2026 Calendar Still Available

It’s not too late to get your 2026 Colrain Historical Society calendars, featuring 12 stunning paintings of local scenes by local artists, all from private collections and seen in our sixth annual art exhibit last fall. The calendars are available at $15 each at the Catamount Store and Pine Hill Orchards in Colrain, Hagers’ Store in Shelburne, and at Nancy Dole Books in Shelburne Falls

2026 Calendars Now on Sale

Front cover of the 2026 CHS calendar

The Colrain Historical Society has captured 14 of the vivid paintings from the “Colrain and Hilltowns on Canvas” exhibition last Fall in a 2026 calendar which is now available for $15. The calendar will make a great holiday gift!

You may purchase it at 

Catamount Country Store, 113 Main Rd, Colrain, MA

Pine Hill Orchards, 248 Greenfield, Rd, Colrain, MA

Hager’s Farm Market, 1232 Mohawk Trail (Route 2), Shelburne, MA

The calendar size when open is 17” x 11”.

Back cover of the calendar

The artists, images, and locations are

Front cover, A. Hale Johnson, Blue Barn

January, W. Lester Stevens, The Red Mill, Colrain

February, Pricilla Phelps, The Ed Stowe Place, Adamsville, Colrain

March, Jim Murphy, Grazing by the River

April, Maurice Kennedy, Coal Silos, Conway St., Buckland

May, Althea Brigham, Apple Blossom Time

June, Chris Bagg, Buckland Bridges

July, Robert Strong Woodward, Grey Heights, Buckland

August, Cynthia Herbert, Sipping Summer, and Watching

September, Rodger Desreuisseau, The Red Mill, Colrain

October, Lynn Fisher, Farming at Shoestring, Colrain

November, David Brewster, Cows in Green Station, Herzig Farm, Colrain

December, unsigned, Reed Farm, Conway

End page, Joseph Baker, Birches

Colrain Home for the Holidays Potluck Dinner and Auction

“Puringtons Farm”

Artist: David Brewster

2004

oil on paper mounted on wood panel

19” x 30-1/4”

The painting in the photo above is one of the items being auctioned by the Colrain Historical Society on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at the Shelburne Buckland Community Center, 53 Main Street, Shelburne Falls, MA. Depicting Woodslawn Farm on Wilson Hill Road in Colrain, it was painted in 2004 by David Brewster, an artist from Halifax, Vermont. Minimum bid: $650.00.

After the 5:30 P.M. potluck supper, the live auction will commence at 7:00 P.M. You are welcome to preview over 250 auction items and bid on silent auction items starting at 1:00 P.M.  Auction items include holiday items, wreaths, boxwood trees, antiques and collectibles, local artisan items, Colrain ephemera, gift certificates, art, specialty foods, gift baskets, and new items for gift giving. 

Sponsored by the Colrain Historical Society for our ongoing work on the museum buildings at 8 Main Road in Colrain.

Catamount Auction staff are donating their time. It should be like the good old times, years ago, when the Colrain Business Association ran the auctions.  

Cash or check only.

Questions? Contact Deb Wheeler 413-624-8800 or Deborahjeanwheeler@gmail.com

Colrain and the Hilltowns on Canvas VI Art Show

Red Mill by W. Lester Stevens

Adamsville Road, Colrain

Colrain Historical Society’s Annual Colrain and the Hilltowns on Canvas VI Art Show

Friday, September 19, 5 pm - 8 pm

Saturday, September 20, 10 am - 4 pm

Sunday, September 21, 10 am - 4 pm

at the Shelburne Buckland Community Center

53 Main St. Shelburne Falls, Ma. 

For this fundraising event, 80 pieces of art covering the 19th to the 21st century from private homes and collections in West County will be hanging.

As in the past, there are famous regional painters, professionals as well as self-taught artists included in the show. Every painting is new to this show. There will be a silent auction of 3 paintings including a Dirk Xu of Arms Academy and an A. Hale Johnson print. 

Admission is $10.00.

For more information contact Deb Wheeler at 413-624-8800.

2025 Calendars Now on Sale

Front cover of the 2025 CHS calendar

The Colrain Historical Society has captured 14 of the vivid paintings from the “Colrain and Hilltowns on Canvas” exhibition last Fall in a 2025 calendar which is now available for $15. The calendar will make a great holiday gift!

You may purchase it at 

Catamount Country Store, 113, Main Rd, Colrain, MA

Pine Hill Orchards, 248 Greenfield, Rd, Colrain, MA

Hager’s Farm Market, 1232 Mohawk Trail ( Route 2), Shelburne, MA

Nancy Dole Books, 20 State Street, Shelburne Falls, MA

The calendar size when open is 17” x 11”.

Back cover of the calendar

The artists, images, and locations are

Front cover, A. Hale Johnson, The Sled

January, Robert Emmett Owen, Shelburne Center

February, Robert Strong Woodward, A Winter’s Day, Buckland

March, Shepard Klar, Sugaring, Conway

April, Denis Bordeaux, Catamount Bobcat

May, Albert Maguire, The Lineup, Windswept Farm, Colrain

June, JoAnne Sherburne, Summerfield, the Dude Ranch, Colrain

July, Fred Burrington, Waiting to Smell Roses, Foundry Village, Colrain

August, Cynthia Herbert, Summer’s Day at Keldaby, Heath Rd, Colrain

September, David Brewster, Tumble In, Barber Hill, Colrain

October, W. Lester Stevens, Pumpkin Hollow, Conway

November, Joseph Baker, Martin Farm, West Leyden Rd, Colrain

December, Robert Steinem, Wild Raspberries, Colrain

End page, Ingrid Greenberger, Old Homestead, Ed Clark Rd, Colrain

Pile of calendars at Catamount Country Store

Copies of Industries and Occupations of Colrain are also available for sale for $20.

Colrain and Hilltowns on Canvas - 5th Annual Show!

September 21 and 22, 2024, 10am to 4pm 

Cost of admission is $10.00. 

 The Colrain Historical Society will sponsor the fifth annual fundraising art show at the Shelburne Buckland Community Center, 53 Main St. in Shelburne Falls. 

As well as Colrain themed art, paintings showing our neighboring hilltowns will round out the display. Regionally famous painters will include George Gardner Symons, Steve Maniatty, Robert Strong Woodward, W. Lester Stevens and A. Hale Johnson among others. 

There will be over 50 paintings by 40 different artists. Most are works on loan from private collections and homes in the hilltowns. The artists are contemporary or deceased, famous and not so famous, as well as self taught. It is intentionally a non-curated show. The mixed media, skill of the artist and their prospective is part of the magic experienced when walking through the rows of art. Many of the paintings show a period of time long gone and people find themselves reminiscing about their family's past. 

We will also have prints and reprints of items in the Historical Society’s collection and old maps of our area for sale. 

Please join us again this year for a rare opportunity to see this bit of visual history.

The photo above shows a landscape painting by George Gardner Symons.

[Source: September 2024 issue of the Colrain Clarion.]

2023 Calendars now available!

On Sept 22nd and 23rd the Colrain Historical Society hosted an exhibition of paintings titled “Colrain and the Hilltowns on Canvas”. The exhibit’s offerings of over 75 paintings by 40 different artists, all from private collections, ranged from 19th century works to contemporary pieces reflecting the changing face of our towns over time. 

The thirteen images in this calendar are selected from the exhibit. Calendars can be purchased for $15 at Pine Hill Orchards, Catamount Country Store or Hager’s Farm Market. For more information call 624-8800.

Colrain and the Hilltowns on Canvas - Sept 23rd and 24th

 

The Colrain Historical Society will sponsor its fourth annual fundraising art show on Sept 23 and 24, 9 am - 4 pm,  at the Shelburne-Buckland Community Center, 53 Main Street in Shelburne Falls. Admission: $10.

There will be over 75 paintings by 48 different artists, all paintings not seen in previous years. Most are works on loan from private collections and homes in the hilltowns. The artists are contemporary or deceased, famous and not so famous, as well as self-taught. It is intentionally a non-curated show. The mixed media, skill of the artist, and their prospective is part of the magic.

Please join us again this year for this rare opportunity to see a slice of hill town art and history. Regionally famous painters will include George Gardner Symons, Steve Maniatty, Robert Strong Woodward, Edwin Lorenzo Elmer and A. Hale Johnson among others. A special feature will be paintings by Judith Russell, a longtime Shelburne Falls folk artist.

We will also have prints and reprints of some items in the Historical Society’s collection and reprints of old maps for sale as well.

The Historical Society will also have a new booklet for sale, based on the Industries and Occupations of Colrain done by Katherine Cram in the late 1930s.

Front cover

Back cover

2022 Calendars For Sale

 

The “Colrain on Canvas” 2022 calendars are for sale at 

• Pine Hill Orchards in Colrain
• Catamount Country Store in Colrain
• Hager’s Farm Market in Shelburne
• Boswell’s Books in Shelburne Falls

$15 each, proceeds benefit the Colrain Historical Society. These make great gifts!

For shipping please email deborahjeanwheeler@gmail.com. Shipping $3.00 additional.

Colrain on Canvas II Art Show Prints For Sale

These are 6 prints of paintings that were in the Colrain on Canvas II Art show. They are for sale at $10.00 each. They can be mailed for an additional $1.50. 

Payment can be mailed or sent through PayPal. Local pickup with cash payment is also an option. All proceeds benefit the Colrain Historical Society. For more information email Deborahjeanwheeler@gmail.com or send a message through the Colrain Historical Society Facebook page.

The prints measure 11 “x 14”, including the border. 

• Top left is the Second Baptist Church on Christian Hill by Debra Schecterle Booth. 
• Top right is Griswoldville by Maria Miller Kingsley. (Ignore the glare from my camera.)
• Middle left is Colrain Center by Jim Baker.
• Middle right is Smith covered bridge by Robert Chandler.
• Bottom left is Colrain Center by Althea Brigham.
• Bottom right is The Red Mill by William Lester Stevens.

Colrain the inspiration for weekend art show

 

An article about the “Colrain on Canvas II” Art Show was in the Recorder on Tuesday, September 28. Read the article on the Greenfield Recorder website.

https://www.recorder.com/Colrain-the-inspiration-for-weekend-art-show-42693955

“Colrain on Canvas” 2020 Calendar

The Colrain Historical Society has captured 12 of the vivid paintings from the “Colrain on Canvas” exhibition last spring in a 2020 calendar which is now available for $15. The calendar will make a great holiday gift!

Available at the following locations:

• Marty’s Repair, Main Road, Colrain
• Catamount Country Store, Main Road, Colrain
• Pine Hill Orchards, Greenfield Road, Colrain
• Colrain Town office
• Colrain Post Office
• Hager’s Farm Market, Rt 2, Shelburne
• Sawyer Newsroom Co., Bridge St, Shelburne Falls
• Boswell’s Books, Bridge St. Shelburne Falls

The calendar size when open is 17” x 11”.

• January - High St. Griswoldville - Jack Braudis 
• February - Call Rd. Lusty Farm - Ida Waslake
• March - Willis Block Place - Evelyn Pennegar
• April - Wilson Hill - A. Hale Johnson
• May - Pasture Vacationers - Alice Gammell
• June - Colrain Center - Unknown, ca. 1850
• July - Colrain Center - William Lester Stevens
• August - Colrain Center - James Lister
• September - River St. Covered Bridge - Althea Brigham
• October - Roberts Farm - Myrtle Fish Purington
• November - Colrain Center - Nord Bowlen 
• December - West Branch Adamsville - Raymond Ewing

Also, save the date for “Colrain on Canvas II” on the weekend of May 23 & 24, 2020, at the Shelburne-Buckland Community Center, 53 Main Street, Shelburne Falls.

Art Exhibition Brochure

Buckland-Shelburne Community Center, 53 Main Street, Shelburne Falls

Art Exhibit Brochure (top of page 1)

Click this link for a PDF copy of the Art Exhibit Brochure available to everyone who attends the show.

"Colrain on Canvas" 

Sat. and Sun., April 13 and 14, 2019

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Guided tours at 11 am and 2 pm

Shelburne-Buckland Community Center

53 Main Street

Shelburne Falls, MA

Suggested contribution is $10 for adults, children under 12 free. 

 For more information call (413) 624-8800.

Don't Miss It! "Colrain on Canvas" Painting Exhibition

"Colrain on Canvas" 

Sat. and Sun., April 13 and 14, 2019

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Guided tours at 11 am and 2 pm

Shelburne-Buckland Community Center

53 Main Street

Shelburne Falls, MA

Suggested contribution is $10 for adults, children under 12 free. 

 For more information call (413) 624-8800.

April Potluck, Meeting, and Show and Tell

Pitt House, 8 Main Road, Colrain

The Colrain Historical Society will hold its first meeting of the 2019 season at the home of Joan McQuade, 7 Main Road, Colrain, on Thursday, April 18, at 7 p.m.

There will be a potluck supper at 6:00 p.m. before the meeting. Bring a main course, salad, veggie or dessert to share; cider will be available.

Following the meeting, at 7:30 p.m. a short “Show and Tell” program will be a narrative drawn from “Our Trip West,” the diary of the Donelson family (of two generations) auto trip west to California, Canada, and back in 1939, written by one of the passengers, Winnifred Lincoln, mother of Ruth Donelson. This seven-week odyssey in a new car holding two men and three women and their luggage during the Depression was “the trip of a lifetime.” The detailed diary tells as much about these five New Englanders as it does about United States at that time. It’s something of a social history.

 You can come for part or all of the evening, but we hope you’ll be there for the meeting to find out what’s happening with the Pitt House property, and what to expect this coming summer.

And don’t forget "Colrain On Canvas," the not-to-miss exhibition of 60 paintings of Colrain villages, farms, and landscapes by 40 artists from Colrain, nearby and visitors such as George Gardner Symons--- professionals and talented amateur painters.You’ll find it Saturday and Sunday, April 13 and 14, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Shelburne-Buckland Community Center in Shelburne Falls.

George Gardner Symons, one of the many artists whose works will be exhibited.
Photo credit: Wikipedia

If you haven’t volunteered to make cookies/bars for the art exhibition or to help out as a docent and you would like to, call (625-2003).

Painting Exhibit: Colrain Scenes

The Colrain Historical Society is making plans for a fundraiser art exhibit of Colrain scenes painted by local and visiting artists since the early 1900s. Colrain artists will include Hale Johnson, Donald Greason, and Marshall Looman, among others. Visiting artists will include Gardner Symonds, Lester Stevens, Steve Maniatty, and more.

A view of the center of Colrain, by William Lester Stevens.

The show will include landscapes from all over town as well as village scenes from various vantage points. The exhibit will be at the Buckland-Shelburne Community Center on Saturday and Sunday, April 13 and 14, 2019.

 Looking down the North River toward Shelburne Falls from behind Fishlein's Market in Shattuckville, by George Gardner Symons