The Blackstone Valley Art Association is a Massachusetts 501(c)(3) non-profit which is run 100% by volunteers. Every person you talk with in the BVAA is a volunteer! Together we all help our organization shine and support creative souls of all abilities.
Here are just a few things we could use volunteer assistance with!
Saturdays at the Gallery Every Saturday from 10am to 3pm we have our Uxbridge Community Art Gallery open to the public. Sometimes people come in to view the current show. Sometimes they bring their art supplies to work on their latest project. We bring in watercolors, brushes, paper, and pens for people to use. Sometimes visitors just like to chat about art! It’s relaxing and fun. BVAA President Lisa Shea is usually in the Uxbridge gallery every Saturday 10-3 but she’s not much of a morning person and the 10am starts are tricky. Sometimes we like to offer special art projects tying in to US holidays like National Collage Day or National Watercolor Day. If you’re available on a Saturday, contact us to let us know!
Going forward, we’ll put indications on our BVAA Google Calendar so you know which times are taken care of.
Show Installations Our show drop-offs are always on a Saturday 10-3. We generally aim to have the show installation (arranging of the art) from 3-5pm so that everything is safely on the walls and in its correct location. This takes some Tetris-like attention to how colors and shapes work together, to create a pleasing overall composition. We will announce for each show when we plan to do the installation.
Show Labelling We often label the show just before the reception, once we have confirmed all the pieces in a show and gotten in the titles and prices from everyone. This is a fairly quick 1-hour process where we pair up the labels with the pieces and tape the labels to the walls.
Reception Setup Our receptions are generally on a Friday from 5-7pm. Depending on the show the reception could be at any time during the show’s duration. Lisa gets there at 4pm with the supplies and can use help getting everything set up. Let her know if you’re free on a reception Friday!
Field Trip Support We aim to have monthly field trips to enjoy a local art-related location. Lisa generally runs these. It’s always helpful to have someone else on hand to help with meeting people and keeping things organized!
Transportation We have a number of members who have challenges driving at night or at all. If you’re planning on attending an event and wouldn’t mind having a passenger, please let us know! We can figure out if there’s someone in your neighborhood who could use a hand. It would be enormously wonderful if some of our unable-to-drive members could cherish time in the company of warm, supportive artists!
Monthly Press Releases Every month we send out press releases to the local newspapers. These include upcoming events, upcoming art shows, and images from our existing art shows.
Grants We submit applications for about 15 cultural council grants each autumn. We also apply for various other grants throughout the year.
Video Editing We record every workshop and meeting so that people with mobility issues can watch the activities on YouTube. We use Adobe Premiere for our editing. We could use help with the editing process, to catch up on our backlog.
BVAA Board Our BVAA Board is very casual. We have a Zoom meeting every few months to discuss the upcoming calendar and brainstorm about workshops to hold. If you’d like to join us on the board, please let us know!
If you have other ways you’d like to help out, contact us! We’re open to ideas!
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.
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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
Happy 10th Anniversary to the collaboration of the Blackstone Valley Art Association and the ValleyCAST organization! We are so proud of all we have achieved together in these past ten years, and we look forward to an amazing future of creativity, art, and inspiration!
Extraordinary Director of ValleyCAST Cristi Collari first contacted the Blackstone Valley Art Association in August 2015. Cristi was in charge of the Heritage Gallery at the Whitin Mill in Whitinsville, Massachusetts. Inspired by our artwork, Cristi asked if we would like to hold our annual Fall Show in the Heritage Gallery space. We enthusiastically agreed!
That first art show, our BVAA 58th Annual Fall Show, was held in November to December of 2015.
We had a great turnout at the Whitin Mill and loved working with Cristi Collari.
The collaboration worked so well that Cristi asked us to host our 4th Annual “Anything Goes” Photography Show at another gallery she oversaw – the ValleyCAST gallery space at Alternative’s location at 5 South Main Street in Uxbridge. We joyfully agreed and set that up for Jan 13th – Feb 29th, 2016.
At the time we were holding our monthly meetings at the Northbridge Senior Center. The main other show being held in the Uxbridge gallery space was the fall-winter “Tapestry” community art show. BVAA members participated heavily in this show. For the 2016 Tapestry Show, our members won first and second place.
We added a new show to our cycle – the “Show of Hands” anything-but-photography show, to serve as a counterpoint to our “Anything Goes” January show. We held this in Uxbridge in August-September 2017.
Our wonderful shared experiences led to the delightful collaborative idea – that the Blackstone Valley Art Association would become the primary gallery manager of the 5 South Main Street location and use this space as our Home Base! We announced this on August 20, 2017!
Over the years Alternatives became part of the larger Open Sky group. ValleyCAST has maintained its commitment to arts, culture, and inclusivity! ValleyCAST is the Arts & Culture arm of Open Sky Community Services.
Thank you to Cristi Collari for reaching out to us back in 2015, and for all her support, encouragement, and inspiration in the ten years since! We treasure you!
Here is how to learn more about all that ValleyCAST does. ValleyCAST’s mission is to foster a creative and engaged community in the Historic Blackstone Valley that is inclusive and supportive of all people with and without disabilities.
Long-time BVAA member Al Weems, a stunningly amazing photographer, is downsizing his photography gear. He has a number of extra bags, lens covers, and other items that he’s making available for BVAA members to have. Thank you so much, Al, for your support of our group!
For all of these items, email us if you’re interested in something. If you need more information about something, just let us know. Lisa should have all of them with her each Saturday for you to look at in person, but check with Lisa first to verify that.
Click on any image to see a larger version of it.
Bags / padded Lens carriers
Lens caps / tripod mounts / etc.
Miscellaneous firewire / card reader / other items
Al also very kindly donated three small cameras to the Blackstone Valley Art Association. These will be part of our camera lending library, so that when we hold photography workshops at places like the New England Botanic Gardens at Tower Hill we can let participants practice with a few different camera types. Thank you, Al!!
To learn more about Al Weems and his photography please visit his website:
Great news! For the month of May 2025, the Blackstone Valley Art Association is the recipient of the donations from the Shaws supermarket Give Back Bag program. For every $3 shopping bag you purchase at the Shaws supermarket, the BVAA will receive a $1 donation.
Please consider shopping at Shaws and buying a few bags from them!
Back in September 2023, Marcia T brought us a bunch of great donation items. Thanks Marcia T! I still have a batch of about 10 backs which are 16″x20″ in size with the triangle hangers and swivel metal tabs to hold them in place:
We also have one back which is 12″ x 17.5″.
These are FREE – let me know if you can use any of them! Otherwise I will donate them to the Salvation Army, if nobody in our group can use them. Thanks!!
The Blackstone Valley Art Association is sponsoring a Books and More drive! It’s more than just a book drive. We are building a Resource Library for Open Sky and are seeking books, CDs, DVDs, games, cameras, binoculars, telescopes, and other lendable items!
The BVAA works closely with the Open Sky organization, which provides wonderful services to individuals with challenges. The Uxbridge Art Gallery space is used during weekdays by Open Sky for career services. Open Sky kindly allows the BVAA to use the space on evenings and weekends.
The BVAA is hosting this drive to benefit the individuals served by Open Sky!
When: Saturdays from 10am to 3pm (i.e. standard BVAA gallery hours)
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.
What Types of Books? Open Sky is assembling a lending library for their individuals served and staff members. They are looking for ALL types of fiction books – mystery, romance, science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, you name it. The books should be in good condition, so that they can be enjoyed by the readers.
Please contact us first for non-fiction book topics. We are interested in books on cooking, birdwatching, hiking trails, biking trails, and types of plants. We’re also interested in books in French or Creole.
What Else Can Be Donated? We are building a resources library. So in addition to books, we are looking for CDs, DVDs, games, binoculars, telescopes, cameras, and any fun things which could be lent out. We currently do NOT want puzzles because it would be onerous to make sure all the pieces are there.
Masks Please Because this facility works with individuals who might have medical conditions, please wear a mask when you bring in your books and other items.
BVAA Is a Non-Profit You should be able to list your donations on your taxes as a donation to a non-profit, as the BVAA is a registered non-profit organization.
Remember the old days of enormously-sized large-format cameras? They needed a solid wood table to support them. A hand-wheel would raise or lower that table, to set the height of the camera.
This large-format camera stand is known as the Century Kodak No. 1A Semi-Centennial Stand. It was made in the 1925 / 1926 timeframe. It is about 50 inches tall. It is solid wood with what appears to be cast iron supports. It’s mounted on three wheels. It’s meant to hold a wet plate or large format camera.
There is a metal placard on it which states:
Century made by Eastman Kodak Co. Successor to Century Camera Co. Rochester, N.Y.
This was donated to the Blackstone Valley Art Association by Stephanie Sullivan of AVIA Consulting, a long-time avid photographer. We were thinking of using it as a stand in the gallery, but it’s a bit bulky for the space we have in the front window area. So we are offering it to members to add a beautiful accent to their homes for $500 or best offer. The donation goes to support the activities of the BVAA.
The wheel does work to turn the wood tray up and down – you could set it to whatever height you wanted. It might be missing a screw, we’re not sure. The top side of the tray is a soft velvet type of material.
This scrapbook contains photos and newspaper clippings from the Blackstone Valley Art Association from 1958 to 1974. Please let us know if you can identify anybody in any of the photos!
You should be able to click on a photo in order to see a larger version of it.
