CALENDAR OF EVENTS
CALENDAR
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register and pay in person.
Improvisational Circle Singing
Improvisational Circle Singing with Nick Atlas: Learn to create spontaneous, a cappella music and soundscapes via a variety of accessible techniques, exercises, and simple music theory to free your voice, expand your mind, and open your heart. Open to singers of all levels.
Nick has been exploring vocal improvisation since 2011, having trained with Bobby McFerrin (Circle songs) and Rhiannon (Vocal River), among others. A skilled experiential educator and the Chair of Transpersonal Psychology at Atlantic University, he has led singing workshops for over a decade and routinely incorporates the lessons of improvisation into his work and life.
Suggested Donation $10 - $20 per class Registration Recommended Walk-Ins Welcome!
Understanding Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is the most honored work of Western Classical music around the world. It has represented freedom and democracy throughout the ages. Professor Yudkin will tell this story with slides, videos, and musical examples.
Admission: $10 Member Price: $5
Presented by Jeremy Yudkin.
Jeremy Yudkin is Professor of Music and Director of the Center for Beethoven Research at Boston University. He received his BA and MA from Cambridge University and his PhD from Stanford University. He has taught as a Visiting Professor at Harvard and for many years at Oxford University. He is the recipient of fellowships from the Whiting Foundation Fellowship, the Center for the Humanities, the Camargo Foundation, Williams College, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
At Boston University he teaches classes on Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Bartok, Schubert, the history of opera, Renaissance and Medieval Music, rock music, nineteenth-century American music, jazz history, Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, and the Beatles – to name only a few. He is the author of TEN books, two of which have been awarded prizes. He has given talks all across America as well as in Italy, Germany, France, England, Israel, and Russia. And in the Berkshires he is famous for his pre-concert Tanglewood Talks, which are sponsored by the Lenox Library and are free to all comers. They are held in the Lenox Town Hall every Friday and Sunday. He has run this series every summer consecutively for forty-four years! The Tanglewood Talks are on Friday afternoons and Sunday mornings throughout the summer.
Open Studio DriveAbout
Drive along scenic Hilltown roads to meet artists at their studios and at the historic Becket Arts Center during the 2026 Drive About.
This community-focused event gives art lovers and visitors the unique opportunity to meet local artists directly inside their personal working studios, as well as view featured works at the historic Becket Arts Center.
Saturday and Sunday September 5th and 6th 11-3pm.
Want your studio to be included along our route?
Art Lounge - Gathered Ground: Ritual, Community, and Earth Opening Reception
These intimate pieces reflect ongoing studio research and serve as visual and material studies for the upstairs installation.
Open Studio DriveAbout
Drive along scenic Hilltown roads to meet artists at their studios and at the historic Becket Arts Center during the 2026 DriveAbout.
Saturday and Sunday September 5th and 6th 11-3pm.
Want your studio to be included along our route?
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register and pay in person.
Improvisational Circle Singing
Improvisational Circle Singing with Nick Atlas: Learn to create spontaneous, a cappella music and soundscapes via a variety of accessible techniques, exercises, and simple music theory to free your voice, expand your mind, and open your heart. Open to singers of all levels.
Nick has been exploring vocal improvisation since 2011, having trained with Bobby McFerrin (Circle songs) and Rhiannon (Vocal River), among others. A skilled experiential educator and the Chair of Transpersonal Psychology at Atlantic University, he has led singing workshops for over a decade and routinely incorporates the lessons of improvisation into his work and life.
Suggested Donation $10 - $20 per class Registration Recommended Walk-Ins Welcome!
Basic Watercolor Painting with Suzanne Gammon
Connecting Community Through the Arts
Image Credit: Suzanne Gammon
Join us for this 5-week series. Led by local artist and instructor Suzanne Gammon, this workshop strips away the intimidation of the medium and replaces it with experimentation, laughter, and community. Surrounded by the historic charm and creative energy of the Becket Arts Center, you will learn to embrace the fluid, luminous nature of watercolor in a completely judgment-free zone. Spaces are limited to ensure everyone gets plenty of individual attention and guidance.
Cost includes all materials but feel free to bring your own.
Class Fee…………………..$40
Member Tiered Pricing…….$35/$30
Card To Culture Member…..$25
Please register below or call the office at (413) 623-6635 to secure your spot.
Author Talk with Bob Reiss
Bob Reiss' talk focuses on his new anti-AI noir novel "The Impossible Detective."
Bob Reiss's fiction has been called "Sparkling and fast paced" (Washington Post), "Gripping...fast paced...riveting" (Publishers Weekly), "Makes You Think" (Good Morning America), "Dead On!" (People), "Splendid. Great Writing. Great Suspense. Great Action. Wonderful Reading. (Los Angles Times), "Thrilling, ultra hip and completely engrossing" (Mademoiselle), "Crackerjack!" (Kirkus Reviews."
Plein Air in Becket
Plein Air in Becket
In collaboration with the Guild of Berkshire Artists
Join our Berkshire Plein Air group to paint, draw and photograph at an outside location in Becket. (Actual Location TBD)
Open to artists of all levels. Work till noon, then optionally join us for lunch (bring a lunch) and critique providing positive suggestions. Bring your oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, drawing, photography or digital painting equipment.
Third Wednesdays, once a month from 10am - 1pm with a break for lunch
$10 / Person - Free for Members of the Becket Arts Center & Members of the Guild of Berkshire Artists
Sign up by 6:30 pm the night before. Weather and regulations permitting
W.I.P. Wednesday
A family kitchen. A Russian immigrant father who longs to be recognized as an American writer. A fourteen-year-old daughter fascinated by the maps lining an old steamer trunk. A mother who has learned, through experience, that safety and belonging can never be taken for granted.
Judith Kerman’s The Steamer Trunk, inspired by Lydia Rosner’s memoir The Russian Writer’s Daughter: Stories of Growing Up American, unfolds in postwar New York, as the shadow of the Cold War begins to reach into ordinary family life. Friendships become suspect. Political affiliations acquire new consequences. The question of where one belongs becomes more complicated than anyone expected.
Set in the late 1940s, the play nonetheless lands with an unsettling immediacy. Its world is specific, its characters deeply human, and its questions about home, citizenship, identity and belonging are strikingly close to questions we’re living with today.
The September 16 reading falls between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, with Sukkot approaching. During Sukkot, we leave the security of our permanent homes and build a temporary dwelling, opening ourselves to the idea that home may be less about walls than about what, and whom, we carry with us. It is a fitting moment to encounter this play.
Works in Progress Wednesday is about being in the room while a play is becoming. The actors bring the words to life; the playwright hears the work through new voices; and the audience becomes part of the process simply by listening closely. What resonates, what surprises, what catches us off guard and what leaves us wanting more can help illuminate the road ahead.
Come spend an evening with The Steamer Trunk at this particular moment in its journey.
Improvisational CIrcle Singing
Improvisational Circle Singing with Nick Atlas: Learn to create spontaneous, a cappella music and soundscapes via a variety of accessible techniques, exercises, and simple music theory to free your voice, expand your mind, and open your heart. Open to singers of all levels.
Nick has been exploring vocal improvisation since 2011, having trained with Bobby McFerrin (Circle songs) and Rhiannon (Vocal River), among others. A skilled experiential educator and the Chair of Transpersonal Psychology at Atlantic University, he has led singing workshops for over a decade and routinely incorporates the lessons of improvisation into his work and life.
Suggested Donation $10 - $20 per class Registration Recommended Walk-Ins Welcome!
Basic Watercolor Painting with Suzanne Gammon
Connecting Community Through the Arts
Image Credit: Suzanne Gammon
Join us for this 5-week series. Led by local artist and instructor Suzanne Gammon, this workshop strips away the intimidation of the medium and replaces it with experimentation, laughter, and community. Surrounded by the historic charm and creative energy of the Becket Arts Center, you will learn to embrace the fluid, luminous nature of watercolor in a completely judgment-free zone. Spaces are limited to ensure everyone gets plenty of individual attention and guidance.
Cost includes all materials but feel free to bring your own.
Class Fee…………………..$40
Member Tiered Pricing…….$35/$30
Card To Culture Member…..$25
Please register below or call the office at (413) 623-6635 to secure your spot.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register and pay in person.
Check in at Becket Arts Center, class held at Parish Hall.
Basic Watercolor Painting with Suzanne Gammon
Connecting Community Through the Arts
Image Credit: Suzanne Gammon
Join us for this 5-week series. Led by local artist and instructor Suzanne Gammon, this workshop strips away the intimidation of the medium and replaces it with experimentation, laughter, and community. Surrounded by the historic charm and creative energy of the Becket Arts Center, you will learn to embrace the fluid, luminous nature of watercolor in a completely judgment-free zone. Spaces are limited to ensure everyone gets plenty of individual attention and guidance.
Cost includes all materials but feel free to bring your own.
Class Fee…………………..$40
Member Tiered Pricing…….$35/$30
Card To Culture Member…..$25
Please register below or call the office at (413) 623-6635 to secure your spot.
Gathered Ground: Ritual, Community, and Earth Opening Reception
In the Upstairs Gallery, Dolmanisth will install a large-scale, site-specific sculptural environment, designed to evolve over the course of the exhibition through participatory rituals and public engagement. The installation will be activated through a series of interdisciplinary performances incorporating movement, sound, and live ritual—drawing from the artist’s longstanding integration of dance, poetry, and spiritual practice within sculptural spaces.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register here or pay in person.
Check in at Becket Arts Center, class held at Parish Hall.
Basic Watercolor Painting with Suzanne Gammon
Connecting Community Through the Arts
Image Credit: Suzanne Gammon
Join us for this 5-week series. Led by local artist and instructor Suzanne Gammon, this workshop strips away the intimidation of the medium and replaces it with experimentation, laughter, and community. Surrounded by the historic charm and creative energy of the Becket Arts Center, you will learn to embrace the fluid, luminous nature of watercolor in a completely judgment-free zone. Spaces are limited to ensure everyone gets plenty of individual attention and guidance.
Cost includes all materials but feel free to bring your own.
Class Fee…………………..$40
Member Tiered Pricing…….$35/$30
Card To Culture Member…..$25
Please register below or call the office at (413) 623-6635 to secure your spot.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register here or pay in person.
Check in at Becket Arts Center, class held at Parish Hall.
Basic Watercolor Painting with Suzanne Gammon
Connecting Community Through the Arts
Image Credit: Suzanne Gammon
Join us for this 5-week series. Led by local artist and instructor Suzanne Gammon, this workshop strips away the intimidation of the medium and replaces it with experimentation, laughter, and community. Surrounded by the historic charm and creative energy of the Becket Arts Center, you will learn to embrace the fluid, luminous nature of watercolor in a completely judgment-free zone. Spaces are limited to ensure everyone gets plenty of individual attention and guidance.
Cost includes all materials but feel free to bring your own.
Class Fee…………………..$40
Member Tiered Pricing…….$35/$30
Card To Culture Member…..$25
Please register below or call the office at (413) 623-6635 to secure your spot.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register here or pay in person.
Check in at Becket Arts Center, class held at Parish Hall.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register here or pay in person.
An Evening Conversation with Dar Williams
Positive Proximity: What I Found In A Thousand Towns (including the one where I live). What to expect: A Town Talk is a 25-30 minute song-and-story presentation by singer-songwriter Dar Williams on her book about building social capital in communities, What I Found in a Thousand Towns, followed by community leaders who describe what they’ve been up to wrapping up with 20-30 minutes of thoughts and questions from audience members.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register here or pay in person.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register here or pay in person.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register here or pay in person.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register here or pay in person.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register here or pay in person.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register here or pay in person.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register here or pay in person.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register here or pay in person.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register here or pay in person.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register here or pay in person.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register here or pay in person.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register here or pay in person.
The Other Dance Concert In Becket
Discover the Art of Dance at the Becket Arts Center with an Inspiring Evening of Dance and Community
Join us for a showcase of local and regional dance artists: Debra Wanner & Jack Magai, Pele Bauch, Aviva Geismar, Jess Ames, and Louise Heit. Each artist will present a short new work offering a mix of themes and styles. Also welcome poet, Benjamin Gantche.
Whether you are a longtime dance enthusiast or just looking for an inspiring evening out in the Berkshires, this performance offers something for everyone.
General Admission: $20
Member Price: $15
Card To Culture Price: $10
Photo: (top left )Debra Wanner & Jack Magai - "Pearl" (top right) Louise Heit: Entanglement: Steven's Stuff (bottom right) Aviva Geismar - "Words, Words, Words" (bottom left) Pele Bauch - “Ka Wai Ola / the living waters”
BIOS
Ka Wai Ola/the living waters
Pele Bauch is a choreographer who often weaves together dance, theater, and installation design. With modern dance as her base, Bauch’s experimental work draws from her studies in oli (Hawaiian chant) and hula. She has been “weekending” in Becket since early childhood when her parents bought land to camp on. Bauch’s work has been selected for presentation at many New York venues, La MaMa, Chocolate Factory, Movement Research at the Judson Church, Women in Motion, and more. She was honored to be selected for the inaugural Wehiwehi cohort of Native Hawaiian performing artists, 2025, and the Western Arts Alliance Native Launchpad, 2023. She has received residencies from the Brooklyn Arts Exchange, The Joyce Theater Foundation, and Dance Theater Workshop. Funders include the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Brooklyn Arts Council and Harkness Foundation for Dance. Pele resides in her hometown, New York City, on the unceded land of the Lenape people.
Entanglement: Steven’s Stuff
Louise Heit (Dance Artist/choreographer) previous work seen in NYC at GreenSpace, Center for Performance Research, Union Street Studio, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, 92Y/Fridays at Noon, streets and gardens of NYC and at the Laban Centre for Movement and Dance in London. Louise performed with Adaptors Movement Theater (Bessie Award-winning), Pink Inc., toured internationally - performing puppetry with Marquis Studios. She holds a BFA: NYU - dance and experimental theater, MA: Laban Centre, London and is a Certified Movement Analyst, NYC. Currently she teaches at the Becket Arts Center and through Together in Dance in NYC. She has received several awards from the Brooklyn Arts Council to lead creative aging modern dance classes for older adults. Many thanks to Jess- friend and duet partner for her patience and artistry to allow this piece to evolve, Gary Meister - collaborator for the sound design, friends, family and children; Molly and Marty, for their loving support.
Jess Ames (dancer) is thrilled to be performing in her fourth piece choreographed by Louise Heit. She danced with Risa Jaroslow and Dancers for two years; Kriota Willberg’s Dura Mater for 10 years; performed in Mercy with Meredith Monk at BAM; in several works by Elizabeth Keen, and more. Jess studies (and loves!) ballet with Kelly Slough and Elisa Clark. She works as a freelance ASL Interpreter, and will be interpreting the musical “Girl, Interrupted” this summer at the Public Theater. She ran her first marathon in Rehoboth Beach last Dec. She thanks her wife Barb for her immense love and support.
Gary Meister is a sound designer, composer & music producer who’s worked extensively in film, TV, podcasts, theater & dance. His credits include Joe’s Violin (Oscar Nom.), In The Dark (Pulitzer Prize), The New Yorker Presents (Amazon), Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill, Queer Eye For The Straight Guy, Sesame Street, Fork In The Road, Death Row Stories (CNN), and additional projects for HBO, Showtime, Amazon, NBC, CBS, TED, VH1, MTV, etc. He’s also a member of the Balinese gamelan ensemble Dharma Swara, with whom he’s played sold-out shows at NY Philharmonic and Central Park’s Summerstage.
Words, Words, Words
Aviva Geismar is a New York City-based dancer, dance educator, choreographer and artistic director of Drastic Action, a contemporary dance company. For more than 30 years she has been creating a body of theatrical dances, rooted in full-bodied physicality and an interest in social justice. Her dances have been performed in many prominent venues throughout the US and Germany including the Millenium Stage at The Kennedy Center, Inside/Out at Jacob’s Pillow, Dance Theater Workshop and Haus der Berliner Festspiele. From 2006-2010 she led “Dancing to Connect,” an intercultural performance and education project, developed in collaboration with Battery Dance company which brought Drastic Action to numerous cities across Germany. “Dis/Location (Fort Tryon)” explored the immigrant experience in Washington Heights. “Dis Place” investigated geographic and cultural displacement in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Rooted in the rise of anti-democratic leaders, “Just Stand By” explored the factors leading to bystander society versus upstander culture. Aviva is a Professor and Coordinator of the Dance Program at Queensborough Community College/CUNY. Thank you to Louise and the Becket Arts Center.
Pearl
Jack Magai has written, choreographed and directed performances intended to increase audiences’ awareness of their surroundings. Recently his day job as an arborist has led him to study the evolution of attitudes about nature and has steered his artistic work towards settings in post-industrial sites. He studied dance and literature at Bennington College.
Debra Wanner creates interdisciplinary, inquisitive, imagistic works about notions of being. Her work has been presented in the US and abroad. She has taught dance, improvisation, The Feldenkrais Method® and early childhood movement at colleges, schools, and movement centers. Debra has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, and New York Foundation for the Arts. She has danced with numerous choreographers, including Aviva Geismar, was a founding member of Stephanie Skura and Company, as well as in Skura’s Two Huts and Surreptitious Preparations for an Impossible Total Act. Recently, Debra performed at A Galère of Poetic Autopsies at the Park Theater, with Teresa Smith at The Arts Society of Kingston, and in Choreography on The Edge, with Jack Magai. An audience member once said of Debra’s work, “I felt nauseous, sad, exhilarated, comforted, and impassioned. I believed everything you told me-even your lies.” Debra lives and works in Catskill, New York.
Debrawannerdance.comFeldenkraisinsights.com
Jack and Debra would like to thank Joan Finkelstein, Alan Kifferstein and The Wheelhouse Studio, Joe Lowery, Thomas McManus, Jimmy Garver, members of the Contemplative Dance Practice, and Louise Heit and the Becket Arts Center.
Kate Hamilton is a sculptor based in the mid-Hudson Valley. Her practice explores the architecture, experience and nature of garments. The scale of her work ranges from palm-sized to room-sized. Hamilton’s kinetic sculpture has been installed in museums, galleries and alternative spaces (including aloft at the Albany International Airport and underground in the Widow Jane Mine, Rosendale, NY). Her costumes, sets and sculptures have been installed in art performances, festivals, operas, and concerts in various places including New York, Berlin, Canada, and Zurich. Currently, her work is installed at The RE Institute, in Millerton NY.
@katehamilton42
Benjamin Gantcher is the author of The Coronation of the Ghost, Snow Farmer, and Strings of Math and Custom
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register and pay in person.
Music Brings Communities Together: Kilashandra
Kilashandra is a unique Celtic Jam Band located in the northeastern section of the United States. The band combines virtuoso musicianship with excellent vocals and heartfelt songs. Chris Gil on guitar, percussion and vocals. Tom Dolan on bass and bouzouki. Mark Emanatian on guitar and vocals, is also an accomplished songwriter. Amy Attias on violin and vocals.
The band released their first recording “From Ireland to Here” in 2023. Their second album “Echoes From A Hilltown” was recorded right on our stage!
Join us for an enjoyable evening of live music. To make the most of your experience, please keep the following in mind:
*New Location: The performance will be held at the North Becket Park on Maple Street (across from the Becket Washington Elementary School).
*Free & Open to the Public: Everyone is welcome! While the concert is free, donations are greatly appreciated to help support our programming.
*What to Bring: This is an outdoor event, so feel free to bring your own lawn chairs, blankets, picnics, and beverages to enjoy on the grounds.
*Rain or Shine: Don’t let the clouds keep you away! In the event of rain, we will move the performance indoors to ensure the music continues.
We look forward to seeing the community come together for a great night with Kilashandra!
This program is supported, in part, by the Cultural Councils of Becket, Blandford, Hinsdale-Peru, Lee, Middlefield, Otis, Washington, and Windsor, local agencies funded by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Members Show Opening Reception
The 2026 Annual Member Show showcases a diverse collection of original fine art—spanning painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media—created by Becket Arts Center members and artists of the Guild of Berkshire Artists.
Creative Modern Dance with Louise
Do you love to dance? Do you enjoy connecting with your body and your expressive self? Join us in this gently paced movement class that includes a warm up, simple phrases across the floor and fun and creative movement improvisations.
$15 per class ($5/$10 for Becket Arts Center Members). All ability levels are welcome! 18 and over.
Louise Heit is a choreographer, teaching artist and performer whose work has been seen throughout NYC. She holds a MA from Trinity Laban Conservatorie in London, a BFA from NYU and is a CMA (Certified Movement Analysis) from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute in NYC. This past winter, she received the Shula Strassfeld Memorial Scholarship from Liz Lerman’s organization, Dance Exchange and her third SuCasa grant from the Brooklyn Arts Council for her work with older adults. She is also a member of the improv group “Old Enough to Know Better”.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register and pay in person.
W.I.P. Wednesday
WIP Wednesdays: a creative space for artists of all kinds to gather with community, share works in progress and the process behind them.
Free and open to all.
A reading of Michael Hammond’s Uncle Vance ---
Uncle Vance is based on Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, but this time the action takes place at a country estate in today’s Berkshires, where the perpetually feuding family are trying to save their theatre company. Lively, full-blooded contemporary versions of Chekhov's characters go at one another with wit and passion until growing family tensions and the company's financial crisis force a showdown. The cast will include Rory Hammond, Paula Langton, Susannah Millonzi, Ken Cheeseman, Ryan Winkles, Jim Nutter, and Michael Hammond.
Plein Air in Becket
Plein Air in Becket
In collaboration with the Guild of Berkshire Artists
Join our Berkshire Plein Air group to paint, draw and photograph at an outside location in Becket. (Actual Location TBD)
Open to artists of all levels. Work till noon, then optionally join us for lunch (bring a lunch) and critique providing positive suggestions. Bring your oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, drawing, photography or digital painting equipment.
Third Wednesdays, once a month from 10am - 1pm with a break for lunch
$10 / Person - Free for Members of the Becket Arts Center & Members of the Guild of Berkshire Artists
Sign up by 6:30 pm the night before. Weather and regulations permitting
Summer Celebration of the Arts
This year's celebration promises to be a beautiful evening — including live music by Razztime, an open bar with wine, beer, and a signature cocktail and mocktail, and delicious food from the new Dream Away chef. More than the evening itself, it's a chance to gather with people who believe, as you do, that creativity and cultural life matter deeply in our community.
Tickets are $120 per person (includes food and drink).
Can’t join us? Please consider making a donation.
Creative Modern Dance with Louise
Do you love to dance? Do you enjoy connecting with your body and your expressive self? Join us in this gently paced movement class that includes a warm up, simple phrases across the floor and fun and creative movement improvisations.
$15 per class ($5/$10 for Becket Arts Center Members). All ability levels are welcome! 18 and over.
Louise Heit is a choreographer, teaching artist and performer whose work has been seen throughout NYC. She holds a MA from Trinity Laban Conservatorie in London, a BFA from NYU and is a CMA (Certified Movement Analysis) from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute in NYC. This past winter, she received the Shula Strassfeld Memorial Scholarship from Liz Lerman’s organization, Dance Exchange and her third SuCasa grant from the Brooklyn Arts Council for her work with older adults. She is also a member of the improv group “Old Enough to Know Better”.
B. U. Tanglewood Performance
We invite you to join us for this special evening of various performances by students of Boston University Tanglewood
I
nstitute.
Each summer, more than 400 students arrive at Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI) from across the country and around the world to study, perform, and grow in a setting that has inspired musicians for generations. After their summer(s) at BUTI, some appear with major orchestras and opera houses, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Others become chamber musicians, members of professional vocal ensembles, composers, conductors, educators, entrepreneurs, scholars, and advocates for the arts. Each carries forward the discipline, curiosity, and creativity that define the Tanglewood tradition.
While the concert is free, donations are greatly appreciated to help support our programming.
Registration is recommended, however walk-ins are welcome.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register and pay in person.
Music Brings Communities Together: Rounders Revival
Rounders Revival bring light-hearted and uplifting acoustic music steeped deeply in the folk-americana traditions of universal story telling and soulful harmonies. Comprised of Berkshire locals, Katie Herbst (rhythm guitar and vocals), Grahm Sturz (lead guitar and vocals), Dave Brown (mandolin and resonator guitar) and Matt Shomphe (bass), along with familiar rotating members who contribute to a spirit of community and comfort.
Instagram: @roundersrevival roundersrevival.com
Join us for an entertaining evening of live music. To make the most of your experience, please keep the following in mind:
*New Location: The performance will be held at the North Becket Park on Maple Street (across from the Becket Washington Elementary School).
*Free & Open to the Public: Everyone is welcome! While the concert is free, donations are greatly appreciated to help support our programming.
*What to Bring: This is an outdoor event, so feel free to bring your own lawn chairs, blankets, picnics, and beverages to enjoy on the grounds.
*Rain or Shine: Don’t let the clouds keep you away! In the event of rain, we will move the performance indoors to ensure the music continues.
We look forward to seeing the community come together for a great night with Rounders Revival!
This program is supported, in part, by the Cultural Councils of Becket, Blandford, Hinsdale-Peru, Lee, Middlefield, Otis, Washington, and Windsor, local agencies funded by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Contemporary Vanitas Opening Reception
Celebrate the 2026 Poster Winner Artist, Stephanie Blumenthal.
In this compelling solo exhibition, Blumenthal presents a modern, thought-provoking take on the traditional 17th-century Dutch Vanitas genre.
Meet the Artist and be among the first to view and purchase prints from this captivating collection. Enjoy light refreshments while connecting with local art enthusiasts.
Free and Open to the Public
Creative Modern Dance with Louise
Do you love to dance? Do you enjoy connecting with your body and your expressive self? Join us in this gently paced movement class that includes a warm up, simple phrases across the floor and fun and creative movement improvisations.
$15 per class ($5/$10 for Becket Arts Center Members). All ability levels are welcome! 18 and over.
Louise Heit is a choreographer, teaching artist and performer whose work has been seen throughout NYC. She holds a MA from Trinity Laban Conservatorie in London, a BFA from NYU and is a CMA (Certified Movement Analysis) from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute in NYC. This past winter, she received the Shula Strassfeld Memorial Scholarship from Liz Lerman’s organization, Dance Exchange and her third SuCasa grant from the Brooklyn Arts Council for her work with older adults. She is also a member of the improv group “Old Enough to Know Better”.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register and pay in person.
Sashiko Mending Workshop
Sashiko Mending Workshop
With Rachel Barclay
All Skill Levels Welcome
Materials Included
REGISTRATION IS CLOSED
Sashiko Visible Mending, Patches & Garment Decoration
This workshop will highlight the act of mending and garment embellishment with Sashiko Japanese Embroidery. With humble beginnings in rural Japan, Sashiko’s running stitch insulated work garments for warmth and longevity. Moving into contemporary times around the globe, the bold, geometric beauty of Sashiko continues to both strengthen and decorate fabrics. Sashiko’s Geometric Patterns and Motifs are inspired by nature, architecture, and culture. Students will learn how to patch and repair a rip or hole, reinforce a worn area, and prepare their distressed textile in order to draw a Sashiko pattern of their choice.
Participants will employ the “small stabs” Sashiko stitching technique to repair or embellish their project! People may choose to simply stitch a patch with denim provided.
Bring in a couple items from home to assess for mending or decorating. Areas to repair should be no larger than four inches. Denim looks amazing with Sashiko stitching. Medium-weight, woven fabrics work well; such as cotton or linen shirts, pants, skirts or dresses. Cotton and linen home goods are also fun to mend. Please no sweaters, knits, shiny, silky, nor stretchy fabrics. Denim with a bit of Spandex is fine.
All tools and materials provided. Sashiko needles, colorful threads, patches, and take home pattern instructions.
All skill levels welcome from novice to veteran hand stitchers! Please be sure to wear your good reading glasses. Bring your own water bottle, hot beverage, and snack or lunch to sustain you while stitching! We will take a break halfway through our workshop.
Workshop Fee……………….………...$80
Member Fee..….……………………….$70/$60 (Tiered Pricing)
Card to Culture Member Fee………….$40
Student Fee (9th - 12th Grade)* ….....$25
*Please Note: High School students under 16 must be accompanied by an adult
Rachel Barclay Bio:
Rachel Barclay studied Textiles, Installation Sculpture, Printmaking, and Elementary Education in San Francisco and Long Beach, California. Throughout her journey as a creator, educator, and parent, she has focused on making functional sewn and embellished garments, home goods, and mixed media textile objects.
Since studying Sashiko with Jessica Marquez of Miniature Rhino and Kazue Yoshikawa of Sashiko Lab, Rachel embraced the hand-work practice as an act of mindfulness, empowerment, beauty, and sustainability. Building on her background as an artist and educator,
Rachel shares her joy of hand-stitching with all who are curious. Her teaching travels have taken her to studios, workshops, and retreats throughout the Northeast. Rachel stitches, mends, sews, reads teen fiction, forages for natural dye materials, and takes day trips to nearby cities for coffee and culture.
She works from her studio in Hartford, Connecticut with her woodworking spouse, Michael Pekovich with their two adult offspring nearby. Follow her creative process on Instagram
@rachelharrietteb or peruse her website www.rachelharriette.com
Channeling Rachel Carson—a Nature Love Story for Our Time with Diane Edgecomb
This empowering one-woman show shines light on the many ways we can find our way home to the wonder of the natural world. From the true North of Rachel Carson’s life work and the remote beauty of the Maine cottage where she wrote Silent Spring to channeling powerful memories of our own key nature experiences, this performance brings to life The Sense of Wonder Rachel wrote about so movingly at the end of her life. The ability to Wonder is a sense that brings renewal and a gift from those that take us by the hand and bring us back to our love and delight in nature. Oracle-award winning author and storyteller Diane Edgecomb weaves a hauntingly beautiful tale of her own journey of poignancy, joy and light.
This evocative performance is complemented by an immersive post-show gathering where writing exercises and prompts lead to the sharing of tales and experiences in nature.
Rachel Carson was the founding spirit of the environmental movement. Her accessible nature writings transformed the understanding of a generation. The Edge of the Sea, The Sea Around Us, and Silent Spring - the book that challenged the entire petrochemical industry - placed her as the foremost nature writer of her time and as a true visionary.
Tickets: $25
Member Tiered Pricing: $20/$15
Card to Culture: $10
About Diane Edgecomb
Nature has been at the heart of Diane Edgecomb’s storytelling for over thirty years. From reinvigorating Winter Solstice myths to original Eco-Tales that entertain as they educate, her unique performances have toured the US and internationally winning 5-star reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe. Publisher’s Weekly said: “A storyteller in the grand tradition, Edgecomb is a virtuoso of the spoken word, an entire cast rolled into one.” Her newest performance Channeling Rachel Carson explores the many ways we can bring a renewed sense of wonder to our lives and to our advocacy for the nature we love.
About the post-show workshop:
Gather with Diane after the performance as she leads story-sharing and writing explorations of our own unique nature experiences. Based on evocative story prompts as well as thoughts and memories inspired by the performance, we’ll share our beginning tales in a warm and inclusive environment developing stories and new insights along the way.
Channeling Rachel Carson is an inclusive and inviting community building performance with a post-show gathering and workshop
Creative Modern Dance with Louise
Do you love to dance? Do you enjoy connecting with your body and your expressive self? Join us in this gently paced movement class that includes a warm up, simple phrases across the floor and fun and creative movement improvisations.
$15 per class ($5/$10 for Becket Arts Center Members). All ability levels are welcome! 18 and over.
Louise Heit is a choreographer, teaching artist and performer whose work has been seen throughout NYC. She holds a MA from Trinity Laban Conservatorie in London, a BFA from NYU and is a CMA (Certified Movement Analysis) from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute in NYC. This past winter, she received the Shula Strassfeld Memorial Scholarship from Liz Lerman’s organization, Dance Exchange and her third SuCasa grant from the Brooklyn Arts Council for her work with older adults. She is also a member of the improv group “Old Enough to Know Better”.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register and pay in person.
Music Brings Communities Together: The O-Tones
The O-Tones Power Trio
Mary Witt vocals & bass, Ben Kohn vocals & piano, John Cabán guitar & vocals.
The O-Tones, a 30-year Swing, Blues and Soul/Motown band, love playing for public and private events in all sizes and configurations. Having performed many weddings, parties, fundraisers and more around New England they love tailoring their set list to the client’s requests from their vast song list. Including hits from Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Gaye, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, BB King, The Temptations, Dinah Washington, Smokey Robinson, Etta James, Tony Bennett, The Supremes, Bonnie Raitt, Al Green, and many more, their music appeals to all ages.
Join us for a wonderful evening of live music. To make the most of your experience, please keep the following in mind:
*New Location: The performance will be held at the North Becket Park on Maple Street (across from the Becket Washington Elementary School).
*Free & Open to the Public: Everyone is welcome! While the concert is free, donations are greatly appreciated to help support our programming.
*What to Bring: This is an outdoor event, so feel free to bring your own lawn chairs, blankets, picnics, and beverages to enjoy on the grounds.
*Rain or Shine: Don’t let the clouds keep you away! In the event of rain, we will move the performance indoors to ensure the music continues.
We look forward to seeing the community come together for a great night with The O-Tones!
This program is supported, in part, by the Cultural Councils of Becket, Blandford, Hinsdale-Peru, Lee, Middlefield, Otis, Washington, and Windsor, local agencies funded by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Creative Modern Dance with Louise
Do you love to dance? Do you enjoy connecting with your body and your expressive self? Join us in this gently paced movement class that includes a warm up, simple phrases across the floor and fun and creative movement improvisations.
$15 per class ($5/$10 for Becket Arts Center Members). All ability levels are welcome! 18 and over.
Louise Heit is a choreographer, teaching artist and performer whose work has been seen throughout NYC. She holds a MA from Trinity Laban Conservatorie in London, a BFA from NYU and is a CMA (Certified Movement Analysis) from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute in NYC. This past winter, she received the Shula Strassfeld Memorial Scholarship from Liz Lerman’s organization, Dance Exchange and her third SuCasa grant from the Brooklyn Arts Council for her work with older adults. She is also a member of the improv group “Old Enough to Know Better”.
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register and pay in person.
Murals and Community by Ramiro Davaro-Comas of Super-Stories
This talk will focus on the Community Centered Mural Practice of Super-Stories while including a short history of American Muralism and how contemporary muralism got to where it is today.
Creative Modern Dance with Louise
Do you love to dance? Do you enjoy connecting with your body and your expressive self? Join us in this gently paced movement class that includes a warm up, simple phrases across the floor and fun and creative movement improvisations.
$15 per class ($5/$10 for Becket Arts Center Members). All ability levels are welcome! 18 and over.
Louise Heit is a choreographer, teaching artist and performer whose work has been seen throughout NYC. She holds a MA from Trinity Laban Conservatorie in London, a BFA from NYU and is a CMA (Certified Movement Analysis) from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute in NYC. This past winter, she received the Shula Strassfeld Memorial Scholarship from Liz Lerman’s organization, Dance Exchange and her third SuCasa grant from the Brooklyn Arts Council for her work with older adults. She is also a member of the improv group “Old Enough to Know Better”.
Fridays: July 17th - August 28th
Yoga With Rima Sala
Get ready to unwind, stretch, and strengthen your body in this all-levels yoga class. We'll move mindfully through a series of poses, connecting our breath to each movement. You'll build heat, increase flexibility, and improve your balance, all while finding a sense of calm and focus.
This class is perfect for both beginners and experienced yogis looking to deepen their practice. Modifications will be offered to ensure everyone feels comfortable and challenged. Leave feeling refreshed, centered, and ready to take on your week.
$15 Fee / Members: $5-$10. Register and pay in person.
W.I.P. Wednesday Musicians
WIP Wednesdays: a creative space for artists of all kinds to gather with community, share works in progress and the process behind them. Fill out the form below to be considered for our Work In Progress Wednesday event featuring musicians.
Free and open to all.