Author: Blackstone Valley Art Association

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

We are holding this show at the Blackstone Public Library in Blackstone MA for the month of April 2025.

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 Shea know by FRIDAY NOVEMBER 30th 2024 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. Also, let her know if you prefer an ‘intense’ relationship where you talk a lot about your works, or if you prefer a more ‘casual’ relationship where each person simply receives the other’s offering and then goes from there. All of these options are fine. We want each team to be happy.

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

Poet Writes a Poem

Sometime before January 31, 2025, 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 March 15, 2025 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. Artist: This means you NEED TO HAVE YOUR ARTWORK IN HAND so it can be hung in the art-poetry show for the show’s duration. Please do not sell or give away your art until the show is over.

In parallel: Artist Creates an Artwork

Sometime before January 31, 2025, the artist provides the poet with a piece of art. Emailing a JPG photo of the art to the poet is fine; you do not need to give them the actual physical piece of art. Again, the artwork can be custom-created for this project or it can be an existing favorite. Keep in mind YOU MUST PHYSICALLY HAVE THIS ARTWORK. This piece of art will hang in the art-poetry show. Please do not sell or give away the artwork until after the show.

The poet now has until March 15, 2025 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 source and response round), please also send a copy to Lisa so she can update the website with the details. For art, let her know the dimensions of the piece when you send the JPG. Artists – if you are framing your piece under glass, please take a photo of the artwork before you frame it. That way we have a no-glare image to use in our promotions. If it’s a photo, you can just send us a JPG of the photo.

The drop-off date will be Monday, March 31st at the library.

NOTE: Since we are starting late, it is fine simply to have your items ready by March 31st. We will probably be hanging the show on March 31st. Poets don’t need to ‘bring in’ anything – I print out all the poems so everything matches. Poets can just email me their 2 poems when they are ready. Artists can arrange with me to have me pick their 2 artworks up sometime just before March 31st or on the 31st. Remember, there should be TWO PIECES PER PERSON – a source and response – for this show :).

The reception will be at the Blackstone Public Library, at 86 Main Street in Blackstone MA, on Thursday, April 17th, 2025 from 6-8pm. Please bring a snack or soda to share. Please try to attend – we like to videotape the artist and poet talking about their collaboration!

Here are pairings from some previous years to see how this works:
2017 Art-Poetry Show
2018 Art-Poetry Show
2019 Art-Poetry Show
2020 Art-Poetry Show
2023 Art-Poetry Show
2024 Art-Poetry Show

If anybody has any questions or comments, please let Lisa know. Let her know if you’re interested in participating!

The current pairings are:

Irena Kaci poet –> Judi Potter artist

Sue Lovejoy poet –> Carole Plante artist

Kara Emily Krantz poet –> Leslie Breault artist

Christopher Reilly poet –> Bob Evans artist

Laura DiCaronimo poet –> Sue Dion artist

Lisa Shea poet –> Katie Williams artist

If I missed anybody, please let me know! My email sometimes loses messages so I apologize if I inadvertently missed someone who was interested.

Ask with any questions!

On Friday, November 15th, 2024, talented artist Scott Nelson will meet with us at the amazingly preserved Olney Cook Artisan Shop in Mendon, Massachusetts. We will meet up at 2pm. The shop is located at 54 Hartford Avenue East in Mendon. It was originally built in the early 1800s. Apparently Olney Cook was a painter!

This workshop is FREE – the public is warmly encouraged to participate! All levels welcome!

Scott will talk with us about how to approach the task of sketching and painting a building. He will discuss lighting, shadows, values, and other topics. He will then do some sketching on site. These skills are useful no matter what type of artwork you’re interested in creating. Some people focus on the sketch itself as a finished form. Others use the sketch as a starting point to then later create a watercolor painting, an acrylic painting, an oil painting, or another form of art.

After our exploration of the Olney Cook Artisan Shop, Scott will return to his home art studio to create a painting, either watercolor or acrylic, of one of the scenes he sketched. He will record for us a section-by-section description of how he approached that project, so we can follow along from home.

We are grateful that Scott’s artistic partner, Lisa Pueschel, will also participate in this project! Lisa will create a pastel work. You’ll get to see multiple approaches to a single building!

Scott Nelson and Lisa Pueschel are the founding artists of the Two Bridges Art Academy. Please take a look at the art class offerings and follow the Two Bridges Art Academy on social media!

https://www.twobridgesartacademy.com

https://www.youtube.com/@TwoBridgesArtAcademy-n6k

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565580535450

https://www.instagram.com/twobridgesartacademy

If you have any questions, let us know! We love helping new artists learn and grow.

Here is more information about the historic Olney Cook Artisan Shop:

https://www.mendonma.gov/historical-commission/slideshows/olney-cook-artisan-shop

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olney_Cook_Artisan_Shop

Thank you to the Mendon Cultural Council for supporting this art project! And thank you so much to Scott Nelson and Lisa Pueschel for providing their time and expertise in both sketching and painting! You can learn more about Scott Nelson here:

https://www.scottnelsonandson.com/

Here are the videos from this session!

The Blackstone Valley Art Association is honored to have talented oil painter Dianne Panarelli Miller be available to present a portrait demonstration at our November 19, 2024 meeting!

This demonstration will be helpful to ALL artists, even if you don’t use oil paints. Dianne will help us understand how to approach the task of painting, taking into account lighting, colors, values, and more.

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

This meeting and session is free and open to the public. No experience is necessary. The fun of our workshops is that we all learn new things we’ve never done before.

Our meetings cover BVAA organization business from 6:30-7:00pm and then go into the workshop part of the evening. Feel free to come for whichever half interests you the most. In general, our monthly meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month unless otherwise announced.

All are welcome – this workshop is open to members and non-members. Feel free to bring along a friend! We’d love to see you there to learn some new things and explore your creativity!

You can learn more about Dianne here:

https://www.diannepmiller.com

Here are a few sample portraits by Dianne Panarelli Miller!

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

Our BVAA Members Annual Holiday Party for 2024 will be held on Tuesday, December 17th, 2024, from 6-9pm. We’ll start from 6:00-6:30pm with our discussion of the BVAA’s past and upcoming events. Then we transition into the party time. This event is for active BVAA members.

Our party will be held, as in the past few years, at the Grille 122 in Whitinsville. We will meet in a private room so we can talk, laugh, and have fun!

Location
Grille 122
91 Providence Road (Route 122)
Whitinsville MA 01588
Grille122.com

The room will be set up with round tables so that groups can easily talk with each other, as well as mingle amongst tables. There will be separate checks, so each person can order whatever they want off the menu, as frugal or extravagant as they wish.

Each person can bring one guest.

Please RSVP to us to let us know if you’ll be able to attend. That way we can have the restaurant plan for the number of tables needed.

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.

How it works: 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 unwraps a gift and shows it to the group. Person 2 can keep the gift they chose 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!

These sample images were taken by Lisa Shea during the 2024 Uxbridge Massachusetts SketchFest event held at River Bend Farm. You are granted permission to use them as a basis for any sketches or painting projects!

Photo gallery from Lisa Shea from our 2024 SketchFest session at River Bend Farm.

Click on an image for a larger view.

Here’s source images from the Uxbridge Common from 2023 –

Uxbridge SketchFest 2023 Sample Images

Here’s images from the 2022 SketchFest, taken at various locations in Uxbridge –

Uxbridge SketchFest 2022 Source Photo Library

Here’s the details of the 2024 Uxbridge SketchFest –

7th Annual Uxbridge SketchFest – Fall 2024

You can also see the Uxbridge SketchFest source images from 2022, 2023, and 2024 in a YouTube slideshow:

The Blackstone Valley Art Association is showcasing a delightful selection of photography, watercolors, acrylic paintings, oil paintings, jewelry, and more for the month of December 2024. Be sure to stop by and see what we have available! Perfect for gift giving!

When:
November 16th 2024 to January 4, 2025

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

Entering the Show
This FREE show is open to BVAA members only. The theme is wide open. Any topic can be addressed as long as it is family-friendly. Artwork 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.

This show is NOT judged (no ribbons, no prizes) – it is primarily about providing visibility and sales for artists during the holiday season. For that reason, you can enter pieces that have been in previous shows. We suggest you enter pieces you think will catch a buyer’s eye and serve well as a gift.

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

Submissions
To submit your entries use our BVAA Online Submission Form. This show is free to participate in. Each artist may submit up to five items under 11×17 or up to three items if they’re 11×17 or larger.

Drop Off of Works
Drop off your works on Saturday, November 16th from 10am – 3pm.

All work which is brought in will be hung (as long as it is properly wired and is family-friendly).

Opening Reception
The opening reception will be on Friday, November 22th from 5-7pm.

Pick Up
The pick-up for the Great Gifts show will be on Saturday, January 4th 2025 from 10am – 3pm.

Address any questions via our BVAA Contact Information

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

Here’s the show from 2022 to inspire you!

The holidays are coming at the Milford TV Station! Come out and participate! This art show is open to all current BVAA Members and is FREE to participate in.

The Milford TV Station is an active public location which creates a wide variety of cable TV shows. People come and go quite often. Our gallery consists of the walls of their long hallways. This public showcase also gives us the opportunity to make numerous social media posts about the art, and the public can then stop by Milford TV any time they are available to see the art and buy it.

The theme of “Perfect Presents” showcases anything ideal for gift-giving. Usually smaller, less expensive items (relatively) work better for sales. Explore the possibilities!

Drop-Off
We’re going to do a range of drop-off dates for this show since it’s a busy time of year. Your options are Mon Oct 28th 9-5, Tue Oct 29th 12-6, Wed Oct 30th 12-3, and Thu Oct 31st 8-4. If you can’t make any of those days / times let our contact Dominique Charest-Ciampa know at Dominique@milfordtv.net and we’ll figure something out.

If you still have art at Milford TV from a previous show, please pick it up during this time. We really need to cycle old art out to have space for fresh art there. Thanks!

Location
Milford TV Station
138 South Main Street
Milford, MA
https://www.milfordtv.net/

Reception
We will figure out a reception time for sometime in November or December, based on the availability of the artists who participate. There aren’t awards for this show, so it’s more of a hang-out-and-talk event.

Show Details for the Artists
The Milford TV Station employees create the labels and perform the hanging for us. There is no need to use the BVAA online submission form to indicate what you’re bringing. Simply be sure to label the back of each piece with its title, your name, contact info, and the price. This show is for BVAA members only and is free to participate in.

The Milford TV station does not take any commission on sales. Neither does the BVAA. This is an ideal sales venue, and we do see sales regularly at this venue.

Most artists bring in three to four items depending on the theme of the cycle. If you do have more that match the theme, please bring a maximum of 8. This allows room for everyone to participate. The items can be any size or shape – Milford has a great hanging system which can accommodate pretty much anything. If you bring giant art, please bring less than 8. The hallway is not infinitely long. If you bring smaller art, 8 is fine!

Pickup
We’ll figure out a pickup time for sometime in January, based on the interests of the artists who participate.

Ask with any questions! Share the news!

NOTE: If you want, you can bring art in to me (Lisa) at the Uxbridge gallery either Friday night 10/25 5-7pm at our Community show reception or on Saturday 10-3. I can then bring your art in with me when I go to Milford with my own art.

Artists pour their souls into their creations. Each artwork can represent a different stage of the artist’s life or step in their journey. How could an artist choose just one piece of art as their “favorite”? This show presents that very challenge!

Note this is the SECOND time we have held this Favorite Artwork show. The first Favorite show was in 2022. So if you entered the 2022 Favorite show, this new piece might be your second favorite! Or maybe now it is your new first favorite? In any case, you can enter ANY piece into this show, as long as it wasn’t in the 2022 show. It’s fine if this piece was in other BVAA shows in the past! Your favorite is your favorite!

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Where?
The Favorite Artwork art show is held at the:

Spaulding R. Aldrich Heritage Gallery
Whitin Mill
50 Douglas Road
Whitinsville, MA

Spaulding R. Aldrich Heritage Gallery Webpage

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About the Show
Many art shows revolve around a specific theme. The artwork must be monochromatic or feature flowers. Maybe the art has to be created within the past four years. For this show, we decided to release all boundaries. Any style of art is welcome. It can be from your teenage years or finished last week. It could have been entered in previous BVAA shows (Except the Favorite 2022 Show)!

The single most important thing is that you consider it your current FAVORITE work of art that you’ve created. We’ll be fascinated to find out why you chose it!

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Submissions
The submission deadline for the Favorite show is Saturday November 2nd 2024. Use the standard online form for your submission. You can enter ONE and ONLY ONE piece.

This show is open to all BVAA members and is free to participate in. This is not a judged show – it is primarily a visibility, conversation, and sales opportunity. By having it not judged, artists can feel free to put in their true personal favorite. They don’t have to give any consideration to how a judge might evaluate it.

Any sales will include a 30% commission taken by the Whitin Mill. The BVAA takes no commission on this show. Full BVAA terms: BVAA Show Terms and Conditions

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Drop-Off
The drop-off for the Favorite is Wednesday October 30th to Friday November 1st at the Whitin Mill. Hours are 9-4 Wed-Fri at the Whitin Mill. Cristi will be hanging the show Saturday November 2nd from 10-1 so you can also bring it in then!

If you can’t make these dates, contact Lisa Shea via the info@bvaa.org email and she’ll arrange something.

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Public Reception
Reception is Thursday, November 7th, 2024 from 5:30-7:30pm. Invite family and friends! Share the news!

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Pick-Up
The show ends on Wednesday, December 25, 2024. Pick-up for the show is Thu Dec 26th and Fri Dec 27th during the Open Sky Whitin Mill open hours (9-4) and then also Sat Dec 28th from 10-1. Contact Lisa if you aren’t available any of those times, to arrange for an alternative.

Here is the walkthrough video from our 2024 show!

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To see the information on our first edition of our My Favorite show in 2022 visit here:

2022 BVAA Favorite Artwork Show at the Whitin Mill

Let us know if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing what you choose as your favorite piece of art!

Thank you so much to ValleyCAST for this opportunity to hold a show in this beautiful, historic building.