The creative economy is fundamentally part of the Berkshires and one of its most visible members is Jess Vecchia. Jess is the Market Manager for the Downtown Pittsfield Farmers Market, the Director of the Alchemy Initiative, and a major proponent of the strong sense of community in Berkshires. Since completing her Master’s degree in New York City, she has reveled in the Berkshire lifestyle.
“There is something about the people here, it feels like they are accessible in a way that is really rare in bigger cities,” Jess says. “There is a lot of collaboration and sharing of resources, people want to connect and engage, and it’s a really beautiful thing.”
Her love of the collaborative atmosphere is evident in her work with the Farmer’s Market and the Alchemy Initiative. Since 2009, the Alchemy Initiative has been an organization aimed at the exploration of sustainability and creativity, now with a focus on the use of food as the foundation for creative community building. Through programs like the year-round Downtown Pittsfield Farmers’ Market, creative educational workshops, and the upcoming 8th Annual Handmade Holiday Festival, Jess and her team have been making that goal a reality. The team even recently became the lead manager for a $75,000 planning grant that the City of Pittsfield received from The Kresge Foundation. The idea is to use creative food-oriented development to revitalize the Morningside neighborhood.
All of this programming certainly keeps Jess busy, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. “There is a lot of room for creativity and dreaming,” Jess says. “I get to work with a mix of people who dream big and people who do big and that’s how things really come together.“ Jess and the team at the Alchemy Initiative have been a big part of the thriving creative economy in the Berkshires and they deserve some recognition for all of the great work they’ve been doing.
Make sure to keep an eye out for more upcoming programs and don’t miss your chance to pick up some amazing handcrafted goods at the 8th Annual Handmade Holiday Festival to be held at the Stationery Factory in Dalton on December 3 and 4!