Author: Blackstone Valley Art Association

The Blackstone Valley Art Association is sponsoring the 8th Annual Anything Goes Photography Show – this show is open to the public! All styles of cameras and cellphone images are warmly welcome!

When:
January 4 to February 21, 2020

Where:
BVAA Alternatives Uxbridge Community Gallery
5 South Main Street
Uxbridge, MA 01569

There is a TON of free parking immediately next to this building. It is fully and easily handicapped accessible.

BVAA Alternatives Uxbridge Community Art Gallery Information

Participation is open to the public. Each participant may exhibit up to two photos. These will be judged for cash prizes.

Entering the Show
The entry fee for the main show, open to all styles of photography, is $15/2 pieces for BVAA members and $20/2 pieces for non-members. The theme is wide open. You can submit a portrait, landscape, still life, abstract, seascape, you name it. Your imagination is the limit.

Photos can be any size. That being said, please contact us first if you plan on bringing anything over 20″ x 30″ in size. We need to arrange for space for those separately.

All photography must be family friendly and properly wired for hanging. Our hanging system does not work with saw-tooth or triangle hangers. If you are new to preparing photography for shows, read our page on How to Mat and Frame a Photo. Please also check out our Show Terms and Conditions

All photos which are entered are hung. There is no “pre-selection” process where some are accepted and others are rejected. If you submit artwork, and it is family-friendly and wired properly, it will be part of our show. You can have your photo listed with a price for sale, or you can have it Not For Sale if you wish.

Submissions
To submit your entries use our BVAA Online Submission Form. The deadline to submit is midnight on Saturday, January 4th, 2020. Work must be dropped off by Saturday, January 4th, 2020 at 3pm. All work which is brought in will be hung (as long as it is properly wired and is family-friendly).

In the past we had a separate section for film images. This year, we will have them included in the main show judging. If you do something unusual by using film cameras or unusual techniques, please let us know in the submission form. Members love to learn about those things.

For this year, our back room will have a special show curated by Michelle Benjamin and featuring clients of the Alternatives program.

We will hang the show on Wednesday January 8th.

Judging
Judge to be announced

Opening Reception
The opening reception for the show is Friday, January 10th, 2019 from 5-7pm. Invite family and friends – all are welcome!

Pick Up
Saturday, February 22nd, 2020, from 10am to 3pm. If you aren’t able to make that, please contact us for other arrangements.

Address any questions via our BVAA Contact Information

Ask with any questions! We look forward to seeing your entries!

You can see what this show is like by looking through:
7th Annual Anything Goes Photography Show – 2019
6th Annual Anything Goes Photography Show – 2018
5th Annual Anything Goes Photography Show – 2017
4th Annual Anything Goes Photography Show – 2016
3rd Annual Anything Goes Photography Show – 2015
2nd Annual Anything Goes Photography Show – 2014
1st Annual Anything Goes Photography Show – 2013

It’s that time of year! The time to celebrate!

Our Annual Holiday Party for 2019 will be held on Tuesday, December 17th from 6-9pm. We’ll start from 6:00-6:30pm with our discussion of the group’s upcoming events, and then go into the party time.

Note we are having this year’s party AT A RESTAURANT so we can fit us all. It’ll be in a private room so we can talk, laugh, and have fun!

Location
Willow Brook Restaurant
16 Hastings Street
Mendon, MA
https://willowbrookrestr.com/

Food will be buffet style so everyone can mingle, talk, and relax. Here’s what’s on the menu:

Baked haddock
Yankee pot roast
Chicken parmesan
Oven roasted potatoes
Butternut squash
Tossed salad
Rolls
Coffee
Tea

Bob Evans is bringing in a delightful decorated sheet cake for dessert!

The total cost for the evening including tip and tax and everything is $27 each. For members, the BVAA will subsidize part of the cost so that the per-person cost for members is $20 each. Please RSVP for yourself for now. Once we’re sure how many members we have attending, we’ll then open it up to guests. The guest would pay the full $27.

You can drop off cash or check at the gallery any Saturday, you can use PayPal online to info@bvaa.org, or you can snail-mail a check to:

BVAA
PO Box 136
Whitinsville, MA 01588

Please make sure to email in your reservations to us by FRIDAY DECEMBER 6th MIDNIGHT so we know what room we have for guests. Once we know the member count we’ll put out the call for guests if we still have room. Please be timely. The restaurant need time to plan out their meals!

Yankee Swap
Our BVAA Holiday Parties feature a fun Yankee Swap gift exchange. You can participate or not participate as you wish. If you’d like to join in this fun project, bring a gift-wrapped gift of $10 or less in value. The way we do it is we put all the wrapped gifts in a pile. We hand out numbers so every person gets a number. Whoever is number 1 chooses a gift, unwraps it, and shows it to the group. Person 2 then goes and unwraps a gift. They can keep it or swap it with anybody else who has a gift out. It keeps going until the end, at which point person 1 can choose anything they want. It’s a lot of fun :).

We look forward to seeing everyone!

NOTE: This class will focus on still life. Bring what you’d like to paint and your light and Carol will see you there!

Oil paint has been the medium of choice for a wealth of famous painters. Leonardo da Vinci. Claude Monet. Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Paul Cezanne. There is just something spectacular about the beauty of oil paint which captures the eye and the imagination.

Whether you’re a raw beginner or an experienced painter, this oil painting class will take you to the next level. It’s full of personal hands-on advice and a warm, welcoming atmosphere!

Talented painter Carol Arnold teaches a monthly oil painting class at the BVAA Alternatives Uxbridge Community Gallery! Carol is a member of Richard Schmid and Nancy Guzik’s Putney Painters! All levels of painters are welcomed with open arms. The focus will be on drawing, edges, values and color. These are areas which a beginner can practice and an advanced student can hone to perfection.

Carol makes these classes fun and inspiring, while supporting you to the next level of your growth!

This monthly class usually meets on the first Monday of every month from 6-9 pm. We are experimenting with other days to see how they work.

Cost:
The maximum class size will be 10 students, to ensure plenty of hands-on time for each one.
If there are only 1 or 2 students registered for a class, the class will be cancelled.
If there are 3 or 4 students, each student pays $20/hr for the class = $60 total.
If there are 5-10 students, each student pays $15/hr for the class = $45 total.

Invite your friends! Share the news! The more students which attend, the less you pay and the more fun it is to learn from each other.

When:
Monday, Dec 2, 2019
6pm – 9pm

Where:
BVAA Open Sky Uxbridge Community Gallery
5 South Main Street
Uxbridge, MA 01569

There is a TON of free parking immediately next to this building. It is fully and easily handicapped accessible.

BVAA Alternatives Uxbridge Community Art Gallery Information

This class is open to the public. It is open to all ages and to all levels of painting ability.

Please make sure you register beforehand so we know how many to expect. Carol will send you a supply list to get you started.

To register, please make sure you email: carol@carolarnoldfineart.com

To learn more about Carol Arnold and to view her painting gallery:

https://carolarnoldfineart.com/

Follow Carol on Facebook!

Carol Arnold Fine Art on Facebook

If you’re interested in painting, drawing, and illustrating, we have the perfect Saturday lined up! It’ll be a great time with laughter, conversation, creativity, and the space to stretch out! It’s all FREE!

Betty Havens will be on hand to do live pet portraits and to discuss getting pet portraits done from photos! Come and see this amazing artist in action!

Open Paint 10am-3pm
For the entire day, it’s an open paint! All are welcome, including the public, family, and friends! It’s free! We have watercolors and acrylics on hand, or bring your own if you wish.

If the weather is nice out, visitors can also embark on an Uxbridge sketch walk. We have the maps all ready.

When:
Saturday, December 14, 2019
10am – 3pm

Where:
BVAA Open Sky Uxbridge Community Art Gallery
5 South Main Street
Uxbridge, MA 01569

Our Saturdays at the gallery include an open paint session where all styles of art are warmly welcome. Whether you’re 12 or 102, whether you’re a new beginner or a seasoned artist, we would love to have you. It’s completely free to participate in the open paint. You can bring your own paints or we’ll have watercolors and brushes to share.

There is a TON of free parking immediately next to this building. It is fully and easily handicapped accessible.

BVAA Open Sky Uxbridge Community Art Gallery Information

Feel free to show up for some or all of the day to paint. Some come for just the morning, some for the afternoon, and some for the entire time. There are several options on the same block to grab lunch if you’d like. We also bring in a pizza and those who want slices chip in a few dollars.

Our Saturday events are free, casual, relaxed, and fun! All levels are welcome.

Ask with any questions – we’d love to have you join us!

This Uxbridge gallery is supported in part by BVAA member dues, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and by ValleyCAST. The space use is kindly donated to us by Open Sky Community Services. Open Sky uses this space for client activities during weekdays. They allow the BVAA use of the space – and its gallery walls – on evenings and weekends.

If you’re interested in painting, drawing, and illustrating, we have the perfect Saturday lined up! It’ll be a great time with laughter, conversation, creativity, and the space to stretch out! It’s all FREE!

This is also Uxbridge First Night celebrations! At 4:30pm the parade starts and it goes right past our gallery. There is music, food, crafts, and much, much more. There’s even fireworks at 6pm! Come out and enjoy the day!

We will have a barbershop quartet singing for us!

Open Paint 10am-8pm
For the entire day, it’s an open paint! All are welcome, including the public, family, and friends! It’s free! We have watercolors and acrylics on hand, or bring your own if you wish.

If the weather is nice out, visitors can also embark on an Uxbridge sketch walk. We have the maps all ready.

When:
Saturday, December 7, 2019
10am – 8pm

Where:
BVAA Open Sky Uxbridge Community Art Gallery
5 South Main Street
Uxbridge, MA 01569

Our Saturdays at the gallery include an open paint session where all styles of art are warmly welcome. Whether you’re 12 or 102, whether you’re a new beginner or a seasoned artist, we would love to have you. It’s completely free to participate in the open paint. You can bring your own paints or we’ll have watercolors and brushes to share.

There is a TON of free parking immediately next to this building. It is fully and easily handicapped accessible.

BVAA Open Sky Uxbridge Community Art Gallery Information

Feel free to show up for some or all of the day to paint. Some come for just the morning, some for the afternoon, and some for the entire time. There are several options on the same block to grab lunch if you’d like. We also bring in a pizza and those who want slices chip in a few dollars.

Our Saturday events are free, casual, relaxed, and fun! All levels are welcome.

Ask with any questions – we’d love to have you join us!

This Uxbridge gallery is supported in part by BVAA member dues, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and by ValleyCAST. The space use is kindly donated to us by Open Sky Community Services. Open Sky uses this space for client activities during weekdays. They allow the BVAA use of the space – and its gallery walls – on evenings and weekends.

Uxbridge First Night information:

https://www.facebook.com/events/court-st-uxbridge-ma-01569-united-states/22nd-annual-uxbridge-first-night/356161578607306/

If you’re interested in painting, drawing, and illustrating, we have the perfect Saturday lined up! It’ll be a great time with laughter, conversation, creativity, and the space to stretch out! It’s all FREE!

We’ll make Christmas Cards, too!

Open Paint 10am-3pm
For the entire day, it’s an open paint! All are welcome, including the public, family, and friends! It’s free! We have watercolors and acrylics on hand, or bring your own if you wish.

If the weather is nice out, visitors can also embark on an Uxbridge sketch walk. We have the maps all ready.

When:
Saturday, November 30, 2019
10am – 3pm

Where:
BVAA Open Sky Uxbridge Community Art Gallery
5 South Main Street
Uxbridge, MA 01569

Our Saturdays at the gallery include an open paint session where all styles of art are warmly welcome. Whether you’re 12 or 102, whether you’re a new beginner or a seasoned artist, we would love to have you. It’s completely free to participate in the open paint. You can bring your own paints or we’ll have watercolors and brushes to share.

There is a TON of free parking immediately next to this building. It is fully and easily handicapped accessible.

BVAA Open Sky Uxbridge Community Art Gallery Information

Feel free to show up for some or all of the day to paint. Some come for just the morning, some for the afternoon, and some for the entire time. There are several options on the same block to grab lunch if you’d like. We also bring in a pizza and those who want slices chip in a few dollars.

Our Saturday events are free, casual, relaxed, and fun! All levels are welcome.

Ask with any questions – we’d love to have you join us!

This Uxbridge gallery is supported in part by BVAA member dues, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and by ValleyCAST. The space use is kindly donated to us by Open Sky Community Services. Open Sky uses this space for client activities during weekdays. They allow the BVAA use of the space – and its gallery walls – on evenings and weekends.

This is our fourth annual art-poetry show! This page here explains how the show works, for the artists and poets who are interested in participating.

The show is a “traveling” show which will be at the Blackstone Library in March 2020 and then the Millbury Barnes & Noble in April 2020. In previous years we had been at the Worcester Public Library to start in February, but they are undergoing renovations. If you have any thoughts as to where we could be in February, please let us know.

The artists are drawn from our Blackstone Valley Art Association. The poets are drawn from the Sutton Writing Group and the Worcester Writers Collaborative.

Anyone interested in participating please let Lisa know by MONDAY OCTOBER 28 2019 of that interest. Let her know if you prefer a partner you can meet in person or if you prefer to work remotely, staying in touch via email.

Soon after that, each artist is paired with a poet. They form a team for the duration of this project.

Sometime before December 1, 2019, the poet provides the artist with a poem. The poem can be custom-written for this project or it can be a favorite the artist already has written. The poem will be hung in the show on a maximum size of 8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper so it should be short enough to fit on that paper at a reasonably sized font. With that being said, the poem can otherwise be as short or as long as the poet desires. It can be a short haiku or a long sonnet.

The artist now has until January 31, 2020 to create a work of art that represents that poem. The art can be a literal interpretation. It can convey the emotion of the poem. It can focus on one aspect of the poem. It is up to the artist to choose how to present their interpretation. That pairing of poem-plus-artwork will be hung side by side at the show.

In parallel:

Sometime before December 1, 2019, the artist provides the poet with a piece of art (a JPG photo of it is fine). Again, the artwork can be custom-created for this project or it can be an existing favorite.

The poet now has until January 31, 2020 to write a poem based on that piece of art. The poem does not need to literally describe the artwork. It can convey an emotion. It can create a story based on the scene. It can be whatever the poet wishes. Again, the poem will be hung in the show on a maximum size of 8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper so it should be short enough to fit on that paper at a reasonably sized font. With that being said, the poem can otherwise be as short or as long as the poet desires. It can be a short haiku or a long sonnet.

When each poem and artwork is complete (both in the first and second round), please also send a copy to Lisa so she can work on the Tetris-like logistics of seeing what will fit where. For art, let her know the dimensions of the piece when you send the JPG.

Here are the pairings from previous years to see how this works:
2017 Art-Poetry Show
2018 Art-Poetry Show
2019 Art-Poetry Show

Since we are not restricted in size this year by the Worcester Library cases, our size restriction is primarily the Blackstone Library cases. Half of the artwork needs to go in the cases there while the other half can hang on the wall. Lisa will coordinate who will go where once we determine the pairings. We’ll try to ensure that people who “went small” in previous years to fit the space constraints have the opportunity to “go large” this year if they wish.

If anybody has any questions or comments, please let Lisa know. Let her know if you’re interested in participating! You can participate just as one half (i.e. just an artist or just a poet) or as both halves.

My current roster is:

Poets
Christine Beauchaine
Michelle Benjamin
Linda DeFeudis
Richard Dresden
Sarah Beth Guimond
Daria Hamelin
Andrea Lettic
Madeline Poitras
Sheryl Kimball
Kara Emily Krantz
Luke MacNeil
Nasim Mansuri
S. M. Nevermore
Jane Nozzolillo
Evan Plante
Malt Schlitzman
Lisa Shea
Charles Smith
Trisha Wooldridge

Artists
Christine Beauchaine
Laura Cenedella
Linda DeFeudis
Bob Evans
Holly Fabbricotti
Young Farwell
Sarah Beth Guimond
Daria Hamelin
Sheryl Kimball
Kara Emily Krantz
Jennifer MacNeil
Luke MacNeil
Carole Plante
Madeline Poitras
Lynne Randolph
Malt Schlitzman
Pam Siderewicz
Lisa Shea
Dennis Smith

Let me know if you’re interested in joining us! Last call is Monday, October 28th, 2019 at midnight EST!

Enjoy!

It’s creepy and it’s kooky! Mysterious and spooky! For one night and one day only, the BVAA will hold a pop-up show and Halloween costume party in our BVAA Gallery!

Where:
BVAA Alternatives Uxbridge Community Gallery
5 South Main Street
Uxbridge, MA 01569

There is a TON of free parking immediately next to this building. It is fully and easily handicapped accessible.

BVAA Alternatives Uxbridge Community Art Gallery Information

About the Show
Spooky. Unsettling. Wisps of mists and dark shadows. Macabre brings out the fascination with the off-beat side of life.

Submissions
The online submission deadline for the Macabre show is Monday, October 28th, 2019. You can submit up to three works which can hang on our panels or sit in or on a case. Because this is a pop-up show on panels within the gallery, we’re limited to what fits on those panels. It’s open to all BVAA members. This is not a judged show so you CAN enter things you’ve entered in previous shows.

Drop-Off
If you can come to Milford TV on Thu 10/24, Lisa Shea can take your items from you there to then bring to Uxbridge. You can drop off work on Fri Oct 25th during the Tapestry reception or Sat Oct 26th during regular gallery hours.

You can also bring your works with you Friday of the party at 4pm to help us with the hanging and setup of the panels. Note that we can’t set up the panels before 4pm because this room is in use by Alternatives before this point. If none of these options work, contact Lisa and she’ll arrange an alternative!

Reception
We’ll have our pop-up celebration on Friday, November 1st (Day of the Dead!) from 5-7pm.

Pick-Up
We will take down the show Saturday afternoon at 3pm so that visitors on Saturday can enjoy it. If you can’t make it Saturday that’s fine, we’ll figure something out :).

Theme
This show is Halloween. Spooky. Shadowy. Here are photos from a previous year – Macabre Show 2016

Use the BVAA online submission form to submit for this show.

We’d love to see your spooky work!

Come on out for a free, fun photography workshop along the Blackstone River! It’ll be Sunday, October 20 2019 from 11am – 1pm. It’ll be led by the amazing talented photographer James Hunt –

https://jameshuntphotography.com/portfolio-under-the-highway

The Millbury Bike Path is part of the plans for a long bike path / walking path / celebration of the entire Blackstone River from Worcester, MA to Pawtucket, RI. The stretch which is complete in the Millbury area starts at a parking lot near the Blackstone Shoppes mall complex and goes north along the river to the Worcester Visitor’s Center just past the WalMart.

It’s quite an interesting bike path. It wends along the Blackstone River quite a lot, so you get good images of the ducks, turtles, beavers, and other creatures. There are a number of train bridges and walking bridges to get photos of.

Plus, the Blackstone River goes right along the train lines here, so there’s ample opportunity to get cool photos or drawings of the trains in various configurations.

Directions and Time
We’re meeting at the MIDDLE Millbury bike path parking lot. It is immediately across the street from the Valu Gas Station at:
1255 Millbury Street
Worcester, MA

So if you search for that on your GPS, you’ll find the spot. Here’s a map so you can see where it’s located. The parking lot is just north of where Route 20 crosses Route 146 and the Mass Pike. You can get to it by going a bit north on 146 from there and taking your first exit, then taking a right. Alternatively, you can take Route 20 east from 146, then take your first left onto Park Hill Ave, and then two more quick lefts.

We’ll meet at the middle parking lot at 11am to gather up everyone, and then go for a gentle walk to explore photography and the path! Call or text Lisa if you’re running late and she’ll let you know where to find us.

Please let us know via our contact form if you’re planning on coming, so we know to wait for you. If you forget that’s OK to, just show up! Bring friends! It’ll be a great morning of learning about photography and exploring our Blackstone River history!

Here’s the details on the bike path itself:

Blackstone Valley Bike Path Photos

We look forward to seeing you there!