Our community once again found creative ways to gather and enrich each other’s lives this week, while adhering to COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions.
Art galleries were included as part of Gov. Charlie Baker’s Phase 3 reopening plan that began earlier this month, and some in the Valley have opened, but few have had opening receptions for their shows.
With the exhibition space limited to six people per 30-minute time slot, I watched as Anchor House of Artists in Northampton and their masked patrons tried out the new normal with a reception for Holyoke artist Peter Dellert last Friday.
“It was an exciting thing,” said Michael Tillyer, the gallery director.
“It felt like the old times and the new times. We opened the back door, and some people stayed” to talk outside, he noted. “It was a good time for people who haven’t seen each other to get back together.”
On Tuesday, I visited Clay Hill Farm in Chesterfield to get photos of the Bisbee family for a story about the 4-H show at this year’s Three County Fair. Due to the pandemic, it will be limited to exhibitors only.
“The show is a family event. Generations of people come for the kids. The kids hung out with their 4-H friends all weekend. They’ll definitely miss their friends this year,” Faith Bisbee said.
Last Thursday, I went to a retirement party for preschool teacher Suzanne Morse Rilla in Amherst and watched as her recent students, past students and their parents sat in cars decorated in signs and balloons at the end of a cul-de-sac near the home of their beloved teacher.
Morse Rilla strolled from car to car visiting with all, receiving gifts that included artwork, flowers and handpicked blueberries. Soon, she made a second pass to give the students friendship awards, prizes earned during a virtual field day she held, and photo books containing pictures of her entire class and quotes by them about what friendship means.
The focal point was a tree in the island of the cul-de-sac covered in nearly 200 hand-cut paper hearts; they were decorated with lines, swirls and photos bearing the names of students from her 34 years of teaching and were created by Morse Rilla’s assistant teacher of 13 years, Rachel Morales. They took about two weeks to make.
“Hearts just really touch me,” Morales said. It has been a tradition in her family since her uncle passed away about 15 years ago to find and gift heart-shaped rocks, she said. Morse Rilla once brought her a heart rock from a trip to Mexico. “She’s become one of my best friends,” Morales said.