This Sunday,  The Clark will open its new Stone Hill center.  The famous art museum in Williamstown, Massachusetts has a spectacular collection, and is set on 140 acres of beautiful Berkshires scenery.  The new center was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect, Tadao Ando.  In his honor, the community open house on Sunday will offer a barbecue, picnic, and Japanese drumming.  The Clark has always been a favorite destination for Brook Farm Inn visitors, and it’s an easy ride from Lenox.

Ventfort Hall, in Lenox Massachusetts, is one of the Berkshires’ gems.  It’s a mansion and Gilded Age Museum.  Guests can enjoy, in addition to tours and exhibits, lectures and picnics on the porch, and special events.  This weekend we recommend the play, “They Called Me Lizzy…from Slavery to the White House.” See it Friday and Saturday, June 13 and 14. It’s the true life story of ELizabeth Keckly and her rise from slavery to entrepreneurial freedom, then scandal and decline.  She was dressmaker & confidante of Mary Todd Lincoln.  You can walk to Ventfort Hall from Brook Farm Inn!

“Art insiders, the inn crowd, and even the outsider art in-crowd (you following this?) gathered on Saturday night at the fabulous barn at Stonover Farm for an opening of paintings by Curtis Ripley, pottery by Luna Garcia, and still-life photography by Dede Reed.  This is a quotation from Rural Intelligence, a great new website that covers events and attractions in the Berkshires, plus Columbia, Dutchess, and Litchfield Counties. We met Marilyn Bethany, co-editor, at the Stonover event, and you can see our photo –that is Linda and Phil, owners of Brook Farm Inn, Lenox MA — in Marilyn’s article. Here’s a link, so take a look!  http://www.ruralintelligence.com/index.php/parties_section/parties_articles_parties/

Starting tonight, and through June 8, guests of Brook Farm Inn in Lenox, Massachusetts have the opportunity to see “I Am My Own Wife” at Barrington Stage Co. in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.  Vince Gatton is the incredibly talented actor whom we saw last year in “Fully Committed.” In that one-man show, he played more than 30 characters.  In this new play, he’s back with another 3 dozen characters. Barrington Stage has been getting rave reviews for several seasons, and this performance promises to live up to their reputation.

Brook Farm Inn is a short distance from Steepletop, in Austerlitz, NY.  Edna St. Vincent Millay lived there, and the home is still as it was in her day.  The Society sponsors artists-in-residence, and is restoring her gardens, and hopes to make the home into a museum for visitors.  Part of the grounds are available for visitors to walk, although most of the property is usually closed to the public.  However  this Saturday, May 17th, is the first of two Open Days, from 10-4.  In addition to the gardens, Millay’s writing cabin will be open. It should be a great day.  And a great book about the poet is Savage Beauty by Nancy Milford

On Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend, there will be an Art Walk in Lenox, Massachusetts. Our many galleries will be exhibiting and having receptions.  One you won’t want to miss is DeVries Fine Art.  Andrew DeVries is a wonderful sculptor, and his reception is from 1:00-4:00 on May 24th.  We at Brook Farm Inn plan to attend!

Here in the Berkshires, visitors have so many opportunities to enjoy musical performances. And one of the ways to enhance your enjoyment of the performances, is to attend Dr. Jeremy Yudkin’s Summer Music Seminars.
Jeremy is Professor of Music at Boston and Oxford Universities, and is a captivating lecturer. He’ll make the Tanglewood concerts come alive as never before for you. We’ve attended his lectures and can recommend them firsthand. The Tanglewood lecture series starts June 28th and goes through the summer at the Lenox Library, but you can sign up now. In addition, Jeremy will be doing a lecture on June 14th entitled “The Best Bits: Beethoven’s Genius in a Few Measures.” Phone us at 800-285-7638 for more information on that one.