Great Barrington, Massachusetts, has been busy putting out fires lately—literally so in late November, when the Butternut wildfire tore through East Mountain State Forest, scorching over 1,670 acres, leaving a dark mark on the region’s storied Berkshire landscape. While those flames are extinguished, a number of metaphorical fires still burn, as civic challenges confront this popular New England destination town.
The hottest issue at present is the recent announcement that Bard College at Simon’s Rock, a fixture of the community for more than 50 years, is set to close its 275-acre campus and relocate its early college program, in a much smaller capacity, to a new facility adjacent to the main Bard campus in Barrytown, New York. The departure leaves a vacuum, with most of the 238 employees facing layoffs and a town grappling with the loss of a significant cultural and economic driver.
But as Great Barrington faces this and other hurdles, many community members look forward with optimism and are engaged in finding solutions—like a bucket brigade chasing down stubborn embers.
Simon’s Rock’s Next Chapter
The impending closure of Simon’s Rock marks a seismic shift for Great Barrington. Almost as soon as the news of the closure was announced in November 2023, community members came together to discuss the future of the site, which contains over 50 buildings, including the public-facing institutions the Daniel Arts Center and the Kilpatrick Athletic Center. Bard CFO Taun Toay recently told Rural Intelligence that the college intends to work with the community to find a buyer that aligns with Great Barrington’s goals and identity.
The financial difficulties leading to Simon’s Rock’s closure have been building for years. Declining enrollment (now just around 280 students, down from 500), compounded by rising costs for facilities, utilities, and staff, made closure inevitable. “We were needing to raise between five and seven million dollars annually,” school provost John Weinstein says. “While our community managed to hit that mark through heroic efforts, it was clear this model wasn’t sustainable.”
The closure has elicited a mixture of grief, anger, and pragmatic forward-thinking among residents. Weinstein acknowledged the emotional toll but expressed gratitude for the measured response from the community. “I’ve seen other school closures, mergers, and transitions, and they don’t often go as gently as this one has. I’m grateful for the way our community has approached this difficult moment,” says Weinstein, who started as a teacher at Simon’s Rock in the 2000s and lives on campus now. His future is uncertain too. “This region is deeply important to me. It was where I envisioned myself being forever—or something close to that.”
Currently, there are 122 salaried full-time positions at Simon’s Rock, of which 46 are faculty and 21 are hourly full-time staff. There are 12 part-time adjunct professors and 83 part-time employees in other positions. Bard has announced that there will be just around 40 positions available at the new campus, which will serve fewer students.
Bard’s fiscal pragmatism has been cold comfort for some faculty and students, however. For Harrison Levenstein, Simon’s Rock resident artist in ceramics and studio technician, the announcement was a gut punch. “Shock was the predominant emotion around campus,” he recalls. “The reality is Simon’s Rock is closing, and everyone here is getting fired—contracts terminated. I think the announcement of the move has been confusing and misleading.”
The Great Barrington Public Theater (GBPT), which operates summer programming at the Daniel Arts Center, now faces an uncertain future regarding the venue. Jim Frangione, artistic director at GBPT, expresses hope for a purchase of the large facility that would include the theater. “We have great standing at the Daniel Art Center,” Frangione says. “We’ve been programming there full-time in the summer for over five years. We want to be a part of its future. I’m serving on a committee with nine or ten other people—interested parties—looking into how to reuse the college.”
Another member of that ad-hoc committee is Leigh Davis, outgoing town selectboard member and incoming local Third District state representative. She sees potential for the campus to serve as a community resource that could include workforce housing and business incubators. “There are active groups working on solutions for those whose jobs are at risk,” Davis said. “My role on the town and now state level is to champion a plan that puts the property to the best use.”
Art Thrives
As Great Barrington grapples with Simon’s Rock’s exit, the arts community remains a torch of cultural vibrancy. GBPT is gearing up for an exciting winter and spring, with programming designed to entertain and engage. Frangione shares that the theater’s upcoming offerings at their smaller in-town venue include developmental readings of new plays as part of their Berkshire Voices program, a free informal “Conversations With” series on topics like playwriting and theater design, and a series of performances exploring themes of diversity and innovation. “We’re dedicated to new plays, and that’s all we do,” he says. “We have great presenters coming to talk about gender representation in the theater today, with some script work and discussions about the state of theater in regard to the LGBTQ+ community.”
Nearby, the handsomely restored, historic Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center hosts everything from live music to opera screenings. The Triplex Cinema, recently saved by a community effort, now offers a lineup of blockbuster hits and indie darlings. With iconic performance institutions like Jacob’s Pillow and Tanglewood not far outside of town, there’s truly something for every audience.
Additionally, local galleries like Geoffrey Young Gallery, Bernay Fine Art, and Lauren Clark Fine Art amplify the voices of contemporary and regional visual artists.
Natural Beauty
Great Barrington’s breathtaking landscape has been a draw for outdoorsy types for generations, offering a tapestry of enticing trails, vistas, and waterways. So, it was especially jarring for locals to spend weeks with plumes of smoke billowing on the horizon from wooded areas often hiked and explored in November. The Butternut wildfire required a massive effort from regional fire companies and led to the temporary closure of a section of the Appalachian Trail that traverses the town. There are also now potential hazards for hikers in the charred landscape, including shifting earth and falling trees.
Despite the disaster, Great Barrington remains a busy gateway to outdoor activities. Ski Butternut keeps visitors flocking to the area in the winter, offering 22 trails catering to various skill levels, along with a tubing area.
For those seeking winter hiking opportunities, the region is home to a ton of trails. Among notable hikes in the area are Monument Mountain, offering panoramic views of the Housatonic River Valley, and Bash Bish Falls, Massachusetts’s highest single-drop waterfall.
Shop, Eat, and Smoke Local
Down main drags and side streets, stores and restaurants here are as high-quality as they are eclectic. Hammertown provides a curated collection of modern and rustic home furnishings, perfect for a Berkshire retreat. Asia Barong enchants shoppers with a museum-quality selection of Asian antiques and artifacts and 1 Mercantile showcases artisanal gifts.
For vintage hunters, Boho Exchange is a trove. Robin’s Candy brings colorful confections, delighting both young and old. Fluff Alpaca specializes in cozy alpaca wool and its luxurious warmth, perfect for the chilly season. The Bookloft, an independent bookstore, carries a wide range of titles and genres in an inviting setting. Meanwhile, the Berkshire Co-op Market intertwines grocery shopping and community, showcasing local products ranging from organic cheeses to handmade soaps.
Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce President Betsy Andrus is refreshingly blunt and unfiltered in her vociferous boosterism of Great Barrington. “I don’t get when people complain about there being a vacant storefront,” she said, adding that the town is thriving economically. “It’s empty because they’re moving to a new spot and something new is coming in!”
Great Barrington’s culinary scene continues to impress, focused on local sourcing, rural charm, and highly skilled kitchens. Moon Cloud on Railroad Street blends all three, offering inventive cocktails paired with small plates that heavily feature homemade preserved and aged bites. For a quintessential fine dining farm-to-table experience, Prairie Whale delivers hearty seasonal fare served in a casual, rustic setting in the lineage of owner Mark Firth’s scene-setting Brooklyn restaurants Diner and Marlow & Sons. Former Prairie Whale chef Stephen Browning hung out his own shingle in April of last year, opening No Comply Foods, a world-fusion bistro on Stockbridge Road.
Cafe Adam takes an upscale approach with globally inspired dishes that celebrate agricultural bounty of the Berkshires. At Bizen Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar, diners discover an authentic taste of Japan, from artfully prepared sushi to ramen that rivals any metropolitan offering. For beer fans, Barrington Brewery & Restaurant serves handcrafted brews like its celebrated Black Bear Stout, while Berkshire Mountain Distillers in nearby Sheffield invites visitors to sample award-winning spirits.
The town also continues to grow as a cannabis industry destination, with seven (yes, seven) dispensaries in operation or coming soon. Farnsworth Fine Cannabis offers a curated selection of premium products with Wonka-chic elegance, Rebelle Dispensary prides itself on quality and community engagement, and the woman-owned Calyx Berkshire sits right at the center of town on Main Street.
However, business leaders, including Andrus, express concerns about market saturation, fearing that the influx of dispensaries may exceed local demand, especially with formerly reliable customers from New York now having stores in their own towns.
Community with Heart
While tourism may be Great Barrington’s engine, art its soul, and nature its brilliance, at the heart of the town’s resilience is its community of care and support. This is embodied by nonprofit leaders like Gwendolyn VanSant, whose dedication to inclusivity and justice has made a lasting impact in town and beyond. VanSant, a Simon’s Rock graduate and founder of Multicultural BRIDGE, has crafted a network of programs, from cultural competency workshops to transitional housing and a community kitchen.
BRIDGE addresses the health needs of local people of color, women, and those in crisis. The organization has developed spaces for wellness and solidarity, including a community farm and garden that provide culturally specific foods and healing herbs. “This space is about belonging,” VanSant says. “For communities of color, it’s a safe place for wellness, healing, and liberation.” Collaborations, such as a Black feminist book club with MASS MoCA and racial justice initiatives with local law enforcement, underscore BRIDGE’s expanding impact.
“Together we’ve built spaces for healing and joy,” VanSant says. “This is a community that leads with heart and action.”
Other successful nonprofits doing similarly important work include the Railroad Street Youth Project, which supports teens with mentorship and skill-building programs; Volunteers in Medicine, a provider of free healthcare to underserved residents; and the Berkshire South Regional Community Center, which fosters connection through free biweekly dinners, offering sustenance and solidarity.
Community Access to the Arts (CATA) has also become a transformative force here, nurturing the creativity of people with disabilities. From their Great Barrington studios, artists with autism, developmental disabilities, and brain injuries gather to explore dance, visual arts, writing, and more. Simultaneously, CATA’s teaching artists bring programs into schools, residences, and day-habilitation centers, ensuring that art becomes part of the daily lives of people across the region. “It’s about more than creating art,” said executive director Margaret Keller. “We’re creating opportunities for people to thrive and changing how our community thinks about disability.”
CATA’s efforts caught the attention of philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, who recently provided a $2 million Yield Giving grant to the institution. Keller describes the award as a profound moment for the organization. “It’s a testament to our community and the power of what we’re building together,” she says. With these resources, CATA plans to expand access to the arts for underserved groups and ensure that creativity continues to flourish where it’s needed most.
While Simon’s Rock’s closure signals the end of an era, Great Barrington’s people, steady economy, and ability to adapt remain a palliative force for progress. As VanSant notes, “Great Barrington is a community that doesn’t shy away from challenges. We rise, we create, and we come together.”
This article appears in January 2025.
