Notice Otis Series

if you missed an event please look to view the recording under previous events.

Upcoming Events -

Thursday, November 21, 2024 at 7:00 PM
The Sirens Musical Trio

Live Performance at Otis Town Hall

The Otis Historical Commission and Otis Preservation Trust (OPT) will host the second Notice Otis cultural event of the 2024-25 year, featuring The Sirens musical trio, performing live in person. A question and answer session will follow the performance. Admission is free but pre-registration is required.

The Sirens are three powerhouse women of song: legendary performer Wanda Houston, talented guitarist and solo artist Elizabeth Berliner, and gifted singer/songwriter and comedienne Liv Cummins. These magical muses combine to seduce audiences with gorgeous voices and enticing harmonies with catchy melodies and clever, heartfelt lyrics of Sandy McKnight's original pop songs, with a little folk, rock, jazzy blues, bluesy jazz and country thrown in the mix.

Western Mass Hilltown Hikers, Inc. provides monthly free group guided hiking tours of various locations in Western Massachusetts. The organization offers detailed maps so that visitors may explore the Hilltowns and experience the natural beauty of the mountains, forests, fields and waterbodies of Western Massachusetts.

The event is IN PERSON at 7:00 PM on Thursday, November 21, 2024. register to attend this IN PERSON ONLY event below! There is no charge to attend this event but pre-registration is required. Donations are welcome.

Previous Events -

Thursday, October 17, 2024 at 7:00 PM
Western Mass Hilltown Hikers

Presented by Elizabeth Massa, Director of Parks and Trails, Town of Chester

The Otis Historical Commission and Otis Preservation Trust (OPT) will host the first Notice Otis cultural event of the 2024-25 year, featuring Elizabeth Massa speaking on "Western Mass Hilltown Hikers". A question and answer session will follow the talk. Admission is free but pre-registration is required.

The Hilltowns of Western Massachusetts are an outdoor museum of history. Many state forests and conserved properties contain relics of early colonial settlements, as well as factories, dams and transportation including the first state coach turnpikes and the Western Railroad.

Western Mass Hilltown Hikers, Inc. provides monthly free group guided hiking tours of various locations in Western Massachusetts. The organization offers detailed maps so that visitors may explore the Hilltowns and experience the natural beauty of the mountains, forests, fields and waterbodies of Western Massachusetts.

If you missed this event, you haven't missed out – a recording of the event is posted on the Otis Preservation Trust website at https://optin.today/oct17

Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 7:00 PM
Berkshire County's Industrial Heritage

Presented by author John Dickson

The Otis Historical Commission and Otis Preservation Trust (OPT) presented author John Dickson speaking on "Berkshire County's Industrial Heritage". The event was hosted at Otis Town Hall, Otis, MA.

Wednesday, April 17th, 2024 at 7:00 PM
THE ABC'S OF THE CPA

Join in and learn

What the Community Preservation Act can do for Otis.

How it can help seniors, juniors, and everyone in between.

Why Becket has been a member since 2008.

How it has helped the town of Leverett.

Why 196 towns and cities in Massachusetts are happy.

Presenters from neighboring towns.

Why now – why not now?

OPT does not endorse nor oppose Otis adopting the CPA. The Otis Preservation Trust has graciously offered to host this Zoom meetup as public service to the Community.

If you missed this event, you haven't missed out – a recording of the event is posted on the Otis Preservation Trust website at https://optin.today/april17

Thursday, March 21st at 7:00 PM
Slaying the Dragons: The Liberation of Sue Moody Presented by author Gail Gelburd

If you missed this event, you haven't missed out – a recording of the event is posted on the Otis Preservation Trust website at https://optin.today/march21

Thursday February 15, 2024 at 7:00 PM
What is Happening at Gould Farm: The Roadside Café and More

Gould Farm, established in 1913, is first residential community in the nation devoted to helping adults surmount mental health challenges and progress toward recovery, wellness, and greater independence through a combination of community living, meaningful work, and clinical support. The guests of Gould Farm enjoy the safety and security of a warm and welcoming family-like community that is composed of staff, families, volunteers, and fellow guests. All members are not only accepted, but they are also deeply respected and celebrated for their unique individuality.

Gould Farm's Roadside Store and Cafe has been a fixture of Monterey, Massachusetts since 1978. Over the years, we have been featured in magazines such as Bon Apetit, the New York Times, Esquire, and Edible Berkshires. People come for the pancakes and stay for the warm atmosphere.

For over four decades, they served up farm fresh food for the community and provided a healing work environment for people with mental health challenges. At 100 years old, the former structure that used to house Roadside was no longer meeting the needs of our guests. After several months of careful planning and thanks to the generosity of many donors, the brand new and improved Roadside Store and Cafe is on track to reopen in 2024.

If you missed this event, you haven't missed out – a recording of the event is posted on the Otis Preservation Trust website at https://optin.today/feb15

November 9th, 2023 Dragoon, Musketeer, Prisoner: The Hessians of the Revolutionary War in Western Massachusetts?

Folklore holds that the Hessians soldiers of the Revolutionary War period were blood thirsty mercenaries purchased by King George the Third to fight in the rebellious colonies. They are often associated in our mind's eye with the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow fame. But is that a truthful depiction of these citizens of the German States? Even though there were no battles during the American Revolution in Western Massachusetts, there were, in fact, Hessians here. Hear how these men got to our area, why they we here, who they really were, and in the end, why some staid.

Dennis D. Picard has been a museum professional in the living history field for over forty years. He began his career in 1978 at Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, Massachusetts and served on the staff of Hancock Shaker Village. Picard is the recipient of various grants for research and implementation of programs and events at several historic sites and museums. He has authored many articles on the lifestyles and folkways of New England. Picard has taught at Westfield State University in Massachusetts as well as served as a member and president of the Board of Directors of the Pioneer Valley History Network. He serves as a member of the editorial board of the Country School Journal and grants committee of the Country School Association of America. He recently retired after 27 years at Storrowton Village Museum, West Springfield, Massachusetts.

The Otis Preservation Trust (OPT) works with the Historical Commission to organize and preserve the history and heritage of Otis, MA for future generations by supporting efforts to preserve, restore, repurpose and educate about buildings, monuments, lands and memorabilia of Otis. OPT is a not-for-profit (501c3) organization operated for fundraising and educational purposes. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Otis Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, an agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

If you missed this event, you haven't missed out – a recording of the event is posted on the Otis Preservation Trust website at https://optin.today/nov9

July 29th, 2023 | Rain Date: July 30th, 2023
Free Puppet Show

The Otis Historical Commission and Otis Preservation Trust (OPT) are hosting the fourth Notice Otis Series cultural event of the 2022-23 season featuring the Robbins-Zust Family Marionettes Company on Saturday, July 29th (rain date Sunday, July 30th), from 11 AM to 1 PM, Otis Town Hall Green, One North Main Road, Otis, MA 01253. [See photo inset]. Two shows will be performed: "Three Little Pigs" and "Rumpelstiltskin" with a one hour break at 12 noon. Picnics, blankets and lawn chairs are welcome. Ice cream will be available. Founded in 1971 by Genie Zust and her late husband, Richard Robbins, the Robbins-Zust Family Marionettes after the couple moved to the Berkshires from New York City. The family has used wooden and plaster puppets to bring fairy tales to life for local children. Their son Dion remains the only family member to stay with the business.

"[Puppetry] is like an exercise. Some people go canoeing or play a sport; we just happen to practice the art of puppetry. It's the same thing. The art of puppetry is an exercise of life."

Many of the family's 100 puppets, which vary in size from a foot to 2-feet in height, are handmade. The marionette bodies were whittled from wood by Richard Robbins over the years -- a skill he learned from a book checked out from the Berkshire Athenaeum. The heads were cast in plaster molds by Robbins and Zust, who also made their clothing and wrote the scripts.

"I just turned 50 and it's taken me my whole life to understand why my parents started this company. Perhaps I understand because I have a son. They did it for us -- their children. That's why I keep doing it."

The Otis Preservation Trust (OPT) works with the Historical Commission to organize and preserve the history and heritage of Otis, MA for future generations by supporting efforts to preserve, restore, repurpose and educate about buildings, monuments, lands and memorabilia of Otis. OPT is a not-for-profit (501c3) organization operated for fundraising and educational purposes. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Otis Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, an agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The event was in-person at the Otis Town Hall Green, One North Main Road, Otis, MA, 01253.

April 20, 2023 "Symphony of Courage" a short documentary film and lecture

"Symphony of Courage" a short documentary film and lecture details the relocation journey of Afghan music students to Portugal where they continue their studies. Lecture by Otis resident Lesley Rosenthal and Berkshires resident Jessica Lustig.

March 8, 2023 Carol Diehl discussing her book Banksy: Completed

Banksy is the world's most famous living artist, yet no one knows who he is. For more than twenty years, his wryly political and darkly humorous spray paintings have appeared mysteriously on urban walls around the globe, generating headlines and controversy. Art critics disdain him, but the public (and the art market) love him. With this generously illustrated book, artist and critic Carol Diehl is the first author to probe the depths of the Banksy mystery. Through her exploration of his paintings, installations, writings, and Academy Award-nominated film, Exit through the Gift Shop, Diehl proves unequivocally that there's more to Banksy than the painting on the wall.

Seeing Banksy as the ultimate provocateur, Diehl investigates the dramas that unfold after his works are discovered, with all of their social, economic, and political implications. She reveals how this trickster rattles the system, whether during his month-long 2013 self-styled New York "residency" or his notorious Dismaland of 2015, a full-scale dystopian "family theme park unsuitable for children" dedicated to the failure of capitalism—as well as his biggest yet least-known project, an artwork you can stay in, his "Walled Off Hotel' in the West Bank's Bethlehem. Banksy's work, Diehl shows, is a synthesis of conceptual art, social commentary, and political protest, played out not in museums but where it can have the most effect--on the street, in the real world. The questions Banksy raises about the uses of public and private property, the role of the global corporatocracy, the never-ending wars, and the gap between artworks as luxury goods and as vehicles of social expression, have never been more relevant. A resident of the Berkshires, artist and critic Carol Diehl, has been a longtime Contributing Editor to Art in America, as well as a former slam poet at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. She has exhibited her paintings at, among others, the Sidney Janis Gallery, Hirschl & Adler Gallery, Gary Snyder Fine Art, and the Queens Museum (all in NYC), the Aldrich Museum (Connecticut), and the Berkshire Museum. Teaching both painting and writing, she has served on the faculties of Bennington College and the Graduate Fine Arts Program of the School of Visual Arts, and for 25 years, was art consultant for TIME Magazine, commissioning fine artists—from Christo and Jeanne-Claude to Shepard Fairey—for their covers. The Otis Preservation Trust (OPT) works with the Historical Commission to organize and preserve the history and heritage of Otis, MA for future generations by supporting efforts to preserve, restore, repurpose and educate about buildings, monuments, lands and memorabilia of Otis. OPT is a not-for-profit (501c3) organization operated for fundraising and educational purposes. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Otis Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, an agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The event is in-person at the Town of Otis Library, 48 North Main Road, Otis, MA, 01253 at 7PM - 8PM.

November 3rd, 2022 Author John Hanson: Reading the Gravestones of Old New England

If you missed this talk, you haven't missed out – a recording of the event is posted on the Otis Preservation Trust website at https://optin.today/nov3

July 30th, 2022 The Robbins-Zust Family Marionette Company

July 9th, 2022 Antiques Road Show

May 19th, 2022 Pops Peterson presenting The Making of a Protest Artist

If you missed this talk, you haven't missed out – a recording of the event is posted on the Otis Preservation Trust website at https://optin.today/may19

The Otis Historical Commission and Otis Preservation Trust (OPT) are hosting the fourth Notice Otis Series cultural event of the 2021-22 season on Thursday, May 19th at 7 PM. The evening features renowned artist-activist Pops Peterson presenting The Making of a Protest Artist, a survey of protest art through history and the modern day, including his own celebrated works on civil rights and women's rights movements. [See photo insets]. The event is in person at Otis Town Hall.

Peterson thanks his mother for bringing him to his first demonstration, a picket line in support of the non-violent civil rights protests in North Carolina that became known as the Greensboro sit-ins. The Berkshire-based artist says he feels like he was "drafted" into the civil rights community in his recent years, due to his diverse and inclusive updates to the iconic works of Norman Rockwell. "I am here to inspire people and to hopefully fight against racism and bigotry that's coming back in such a terrifying way," Peterson has said. "I lived this story, I didn't have to learn it. My family was involved with local NAACP meetings and demonstrations like the March on Washington. You had to do it, you felt like your life was at stake."

One of Peterson's most recent works of protest art, titled, I'm With Her, a mural in Pittsfield, MA, has been heralded as an important cultural event. It features more than 40 models from Berkshire County — mostly women — who symbolize the worldwide women-led protests, most notably the 2017 Women's March in Washington, D.C. Peterson called it the "ultimate testament to his craft" when dozens of local people responded to the on-line notice put out for volunteers to pose in his digital photos, later edited for a canvas.

Peterson may be best known for his award-winning series Reinventing Rockwell which is permanently featured on the Norman Rockwell Museum website. Peterson's Rockwell Revisited (2020-2021) was extended to be the longest running solo exhibition in the history of the Norman Rockwell Museum. The artist's work has received much acclaim in reviews by The New York Times, Boston Globe, CBS, NPR and ABC networks.

As a public speaker on arts and civil rights, Pops was recently featured in the New Pathways Social Justice Conference: Scholarship & Arts in Action, with Angela Davis, as well as a webinar for The New School, an SRO live appearance at The Monterey Public Library, and The Foundry. He is most proud of presenting Portraits in Freedom, a survey of artist activists through the decades, in the public schools of Pittsfield, MA, Hartford, CT, and New Haven, CT., bringing young people important histories of civil rights heroes who have worked and fought to create the free world they enjoy today. The Otis Historical Commission of the Town of Otis, MA is dedicated to the preservation of historic buildings, landmarks, trails, cemeteries and native burial grounds, to protect and educate about these historic assets. The Otis Preservation Trust (OPT) works with the Historical Commission to organize and preserve the history and heritage of Otis, MA for future generations by supporting efforts to preserve, restore, repurpose and educate about buildings, monuments, lands and memorabilia of Otis. OPT is a not-for-profit (501c3) organization operated for fundraising and educational purposes. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Otis Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, an agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Febuary 10th, 2022 Heather Bruegl of The Forge Project Presentation

If you missed this talk, you haven't missed out – a recording of the event is posted on the Otis Preservation Trust website at https://optin.today/feb10

The Otis Historical Commission and Otis Preservation Trust (OPT) are hosting the third Notice Otis Series cultural event of the 2021-22 season on Thursday, February 10th at 7 PM via zoom. Director of the Forge Project, Heather Bruegl will speak on Native American History in Berkshire County. [See photo inset]. Please join us via zoom to hear, see and learn about the indigenous people of our area.
The Forge Project is an Indigenous-led organization focusing on those in Indigenous communities who work for land justice, climate activism and cultural awareness. Bruegl's work supports "artists and activists by creating a fellowship where they can work in their communities to continue doing good across Indian Country." A historian, Bruegl speaks about events focusing primarily on Native American History. Some of her lecture topics have included: The Power of Native Women; A History of Native American Reservations; The French and Indian War.

"As a citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, I find Native American History extremely important and under-taught. I am currently working on researching and writing a book."

The Otis Historical Commission of the Town of Otis, MA is dedicated to the preservation of historic buildings, landmarks, trails, cemeteries and native burial grounds, to protect and educate about these historic assets. The Otis Preservation Trust (OPT) works with the Historical Commission to organize and preserve the history and heritage of Otis, MA for future generations by supporting efforts to preserve, restore, repurpose and educate about buildings, monuments, lands and memorabilia of Otis. OPT is a not-for-profit (501c3) organization operated for fundraising and educational purposes.

December 9, 2021 Sculptor Robin Tost Presentation

If you missed this talk, you haven't missed out – a recording of the event is posted on the Otis Preservation Trust website at https://optin.today/dec9

The Otis Historical Commission and Otis Preservation Trust (OPT) are hosting the second Notice Otis Series cultural event of the 2021-22 season on Thursday, December 9th at 7 PM via zoom. Sculptor Robin Tost of New Marlborough will be speaking on her body of work [See photo insets]. Please join us via zoom to hear, see and learn about our talented and artistic neighbor. Robin Tost grew up in White Bear Lake, MN.

After graduating from Sarah Lawrence College she moved to New York City where she worked for Bil and Cora Baird's Marionette Company, raised two children and showed her wire sculptures and life-sized fabric mache people. In 1985 she moved to the Berkshires in Western MA where she has a barn in which to work and store all the "inventory" she collects from roadsides, the transfer station and a variety of local scrap yards. She is a firm believer in recycling in its many forms.
"For as long as I can remember I have been drawn to bits of trash. My satisfaction in the variety of colors on discarded things (new, faded or scratched away), the found pieces of metal (bright, bent or rust eaten) and the shapes of broken manufactured bits (sinuous, circular or geometric) is only surpassed by the joy of combining all of these various treasures into something unexpected."

The Otis Historical Commission of the Town of Otis, MA is dedicated to the preservation of historic buildings, landmarks, trails, cemeteries and native burial grounds, to protect and educate about these historic assets. The Otis Preservation Trust (OPT) works with the Historical Commission to organize and preserve the history and heritage of Otis, MA for future generations by supporting efforts to preserve, restore, repurpose and educate about buildings, monuments, lands and memorabilia of Otis. OPT is a not-for-profit (501c3) organization operated for fundraising and educational purposes.

October 28, 2021 Virtual Ghosts in Otis

If you missed this talk, you haven't missed out – a recording of the event is posted on the Otis Preservation Trust website at https://optin.today/oct28

Ghosts and haunted buildings have always filled us with intrigue. Who are they, why are they still in a specific place and what is their story? Otis has its share of places that are supposedly haunted. Robert Oakes has done a lot of research on this topic and is coming to Otis via the spirits, well actually via Zoom on Thursday October 28 at 7PM. He has spoken in several places in the county about this topic, and has written a book entitled Ghosts of the Berkshires. He will share some of the chilling tales that are a part of the Berkshire hills.

He writes that, "From the early days of Revolutionary fervor and industrial enterprise to today's tourism, many chilling stories remain. A lost girl still haunts a cemetery in Washington and mysterious spirits still perform at Tanglewood. From the ghostly halls of the Houghton Mansion to the eerie events at the Hoosac Tunnel, residents and visitors alike have felt fear and awe in these hills, telling tales of shadow figures, disembodied voices and spectral trains." Robert Oakes has shared his expertise on Syfy's Ghost Hunters, and Jeff Belanger's New England Legends on PBS.

May 13, 2021 Keeping Faith: Houses of Worship & Historic Preservation

If you missed this talk, you haven't missed out – a recording of the event is posted on the Otis Preservation Trust website at https://optin.today/may13

Noted Historian/curator William Hosley will show magnificent images of spiritual architecture, and share how they have been preserved and transformed. The history of St. Paul's in Otis MA will then be shared and put into context. The drive to preserve and repurpose this local iconic structure will be unveiled.

April 17, 2021 Knox Trail Hike with Tom Ragusa

Otis historian Thomas Ragusa on Saturday April 17 led a journey back to the 18th century, as he traced the footsteps of a 1764 patriot surveyor Nathaniel Austin of Sheffield.

The historic Knox Trail was originally an ancient Native American trading path that extended from the Hudson River Valley through the Berkshires. It is best known as a military road that played a crucial role in the Revolutionary War (1775-76). Earlier this year the Trail was submitted for consideration for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The rugged Sandisfield section of approximately 4 miles is virtually unchanged. It was painstakingly mapped by Tom after 30 years of research.

January 28, 2021 Notice Otis Lecture - "Notice Otis Series" for the Otis Community Center at St Paul's

If you missed this talk, you haven't missed out – a recording of the event is posted on the Otis Preservation Trust website at https://vimeo.com/539902089

First Event Highlight's Town's Architectural Depth The Otis Historical Commission (OHC) and Otis Preservation Trust (OPT) are hosting a "Notice Otis" series of cultural and educational events. The first event, held on January 28th, was a fascinating lecture on local historical architecture accompanied by PowerPoint visuals of our many local treasures – some well-known and some hidden. The event was "safely" presented via Zoom and had about 60 enthusiastic viewers attending. The guest lecturer was Bonnie Parsons, Historical Preservationist and longtime Berkshire resident. Ms. Parson's scope of knowledge and easy presentation style made this a very successful event. Many in the audience commented that they would be driving our local roads with a new appreciation for the history and architectural gems scattered around our great town. Gail Gelburd, art history professor, artist, and Otis resident, chaired this event. Ms. Gelburd is a member of the OHC and lends her grant-writing expertise to OHC. OHC and OPT are co-sponsoring this series of free events for the community. One of their shared goals is to raise awareness of the historical and architectural value of the former St. Paul's Congregational Church, an 1827 New England Gothic gem with many exceptional features, from its crenelated spire to its soaring, multi-paneled windows and wrought iron details. OPT is currently fund-raising for St. Paul's which will become the Charles Rosenblum Otis Community Center, named after one of our most generous campaign donors. The building will be available for many community uses and cultural events. Ms. Parson's presentation revealed that Otis has an architectural history to be proud of, with pre-RevolutionaryP houses set among bungalows and ranches, with buildings designed to look like Greek temples and a French Second Empire building that aimed to convey its builder's sophistication. There are houses whose porches were inspired by Italian villas and Capes that were built after World War II to house a growing population. This talk sorted out the styles in a lively narrative designed to give Otis residents a new perspective and appreciation of our local architectural gifts.