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“Transcendence”:Kathy Moss and Suzanne Onodera at Argazzi Art.
Natalia Zukerman
Argazzi Art in Lakeville will open “Transcendence,” a two-artist exhibition showcasing new works by Kathy Moss and Suzanne Onodera on Saturday, Oct. 11. The show brings together two accomplished painters whose practices, while distinct, both explore the sublime and ineffable through nature-based abstraction and symbolic form.
This will be the only major show of the year at Argazzi, lending “Transcendence” a heightened poignancy as the gallery prepares for an uncertain transition. With the building soon to be listed for sale, and programming for 2026 yet undecided, this exhibition may represent the culmination of a chapter in the gallery’s storied history under founder Judith Singelis.
Originally from California and now based in upstate New York, Suzanne Onodera bridges abstraction and realism in richly layered paintings that capture the complexity and chaos of the natural world. Her compositions offer “a sublime floating world, simultaneously chaotic and unsettled, exalted and sublime,” she writes in her artist’s statement. Her brushstrokes are lush, gestural and physical, evoking landscapes not as they are, but as they are felt.
Kathy Moss, known for her stark and symbolic botanical forms, brings eight new contemplative and minimalist pieces to “Transcendence.” Her work uses silhouetted flowers, seed pods, and organic shapes as archetypes, what she calls “a poetic depiction of the internal self.” Presented in glistening oil and chalk on luminous surfaces, Moss’s paintings investigate dualities: beauty and darkness, fragility and power, concept and representation.
“She doesn’t usually do that pink,” said Singelis, pointing to one of Moss’s larger canvases in the show. “Kathy is really well known for the rosebuds and trees and there’s a fragility to her work, but these are very graphic, very solid.”
Installed in the light-filled rooms of Argazzi Art, with fall foliage just beyond the windows, “Transcendence” is a meditation on impermanence — of nature, of personal and artistic transformation, and perhaps of the space that houses it.
“The physical part is really hard,” said Singelis, reflecting on the work that goes into preparing and hanging an exhibit. “It took me three weeks to put this show together and there I am up on a ladder, just this morning. It’s not easy,” she continued.
There are the physical demands of curation but there is also the interdependent relationship between gallery and artist in an ever-changing and inconsistent art world. “Curating isn’t just about hanging art,” said Singelis, who said that she would love to find a successor, someone with whom she could share the vision and passion for Argazzi. “They have to really want to do this,” she said. “They have to have a passion for it, because it’s not easy.”
And so “Transcendence” is not only a remarkable pairing of two wonderful artists, it is also a moment of reflection for the gallery itself. As Argazzi Art contemplates its next chapter, this show reaffirms what has made it such a beloved and enduring presence: a commitment to beauty, depth and meaningful artistic relationships.
“Transcendence” opens on Oct. 11 with a reception from 3 to 5 p.m. The show will be on view until December 1.
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Indigo Room launches with weekend events
Oct 08, 2025
Morgan James performing the first sneak preview event (with Doug Wamble) in March.
Christina Lane
The Indigo Room is a new event space in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, adjacent to the Mahaiwe Theater, with a capacity of 50 to 100, depending on the seating arrangement. With a flexible stage, the venue can be set up to meet most production needs and is fully equipped with top-notch sound and lighting systems.
Though it has already hosted a few soft openings, The Indigo Room officially opens Sunday, Oct. 12, with a ribbon-cutting at 1 p.m., part of a weekend of grand opening events.
A traditional Chinese lion dance will be performed to bring good luck. Red envelopes will be available for attendees to present their good wishes, and an apple cider toast will be raised in celebration. Guests will receive a commemorative souvenir.
On Friday, Oct. 10, comedian Kevin McCaffrey performs at 7 p.m. Drag Bingo with Miranda Moirai will take place later that night at 9:30 p.m.
Tony-nominated jazz and pop singer Ann Hampton Callaway will feature highlights from her hit shows “The Streisand Songbook, Ann Hampton Callaway Sings the ‘70s,” “The Linda Ronstadt Songbook,” “To Ella with Love,” “From Sassy to Divine: The Sarah Vaughan Project” and “Finding Beauty: Inspired Classics and Originals” on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 8 p.m.
On Sunday, Oct. 12, at 11 a.m., there will be a free family concert with Arlo Guthrie’s longtime drummer, Terry A La Berry. Also on Sunday, blues musician Guy Davis will perform at 8 p.m. Davis is a two-time Grammy nominee for best traditional blues. A musician, actor, author and songwriter, Davis uses roots, blues, folk, rock, rap, spoken word and world music to address social injustice, touching on historical events and common life struggles.
The Indigo Room has a capacity of 50 to 100, depending on the seating arrangement. Christina Lane
Tickets are available at mahaiwe.org, or by calling or visiting the box office at 14 Castle St., Wednesday through Saturday, from noon to 4 p.m. The phone number is 413-528-0100.
The Indigo Room will also leave space in its programming for local artists — a welcome addition to Great Barrington’s cultural scene, especially since the departure of smaller venues like Club Helsinki in recent years.
“It is a continuation of the high-caliber work and customer care that audiences expect of the Mahaiwe, while expanding what we can do. It’s an intimate social space where you can find live comedy, an array of musical performances, as well as family-friendly entertainment and everything in between,” said Executive Director Janis Martinson.
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SHARON, Conn. — The Sharon Audubon Center, located at 325 Cornwall Bridge Road is once again offering Lizzie Mae’s brand bird seed to customers at a special discounted price through a fall pre-order bird seed sale in order to stock up for feeding the birds over the winter.
Seed varieties include a special custom Northwest Corner Blend, black oil sunflower, sunflower chips, finch favorite, woodpecker favorite, cardinal favorite, chickadee and nuthatch favorite, shell-free medley, in-shell peanuts, and various types of suet cakes. Descriptions of each variety can be found on the online order form.
Orders can be made online through the link on the Sharon Audubon Center website (audubon.org/sharon) and Facebook page, or by mailing in a completed form and payment. All orders and payments must be received by Oct. 20.
Additional bags may be purchased on the day of pick-up but will be sold at regular price.
Customers will be notified by phone or email when the orders are in, and seed can then be picked up during Audubon’s current regular business hours (Thursday to Saturday from 1 to 4:30 p.m.) or by appointment by making arrangements in advance with a staff member.
All pre-ordered seed must be picked up by Nov. 29.
Contact Wendy at 860-364-0520 x105 or wendy.miller@audubon.org.
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Breaking ground for the project that will convert the Community Center in Sharon into four affordable apartments are, from left: Richard Baumann, chairman of Sharon Housing Trust, First Selectman Casey Flanagan, Commissioner of Housing Selia Mosquera-Bruno and State Rep. Maria Horn (D-64).
Ruth Epstein
SHARON — The turning of the dirt signaled the hope for four families to find their dream of affordable housing.
A groundbreaking ceremony took place on Sept. 29 at the former Community Center on Gay Street (Route 41) where the Sharon Housing Trust is planning to place four affordable units. Dignitaries, including Commissioner of Housing Selia Mosquera-Bruno, were in attendance, along with many Sharon residents and members of affordable housing organizations from around the region.
Richard Baumann, chairman of the trust, began by explaining the trust already owns three buildings contiguous to the center, each containing two affordable apartments.
“The former owner kept them affordable and we’re building on that,” he said, emphasizing the generosity of so many people. “He sold them to us below market value and then took the mortgage. We still had a shortfall of $100,000 and an anonymous person gave us a bridge loan that we were later able to pay back.” Several times Baumann talked about the remarkable way in which this is all coming together.
The building was the former Masonic temple, which is owned by the town. It has leased it to the trust for 99 years.
“The next remarkable thing was that the town applied for a $1 million grant from the state and didn’t get it,” he said. “We rolled the projects together (rehabbing the center and upgrading the six apartments) and the state doubled our money. We now have $2 million to do them.”
He then introduced Sharon resident Lyden Miller, a world-renowned landscape designer, who will donate her expertise in creating the look of the grounds.
First Selectman Casey Flanagan, looking up at the structure, said it has served the community for nearly 100 years and now will continue to do so in a different form.
“Sharon is a town that values its character, its history and most importantly its people,” he said. “We recognize that for our community to thrive, we must ensure that families, seniors and young professionals can afford to live here. Whether it’s through renovation of existing properties thoughtful development or creative use of town-owned land, we’re committed to solutions that preserve Sharon’s charm while making it more accessible to those who want to call it home.”
He said this project is a creative solution that reflects both fiscal responsibility and compassion.
State Rep. Maria Horn, D-64, said, “I get such pleasure out of the frequency of these groundbreakings.”
Mosquera-Bruno, after some ribbing from Baumann, promised she’d try to expedite the funding.
“Congratulations to this milestone and we thank the governor and legislature for their support of housing,” said Mosquero-Bruno. “The reality is we’re putting more shovels in the ground than ever before.”
Following the ceremony, the annual Housing Summit, sponsored by Litchfield County Center for Housing Opportunity was held next door at Sharon Center School. Affordable housing organizations manned booths on the school grounds, showcasing their projects in great detail.
Those attending the annual Housing Summit in Sharon view the displays of affordable housing organizations around the county. Ruth Epstien
The program then moved indoors where Jocelyn Ayer, director of LCCHO, addressed the crowd and said they are working on 18 projects in 12 towns. Water bottles with the slogan “Put US back in housing” were distributed.
Mosquera-Bruno gave statistics about all the affordable units that have, or are going up, around the state. Nandini Natarnjan, CEO of the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, who works closely with the commissioner, said solutions to housing have to fit the size and scale of the people and towns here.
“Home ownership is a dream for so many,” she said. “Our purpose is not just about giving mortgages, but sustaining civic life. It’s about creating futures for the young and older populations.”
Horn spoke about housing on a personal level, saying “Some people we know and love are getting bounced out of their homes. They are intricate pieces of our community and it’s important to remember them.”
The dialogue than shifted to House Bill 5002with Horn expressing her disappointment that it was vetoed by Gov. Ned Lamont. The bill aimed to implement reforms to make it easier for affordable housing initiatives. Horn and others see this as a setback and she hopes there will be a special session of the legislature to address the matter.
An informal survey on the most engaging display by an affordable housing group and the most informative was held. Norfolk captured the first and Salisbury the second.
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