Page 14 - BusinessWest October 31, 2022

Rockwell said the one he owned in Stockbridge was his “best studio yet.” The museum has turned back the clock to an earlier, active period in his career: October 1960, when he was hard at work on his painting, “Golden Rule,” which would later appear on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post.
Another popular cultural destination is Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which straddles the Stock- bridge-Lenox line. The summer 2023 season fea- tured offerings ranging from Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band to a Boston Symphony Orchestra concert with BSO Music Director Andris Nel- sons leading a program of Bernstein’s “Opening Prayer,” Bernstein’s “Symphony No. 2 the Age of Anxiety,” and Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring.”
Among the museums and shops downtown
is the historical Children’s Chimes Tower, which recently underwent some renovations. The bell tower was built on the site of the original church in Stockbridge, which stood there from 1739 until 1785. The church was established by John Ser- geant, a missionary who moved to Stockbridge to convert the Mahican people, a local indig- enous tribe, to Christianity. He served there until his death in 1749 and was replaced by Jonathan Edwards, the former Northampton pastor and prominent theologian who helped influence the First Great Awakening. Edwards remained in Stockbridge until 1758.
The Children’s Chimes bell tower in front of the current church was built in 1878 by David Dudley Field II in honor of his grandchildren, with the intention that “it will be a memorial of those who are enshrined in my heart, while the ringing of the chimes at sunset I trust will give pleasure to all whose good fortune is to live in this
peaceful valley.” Today, almost 140 years later, it is still rung, according to his wishes, every evening between Memorial Day and Labor Day at 5:30 p.m.
Culture and Community
The creative economy keeps Stockbridge running. Whether it is the local muse- ums, shops, restaurants, or shows at the Unicorn Theatre and the Playhouse, there are plenty of ways to experience culture.
“Doing Holiday Memo-
ries that winter of 2020 was
a remarkable experience. I
mean, the first few moments
of all of those shows that we
did, I would watch the audi-
ence drop their heads and lift
them, and you could see tears
coming down their eyes,”
Maguire recalled. “They were
not only together again, even
though the audience mem-
bers were all socially distanced, but they were reminded of what it means to be human again — because that’s what we do in a theater, right? So the culturals in the Berkshires are the driving force of the economy here.”
If someone sees a show, she explained, they will likely have a bite to eat at a local restau-
rant. Meanwhile, programs run by BTG bring in school-aged children who may later work in the box offices or house management, or take a sum- mer job with the theater group. Annually, BTG
hires about 700 people.
The group also makes almost 2,000 tickets
available to community members who wouldn’t otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford coming to the theater. Sensory-friendly performances are also an option, Maguire said, “so for those mem- bers of our community that may have autism or
“
shows that we did, I would watch the audience drop their heads and lift them, and you could see tears coming down their eyes. They were not only
The first few moments of all of those
KATE MAGUIRE
together again, even though the audience members were all socially distanced, but they were reminded of what it means to be human again.”
may not be able to be in a room with loud noise, we make sure that one of our performances is specifically dedicated to making everyone feel comfortable at the theater.”
The arts and culture sector has always been
a driving force in Stockbridge, and its resilience during — and recovery from — the pandemic has certainly been a performance worth hailing. u
Kailey Houle can be reached at [email protected]
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14 OCTOBER 31, 2022
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