CULTURAL EXCURSIONS
By Laura Daniel
The Arts Council’s premiere Cultural
Excursions to the Berkshire Mountains and the
Tanglewood Music Festival treated participants to
an exquisite taste of the art and culture prevalent
in that New England region. From fine dining to
fine art guests enjoyed a delight of the senses on
a four night culturally-themed vacation to the
Berkshire Mountains.
Commencing with a guided tour of the
Clark Institute of Art, work from Old Masters of
the Italian Renaissance, French Impressionists,
and contemporary film provided a banquet
of visual display which inspired us all. The
first evening culminated in a stunning piano
performance by Leon Fleisher accompanied by
his wife, Katherine Jacobson, who performed
works by Bach, Brahms, and Ravel.
A trip to the Norman Rockwell Museum
on Friday to view original paintings by the
great American illustrator along with works by
Maxfield Parrish, William Boughereu, and N.C.
Wyeth did not disappoint. Dining was a charming
experience at the Red Lion Inn, an historic
establishment operating continuously since
before 1800. The Tanglewood experience that
8 MartinArts | Summer | Fall 2018
evening was a performance by the Tanglewood
chorus at Ozawa Hall.
Our final day brought our group to the
Edith Wharton Estate, known as ‘The Mount’. A
private tour of her mansion illuminated details
of Edith Wharton’s life and inspiration for her
literary genius. The evening began with a tour of
the grounds of Tanglewood and a performance by
the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Cultural Excursions was created
to provide friends of the Arts Council an
opportunity to travel with people to locations of
cultural significance. Our goal is to provide an
experience focused on the visual, performing,
musical, literary, and culinary arts.
Our next excursion planned for July,
2019 is a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico. The
unforgettable natural landscape of Santa Fe
along with its unique local architecture will be
the perfect setting to explore the visual arts of
Georgia O’Keefe, Frida Kahlo and the traditional
art of the Southwest Native Americans. A visit
to the Santa Fe Opera to see La Boheme will
certainly charm participants. Visit our website
under Cultural Excursions. Be sure to sign up
early as space will be limited and sure to sell out.