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!
To learn more about ValleyCAST visit:
https://www.openskycs.org/community/valleycast.html
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.
Open Sky is renting the 5 South Main Street space. The owners of our gallery’s brick building (5 South Main Street) and the adjacent brick building (11 South Main Street) is Baystate Investment Fund, which purchased the two buildings in 2020. https://wbjournal.com/article/worcester-landlord-buys-uxbridge-buildings-from-skeean-sisters-for-16m/
We are thrilled to see what our future brings!
Featured art by BVAA member Dave Skillins
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
