Episode 9: Quray Clarke - MCLA Student

by Jolyne Allegro

Episode host Jolyne Allegro is a senior at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. In this episode of Thinking Like a Region, Allegro interviews Quray Clarke, a visual artist and photographer from Queens, New York with a specialty in creative portraiture. Clarke is also a student at MCLA, providing listeners with an inside look into how MCLA’s art programs translate into real-world careers in the arts.

This episode focuses on the creative capacities of changing the ways we act, self-expression, community building, human connection, and building confidence.

For a look into Clarke’s work, visit his portfolio at https://okayarchive.com/

You can find the transcript for this episode here: https://tinyurl.com/QC-TLAR

Thinking Like A Region is a production of the C4 Initiative, Berkshire County’s Creative Compact for Collaborative and Collective Impact, based at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, MA, and grant-funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. This podcast is produced by Lisa Donovan and Leslie Appleget. Additional technical support by Audrey Perdue.

For more information about the show or the C4 Initiative, visit brainworks.mcla.edu/c4.

THIS EPISODE’S VOICES:

Quray Clarke is a visual artist and activist from Queens, New York with a concentration in creative portrait photography. Clarke is also a student at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

Jolyne Allegro is a transgender senior at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, studying theater and anthropology. Jo has been an active member of the arts community throughout high school and college. Her experiences in the art community have given her a unique perspective on the way that art affects people, both the creation of art, as well as the ways that taking in works of art can affect the soul.

Episode 9: Erica Barreto - MCLA Institute for Arts and Humanities

by Alana O’Connor

Today’s episode is hosted by Alana O’Connor, a senior at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. In this episode of Thinking Like a Region, O’Connor interviews Erica Barreto, a 2018 graduate of MCLA now working as the MCLA Institute for the Arts and Humanities (MCLA-IAH) Coordinator. O’Connor and Barreto discuss the role of arts in the Berkshires, along with talks about her previous work as well as her working at MCLA, and what being a collaborator of IAH entails.

This episode focuses on the creative capacities of communication, translation of experiences, project management, and the ability to approach difficult conversations.

You can find the transcript for this episode here: https://tinyurl.com/EB-TLAR 

Thinking Like A Region is a production of the C4 Initiative, Berkshire County’s Creative Compact for Collaborative and Collective Impact, based at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, MA, and grant-funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. This podcast is produced by Lisa Donovan and Leslie Appleget.

For more information about the show or the C4 Initiative, visit brainworks.mcla.edu/c4.

THIS EPISODE’S VOICES:

Erica Barreto is the former Coordinator of the MCLA Institute of Arts and Humanities. Barreto graduated from MCLA in 2018 with a degree in English/Communications with a Creative Writing concentration and Arts Management. She sits on the boards of WAM Theatre and BRIDGE, and is currently the Executive Assistant to the President of the Berkshire Black Economic Council.

Alana O’Connor is a senior at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

Episode 7: Pamela Tatge - Jacob’s Pillow

by Emi Bailey

Today’s episode is hosted by Emi Bailey, a freshman at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. In this episode of Thinking Like a Region, Bailey interviews Pamela Tatge, Executive & Artistic Director of Jacob’s Pillow, an international dance festival, professional school, and dance archive in Becket, MA. Tatge and Bailey discuss the Pillow’s work, Tatge’s history in dance, the importance of inclusion in the art world, and more.

This episode focuses on the creative capacities of improvisation, partnership and discipline. Listen in to learn more about one of the most famous dance centers in the region.

You can find the transcript for this episode here: https://tinyurl.com/PT-TLAR

Thinking Like A Region is a production of the C4 Initiative, Berkshire County’s Creative Compact for Collaborative and Collective Impact, based at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, MA, and grant-funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. This podcast is produced by Lisa Donovan and Leslie Appleget. Additional technical podcast support by Audrey Perdue.

For more information about the show or the C4 Initiative, visit brainworks.mcla.edu/c4.

THIS EPISODE’S VOICES:

Pamela Tatge is the Executive & Artistic Director at Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, MA. Tatge previously served as the Director of the Center for the Arts at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. She was named one of “The Most Influential People in Dance Today” by Dance Magazine in 2017 and is the recipient of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters’ 2010 William Dawson Award for Programmatic Excellence and Sustained Achievement in Programming. Tatge holds a B.A. in History and an M.A.L.S. from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut.

Emi Bailey is a student at Massachusetts College of Liberal arts. She is a dancer who is passionate about accessibility.

Episode 7: Craig Langlois - Berkshire Museum

by Johan Serrano

Episode host Johan Serrano at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts returns to host another episode of Thinking Like a Region. Serrano interviews Craig Langlois, the Chief Experience Officer at Berkshire Museum. The two discuss Langlois’ formal art training, his work in ceramics, and his philosophy around making art and accessing individual creativity.

This episode focuses on the creative capacities of perseverance, self-discovery, designing experiences to get to spark curiosity, and finding creative solutions to creative problems. Listen in to hear Langlois’ perspective on the concepts of permanence and growth in his own artwork.

You can find the transcript for this episode here: https://tinyurl.com/CLBM-TLAR

Thinking Like A Region is a production of the C4 Initiative, Berkshire County’s Creative Compact for Collaborative and Collective Impact, based at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, MA, and grant-funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. This podcast is produced by Lisa Donovan and Leslie Appleget, with additional technical podcast support from Audrey Perdue.

For more information about the show or the C4 Initiative, visit brainworks.mcla.edu/c4.

THIS EPISODE’S VOICES:

CRAIG LANGLOIS has devoted his professional life to developing innovative educational experiences in the arts as a teacher and a curator. As the museum’s Chief Experience Officer and during nearly a decade of service to the museum in other roles, Craig, who holds a Master of Fine Arts degree, has created and implemented a wide variety of programs and exhibitions at the Berkshire Museum. A member of the museum’s senior leadership team, Craig has been and continues to contribute to setting the museum’s New Vision. Craig is active as a community leader as well, working with local nonprofit organizations and schools to strengthen education and expand learning in the region.

JOHAN SERRANO is a senior and arts management major at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

Episode 6: Tom Bernard - Berkshire United Way

Today’s episode is hosted by Leslie Appleget, District Arts Integration Specialist at North Adams Public Schools and former C4 Coordinator at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. In this episode of Thinking Like a Region, Appleget interviews Tom Bernard, President and CEO of Berkshire United Way, and the former mayor of North Adams, MA. The two discuss the goals of the nonprofit, the role of arts education in the nonprofit world, and the countless ways that engagement with art builds confidence.

This episode focuses on expression, communication, confidence, and presence. Listen in to hear more of Bernard’s passion for serving the region.

You can find the transcript for this episode here: https://tinyurl.com/TLAR-TWB

Thinking Like A Region is a production of the C4 Initiative, Berkshire County’s Creative Compact for Collaborative and Collective Impact, based at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, MA, and grant-funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. This podcast is produced by Lisa Donovan and Leslie Appleget. Additional technical podcast support by Audrey Perdue.

For more information about the show or the C4 Initiative, visit brainworks.mcla.edu/c4.

THIS EPISODE’S VOICES:

Tom Bernard is the President and CEO of the nonprofit Berkshire United Way. Previously, he served as Mayor of North Adams, MA from January 2018 to January 2022, and worked in various positions at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts for 8 years. Bernard received his B.A. in History & Religion from Williams College and his Masters of Public Administration from Westfield State University.

Leslie Appleget (she/her) is a researcher and arts manager who has worked with arts and cultural organizations in both the U.S. and the U.K. for a decade.  As the District Arts Integration Specialist at North Adams Public Schools and manager of the Berkshire Cultural Asset Network, Leslie is driving change region-wide in arts education through collective impact in Berkshire County. Leslie holds an MA in Arts Management from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, and a BA in Government from American University. She produces this podcast, Thinking Like A Region, as part of the C4 Initiative, which she leads with Dr. Lisa Donovan. A former dancer, Leslie is the daughter of a public school educator and the direct result of a vibrant arts education program.

Episode 5: Ben Lamb - 1Berkshire

by Lisa Donovan

Today’s episode is hosted by Lisa Donovan, Ph.D., a professor in the Fine & Performing Arts Department at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. In this episode of Thinking Like a Region, Donovan interviews Ben Lamb, Director of Economic Development at 1Berkshire. Donovan and Lamb discuss the role of the arts in economic development, Lamb’s history as a student at MCLA, and projects he has been a part of across Berkshire County.

Lamb shares his insights on the importance of exposing our youth to the arts, the skills employers are looking for, and how the arts can develop these skills and capacities including community engagement and working collaboratively.  Listen in to hear how Lamb works to serve the arts programs across the region.

You can find the transcript for this episode here: https://tinyurl.com/benTLAR

Thinking Like A Region is a production of the C4 Initiative, Berkshire County’s Creative Compact for Collaborative and Collective Impact, based at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, MA, and grant-funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. This podcast is produced by Lisa Donovan and Leslie Appleget. Additional technical support by Audrey Perdue.

For more information about the show or the C4 Initiative, visit brainworks.mcla.edu/c4.

THIS EPISODE’S VOICES:

Ben Lamb is the Director of Economic Development at 1Berkshire. Lamb’s work focuses on what he calls ‘wraparound economic development,’ which creates connective tissue between traditional and non-traditional participants in the region’s economic ecosystem — most notably through his development and launch of the Berkshire Blueprint 2.0, an economic-development imperative for the region’s next decade.

Lisa Donovan, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Fine and Performing Arts Department at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Previously, she served as Lesley University’s Director of the Creative Arts in the Learning Division. Dr. Donovan has published widely and presented across the country and internationally on arts integration, rural arts education, and arts integration assessment. She is co-director of BRAINworks and the Director of the Institute for the Arts and Humanities. She is the 2021 Recipient of the Massachusetts Arts|Learning Irene Buck Service to Arts Education Award.

Hosted by Johan Serrano, a senior at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, this episode of Thinking Like a Region spotlights Leslie Wu Foley, Director of Education and Community Engagement at the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Foley speaks on the journey she took as a musician, from picking up musical instruments at a young age to her current placement with the renowned orchestra, along with the challenges they face in becoming inclusive and reaching out to the greater Massachusetts community in the midst of a pandemic.

This episode focuses on the creative capacities of problem-solving, focus, communication, discipline, persistence, leading by example, creating a shared voice, and finding your sense of purpose. Listen in to hear how Foley and the entire Orchestra work as a team to create music for a region.

You can find the transcript for this episode here: https://tinyurl.com/TALR-LWF

Thinking Like A Region is a production of the C4 Initiative, Berkshire County’s Creative Compact for Collaborative and Collective Impact, based at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, MA, and grant-funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. This podcast is produced by Leslie Appleget and Lisa Donovan. Technical podcast support by Audrey Perdue.

For more information about the show or the C4 Initiative, visit brainworks.mcla.edu/c4.

THIS EPISODE’S VOICES:

Leslie Wu Foley currently serves as the Helaine B. Allen Director of Education and Community Engagement at Boston Symphony Orchestra. Foley graduated from Princeton University with a degree in art history. She has previously worked with New York Philharmonic, and has served as Director of the Center for Art and Community Partnerships at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Associate Director of the Tanglewood Music Center, Executive Director of the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Director of Admissions at the Longy School of Music, and Assistant Producer of BSO broadcasts at WCRB.

Johan Serrano is a senior and arts management major at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

Episode 3: Julianne Boyd - Barrington Stage Company

by Alison Blakeslee & Eve McDougall

NOTE: This episode was recorded in Spring 2021. Some information may be dated.

Today’s episode is hosted by Alison Blakeslee, a freshman at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and Eve McDougall, a junior at Monument Mountain Regional High School. In this episode of Thinking Like a Region, Blakeslee and McDougall interview Julianne Boyd, theatre director, founder, and artistic director at Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, MA. Boyd discusses how her passion for theatre from a young age shaped her future career, how she was led to Barrington Stage, the Stage’s mission and endeavors, and more.

Boyd believes that “you don’t have to be brilliant to be creative…you just have to be in touch with your emotions.” This episode focuses on the creative capacities of deep listening, experimentation, and collaboration. Listen in to hear how Barrington Stage Company serves a passion of a region.

You can find the transcript for this episode here.

Thinking Like A Region is a production of the C4 Initiative, Berkshire County’s Creative Compact for Collaborative and Collective Impact, based at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, MA, and grant-funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. This podcast is produced by Lisa Donovan and Leslie Appleget. Technical podcast support by Audrey Perdue.

For more information about the show or the C4 Initiative, visit brainworks.mcla.edu/c4.

THIS EPISODE’S VOICES:

Julianne Boyd is a theatre director and the founder and artistic director at Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, MA. Boyd received her B.A. in theatre and education at Arcadia University and her doctorate in theatre at the City University of New York. Notably, with the Company, Boyd produced the Tony Award-winning musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in 2004.

Alison Blakeslee is a freshman at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

Eve McDougall is a junior at Monument Mountain Regional High School.

Episode 2: Jennifer Trainer Thompson - Hancock Shaker Village

by Alex King & Kyle Gwilt

Today’s episode is hosted by Alex King, a senior and arts management major at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and Kyle Gwilt, a senior at BART Charter. In this episode of Thinking Like a Region, King and Gwilt interview Jennifer Trainer Thompson, cultural administrator, author, and journalist. Thompson is a beloved founder of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (better known as MASS MoCA) and now serves as president and CEO of Hancock Shaker Village (HSV). Thompson speaks on how she believes arts education serves creative institutions, her astounding journey with MASS MoCA, the “volcanic shift” she sees occurring in the museum world, and all the things she loves about the Berkshires.

This episode focuses on the creative capacities of complex problem solving, adaption, curiosity, enthusiasm, and resourcefulness. Listen in to hear Thompson’s unique journey of developing and managing arts programs that define a region.

You can find the transcript for this episode here.

Thinking Like A Region is a production of the C4 Initiative, Berkshire County’s Creative Compact for Collaborative and Collective Impact, based at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, MA, and grant-funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. This podcast is produced by Lisa Donovan and Leslie Appleget. Technical podcast support by Audrey Perdue.

For more information about the show or the C4 Initiative, visit brainworks.mcla.edu/c4.

THIS EPISODE’S VOICES:

Jennifer Trainer Thompson is the director and CEO of Hancock Shaker Village and a founder and ex-creative director at MASS MoCA. Hired at MoCA in 1988, only 2 years after the institution’s inception, Thompson is regarded as one of the most influential people in the museum’s history and is credited as director of the museum’s 2019 documentary Museum Town. Thompson is native to Southeastern, MA, and studied English literature at Tufts University in Medford.

Alex King is a senior at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, MA. King is a major in arts management.

Kyle Gwilt is a senior at BART Charter in Adams, MA.