RiverWalk Reception at Historic Beaver Mill

On July 15th, we kicked off our public arts initiative with a reception at the Historic Beaver Mill. Artists and river enthusiasts from the area joined together to celebrate the concept design for the North Adams RiverWalk, created by architects Tessa Kelly and Chris Parkinson of ARCADE. HRR president, Nancy Bullett, gave an informative overview of HRR’s ongoing projects, such as the RiverWalk and the 2nd annual River Run. The pair of architects then gave a wonderful presentation about their Blue Flags project, which they have been working on since 2025. These monumental pieces of art would mark the route of the river, drawing more attention to the often overlooked Hoosic and inspiring more people to interact with the waterway. ARCADE plans to apply for a NEA grant this coming cycle, which would help fund this public art initiative. Lively discussion followed the talk with many guests jumping in with ideas about how to build community support and ways to interact with existing riverside trails in nearby towns. Afterwards, Eric Rudd gave an exuberant tour of his impressive art studio, which we witnessed as packed with works on the same monumental scale. It was lovely to join so many community leaders in discussing the exciting future of HRR and the RiverWalk projects.

Thank you so much to Barbara and Eric Rudd for hosting this event at their beautiful home in the Historic Beaver Mill. Likewise, thank you to Tessa and Chris for their wonderful presentation and discussion leadership.