A great start in May. For our opening event, Anni Crofut's Family Cabaret, we filled 122 seats, our capacity (including the 32 cast members) and brought in lot of new people as participants as well as audience members.

Two weeks later, John Harpham discussed his new Pulitzer Prize nominated book, The Intellectual Origins of American Slavery, which recounts how "the English in America convinced themselves of the rightness of human bondage." If you missed the talk, the book is available, courtesy of the Arts Center, at the Sandisfield, Otis, and Monterey libraries.

Saturday, May 30, mathematician Jack Sanders, presented a lecture on the "Turning Points in Mathematica," which ties culture and mathematics together to explained more about mathematics than we believed could be remembered..

Rich programing continues through June.

On Saturday June 6, you can engage with three award winning poets, Joan Barasovska, Jayne Benjulian, and Hilde Weisert, as they read and discuss the many forms of kinship: with family, community, heritage, and the natural world.

Saturday, June 13, is a double header. A panel of local historians who collaborated on a new history of the Knox Trail will present their findings, followed by a Q&A and book signing.

That evening, at 7:00 p.m., Ari & Mia, New England's chamberfolk sister duo with "strikingly beautiful harmonies" and sophisticated Americana sound will give a concert celebrating the release of their new album, "Learning Your Name."

Maybe that will whet your appetite to try performing yourself, because beginning June 19 and continuing on the third Friday of the next three months is "Fabulous Friday." Everyone is welcome to participate in Open Mic sessions mc'ed by Jean Atwater- Williams. Come and try out your talent or cheer on friends, family, and strangers.

If performance isn't your thing, maybe drawing is. You might be interested in three Saturday morning sessions with Michael O'Rourke, a professional artist and recently retired professor of digital art at Pratt Institute. Michael will lead up to ten students ages 16 and over in an "Intro to Drawing" class, all materials supplied.

June performances end on Sunday the 28 at 4:00 p.m. with "Romantic Rhapsody," a return recital by the acclaimed pianists Paul Posnak and Anita Castiglioni. For this performance they will be accompanied by cellist Wendy Sutter, recognized by the Wall Street Journal as "one of the great leading cellists of the classical stage." Their program will include sonatas by Brahms and Debussy and works by De Falla and Cassado.

The renovated Garfield Family Gallery at the Arts Center opened May 16 with a solo showing of Serena Granbery's work reflecting the natural world. The exhibit will continue weekends or by appointment until June 14.

Then June 21 a new exhibit "To Please the Palette" featuring watercolors by Susie Crofut and ceramics by Adrienne Miesmer. This unique art show will combine the fluidity of watercolors and the tactile beauty of ceramics, creating a rich sensory experience where color, texture, and creativity merge to showcase the talents of two artists who share a lifelong bond.

More about these events including times and costs are available at sandisfieldartscenter.org. Many events are free and a limited number of reduced price community tickets are $10.