Exciting News from Head in the Clouds Amherst!

Sunset over Simple Gifts Farm, North Amherst MA
Photo by Sharon Vardatira

For over a decade, I’ve had the joy of sharing the beauty of Amherst and the Pioneer Valley through our annual "Head in the Clouds Amherst" wall calendars, featuring stunning work by local photographers. Next year, 2026, will mark our 12th edition, and after much thought, I’ve decided to do something a little different to celebrate this milestone.

Instead of issuing a call for new photo submissions, the 2026 calendar will feature a "best of" collection – showcasing some of our most-loved images from past years. It’s an opportunity to celebrate everything we’ve built together over the years and wrap up this chapter of the calendar project.

I want to be clear: 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱𝘀 𝗔𝗺𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲. The decision to step back from producing a new calendar each year will allow me to focus more on what originally inspired this page – cloudspotting. Moving forward, I’m excited to dedicate more energy to building our community and creating new opportunities for us all to share our photos, thoughts, and experiences around the skies we love so much.

A quick note: 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 "𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱𝘀 𝗔𝗺𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁" 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿, but this shift in focus is about embracing new ways of connecting and sharing our love for clouds and the natural world all around us. Thank you for your continued support, and for being part of this special community. Let’s make this final calendar year one to remember as we look forward to our next chapter of cloudspotting!

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗯 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 "𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳" 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿.

About the photo: "Sunset over Simple Gifts Farm" in North Amherst was the featured photo for November in our 2015 calendar. As with all our calendars, the 2026 "best of" collection will showcase photographs taken over the years by 12 different Pioneer Valley residents and visitors.

Poets in Dialogue (in May)

Poetic Dialogue silhouettes of Emily Dickinson & Robert Frost, Amherst
Photo by Mindy Domb

Here we are in May, one of the most delightful months in Amherst and the surrounding area. Flowering trees and bushes remind us that colorful foliage is not exclusive to the fall, and warmer weather heralds graduations across the area, dining on patios and porches, long hikes, and leisurely afternoons spent watching the clouds drift by overhead. This image of the Poetic Dialogue silhouettes of Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost in downtown Amherst was captured by Mindy Domb. Chosen for its embodiment of spring's spirit, this is the featured photo for May in the 2025 Head in the Clouds Amherst wall calendar.

As Mindy reflected, “I was walking in downtown Amherst and the light captured the scene in such a way that it made me think of the joys of spring and connecting with one another in conversation.”