Head in the Clouds Amherst: Exhibition in Two Galleries

Saturday, August 1, 2026

Exhibition in Two Galleries

Hampshire Bicycle Exchange
University Drive, Amherst
Photographer: Andy Churchill

This featured photo for August in our 2026 Head in the Clouds Amherst wall calendar comes from Andy Churchill, who captured the Hampshire Bicycle Exchange on University Drive beneath one spectacular Amherst sunset.

At first glance, I could have sworn this was a chic art gallery, its windows glowing in counterpoint to the extraordinary sunset. Imagine my surprise when Andy told me it was the Hampshire Bicycle Exchange. Only in Amherst could a bike shop pull off looking like modern art!

What I especially love is the conversation between sky and storefront – the brilliant pinks, oranges and purples overhead answered by that little illuminated world of color below. It's one of those scenes that rewards a second look: something completely ordinary, transformed for a few minutes by light, timing, and the good fortune of someone being there to notice.

For our final 2026 calendar, the jury selected favorite images from more than a decade of past calendars rather than issuing an open call. This photograph originally appeared in the 2024 calendar – and feels just right for August, when the long summer evenings give the sky plenty of time to put on a show.

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On Puffer's Pond

Saturday, February 4, 2023, 3:35 pm: The past two days have seen record-breaking cold in the area, with the temperature dipping to -14F overnight, Friday into Saturday. To make matters worse, the wind was unyielding, whipping through the trees and driving wind chill readings down to -40F. In a season that had been unusually mild up until that point, it was something of a shock. Local residents were suddenly forced to think about warming up their cars, preventing pipes from freezing, and dressing in multiple layers to walk their dogs. By Saturday, while many were happy to hunker down and wait for temperatures to stop breaking low records, this was the moment that ice fishers and skaters had been waiting for all winter. With temps hovering around 12F (albeit above zero) by Saturday afternoon, Puffer's Pond was the place to be for about 30 people, many of whom were spread out over the ice, either ice fishing or playing hockey. While this is a fairly typical sight at Puffer's in the coldest winter months, our current lack of snow made it unique. No one had to contend with snowpack - the skaters didn't even have to clear a "field" for their game. And with all the hiking paths snow and ice-free, photographers had no trouble capturing water flowing through, under, and around layers of ice on the water. And, still, at 12F, without hand and foot warmers, I did not linger long. The temps will be rising quickly in the coming week, climbing well above freezing, even to 50F in the days to come. So, I'm guessing the skaters and ice fishers also won't be here much longer.

(Read past entries here.)

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Saturday, August 1, 2026

Exhibition in Two Galleries

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