(PITTSFIELD, Mass.) – Ten Berkshire artists will be featured on ten different billboards throughout western Massachusetts this month as part of 10X10 On North, a winter arts festival taking place over the course of 11 days. The featured artists are part of the invitational art show TEN SPOT, on display from February 16 through March 10, 2012, at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts in downtown Pittsfield.

The TEN SPOT art show was curated by Lauren Clark, owner of Lauren Clark Fine Arts in Housatonic; Jonathan Secor, Director of MCLA’s Gallery 51 in North Adams; and Megan Whilden, Director of Cultural Development for the City of Pittsfield. Featured artists include painters Kiki DuFault of Great Barrington; Richard Britell and Joe Goodwin of Pittsfield; and Melissa Matsuki Lillie of North Adams. The show also features mixed media work by Olive Thomas of Pittsfield; Ven Voisey and Sean Riley of North Adams; and Marianne Petit of Adams, as well as sculpture by Bart Arnold of Lenox and Brent Whitney of Adams.

TEN SPOT opens Thursday, February 16, with an artist reception from 5pm to 7pm. The TEN SPOT opening reception also officially kicks off the 10X10 On North Festival. The reception is open to the public and attendees are encouraged to enjoy poetry at Y Bar, song at Mission Bar + Tapas, and the 10X10 New Play Festival at Barrington Stage Company’s Stage Two as well later that evening.

“There is incredible contemporary art being created here in the Berkshires and we wanted to shine a light on it,” noted Megan Whilden. “It was very difficult to narrow down the list to ten. Luckily there are at least three other gallery shows and visual arts events happening as part of 10X10 that feature other excellent local artists.”

TEN SPOT opens February 16 and runs through Saturday, March 10, 2012. The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts gallery is free and open to the public Wednesday through Saturday, from noon to 5pm. The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts is a city-owned community arts center located at 28 Renne Avenue in downtown Pittsfield.

The 10X10 On North festival lasts eleven days and features over one hundred events in a dozen locations throughout downtown Pittsfield from February 16th through the 26th, 2012. The festival features ten new ten-minute plays, a smartphone film festival, ten poets, ten singer-songwriters, ten variety acts, three different art shows featuring ten Berkshire artists each plus a live painting event, and even a ten minute burlesque performance. Venues include Barrington Stage Company, Ferrin Gallery, Y Bar, Mission Bar & Tapas, Gallery 25, NEW Stage Performing Arts Center, Shawn’s Barbershop, the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, Pittsfield Bra & Girl, Massive Graphics and more.