Archives

From our archived column, “Not Your Grandparents’ Shtetl: Exploring Jewish Culture in Western MA,” Amy Meltzer shares different symbols and rituals of Rosh Hashanah…

Category: Amy Meltzer, Food, Holidays Tags: Cultural Studies, Jewish Holiday, Jewish New Year, Nutritional Anthrology, Rosh Hashanah

Lunar New Year Brings Opportunities for Cultural Studies

Ringing in the Year of the Earth Pig! Chinese New Year (also referred to as the Lunar New Year and Spring Festival) takes place this year on February 5, 2019. By exploring art, food, music, and traditions, families can gain background knowledge to support participation in regional celebrations of the lunar holiday. Getting curious about the associated zodiac can lead you to discover the mythology behind the calendar while learning how other… Read More

Category: Cultural Events, Food, Hilltown Families, Holidays Tags: Chinese New Year, Cultural Studies, Lunar New Year, nutritional anthropology, Spring Festival

Norman Rockwell’s Civil Rights Era Works on Google Cultural Institute

In celebration of Black History Month, Norman Rockwell Museum has partnered with Google to share artworks and artifacts from its permanent collection, that illustrate Norman Rockwell’s dedication to civil rights.

Category: Art, art history, Berkshire County, Hilltown Families Tags: Art History, Art Studies, Cultural Studies, google cultural institute, museum education, on-line learning, web based learning, web based resource

Google Cultural Institute: A Portal to the Cultural Treasures of the World

Web-based learning just became more fascinating thanks to Google Cultural Institute! Providing in-depth looks at art, culture, architecture, history, etc. from all over the world, Google Cultural Institute provides endless educational opportunities and extensive information on each topic it covers. Explore the institute to see what fascinating cultural gems you can find! — Remember to mark your calendars and get ready to support Hilltown Families on Valley Gives Day: December 10th!

Category: Art, Hilltown Families Tags: Cultural Studies, google cultural institute, museum education, on-line learning, web based learning, web based resource

Culture in a Box Broadens World View and Promotes Diversity

Help children learn about world cultures by participating in a culture box swap! Sort of like a collection-sending version of an international pen-pal relationship, culture box swaps allow families all around the world to learn about each others’ lives and to teach about their own. While exploring the specifics of another culture can lead to valuable learning, curating a collection of items to represent your own culture can lead to discoveries about local culture that are just as important.

Category: Hilltown Families, Suggested Activity Tags: Cultural Studies, Culture Box Exchange, Culture Box Swap, Diversity

Museums Trace Jewish Community’s Rise “From Shtetl to Suburb”

The story of the Jewish community in the Pioneer Valley is detailed in a new exhibit at the Springfield Museums titled “One Hundred Years of Jewish Life in the Valley: From Shtetl to Suburb,” opening today! Through a combination of artifacts, photos, film, and personal histories, the exhibit documents the growth of the Jewish community in both size and influence from the early 20th century to the present day…

Category: Art, Hampden County, History, Springfield, Springfield Museum Tags: American History, Cultural Studies, Diversity, Exhibit, History, Immigration, Jewish History

Contemporary Islamic Art & Events in the Berkshires

Beginning next week, “Islam Contemporary”, a contemporary exhibit of Islamic art, opens in Pittsfield. This exhibit is just one of several featured events in the Berkshires that celebrate Islamic art and culture in August. Over the course of the month, there will be a community Eid celebration, a documentary screening and talkback with the directors, and a concert of classical Middle Eastern music. Great events to supplement Middle Eastern, Art & Women’s studies…

Category: Art, Berkshire County, Cultural Events, Hilltown Families Tags: Arab, Arab Countries, Art, Berkshires, Contemporary Islamic Art, Cultural Studies, Eid, Eid-ul-Fitr, Islamic Art, Jorban, Lebanon, Middle Eastern, Middle Eastern Music, Morocco, Pakistani, Palestine, Pittsfield, Ramadan, The Other Half of Tomorrow, Whitney Center for the Arts, Women's Studies

Stockbridge Library Features Lecture on Outsider Art: Prison Art in America

Cellblock Visions: Prison Art in America Art & Cultural Studies at the Stockbridge Library Friday, January 25th The Stockbridge Library is offering the community a unique opportunity to learn about a topic not often discussed – the artwork of prison inmates. Art teacher Phyllis Kornfeld, author of Cellblock Visions: Prison Art in America, will share a slideshow presentation of artwork created by inmates. This presentation will be paired with a discussion of… Read More

Category: Art, Berkshire County, Suggested Activity Tags: American Art, Art, Art Studies, Berkshire County, Criminal Justice, Cultural Studies, Massachusetts, outsider art, Prison Art, Prison Culture, Stockbridge Library, western massachusetts

Two Western MA Exhibits Explore Native American Art & Culture

Native American Heritage Month Celebrated Across Western MA Fall is often a time when students learn about the history of America and the American Revolution – topics that lend themselves to studies of Native American history and culture, as well. Students’ learning about Native American ways of life during Native American Heritage Month can be supplemented by a visit to a gallery show of Native American artwork – either at Westfield State… Read More

Category: Berkshire County, Berkshire Museum, Suggested Activity Tags: Arno Maris Gallery, Berkshire County, Berkshire Museum, Chief Konkapot Festival of Native American culture, Cultural Studies, Joseph Firecrow, Native American, Native American Heritage Month, Rethink! Native American Art, Westfield State University

Cultural Studies: Christian Folk Art from India at UMass

Christian Folk Art from India Dec. 12th-16th, 2011 Augusta Savage Gallery at UMass The Augusta Savage Gallery at the University of Massachusetts’ Fine Arts Center will be hosting a show of Christian Folk Art from India opening with a reception on Monday, December 12th from 5-7pm and running through December 16th. Each piece in the collection is a painted cloth scroll depicting a Christian story or concept- the scrolls were used by… Read More