The current exhibit of American Indian art includes both traditional and contemporary work.

Pittsfield, MA – The ever-expanding Berkshire Museum will be open to the public free of charge on Friday, August 10, 2012, as part of the Massachusetts-based Highland Street Foundation’s summer-long Free Fun Fridays program. A record 50 cultural venues in Massachusetts are participating in the annual Free Fun Fridays program, from June 29 to August 31. Free admission at Berkshire Museum on August 10 is available for everyone; no tickets or reservations are necessary. The Museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The discount is for general admission only.

Enjoy and explore Berkshire Museum, which offers an array of exhibitions ranging from fine art to natural science to history, as well as an aquarium and the interactive Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation. The exhibitions currently on view include Rethink! American Indian Art at Berkshire Museum, featuring contemporary works of art in a range of media and techniques, from video installations, contemporary basketry, and beadwork to ceramics, sculpture, and glass, by accomplished artists Marcus Amerman, Jeremy Frey, Teri Greeves, Diego Romero, Preston Singletary, and Bently Spang. The exhibition also includes historic Native American art objects from Berkshire Museum’s permanent collections. Velocity Echo and Echoes in Space, site-specific installations created by Pittsfield-based and internationally renowned glass artist Tom Patti, are on view in the Museum’s entry vestibule and lobby area. An accompanying exhibition of Patti’s works, also titled Echoes in Space, is on view through October 8, 2012.

The Big Picture: Berkshire Museum Camera Club 75th Anniversary Exhibition is on view through Sunday, September 16, featuring large-scale photographs by members of the Berkshire Museum Camera Club. Liz Whitney Quisgard: Kaleidoscope, an exhibition of vibrant fiber art and paintings, will be on view in Berkshire Museum through October 21, 2012.

About the Highland Street Foundation

Since 1989, the Highland Street Foundation has worked to enrich the lives of children and families by donating more than $135 million to many worthy non-profit organizations. To learn more about the Highland Street Foundation and for additional information about Free Fun Fridays, and for a list of other venues offering the program, visit http://www.highlandstreet.org.

Berkshire Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.berkshiremuseum.org or call 413.443.7171. Museum admission is $13 for adults and $6 for children. Members and children aged three and under enjoy free admission.

The Museum is located at 39 South Street on Route 7 in downtown Pittsfield. Berkshire Museum is the first public museum in Berkshire County, established by Zenas Crane in 1903 as a museum of art and natural history. Little Cinema is open year-round. Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation, Aquarium, Alexander Calder Gallery, and other exhibits are ongoing.