Press Releases

Spencertown Academy Arts Center is pleased to announce the winners of its first-ever Teens’ Short Story Contest, selected by judge Lauren Oliver, a New York Times bestselling young adult novelist. The contest was open to Berkshire and Columbia County teenaged writers in grades 9 through 12. The top three winners received cash prizes ($100, $75, and $50 respectively) and were invited to read their stories at the 10th annual Festival of Books over Labor Day weekend.

Spencertown Academy Arts Center presents 
“Spaces and Moments: Images by Marcia Powdermaker and B. Docktor,” a photography exhibition by the winners of last year’s Spencertown Academy juried regional art exhibition, which was judged by Peter Jung of Hudson’s Peter Jung Fine Arts Gallery and Bill Thompson and Marie-Claude Giroux of Chatham’s Thompson Giroux Gallery. On Saturday, September 26, there will be a festive opening reception from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and the show will remain on display through October 18. Gallery hours are Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m, or by appointment. Admission is free and the artworks are for sale.

Spencertown Academy Arts Center’s 11th annual Hidden Gardens Tour, an annual gateway to summer in Columbia County, is scheduled for Saturday, June 20. It includes an array of events designed to inform, inspire, and intrigue garden enthusiasts. The theme of this year’s Hidden Gardens Tour is “Artful Landscapes: Ornamental and Edible Gardens.” Author Ellen Ecker Ogden will give a morning lecture about edible gardens. Shoppers can pick up items at the Garden Market on The Green and snack on food provided by the Black Forest Flammkuchen Food Truck. The “Concrete & Clay: Works Inspired by the Garden” art exhibition will be on display at the Academy and the Twilight in the Garden Cocktail Party will take place at an historic private home. Vivian Wachsberger and Academy Board member Madaline Sparks are co-chairs of Hidden Gardens; proceeds benefit the Academy and its arts-in-education programs in local schools.

Spencertown Academy Arts Center will present a free writers’ workshop for high school students on Saturday, May 30 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The theme of the three-hour workshop will be “Crafting the Short Story.”

Spencertown Academy Arts Center will present
 “Concrete & Clay: Works Inspired by the Garden,” a group exhibition featuring seven regional ceramicists and one concrete fabricator. The artists include Corinne Alexander, Sue Browdy, Kay Castelle, Mary Anne Davis, Marybeth Ketz, Justin Madsen, Lauren Mundy, and Jacqueline Wilder. On Saturday, May 30, there will be a festive opening reception from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and the show will remain on display through June 21. Gallery hours are Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free and the artworks are for sale for prices ranging from $10 to $3,500.

Spencertown Academy Arts Center announces its first-ever Teen Short Story Contest. The contest is open to Berkshire and Columbia County teenaged writers in grades 9 through 12. Contest judges include book editors, authors, and other publishing professionals. The top three winners will receive cash prizes ($100, $75, and $50 respectively) and be invited to read their stories at the Academy’s annual Festival of Books over Labor Day weekend.