What Do You Do With An Old Piano

Fill in the blank: piano (blank). Did you say player? Teacher? Tuner? Mover?  All good guesses, but the word I was looking for was "painter".  Because it seems more than a dozen folks around the county have become piano painters for a cause.

The Adams Arts Advisory Board is hosting the local artists and the collection of unneeded, unwanted pianos. According to iBerkshires.com, once they're painted and decorated--and tuned--the instruments will be scattered across the county at participating venues this summer in a collaborative celebration of the Berkshire Summer of Music and famed conductor and pianist Leonard Bernstein's 100th birthday.

Sheffield's Sue MacVeety is one of the project's artists. Her piano will be going on display at the Bushnell-Sage Library, which is currently exhibiting her paintings celebrating local farms, "Boogie in the Barnyard." MacVeety told iBerkshires she's using a similar theme on her piano, with "Flowers and chickens and a mountain view so it fits in with Sheffield. I'm trying to fit in Mumbet and the Shay's Rebellion stone as well."

The full schedule for the Painted Pianos will be posted by July 1 at Berkshire Music School.The piano art will be on display around the Berkshires from July 18 through Aug. 25 and will be played by local pianists.in several pop-up concerts. Afterwards, they will be auctioned off with proceeds to benefit programming at Berkshire Music School.