Summer Solstice
Saturday, June 21, 2025
5:30 PM–8:30 PM
Thomas Schütte Installation
(See the event location map)
Get directions to the Clark
Celebrate the summer solstice at the Clark!
Free. Picnic blankets encouraged. Cider from Berkshire Cider Project available for purchase. Inclement weather moves the event to Sunday, June 22. For accessibility questions, call 413 458 0524.
Activities
Foraging Walk
5:30–6:30 pm
Join herbalist, park ranger, and museum educator Misa Chappell for an interactive foraging walk through Ground/work 2025, the Clark’s outdoor sculpture exhibition. Along the way, you'll explore plant species, conservation status, cultural and natural history, and folklore.
Advance registration required. Capacity is limited. Registration opens one month ahead of the event. Meet on the Fernández Terrace by the Reflecting Pool.
Workshop: Flower Crowns
5:30 pm
Get creative and make your very own flower crown with Full Well Farm (Adams, Massachusetts).
First-come, first-served.
Tarot Readings
5:30–7:30 pm
Step into the mystical world of tarot with Rebecca Guanzon. Whether you're seeking clarity or curious about what the universe has in store, Guanzon’s readings will add a dash of magic and insight to your journey.
Spirit Drawings
5:30–7:30 pm
Sit for a spirit drawing session with artist Alison Pebworth, during which she creates unique, one-of-a-kind artworks inspired by brief interactions. Her drawings aim to capture the essence or "spirit" of each participant, drawing from a historical period in Shaker history when young girls created mysterious ink drawings as gifts.
Solstice Rituals
7:30–8:30 pm
Official Welcome
7:30–7:40 pm
justin adkins introduces the evening’s special offerings.
Smoke and Bell Cleanse
7:40–7:50 pm
Enter the space with intention through meditation and the ceremonial practice of burning sacred herbs and ringing bells, energetically cleansing the body, mind, and spirit as we embrace sacred time with our human and other-than-human kin.
Calling of the Directions
7:50–7:55 pm
Together, we honor the cardinal points—East, South, West, North, and Center—invoking their unique energies to celebrate the vitality of the sun-soaked season.
On Summer Solstice
7:55–8:25 pm
justin adkins discusses the history of the summer solstice and its celebrations across cultures, focusing on Northern European animism and its connection to indigenous perspectives. His words will inspire community singing, drumming, dancing, and merriment. Bring your own drum or noisemaker and join the fun!
Bidding the Directions Farewell
8:25–8:30 pm
We conclude the evening’s rituals by bidding farewell to the energies of the directions, expressing gratitude, and acknowledging the cyclical nature of their spiritual journey.
About the Facilitators
Misa Chappell is a park ranger at Savoy Mountain State Forest and an herbalist trained at Blazing Star Herbal School in Conway, Massachusetts, rooted in the "wise woman" tradition. She brings over fifteen years of experience as a museum educator at MASS MoCA and the Walker Art Center. Chappell’s work is grounded in local ecology and the cultural history of the region.
justin adkins has called Western Massachusetts and Southern Vermont home since 2004. As a co-founder of Wild Soul River, he shares his passion for foraging and collective learning. adkins is also president of our local Trout Unlimited chapter and consults nationally with DEI Outdoors.
Rebecca Guanzon is an herbalist and practitioner of trauma-informed care with over twenty years of experience. A graduate of the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, she specializes in medicine making, energy work, and individual herbal consultations. Guanzon is a co-founder of Wild Soul River.
Alison Pebworth is a MacDowell Fellow and award-winning artist known for her work in painting, installation, and social interaction. She explores culture, history, and personal connection in her projects, exhibited at over thirty venues across North America, including The Oakland Museum, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, The DeYoung Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, and The New Children’s Museum in San Diego. Currently in a year-long residency at MASS MoCA, Pebworth’s solo exhibition Cultural Apothecary is on view at the museum.
Free. Picnic blankets encouraged. Cider from Berkshire Cider Project available for purchase. Inclement weather moves the event to Sunday, June 22. For accessibility questions, call 413 458 0524.
Activities
Foraging Walk
5:30–6:30 pm
Join herbalist, park ranger, and museum educator Misa Chappell for an interactive foraging walk through Ground/work 2025, the Clark’s outdoor sculpture exhibition. Along the way, you'll explore plant species, conservation status, cultural and natural history, and folklore.
Advance registration required. Capacity is limited. Registration opens one month ahead of the event. Meet on the Fernández Terrace by the Reflecting Pool.
Workshop: Flower Crowns
5:30 pm
Get creative and make your very own flower crown with Full Well Farm (Adams, Massachusetts).
First-come, first-served.
Tarot Readings
5:30–7:30 pm
Step into the mystical world of tarot with Rebecca Guanzon. Whether you're seeking clarity or curious about what the universe has in store, Guanzon’s readings will add a dash of magic and insight to your journey.
Spirit Drawings
5:30–7:30 pm
Sit for a spirit drawing session with artist Alison Pebworth, during which she creates unique, one-of-a-kind artworks inspired by brief interactions. Her drawings aim to capture the essence or "spirit" of each participant, drawing from a historical period in Shaker history when young girls created mysterious ink drawings as gifts.
Solstice Rituals
7:30–8:30 pm
Official Welcome
7:30–7:40 pm
justin adkins introduces the evening’s special offerings.
Smoke and Bell Cleanse
7:40–7:50 pm
Enter the space with intention through meditation and the ceremonial practice of burning sacred herbs and ringing bells, energetically cleansing the body, mind, and spirit as we embrace sacred time with our human and other-than-human kin.
Calling of the Directions
7:50–7:55 pm
Together, we honor the cardinal points—East, South, West, North, and Center—invoking their unique energies to celebrate the vitality of the sun-soaked season.
On Summer Solstice
7:55–8:25 pm
justin adkins discusses the history of the summer solstice and its celebrations across cultures, focusing on Northern European animism and its connection to indigenous perspectives. His words will inspire community singing, drumming, dancing, and merriment. Bring your own drum or noisemaker and join the fun!
Bidding the Directions Farewell
8:25–8:30 pm
We conclude the evening’s rituals by bidding farewell to the energies of the directions, expressing gratitude, and acknowledging the cyclical nature of their spiritual journey.
About the Facilitators
Misa Chappell is a park ranger at Savoy Mountain State Forest and an herbalist trained at Blazing Star Herbal School in Conway, Massachusetts, rooted in the "wise woman" tradition. She brings over fifteen years of experience as a museum educator at MASS MoCA and the Walker Art Center. Chappell’s work is grounded in local ecology and the cultural history of the region.
justin adkins has called Western Massachusetts and Southern Vermont home since 2004. As a co-founder of Wild Soul River, he shares his passion for foraging and collective learning. adkins is also president of our local Trout Unlimited chapter and consults nationally with DEI Outdoors.
Rebecca Guanzon is an herbalist and practitioner of trauma-informed care with over twenty years of experience. A graduate of the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, she specializes in medicine making, energy work, and individual herbal consultations. Guanzon is a co-founder of Wild Soul River.
Alison Pebworth is a MacDowell Fellow and award-winning artist known for her work in painting, installation, and social interaction. She explores culture, history, and personal connection in her projects, exhibited at over thirty venues across North America, including The Oakland Museum, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, The DeYoung Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, and The New Children’s Museum in San Diego. Currently in a year-long residency at MASS MoCA, Pebworth’s solo exhibition Cultural Apothecary is on view at the museum.
