IS183 Art School Announces Rebrand to Berkshire Art Center

IS183 Art School is evolving! Their new name, Berkshire Art Center (BAC), is accompanied by a new logo designed by Moho Design Creative with a form that evokes a variety of mediums and colors that nod to the full spectrum of possibilities in making art. 

Founded in 1991 and growing to be the leading provider of high quality, hands-on instruction in the visual arts year-round at sites throughout Berkshire County, IS183 Art School (then Interlaken School of Art) was founded as a place where “people who love art, regardless of age or ability, can gather to experience creative expression.” After conducting a series of focus groups over the last year, involving a community of current and past students, teaching artists, staff, local artists, and volunteers, the majority felt that the organization’s name needed to be an embodiment of its mission and more closely represent what the organization is about.

“This rebranding is as much about our past as it is about our future”, says Lucie Castaldo, Executive Director. “It’s an affirmation of all that we do in the Berkshires. We are a center for the visual arts, offering classes, professional development, exhibitions, residencies, and events - for all ages, year-round, across our county.”

The organization has evolved to reach over 2,500 students each year through studio-based classes, artistic events, and out-of-school engagement programs. Over the last two years, they’ve developed a new curriculum for their after-school programs across the county - ARTcentric Berkshires highlights the wealth of talent in our region and shows students that ‘an artist is a person in their neighborhood’. “It should be abundantly clear that the work BAC does to share the transformative power of the visual arts with our community - simply could not happen without the many artists that live and work in our county”, says Castaldo. 

The impetus for the change began during a year-long Inclusive Leadership Cohort led by Multicultural BRIDGE. Alongside our community, through focus groups and surveys, we explored our organization’s identity, discussed the barriers implied by “school”, and debated the very definition of “art”. Berkshire Art Center is an embodiment of our commitment to creating an inclusive space - one that celebrates ‘art’ in its many forms and the diverse community of artists in the region. Berkshire Art Center continues to be a space for all - regardless of age, skill level, background, economic status, or education and a beacon of creativity in the Berkshires.

Now as Berkshire Art Center, the organization is excited to continue creating relationships within the community, especially through new partnerships with the Berkshire Potters Collective, a group of potters in the Berkshires who want to promote the vibrant community of ceramic artists in the area, and with Manos Unidas and Roots & Dreams and Mustard Seeds on projects that will center around highlighting the many BIPOC and immigrant artists in our region.

Visit berkshireartcenter.org to explore the new website, brand, and learn more about Berkshire Art Center’s upcoming events and classes.