The Brothership Building North Gallery Window curated by Berkshire Art Center (formerly IS183 Art School of the Berkshires) will feature Inside and Out by Diane Firtell for the month of July.

Opening Reception: The artist is hosting a reception on July 7th during First Friday ArtsWalk from 5:00-7:30pm.

Artist Statement:

"Pittsfield, MA artist Diane Firtell uses her camera, now mostly her iPhone, to capture the ever changing beauty of the Berkshires."

Subject matter and technique have for most of my career remained the same. Early work from my student days at the School of Visual Arts in NYC includes flowers and the use of my photography. Now (since moving to the Berkshires 28 years ago) my work Includes landscapes and an expanded use of mediums and substrates. I am always looking to express myself in different ways and enjoy experimenting with new mediums and techniques, most recently ceramics.

My images translate to notecards, paintings, digital collages, decorative art, jewelry and murals (one at Dottie's Coffee Lounge, Pittsfield and Thrive Diner, Pittsfield). I am a current faculty member at the Berkshire Art Center (formerly IS 183) and teach painting at Canyon Ranch in Lenox.

While I love creating art, I also love sharing my knowledge and encouraging people of all ages and abilities to create, regardless of education or perceived artistic ability. I also enjoy creating opportunities for other artists to show their work. As a Nia Black Belt, I am a passionate movement facilitator of the Nia Technique.