Welcome to the Blackstone Valley Art Association webpage! We have been supporting arts in the Blackstone Valley since 1957. Our main gallery is in Uxbridge; we sponsor numerous shows, events, and workshops throughout the year. This website provides hundreds of pages on local art shows, art events, field trips, workshops, museum visits, and much, much more. We even have a lending library. We are warmly inclusive of all levels, backgrounds, and abilities. Feel free to contact us with any questions!
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 ValleyCast, the community outreach department of Open Sky Community Services. Open Sky uses this space for special-needs client activities during daytime weekdays. They allow the BVAA use of the space – and its gallery walls – on evenings and weekends. We actively support their inclusive mission. All are welcome to all of our events and activities!
The unofficial mascot of our annual art-poetry pairing is Carole Plante’s amazing surrealistic painting which we have nicknamed “Propeller Girl”! Carole painted this as a fun project. She had her painting materials out while she was talking on the phone with a friend. Without telling her friend what she was doing, Carole asked her friend for two nouns. The friend obliged. Later in the conversation, Carole asked the friend for two more nouns, and so on. Each noun got incorporated into the painting as they went.
Carole’s husband Evan is a well-known local poet. Evan then wrote a poem to go with Carol’s fun painting.
Here are the results!
source artwork:
poetry response:
Propeller Girl
by Evan Plante
Whither goest thou, fair one… with thine colander hat and propeller lavaliere? I know your secrets, vixen… with your faraway look and your winsome gaze. You have captured my soul today.
I get it, by the way… that life is more an explosion than a stream (although both are true). But you… well… you know my truth, too — and that scares me a bit!
But I feel brave today, so slide on over. Let’s touch hips and not let anyone know. Let’s have a secret love… one that steams the place up — one that embarrasses the kids!
But before we run headlong together, know this: Living in the moment is not for the feint hearted! Indeed, it takes courage to live directly every day. But whatever the future holds for us, oh Lady of Whimsey, I vow to be worthy of your colander.
Want to have fun looking for birds in a beautiful garden? Join us on Friday May 29th from 2-4pm for our photography workshop at the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill! All levels of artists, photographers, birders, and friends warmly encouraged to participate. This event is open to the public.
Note that because we are holding this month’s activity at the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, YOU MUST SEPARATELY PAY AN ENTRANCE FEE TO THE NEBG. That entrance fee is $20. You can find discount or free tickets at many local libraries. Check with your libraries to find an inexpensive way to get into the gardens. If you are a individual served by Open Sky, talk with Open Sky about being sponsored for this event. You pay that entry fee directly to the NEBG when you arrive.
We will meet at the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, past the entry gates, by the turtle fountain at 1pm. Photographer Lisa Shea will provide a brief introductory discussion of ideas for taking photos and sketching in an outdoor setting. Then we will explore the gardens from 2-4pm. You can roam on your own, stay with the group, and ask questions whenever you wish. Feel free to come early or stay late!
Location: New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill 11 French Drive Boylston, MA https://nebg.org/
Date and Time: Friday May 29th, 2026 2-4pm
Please be sure to RSVP to join the group. If you’d like camera help, let Lisa know what type of cellphone or camera you plan on bringing. Lisa can then send you a PDF of ideas to get you started. If you don’t have access to any cellphone or camera, we have a few we would be able to lend for the afternoon.
Let us know if you have any questions! And please make sure you research your New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill tickets beforehand. That way you can get discount tickets from your local library or from Open Sky (if applicable) to save on your entrance fee.
Whether you participate in the field trip or not, please consider then sending in a few of your bird photos to participate in the free ValleyCAST virtual art show. This show has a deadline of Sunday, May 31st, 2026!
It’s that time of year! BVAA Spring Party Time! This is when we celebrate the start of summer. All BVAA members are warmly invited to attend. At the start of this party, we hold elections for our officers for the 2026-2027 year, which will begin in September. Our BVAA calendar year runs from September 2026 to August 2027.
We will be holding our Spring Party on our regular monthly meeting date, the third Tuesday:
Tuesday May 19th 2026 6:00pm
Bob and Carol Evans once again set up all the details for us! Thank you Bob and Carol!
Each person can order whatever they want and will get their own bill, so it is wholly up to you what you want to eat or drink from that menu. There’s no up-front payments needed.
Please EMAIL US DIRECTLY at info@bvaa.org if you are planning on coming. That way we can create a table count for the restaurant. You’re welcome to bring one person with you.
If you’re interested in joining our BVAA Board of Directors, please let us know! We’d always love to have additional members. Being on the board is relaxing and fun. Every few months we hold a Zoom meeting to discuss upcoming activities. In between meetings we chat via email to plan events.
We would love to see you at our spring party. If you’re not able to come for any reason at all, we understand. We will miss you!
There will not be any event in the Uxbridge gallery on Tue May 19th. We will only be at the Grille 122.
Ask if you have any questions, and have a great week!
New BVAA members often ask us, what is the Open Sky organization all about? What is the daily purpose of the facility at 5 South Main Street Uxbridge, which the Blackstone Valley Art Association has access to on evenings and weekends?
Open Sky Community Services is a wonderful organization which works with adults with a variety of challenges. Some individuals served by Open Sky have developmental disabilities, some have addictions, and there are other groups served as well. Open Sky runs group residential homes, support facilities, work training programs, and much, much more. The space at 5 South Main Street Uxbridge is a career center, supporting individuals who go to and from local jobs.
What is Open Sky’s history?
Originally there was an organization named Alternatives, formed in 1976, one of the leading lights in Massachusetts in terms of humanely helping people with challenges. Another similar organization was The Bridge, formed in 1973. In October 2018 the two organizations decided to merge their strengths together to provide a strong support system across central Massachusetts. That is how we now have Open Sky.
What is the history of the brick building at 5 South Main Street in Uxbridge?
These brick buildings on South Main in Uxbridge are all historic. The buildings across the street at 2-8 South Main are the Taft Brothers Block, for example, built in 1896. Over the years various storefronts and residents have occupied the rooms. The lower floors tend to have stores like gift shops and barbers. The upper floors tend to have personal businesses like lawyers, along with residential apartments.
Then, in 2001, Alternatives decided that the ground floor of the 5 South Main Street brick building would be perfect to hold a Career Center for their individuals served! And in addition, the interior brick walls would be lovely to showcase art!
Here’s the press release from that new beginning in 2001.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Diane Mackintosh
October 12, 2001
Alternatives Unlimited will celebrate the opening of its Uxbridge Career
Center with an art show and reception on Friday evening, October 19th
from 4:30 pm to 9 pm, at 5 South Main Street, in downtown Uxbridge.
The show, titled Aperture & Brush: The Color of Light, features
photographer Don Anderson and watercolorist Christine Anderson. "This
newly renovated space is ideal for a show with its exposed brick walls
and accessible location. We appreciate this opportunity and are excited
to be part of Alternatives’ commitment to redefining community," Ms.
Anderson said.
"We are very pleased that our Uxbridge Career Center is also a terrific
venue for an art show," Dennis H. Rice, Executive Director of Alternatives
Unlimited stated. "The Career Center is integral to the people we serve,
but it is our hope that it can also help to reconnect the larger community
around events such as this one."
The show includes over 40 framed works of area landscapes, views of the
natural world and domestic still life. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 20-21,
the show is open from 9am - 4 pm. Thereafter, on weekdays, all are welcome
to stop in during business hours, 8:00am-3:30pm. (The exhibit will last
until Thanksgiving). The Andersons’ work appears regularly in the River
Valley Current. They have exhibited at Paradis Gallery and Douglas Arts
Common and have won awards in regional juried art shows. A percentage of
sales will be used to further strengthen Alternatives goal of building a
strong community through meaningful connections.
# # # #
Alternatives Unlimited, Inc., celebrating its 25th year, is a non-profit
organization providing skills and support to people with differing abilities
to succeed in the community setting of their choice. Its 40-plus programs
include job training, residential options, and transportation assistance
that serve over 650 people in Central Massachusetts.
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Art Shows were held intermittently at the 5 South Main Uxbridge location during those early years, since Alternatives’ main mission was to support and work with its individuals served. The next art show we know about took place in August 2002.
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For Immediate Release Contact: Lisa Mosczynski
August 7, 2002
Lasting Impressions
Highlights
Northeastern Connecticut Art Guild
At Alternatives Uxbridge Gallery
Opening Night Reception Friday, August 16th
Whitinsville, MA. The opening night reception of the Northeastern
Connecticut Art Guild’s debut show at Alternatives Uxbridge Career
Center Gallery will be held on Friday, August 16th, from 4:30 – 8:00 pm
at 5 South Main Street in Uxbridge, MA.
Alternatives seeks to “redefine community” to recognize the value and
gifts of all citizens by promoting the use of the Career Center as a
community art gallery.
The gallery is open to the public from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm weekdays and
the Guild exhibit will continue through September 28th. For more
information, call the Uxbridge Career Center at ####.
###
Alternatives, celebrating its 25th year, is a non-profit organization
providing skills and support to people with differing abilities to
succeed in the community setting of their choice. Its 40-plus programs
include job training, residential options, and transportation assistance
that serve over 650 people in Central Massachusetts.
-------------------------------
A few years later, in 2007, ValleyCAST came into being. Alternatives created ValleyCAST as a self-contained one-person arts non-profit to organize creative activities to bring together people with and without disabilities. Then Alternatives’ founder Dennis Rice launched work on revitalizing the Whitin Mill in 2008, turning it into an arts center with a theater and gallery. This was now ValleyCAST’s home base.
ValleyCAST managed art shows at this beautiful Alternatives’ Whitin Mill space in Northbridge. ValleyCAST also took over the organizing of art shows in the Alternatives Uxbridge Career Center space.
Over the years, ValleyCAST organized a variety of art shows in Uxbridge, including, in 2013, the first-ever palette show. This idea was brainstormed by Pamela White Murphy, owner of “The Artist Palette”. Pamela taught art classes in the Alternatives Whitin Mill complex.
In August 2015, ValleyCAST Director Cristi Collari asked the Blackstone Valley Art Association to hold an art show in Alternatives’ Whitin Mill.
A new chapter of life began for the art gallery at 5 South Main Street in Uxbridge!
In current times, the Open Sky career team works with individuals served during weekdays around 10am to 4pm. Visitors are welcome to stop in, enjoy the art show, and say hi to the individuals. Then in the evenings and on weekends the Blackstone Valley Art Association holds art shows, receptions, art classes, free art workshops, and much more. We are not in there every evening – check our schedule for specific event days and times.
Note that there was also a different brick building complex in Uxbridge only a few streets away from us. This was the Bernat Mill complex which hosted a variety of antique stores, artist shops, artist galleries, and more. It was a lovely community of artists. Unfortunately, the Bernat Mill burned down in 2007. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernat_Mill
Worcester Center for Crafts, in collaboration with ValleyCAST, has invited BVAA artists to exhibit in their Community Gallery for their annual event Hot Night in the City!
This amazing artistic event draws in crowds of 3,000 people. Our artwork would be featured down the main hallway of the center. It is a prime opportunity for visibility and sales!
When: June 28 to July 25, 2026
Where: Worcester Center for Crafts 25 Sagamore Road Worcester, MA 01605
Each BVAA member may exhibit up to three art items. All forms of media are warmly encouraged – paintings, mixed media, photography, textiles, sculpture, and more.
Entering the Show Thanks to a kind donation from ValleyCAST, this show will be FREE for BVAA members to enter. ValleyCAST will cover the cost of the prizes and ribbons for us. Thank you, ValleyCAST!!
Note that as this is a non-BVAA-gallery show YOU CAN ENTER PIECES THAT HAVE BEEN IN PREVIOUS BVAA SHOWS. You shouldn’t enter any piece which was in the 2024 or 2025 Hot Night in the City show. Select the works which you feel best represent you!
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.
All art 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 art for shows, read our page on How to Mat and Frame a Photo. You may choose to have your artwork listed as not for sale.
All art items which are entered are displayed. 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.
Submissions To submit your entries use our BVAA Online Submission Form. The deadline to submit your online details is midnight on Saturday, June 27, 2026 . Work must be dropped off at the Worcester Center for Crafts on Sunday, June 28, 2025 from 10am to 1pm. Please do not bring in art to the gallery at other times. All work which is brought in will be displayed (as long as it is properly wired and is family-friendly).
We plan on arranging / labelling the show on Sunday, June 28 as work is being dropped off starting at 10:00 am. Please don’t be late! If you are unable to bring your work on that date, please contact us to make other arrangements.
As this show will not have a reception, and is not in our gallery, there will be NO commission on sales. The artist gets the full amount.
Judging Judged for monetary prizes to be determined. Thank you ValleyCAST!!
Opening Reception In lieu of an opening reception, everyone is invited to attend Hot Night in the City on Friday, July 17, from 4:00-9:00 pm. This is a free event.
Pick Up Sunday, July 26, 2026, from 10am to 1pm at the Worcester Center for Crafts. If you aren’t able to make that, please contact us for other arrangements.
Talented artist Randy LeSage will be joining us again for a FREE amazing printing hands-on workshop! Randy teaches at the Worcester Art Museum and we’re joyful to have him back. We had a blast with our last monoprint workshop back in 2015. We still talk about it!
Monoprinting means printing in a way which can’t be reproduced exactly again. This is different from ‘traditional’ printing. In traditional printing, when an artist for example carves a block of wood, inks it, and presses a piece of paper to the design, that print would be reproducible. You simply re-ink the carved block and put down another piece of paper. In comparison, monoprinting is a one-time-only print. The act of making the print alters the original.
Monoprinting is very creative and freeing!
Our April 2026 monthly meeting is open to the public. It will be held on Tuesday, April 21st, 2026 from 6:30-9pm.
Location: BVAA Open Sky Uxbridge Community Gallery 5 South Main Street Uxbridge, MA 01569
The space is fully handicapped / disability accessible with no stairs. It is immediately next to a large free parking lot.
This meeting and workshop is free and open to the public. No experience is necessary. The fun of our workshops is that we all try new things we’ve never done before.
Our meetings cover BVAA organization business from 6:30-7:00pm (-ish, sometimes we end the talking part earlier). Then we transition into the workshop part of the evening. Feel free to come for whichever part 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 BVAA members and non-members. Feel free to bring along a friend! We’d love to see you there to try some new things and explore your creativity!
Artist’s Statement
Randy LeSage is an artist and teacher. He works in printmaking, drawing, painting and mixed media. In the area of printmaking, he enjoys methods of etching, relief block, collagraph, lithography and monotype. Monotype offers him the chance to work in ‘painterly’ approaches, freeing up printmaking through its spontaneity.
Randy has exhibited in various venues in New England, including the Worcester Art Museum, the Fitchburg Art Museum and Creative Connections in Ashburnham, MA.
Randy currently teaches at the Worcester Art Museum and has taught at Framingham State University, Clark University and Worcester State University.
To learn more about Randy LeSage and his art, visit:
Lisa Shea did a two-hour video workshop on Gelli plate monoprint printmaking back during the Pandemic, when the BVAA was creating art-from-home videos. This video explores the basics of monoprinting.
Featured image: Night Rain at Koidzumi by Utagawa Hiroshige, Worcester Art Museum
Enjoy fun casual photography with other photographers! Join us on Friday April 24th 2026 from 2-4pm for our photography stroll at the Worcester Art Museum! All levels of photographers warmly encouraged to participate. This event is open to the public.
Non-photographers are welcome to join us to walk around and enjoy the exhibits. We all appreciate the artwork while we’re there.
Note that because we are holding this month’s gathering at the Worcester Art Museum, YOU MUST PAY AN ENTRANCE FEE TO THE WAM. That entrance fee is $22. You can find discount or free tickets at many local libraries. Check with your libraries to find an inexpensive way to get into the museum. If you are an individual served by Open Sky, talk with Open Sky about being sponsored for this event. You pay that entry fee directly to the museum when you arrive.
We will meet inside the Worcester Art Museum by the Roman mosaic / entrance to the Chapter House at 2pm. BVAA President Lisa Shea will provide a brief introductory discussion of ideas for taking photos in an indoor setting. Then we will explore the museum from 2-4pm. You can roam on your own, stay with the group, and ask questions whenever you wish. Feel free to come early or stay late!
Please be sure to RSVP to join the group so we know to wait for you. If you’d like help, let Lisa know what type of cellphone or camera you plan on bringing. Lisa can then send you a PDF of ideas to get you started. If you don’t have access to any cellphone or camera, we have a few we would be able to lend for the afternoon.
Let us know if you have any questions! And please make sure you research your Worcester Art Museum tickets beforehand. That way you can get discount tickets from your local library or from Open Sky (if applicable) to save on your entrance fee.
Whether you participate in the field trip or not, please consider then sending in a few of your green-themed photos to participate in the free ValleyCAST virtual art show. This show has a deadline of April 30th, 2026!
Congratulations to the winners of our 2026 “Local Beauty” community art show! This show was held from Feb 28th to April 4th 2026. It was open to all local artists. This was a voter’s choice show, meaning every visitor could cast one vote for first, second, and third. Here is the tally of the winners!
First Place: Ava Jack “Grafton Gazebo” acrylic painting
Second Place: George Hancin “River Bend Farm #2” oil painting
Third Place: Dave Skillins “Edge of Rice City Pond” cut paper
Honorable Mention: Charlotte Foley “Cormier Woods” photography
Honorable Mention: Dave Skillins “First Day of Spring” pen and ink
Honorable Mention: Lindsey Gay “Sunset Drive through Uxbridge” gouache and pen
Thank you to everyone who voted and participted in this show!
Here’s an easy way for you to keep track of all the fun events ValleyCAST has available for you in April 2026! From freestyle weaving classes to cardmaking, from the annual palette show to a talk on the history of American printmaking, ValleyCAST has a wealth of fun opportunities for all ages and abilities.
You can print out a copy of this and hang it on your fridge!
If you’re interested in the fun Freestyle Weaving sessions, make sure you contact Anita early. She only has room for five students, each with their own loom, and needs to prepare for your addition to the class. For the cardmaking class, Holly just needs a few days RSVP to have enough supplies. And the Art Cart is a drop-in, unless you’re bringing a big group! These activities all run on a monthly cycle, so it’s fun to plan ahead!
Talented artist Shelly Eager is coming back to the Blackstone Valley Art Association for another amazing demo! You might recall the demo Shelly did for us back in 2023 on the way color, lightness, and other changes to your painting can greatly alter its mood. Now Shelly will be providing another set of wonderful tips for any painter in any medium.
Shelly will demo how doing two beginning procedures can help ensure the overall painting process goes much more smoothly. Shelly will also show how to paint more quickly and freely, helping you to create a painting which is full of life. These techniques will work with any style of painting.
Our March 2026 monthly meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 17th, 2026 from 6:30-9pm.
Location: BVAA Open Sky Uxbridge Community Gallery 5 South Main Street Uxbridge, MA 01569
The space is fully handicapped / disability accessible with no stairs. It is immediately next to a large free parking lot.
This meeting and workshop is free and open to the public. No experience is necessary. The fun of our workshops is that we all try new things we’ve never done before.
Our meetings cover BVAA organization business from 6:30-7:00pm (-ish, sometimes we end the talking part earlier). Then we transition 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 BVAA members and non-members. Feel free to bring along a friend! We’d love to see you there to try some new things and explore your creativity!
To learn more about Shelly Eager and her art, visit:
