<div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Contact: Mike Clary, <a href="mailto:media.greatbarringtonpublic@gmail.com" target="_blank">media.greatbarringtonpublic@gmail.com </a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Elizabeth Nelson </span><a href="mailto:elizabethnelson817@gmail.com" style="color:blue;font-size:11pt" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(17,85,204)">elizabethnelson817@gmail.com</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="color:black;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:11pt"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="color:black;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:11pt">May 20, 2022</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Great Barrington Public Theater Art Show PERSIST Spotlights Seven Women Artists Working in Different Media, To Reflect Solo Fest Theme ‘Voices of Humanity’.</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black"></span></b><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black"></span></b></p><img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=bcf36df3e4&attid=0.0.1&permmsgid=msg-a:r-953354242061850971&th=180e20dcaa49e3ce&view=fimg&fur=ip&sz=s0-l75-ft&attbid=ANGjdJ-FJmy8VYArodnU4JRX32ZPNfWek53rAMp9uIJz4dpIo4h-DYrby3fdHfvsedD50kHb5ftqMIKWLRqoKOQGmUNARFxBTtCxeaQfvBhQOgbCEgittKLKWIakqjE&disp=emb&realattid=ii_l3ekzz380" alt="image.png" width="530" height="278" style="outline:0px;margin-right:0px"><br><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">As part of GB Public’s 2022 summer season, in conjunction with the Solo Fest (June 3-July 10), audiences and art lovers are invited to view a collection of gallery works created by seven women artists from around the Berkshires. Organized and curated by GB Public Associate Artist, Elizabeth Nelson, <i>PERSIST</i> explores themes of erosion, trauma, reimagination, investigation, beauty, and violence. The art show is presented as part of the Solo Fest theme of ‘voices of humanity’. There will be a public opening and reception with the artists 5:30-7:00pm, June 17, coinciding with 7:30pm opening of Robin Gerber’s new play, <i>The Shot</i>, which features well-known screen and stage actor Sharon Lawrence as Katharine Graham, famous publisher of <i>The Washington Post,</i> whose persistence in life and career is a model of a woman taking on power.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">“Theater is the live, public lyceum. It’s where contemporary culture is expressed and comes to conversation, explains Artistic Director Jim Frangione. “We are in new challenging times, and the Solo Fest is meant to voice a few of the big questions humanity is now asking. When Elizabeth suggested an art show installation in the gallery onsite, it was a natural fit. It’s an extension of some of the same questions the Solo Fest brings to stage. In light of what’s happening all around us in 2022, we all need to persist.”</span></p><img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=bcf36df3e4&attid=0.0.2&permmsgid=msg-a:r-953354242061850971&th=180e20dcaa49e3ce&view=fimg&fur=ip&sz=s0-l75-ft&attbid=ANGjdJ_JAzqQOap-EBxq3APdxTwiO_zmyuToGYZFNYe71HQK8vJzz8_5JIaLiI8b1gop34k-S0bZbX3g1wr2b7ESdLN8zUj1fZxDY-qqKPDREl0DMBoir3LgnrfWZ-Q&disp=emb&realattid=ii_l3el2ijp2" alt="image.png" width="364" height="444" style="outline:0px"><br><span style="color:black;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-style:italic;text-align:center">PERSIST curator & GB Public Associate Artist Elizabeth Nelson</span><p align="center" style="text-align:center;margin:0in 0in 10pt;font-size:9pt;font-family:Cambria,serif;color:rgb(31,73,125);font-style:italic"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black;background:yellow"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">“I wanted to bring together women who have been creating during these turbulent times,” Elizabeth Nelson adds. “Creating as a way to process, to maintain purpose and joy—to persist. What I discovered is that we have all been persisting in a multitude of ways from the beginning, as both women and artists. I’m curious how experiencing these particular works together as part of seeing live theater will affect the audience—what stories will reveal themselves? What might the viewer discover about how they have and continue to persist?”</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">Gallery works will include photography, drawing, flash fiction/CNF, and sculpture using </span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">recycled textiles, found and repurposed objects</span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">, </span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">and natural materials such as wood, bone, clay, and feathers.</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">PERSIST artists include: </span><b><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Parasrevi "Toula" Taliadoros</span></b><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">, owner and artist behind </span><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/MakeMyDayDesignShop" style="color:blue" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(17,85,204)">Make My Day Design</span></a><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">; </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/deirdremckenna/" style="color:blue" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(17,85,204);background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Deirdre McKenna</span></b></a><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">, writer and performer with the Powder Keg Writing Group for Women; </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/merudjina/" style="color:blue" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(17,85,204);background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Merudjina Normil</span></b></a><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">, interdisciplinary artist</span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(32,33,36);background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">;</span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"> </span><a href="https://arianakolins.com/home.html" style="color:blue" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(17,85,204)">Ariana Kolins</span></b></a><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">, interdisciplinary artist; <b>Lindsay Neathawk</b></span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">, owner of </span><a href="https://www.neathawkdesigns.com/" style="color:blue" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(17,85,204)">Neathawk Designs</span></a><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">; </span><a href="https://talby.art/" style="color:blue" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(17,85,204)">Natalia <span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">Bystrianyk</span></span></b></a><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">, intuitive painter; </span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">and </span><a href="https://www.elizabethnelson.net/" style="color:blue" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(17,85,204)">Elizabeth Nelson</span></b></a><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">, <span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">writer, multidisciplinary artist, and marketing professional.</span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><br></span><i><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">PERSIST </span></i><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">will be<i> </i>on view June 4 through August 6, 2022 in the Student Gallery outside the Liebowitz Black Box Theater in the Daniel Arts Center on the campus of Bard College at Simon’s Rock. Public reception is June 17, 5:30pm-7:00pm. More information and artists’ bios and samples can be seen on the company website </span><a href="https://www.greatbarringtonpublictheater.org/" style="color:blue" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(17,85,204)">GreatBarringtonPublicTheater.org</span></a><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin:0in;text-align:center;font-size:11pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><b><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black">####</span></b></p></div>