Art, Music, Books, Sewing, & Other Crafts
Art Appraisal
Rupert W. Fennell Appraisal & Consultant Service, Spencertown , NY, 518-392-0397, www.antiques.com/dealers/21597/Rupert-W-Fennell-Appraisal-Consultant-Service. (8/23)
Art Conservation and Restoration
Val Michalski, 528-2625, www.valentinemichalski.com. For paintings, the best of the best, right here in Egremont! (5/14, 5/18, 7/22)
Dawn D’Aluisio and John Lippert at Foreground Conservation in Chatham. http://foregroundconservation.com/ Repairs to sculptures and paintings. Dawn lives in Alford. (5/18)
Art Teacher
Erika Crofut of Great Barrington offers a sketching class through BCC in June & July 2019, at South County Center. (5/19)
IS183 in Stockbridge has classes: http://www.is183.org/classes/painting-and-drawing. (5/19)
Books
Rare (appraisals, sales, conservation)
Rusty Mott in Sheffield. His wife Vita does restorations. 413-229-2019, https://www.abaa.org/booksellers/details/howard-s.-mott-inc. (8/18, 5/23)
Zucker Art Books, Alford, 413-717-4156, info@zuckerartbooks.com, www.zuckerartbooks.com. (5/23)
Where to Donate Books
Book Barn in Hillsdale, 518-325-3610. A treasure. Maureen is careful not to take books that no one wants.
Hillsdale's Roe-Jan Library, 518-325-4101. Contact Hope (hopedan@aol.com). She will take books that can be resold.
Goodwill in GB. By the boxload.
Yellow House Books, Main St, GB, 528-8227. They prefer particular categories. Great place to buy used kids' books.
Mason Library, Main St, GB.
Great Barrington Historical Society, 413-591-8702. They accept books.
Shaker Mill Books, on Depot St in West Stockbridge, 413-232-0251.
Little Free Libraries, such as at Kenver, Egremont Town Hall, Cottage St in GB. These small boxes can't take your big collections.
Discover Books bin at the Transfer Station. They take all books (except telephone books), as well as magazines.
Calligraphy
Susan Buchholz, Pittsfield, 413-499-1319 and 413-446 6011. She is excellent! (10/23)
Try www.societyofscribes.org/find-a-calligrapher.
Cellists
Beth Craig, So. Egremont, 528-8809 lizcray@earthlink.net (NeighborNet member) (10/12, several recs)
Yehuda Hanani (Chatham NY) http://www.cewm.org/bio_hanani.html (10/12)
Anne Legene alegene@simons-rock.edu 528-9065 (10/12, several recs)
Francis Morris (Egremont) http://www.francismorrisviolins.com/inst_cll.htm (10/12)
Ivan Trebka 413-717-0739 (cell) (10/12)
Digitize
HS or Audio Tapes
Mark Swirsky, Becket, 413-442-6411, markswirskyphoto@gmail.com. VHS tapes. He'll meet you in the parking lot of Big Y in Lee, or other. He is very flexible. (5/23)
EverPresent, Newton, MA, https://everpresent.com/. They did my audio tapes. Very professional and thorough. Drop them off with Lauren Clark next to Bizallion in GB. It takes a few weeks. 5 stars! (5/23)
Legacybox.com (10/23)
- Photos
Video Memoir Creations, Lenox, Hello@videomemoircreations.com, https://videomemoircreations.com. Digitize photos, slides, negatives, VHS, and home movies. Load them onto a digital frame. Create a video memoir. (9/23)
Editing
Jayne Benjulian, Developmental Editor, jaynebenjulian@gmail.com, 415-250-7500. Manuscripts, podcasts, speeches & books in the humanities, performing and visual arts, social sciences and marketing. "Her sharp editorial eye and firm (yet somehow gentle) guidance helped me bring the book into its final form, attracting a publisher!" "Everything I sent out has been published." (1/24)
Embroidery
Olde Village Monogramming, GB, 528-3904. Design your own t-shirts, custom embroidery, silk-screen printing. Excellent! (8-16)
Elegant Stitches in Pittsfield. www.elegantstitches.net/ 413-447-9452. Wonderful! (8/16)
Florists
Contact Steve Valenti's Men's Store, Pittsfield, 413-443-2569 and ask for his wife. She's amazing! (8/18)
Marcristo Farm in Hillsdale. (8/18)
Township Four in Pittsfield, amazing! (8/18)
Wildflowers in GB. Very responsive, reasonable. Check out what they have in the cooler, quite fun to work with. (8/18)
Hilary Collingwood, Egremonter, hilarycollingwood228@gmail.com, creates gorgeous flower arrangements for any occasion, or just to add a bit of beauty to your space. A week later, they will look as fresh and happy as they did when they arrived! Prices are customizable for any budget and include the vase. (2/21)
Frames
Frames on Wheels (near Triplex parking lot), www.framesonwheels.com. Awesome; first-rate. (2/24)
Lauren Clark (near Bizalion), 528-0432, https://laurenclarkfineart.com/. Excellent. (2/24)
Frameiteasy.com is awesome. I have purchased 4 frames & mattes from them. Requires some DIY. (2/24)
Jewelry
Lennox Jewelers in GB. (7/21)
Steve Kahn, 646-483-1703. He sells beautiful vintage pieces. (7/21)
McTeigue and McClelland, the jewelers who used to be in the old stone church across from Trotta's. Their business is closed, but contact info for both is on their site: https://mc2jewels.com/.
Berkshire Gold and Silversmith, Main St in GB, 528-0013, www.berkshiregoldandsilversmith.com. Tom Parker did a lovely job, stands by his work, prices were fair, and he was done as promised. (7/21)
Jewelry Box in Lee, 413-243-2506, for restringing beads. She is fantastic and reasonably priced! (12/22)
Music Teachers
Piano (for adults): Deborah Harris in GB. 528-9027. (10/17)
Drums: Michael Lesko, michaelleskomusic@gmail.com, 413-717-9971. (12/18, 1/22)
Drums: Brian, drumming instructor for Soundry Music Studio, https://www.soundrystudio.com, 201-410-5241, soundrymusicstudio@gmail.com, 46 Main Street, SoEg. Drum, bass, guitar and piano. (1/22)
Violin, viola, and fiddle; private and group, Erika Ludwig, Berkshire Strings, 528-5739 (12/18)
Guitar lessons:
Steve Ide, Idefam@gmail.com, 413-429-6271 (7/21)
Jem Beckett, jembeckett@gmail.com. Wonderful! (7/21)
(Classical) Edward Flower, in Sheffield, 207-737-9921. (7/21)
Jon Suters, 413-229-2437 (recommended by Steve Ide for guitar, esp. bossa nova). (1/23)
Jason Ennis, 413-884-4650 (recommended by Steve Ide for guitar, esp. bossa nova). (1/23)
David Hodge, South Egremont, 413-717-2591, Dhodgeguitar@aol.com, www.davidhodge.com. Experienced, terrific skills in a variety of styles, all levels. (1/23)
Musicians to Play at a Party
David Hodge plays guitar and sings, and Karen Berger plays piano, cello, and dulcimer, depending on the song and the gig. Both are both music teachers. Contact Kberger466@aol.com.
Painting Classes
Pat Hogan for watercolor. She's amazing. http://www.pathogan.com/ (4/17)
- Photography (see also Pet Portraits)
Scott Barrow in Lenox - really talented. (12/16)
Stephen Donaldson in Great Barrington -- really talented. (12/16)
Tamara Schlesinger, http://www.tamaraschlesinger.com/new-gallery-5/. A wonderful photographer. She has done a lot of fashion work, and is a joy to work with! She really listens to what you want and then she quietly goes about doing her magic! I cannot recommend her highly enough! (3/18)
Kevin Irby, http://kevinirby.com/. A phenomenal photographer (and artist), just over the border in NY. (3/18)
Sonja Zinke from Canaan, CT, 860-307-0551 or 860-453-4226, http://sonjaphotography.com/. Weddings, etc. She is amazing! (2/17, 10/20)
Tricia McCormack, https://triciamccormack.com/. Weddings. (6/23)
Christina Lane Photography, GB, christinalanephoto.com, 413-429-6192. Weddings. She is terrific! (6/23)
Greg Cherin (Egremonter), 917-991-0553, info@gregorycherin.com, www.gregorycherin.com (12/16, 7/23)
Jennifer Wakamatsu, Hillsdale. See www.jenniwakaphotography.com/#!home/mainPage or www.facebook.com/JenniWakaPhotography/ for portfolio and contact, or text 518-751-0429. She's terrific, and she also does bookkeeping. (3/16 to 7/23)
Kelly Young, youngatart@fairpoint.net, 518-610-2107. She does portraits (family, pets, homestead, favorite tree) from photographs. Prices reasonable. (10/23)
Ed Acker, www.edwardackerphotographer.com/about. He's terrific! (2/24)
Chelsea Proulx, https://chelseaproulxphotography.com/. She is absolutely wonderful. We had so much fun with her for a family photo shoot. I cannot recommend her highly enough. (2/24)
Sarah Clark Kenyon, 413-429-5663, Sarah@sarahkenyon.com, http://www.studiort7.com/about. Very high rec. (2/24)
Pianos
Restoration
Terry Flynn (Flynn Pianos in GB), 203-512-7482, flynnpianos@gmail.com. He and Iris Tuomenoksa (iris.flynnpianos@gmail.com) are wizards! And wonderful to work with! (7/18, 12/19)
Tuners
Carolyn Pine, 518-672-4325
Marvin Cech, in Otis: 413-269-6189. (9/18)
Mariken Palmboom, 413-441-4317. Wonderful. She is also a professional harpsichordist. (7/22)
Piano Movers
City Moves, 229-9045.
Morgan Piano Movers, in GB, 413-644-9808. (Also for valuable antiques.) (5/17)
Seamstresses, Tailors
Whang Tailors on Tyler Street, Pittsfield -- very good job! (4/15)
Regina Pultorak, emmamae97@msn.com At Catwalk in GB every Friday from 10 - 12, or email her. Very reasonable, knows what she is doing, and gets things done in a timely manner! (7/15) [Not sewing as of 5/23, but we don't know if permanent.]
Kiki, 413-717-0924. Lives in Stockbridge, works at Happy Nails in GB. She is reasonable and good. (8/16)
Gudrun Duntz in Salisbury, 860-435-9373. An exceptional seamstress, professional quality. (7/18)
Prudence (Prue) Spaulding, 229-8407, prudencespaulding@hotmail.com. Excellent seamstress. Darns holey sweaters, does alterations. (9/18, 5/21)
Rosa at Laramee Cleaners, 528-0096. Did a fantastic alteration on a dress for a wedding. (7/19)
ECO Cleaners in GB has an excellent tailor. (7/19)
Cynthia Atwood, New Marlborough, 413-229-2421, Cynthia.atwood.maker@gmail.com. No one better. An incredibly talented artist. Curtains, table cloths, shades. Worked with her for years for clients and events. Very high quality. (1/20, 1/22)
Elizabeth Buttler, 413-717-9677, elizabeth@elizabethbuttler.com. An amazing seamstress (and artist!). (1/20)
Diane Sorrell (Egremonter).-- 528-9633. She does all sorts of soft goods (except clothing), has great taste, is a great decorator, and is very reasonable! NB: Diane doesn't do alterations (that is, not clothing). (4/15, 5/21)
J. B. Brodeur, located above Karen Allen's store, GB, 413-854-1820. Recommended. (4/13 thru 12/22)
(See also Upholstery and Slipcovers in the Home Interiors section)
Heavy-Duty Stitching (as for boat canvas)
Maces Marine, Pittsfield, www.macesmarine.com, 413-447-7512. (6/23)
Shoe Repair
Eagle Shoe and Boot, https://www.eagleshoe.com/ 154 Main St, GB, 528-2176.
Eco Dry Cleaners does heel replacement, new soles, cleaning, etc. 165 Main St, GB, 413-717-2464. (8/17)
Signs
Ryan Larkin (Egremonter) at Larkin Ltd. in GB. Signs (wonderful service!), awnings, auto detailing. 528-8908, Ryan@LarkinLtd.com. (8/14, 8/19)
Stained Glass
Iovan DeRis, 413-329-5987. To create larger pieces, not so much for repair. (6/24)
Stamp & Coin Collections, Assessment
Robert Scott, New Marlborough. Possibly the leading expert in stamps in the world! (9/18)
Berkshire Hills Coins and Estate Jewelry, Pittsfield, https://berkshirehillscoins.net/, 413-499-1400. (6/23)
App for coin appraisal: CoinSnap. (6/23)
Jason Nelson of Nelson Stamp and Coin, https://nelsonstampandcoin.com/, 845-750-1540. (6/23)
Upholstery (See Home Interiors)
See under Home Interiors.
Welding
Jaquier Welding, 413-248-1204, 860-671-1000, jacquierwelding@yahoo.com, www.jacquierwelding.com. Recommended! (2/24)
Wooden Frames (for art, mirrors)
Michael Maser, New Marlborough, mjjmaser@gmail.com, instagram @michaeljmaser. heirloom quality hardwood frames for artwork and mirrors. Can do both traditional sizes (5x7, 8x10, etc) and custom. Uses locally obtained domestic hardwood like cherry, oak, walnut, and maple, or other sustainable species like mahogany, sapele, and canarywood, or reclaimed wood that has sentimental or historic value (e.g., salvaged from an old house or barn). (10/22)