St. Hilaire in its latest contemporary exhibition. Kathia St. Hilaire: Invisible Empires is on view May 11 through September 22, 2024 in the galleries of the Lunder Center at Stone Hill. A version of the exhibition will go on view at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky from October 25, 2024 through February 9, 2025. "Kathia St. Hilaire is a remarkable young artist who creates captivating works that combine a wide range of media,” said Olivier Meslay, Hardymon Director of the Clark. “She interweaves Haiti’s history and her own personal biography into images that are beautiful, sometimes difficult, and utterly original.” Informed by her experience growing up in Caribbean and African American neighborhoods in South Florida, St. Hilaire seeks to memorialize the communities that she has been a part of through her innovative printmaking techniques. Her work draws inspiration from Haitian Vodou flags, which are used to tell stories of the country’s history and honor ancestral spirits. Using nontraditional materials such as beauty products, industrial metal, fabric, and tires, she creates complex works that seek to honor Haitian history and Vodou religious traditions. “Kathia St. Hilaire makes works that are richly layered, densely detailed, and ingeniously crafted,” said Robert Wiesenberger, the Clark’s curator of contemporary projects and co-curator of the exhibition. “They abound with narrative throughlines that span Haiti’s proud past and tumultuous present, exposing, in surprising and lyrical ways, a history of destabilizing foreign interventions that continues to this day.” ABOUT THE EXHIBITION Kathia St. Hilaire (b. 1995, Palm Beach, Florida; lives and works in New York) combines printmaking, painting, collage, and weaving to create complex works that cross traditional artistic boundaries. By building up as many as forty or fifty layers of ink using carved linoleum blocks, St. Hilaire creates striking surface textures. The substance of her work is equally layered: the artist, whose parents immigrated to the United States from Haiti, tells stories of the island nation’s history and the long shadows it casts, from French colonialism to independence, from U.S. occupation to the diasporic communities in which she was raised. The exhibition subtitle, “Invisible Empires,” refers to the legacy of foreign interventions in the Caribbean and the persistence of subtler forms of imperialism today. St. Hilaire grapples with histories that have been forgotten or actively suppressed. In recounting them, she blends established facts with the larger-than-life legends of Haiti’s leaders in a manner that she describes as “magical realist.” To represent Creolized cultures, St. Hilaire uses a collage of nontraditional materials, from banknotes and banana stickers to product packaging and car tires. Like the open weaving at the edges of her work, the artist suggests, the Haitian revolution is itself an unfinished project. Contained within these vibrant, dreamlike pictures are past, present, and the suggestion of possible futures. La Sirene (2020) is named for a mermaid-like water spirit in the Haitian Vodou tradition who is known as a guardian of the seas. Quilting together pieces of canvas and aluminum, St. Hilaire suggests undulating waves, a reference to the transatlantic journey of enslaved people from West Africa to what is now Haiti. Imprinting these pieces with botanical illustrations, St. Hilaire commemorates the traditional practice of those forced from their homes and into bondage to braid okra and rice seeds into their hair, thereby carrying both sustenance and culture with them. After the Haitian Revolution (1791–1804), France imposed a staggering debt for the plantations it had lost. In the early twentieth century, at a moment of instability in the island nation, the US invaded Haiti to enforce its own loan payments and would occupy the country for the next two decades. A series of works, Cacos (2023), depicts Haitian guerilla fighters who resisted the United States’ invasion and subsequent occupation of the country, portraying three key leaders in the conflict: Rosalvo Bobo, Benoît Batraville, and Charlemagne Péralte. While the Cacos’ efforts were at first successful, they were eventually defeated and Batraville and Péralte were killed by occupying U.S. Marines. In these compositions, St. Hilaire takes inspiration from drapo, ornate beaded or sequined flags used in Vodou ceremonies. She also includes the banknotes of several Latin American countries, highlighting the region’s history of foreign debt. Caco_Rosalvo Bobo.jpg Kathia St. Hilaire, Caco: Rosalvo Bobo, 2023, Reduction linocut in oil-based ink on canvas with skin-lightening cream packaging, steel, aluminum, banknotes, banana stickers, paper, and tires. Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin. Photo by Guillaume Ziccarelli Kathia St. Hilaire grew up hearing her mother’s stories of Hurricane David, which struck Haiti in 1979. In David (2022), she connects this storm with the one in Gabriel García Márquez’s magical realist novel One Hundred Years of Solitude, which wipes away all memory, including that of a brutally suppressed workers’ strike on a plantation, similar to the one St. Hilaire commemorates in Mamita Yunai (2023). Like the centripetal pull of a storm, David combines scraps from St. Hilaire’s studio floor. For the artist, each material has its own significance: banana leaves, for example, refer to United Fruit Company’s interventions across Latin America, while car tires are reminiscent of those often burned during protests. In 1928, workers on a United Fruit Company banana plantation near Ciénaga, Colombia went on strike to protest inhumane working conditions. In Mamita Yunai, St. Hilaire depicts the aftermath of the brutal scene that ensued when Colombian soldiers opened fire, killing scores of people. The leaflets falling from the sky memorialize those killed, and Chiquita banana stickers, with their iconic, cheery logo, stand in contrast to the brutal realities of plantation life. The title, Mamita Yunai, refers to a novel of the same name by Carlos Luis Fallas, a labor leader on a United Fruit Company plantation in Costa Rica who described the perils of working for “Momma United,” as the company was known to some workers. KST_A073704_536880.4500xmax.jpg Kathia St. Hilaire, Mamita Yunai (detail), 2023. Reduction linocut in oil-based ink on canvas with skin-lightening cream packaging, steel, aluminum, banknotes, price tags, banana stickers, silkscreen, and tires. Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin. Photo by Guillaume Ziccarelli The earliest work in the exhibition, Skin Lightening $2.49 (2018) shows St. Hilaire developing her signature block printing technique and incorporating product packaging for the first time. She references skin-lightening products and their association with colorism, or the privileging of lighter skin tones among people of color. The artist has long used these products herself, and here collages their packaging along with advertisements for the creams. KST_A060553_488557.autoxauto.png Kathia St. Hilaire, Skin Lightening $2.49, 2018, Reduction linocut in oil-based ink on canvas with skin-lightening cream packaging and paper. The Lumpkin-Boccuzzi Family Collection, courtesy of the artist and Perrotin. Photo by Guillaume Ziccarelli ABOUT THE ARTIST Kathia St. Hilaire received her MFA in Painting and Printmaking at the Yale School of Art and her BFA in Printmaking at the Rhode Island School of Design. Her work has recently been featured in exhibitions at the NSU Art Museum, Fort Lauderdale; Perrotin, New York; the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs; Half Gallery, New York; Blum & Poe, New York; and James Fuentes, New York. This exhibition is organized by the Clark Art Institute and curated by Robert Wiesenberger, curator of contemporary projects at the Clark, with Tyler Blackwell, curator of contemporary art at the Speed Art Museum, Louisville, Kentucky. Generous support for this exhibition is provided by Thomas and Lily Beischer, Richard and Margaret Kronenberg, and Denise Littlefield Sobel.

Rabbit Rabbit

Easter service back at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Albany was an inspirational start to an extraordinary Easter Sunday, especially the sermon about the 8th day.

We followed with brunch at the Gnome Bistro in East Chatham for a scrumptious brunch. Fabulous food and extraordinary staff with all on deck for the holiday crowd.

Following was reading our Times Union and New ide York Post to be reminded about courage and suicide by young people.