Community Access to the Arts

Community Access to the Arts Community Access to the Arts nurtures and celebrates the creativity of people with disabilities.

Check out these stunning mixed media collages created by CATA artists at The Arc Columbia-Saratoga! Artists created orig...
06/23/2026

Check out these stunning mixed media collages created by CATA artists at The Arc Columbia-Saratoga! Artists created original paintings and drawings, then cut up and recombined them in this CATA workshop led by Resident Visual Art Faculty Camille Roos. ✍️ The pieces are titled "Tiki Jungle" by Zach, "Abstract" by David, "A Powerful Friendship" by Nic, and "Stripes" by Savannah.

🎨 Did you know that CATA partners with 67 partner organizations across Berkshire and Columbia counties to bring arts workshops to people with disabilities? Every day of the week, adults with disabilities are expressing themselves through art with CATA!

Image description: brightly colored collages with varied shapes and textures.

Come experience CATA’s Annual Art Show at The Clark! 🎨 You’ll find 80 paintings and drawings by CATA artists, including ...
06/22/2026

Come experience CATA’s Annual Art Show at The Clark! 🎨 You’ll find 80 paintings and drawings by CATA artists, including Lynn Lipka (UCP of Western Massachusetts)!

CATA artists in our Making a Soundtrack Workshop created a musical response to this piece using a system of “structured improvisation.” CATA artists collaborate to select the musical volume, pitch, speed, instruments and more. What elements of the color, texture, or shapes in in this piece do you think inspired their interpretation? Can you spot any patterns in the music or artwork?

Can't wait to experience the exhibit? You can dive into work by CATA artists in our exciting Digital Exhibit Guide: cataarts.org/digitalguide

🎧 Listen: to our audio guide and original music recorded by CATA artists.
▶️ Watch: Behind-the-scenes videos and interviews with the artists.
📲 Explore: Stunning CATA art and more!

Image description: An inky black painting with strokes of varied textures. CATA artist Lynn Lipka holds another painting. Artists from CATA's Making a Soundtrack Workshop play musical instruments.

CATA artists at BFAIR are letting their creativity fly! In our arts workshops, CATA Resident Visual Arts Faculty Camille...
06/19/2026

CATA artists at BFAIR are letting their creativity fly! In our arts workshops, CATA Resident Visual Arts Faculty Camille Roos provides a variety of personalized materials and adaptive tools so that every artist can bring their vision to life.

🎨 Did you know that CATA partners with 67 partner organizations across Berkshire and Columbia counties to bring arts workshops to people with disabilities? Every day of the week, adults with disabilities are expressing themselves through art with CATA!

Image description: Adaptive paint sticks and pencils with small drawings collaged on paper.

Come experience CATA’s Annual Art Show at the Clark! 🎨 You’ll find 80 paintings and drawings by CATA artists, including ...
06/18/2026

Come experience CATA’s Annual Art Show at the Clark! 🎨 You’ll find 80 paintings and drawings by CATA artists, including Cathy Crofut (Stanton Home & Berkshire County Arc Center for Development)!

Cathy has been a CATA artist for almost 20 years, and has featured many of her paintings in CATA’s exhibits at the Clark. She is a pioneer in Artistic Realization Technologies (A.R.T.), an adaptive painting technique designed for people who may not be able to hold or manipulate a paintbrush. 🖌️ Cathy says, “I like painting shapes that move and jump around. I love the colors that I chose. I hope people feel happy looking at my paintings.”

Cathy also helped curate CATA's Annual Summer Art Show! Listen to her talk about her own painting, and other pieces she curated, in CATA's digital exhibit guide ⬇️

🎧 Listen: to our audio guide and original music recorded by CATA artists.
▶️ Watch: Behind-the-scenes videos and interviews with the artists.
📲 Explore: Stunning CATA art and more!
cataarts.org/digitalguide

Image description: A vibrant painting with geometric shapes. CATA artist Cathy Crofut speaks into a microphone.

06/17/2026

Feel the magic of CATA’s Ripple Effect! 🎭 We’re still basking in the glow of last month’s CATA Gala & Annual Performance, and we wanted to share some of that warmth with this short highlights video!

Take a moment to enjoy the powerful performances, creativity, and joy that CATA artists with disabilities brought to the stage—shaping every part of the show, including choreography, song lyrics, costumes, lighting, and sets. And share this quick video with anyone who needs a jolt of CATA joy to kick off their summer!

🫶 Thank you to CATA’s generous supporters and community for making a difference for CATA artists!

▶️ Want to watch the full performance of The Ripple Effect? Check out the entire recording (filmed by CATA artists!) on our website: cataarts.org/media/

🎨🫖 Are you a parent or caregiver of a child with special needs? Join CATA and Families Like Ours this SATURDAY (June 13)...
06/12/2026

🎨🫖 Are you a parent or caregiver of a child with special needs? Join CATA and Families Like Ours this SATURDAY (June 13) from 10-12am for our free Special Needs Art & Tea Party! Enjoy fun art and dance activities while connecting with other families in our community at this monthly event. Bring the whole family— plus, we’ll have free tea and treats from Extra Special Teas!

🤗 RSVP to [email protected]. Drop-in's okay, too. Visit CATAarts.org/events to learn about our monthly Art & Tea events!

CATA's Annual Art Show at the Clark opens THIS SATURDAY, June 13! 🖼️ You'll find 75 paintings and drawings by CATA artis...
06/10/2026

CATA's Annual Art Show at the Clark opens THIS SATURDAY, June 13! 🖼️ You'll find 75 paintings and drawings by CATA artists, including this stunning painting by CATA artist Rory Adams from High Spirit Community Farm.

Rory is a longtime CATA artist whose works are instantly identifiable for their bold brushstrokes, eye-popping color combinations, and rich, layered textures. His paintings often depict soft, blended hues and many have been featured in CATA's exhibits at the Clark Art Institute & Lichtenstein Center for the Arts.

Come check out Rory's painting in CATA's Annual Art Show at the Clark—on display through October 12! And visit our website to learn about our upcoming Exhibit Celebration and Meet the Artists events.

Can't wait to experience the exhibit? You can dive into work by CATA artists in our exciting Digital Exhibit Guide: cataarts.org/digitalguide

🎧 Listen to our audio guide and original music recorded by CATA artists.
▶️ Watch: Behind-the-scenes videos and interviews with the artists.
📲 Explore: Stunning CATA art and more!

Image description: A swirling black and white painting, and a photo of Rory in front of a colorful pink and yellow painting in an exhibit.

And that's a wrap for the school year at Conte Community School! Here's some of our youngest CATA artists sharing their ...
06/09/2026

And that's a wrap for the school year at Conte Community School! Here's some of our youngest CATA artists sharing their artwork at their Commuity Showcase. This spring CATA Resident Visual Arts Faculty Lucie Castaldo led Conte students in exciting arts workshops where they explored drawing, collage, painting, and sculptures like these! Much of the work you see here was inspired by Judith Scott, an internationally renowned fiber artist with disabilities who lived from 1943-2005.

📚🎨 CATA partners with local school districts to bring weekly arts programs to over 400 students in special education classrooms across Berkshire County and Columbia County, NY. Every day, students and teens tap into their talents through CATA!

Get ready for CATA's Annual Art show at the Clark! 🎨 Opening Saturday, June 13, you can find 80 paintings and drawings b...
06/06/2026

Get ready for CATA's Annual Art show at the Clark! 🎨 Opening Saturday, June 13, you can find 80 paintings and drawings by CATA artists, including Ryan Boesse from UCP of Western Massachusetts!

Ryan's work is one of several pieces at the Clark that inspired a musical soundtrack by CATA artists! 🎶 CATA musicians in our Making a Soundtrack workshop responded to Ryan's mysterious pastel drawing, where a gradient of rusty orange and red gives way to turquoise peeking through at the top left of the brown paper. Ryan has been a CATA artist since 2018. His paintings often depict soft, blended hues and many have been featured in CATA's exhibits at the Clark Art Institute.

Connect with CATA Art! You can dive deeper into work by Ryan and more CATA artists work at the Clark through CATA's Digital Exhibit Guide: cataarts.org/digitalguide

🎧 Listen to our audio guide and original music recorded by CATA artists.
▶️ Watch: Behind-the-scenes videos and interviews with the artists.
📲 Explore: Stunning CATA art and more!

Discover the creativity, talent, and unique perspectives of artists from across the Berkshires and Columbia County in “I...
06/05/2026

Discover the creativity, talent, and unique perspectives of artists from across the Berkshires and Columbia County in “I Am a Part of Art,” Community Access to the Arts’ annual exhibition. Featuring more than 300 paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures, and mixed-media works by artists with disabilities, this inspiring exhibition celebrates the power of art to spark connection, foster inclusion, and share meaningful stories.

On view at the Clark from June 13–October 12, 2026, in the Lunder Center at Stone Hill, “I Am a Part of Art” invites visitors to experience a vibrant collection of works created through CATA’s year-round programs. The exhibition will also be presented at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts in Pittsfield from July 8–August 28, 2026.

For a deeper look into the exhibition, join us on Tuesday, August 18, from 1–3 pm for a special meet-and-greet with participating CATA artists. This free event offers a unique opportunity to connect with the artists, hear about their creative processes, and learn more about the stories behind their work.

Enhance your visit with CATA’s digital exhibition guide on Bloomberg Connects, featuring artist-narrated audio tours, image descriptions, multilingual exhibition information, and video interviews with participating artists.

Address

420 Stockbridge Road, Suite 2
Great Barrington, MA
01230

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Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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+14135285485

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