Come for the horses, stick around for the barns

I’ll be teaching at HomeFarm at Undermountain in Lenox, MA as part of my Berkshires workshop in August (and, yes, I still have openings). They’ve very graciously opened their facility to us for three years running, and it’s one of the most beautiful places I get to teach. HomeFarm has started a capital campaign to raise $1.5 million by the end of this year. The goal is a thorough revamp of the property. Executive Director Lori Pestana recently told me that donations are currently being matched, which is why I’m bringing it to your attention.

HomeFarm at Undermountain is a rare, intact estate farm. It was built in 1902 by Boston surgeon Henry P. Jaques and his brother Eustace Jaques. The property includes the Jaques Stables and dairy barn, the sheep barn, the field barn, and the chicken house. A tenant cottage was added later in the 20^th century, and a large horse barn and riding arena were added in 1987.

The original barns are beautiful, complete and complex in their geometry, making them a painting teacher’s dream. I’ve never seen a similar set-up anywhere else. However, they’re also in serious need of restoration and preservation.

HomeFarm’s goal, then, is to restore and adapt these buildings for educational, cultural, and therapeutic programming. In addition, the farm is just across Parsons Marsh from bustling Lenox, so the capital campaign will have the secondary benefit of preserving greenspace.

There’s far more to HomeFarm than just beautiful buildings

HomeFarm at Undermountain has a working horse farm (with donkeys, sheep and goats as well), where they run equine-assisted programs including therapeutic group sessions for anxiety, PTSD, depression, and more. They teach kids, both in riding and camp programs. The farm is also a resource for horse rescue, sanctuary, and retirement.

HomeFarm hosts other workshops besides mine, in painting, writing, photography, and organic farming. It serves as an outdoor classroom for youth, homeschoolers, and schools.

But what I like almost as much as the barns are the 95 acres of pasture, forest, and hayfields that they steward. The farm overlooks Parsons Marsh and distant mountain vistas, and the views in every direction are fabulous. Right now, they’re returning twenty acres to active haying and fixing drainage problems. My inner artist loves a good hayfield, and my inner farmer rejoices at the return to sustainable hay crops for the animals.  

A tangible impact

HomeFarm at Undermountain operate with over 97% coming from donations. Individual, tax-deductible contributions fuel the bulk of their impactful work.

By donating, you’ll help:

• Preserve local heritage and historic architecture.
• Support wellness programs that change lives.
• Educate future generations and foster the arts.
• Rescue and care for animals in need.
• Conserve green space in the Berkshires.
• Empower a financially responsible nonprofit, tax benefits included.
• Make it possible for us painters to access an historic site that isn’t just an extension of a preserved Great House.

Registration is now open for workshops in 2026! Reserve your spot:

• Canyon Color for the Painter | Sedona, AZ, March 9-13, 2026
• Advanced Plein Air Painting | Rockport, ME, July 13-17, 2026
• Sea & Sky | Acadia National Park, ME, August 2–7, 2026
• Find your Authentic Voice in Plein Air | Berkshires, MA, August 10-14, 2026
• New! Color Clinic 2026 | Rockport, ME, October 3-4, 2026
• New! Composition Week 2026 | Rockport, ME, October 5-9, 2026