Reading of New Works by 2022-23 Melville Fellows

2022-23 Melville Fellows Ashton Bird and Josie Overbook, both students at Berkshire Community College, will present free readings of original works created during their time at Arrowhead as part of Pittsfield’s 10 x 10 Winter Upstreet Arts Festival.  In addition, both fellows will present original artwork inspired by their time at Melville’s home. Reservations are not required.
Ashton Bird will be presenting a mixed-media piece that involves a digital rendering of Arrowhead’s Piazza, and an abstract component completed with acrylic paint. He will read an introduction about the piece’s inspiration and process, as well as a poem titled “The Dance Of Apollo” that reflects the experience of an artist, both in writing and painting. Bird is a Sophomore at BCC majoring in Psychology preparing to pursue a bachelor’s degree.
Josie Overbeck is a visual artist based in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Through her practice as a writer and painter, her primary interest is exploring the human condition and form. Her current project, “Bury Me Beneath the Apple Tree,” is a collection of poems, drawings, and paintings exploring grief, existentialism, and the universal experiences that make us human. Outside of her artistic practice, Josie is an avid outdoor and travel enthusiast. At the 10 x 10 festival Josie will be presenting an original illustration that captures the spirit of Herman Melville alongside a series of original short texts written at Arrowhead as part of her experience as a Melville Fellow.