Embrace the Ones You Love

Ilene Richard was one of two artists who first established studios on the third floor of the Clock Tower Business Center in Pittsfield. "Once I was in my space, I thought it would be a great idea to get other artists on the floor to make the Clock Tower a destination for art buyers,” says Richard. She reached out to artists that she knew, and one by one, more artists came and took spaces. "I felt Pittsfield needed an artist space where there is free parking and elevator access for visitors,” she adds. The third floor is now filled with artist studios, and they are collectively known as the Clock Tower Artists, where events are regularly held. Richard is originally from eastern Massachusetts and has been living full-time in the Berkshires for more than five years. She previous did illustrations for publishing houses such as Random House, Scholastic, and Pelican. She loved illustrating for the children’s book market and then eventually turned her talents to large paintings on canvas and paper. Richard will have her work on display at Public Eat+Drink in North Adams in July. This painting, titled Embrace the Ones You Love, was created during the pandemic and depicts how Richard was feeling at that time. ilenerichard.comclocktowerartists.com

—Anastasia Stanmeyer

Spring 24