Attention artists! The Charlton Library in Charlton Massachusetts is offering FREE gallery space to local artists! Each artist gets a month for their personal art show. You could do one solo by yourself, or you could get a friend or two to share the space!
Charlton Public Library 40 Main Street Charlton MA 01507
For the month of January 2025 I (Lisa Shea) am presenting an art show of my cyanotype artworks. My show is in the Charlton Library foyer space, which holds about 9 -18 pieces depending on how you decide to hang items and how large / small they are. When you stand in the Charlton Library lobby and look at the hallway to your right, there are two art spaces on the left and one on the right. There’s a pillar separating the two left-hand areas – the library puts a sign there to describe your art and provide a link to your website.
Here’s a direct view of the left hand wall.
Here’s the right-hand wall.
The hanging metal strips can slide left and right along the moulding rail.
The art is connected to those strips either by a small hook or a long rectangular metal piece. For either option, it’s really best if your art is WIRED on the back. That is, a metal wire should stretch left to right across the length of the back of your piece. Here’s what the hanging units look like.
The small hooks / horizontal hooks can slide up and down the strip. Generally you can fit 1 or 2 hanging items per strip.
For the artwork labels, it’s best to tape those TO your art so they aren’t damaging the wall paint. So what you do is this. Make your label. Put blue painter’s tape on the back of your label, with extra tape off the top. Now connect that extra tape to the back of your artwork, with the label facing forward. That way the label “hangs” off the bottom of your artwork, facing the viewer.
For more information on the space, the hanging system, and to sign up, visit:
Talented local Mendon painter Ellen Gould walks us through how to do an oil painting of a still life object – in this case a gorgeous ornate money box from the Mendon Massachusetts historical society! A perfect way for everyone to learn more about Mendon’s treasures and how to approach an oil painting project.
To see photos from the Mendon Historical Society museum watch here:
We have a bunch of videos celebrating Mendon! Here you go!
Our 2026 Choco l’Art show is the perfect melding of chocolate and art! Enjoy the taste sensation! This our 10th Annual celebration of the theme!
All forms of hanging art are welcome – photography, watercolors, acrylics, oils, fabric art, drawings, etc. The art must be wired to work with Charlton’s panel system. The art doesn’t have to be about chocolate. It can be about anything you wish :).
Submissions The submission deadline for label-making purposes is Friday, January 30th, 2026 at midnight EST. There’s a $5 fee for up to 3 works. It’s open to all BVAA members. As this is a judged show, only pieces which have not been previously entered into a BVAA judged show are eligible for participation. Full BVAA terms: BVAA Show Terms and Conditions
Drop-Off To be determined with the library and with Brandi Van Roo, who is in the space before us.
Public Reception The reception is on Thursday February 10th from 6pm to 7:30pm. All are welcome! There’ll be lots of chocolate in all shapes, sizes, and varieties. Artists – please bring in some chocolate of your own to share (no nuts please). If you know of a local store that could donate chocolate, please let us know.
Pick-Up Pick-up for the show is probably around Feb 28th or March 1st, depending on who comes in next.
Prizes This show has the visitors vote on a “People’s Choice” award. There’s a ribbon plus a cash prize. The prize amount is based on the number of entries.
Theme You can do a romantic theme or a chocolate theme if you’d like, but it’s not required!
Volunteers Needed The BVAA is run by volunteers – please lend a hand! We need volunteers for the following activities: * Assembling the show * Watching over the reception * Bringing of chocolate for the chocolate reception (please do not include any nuts) * Take-down of the show
Let us know on your submission form how you’re able to help out.
If you have photos from the first show please let us know!
The 2016 winner for this show was Carole Plante with her chocolate lab! Quite appropriate :).
Here’s what Carole did for 2018 :).
Again, you don’t have to include chocolate in your submission. For some reason it seems that the “people’s choice” voters seem to vote for chocolate things while they are eating chocolate. So it does help your chances. Still, we’ve had non-chocolate winners in the past!
Celebrate the beauty of the Blackstone Valley in Massachusetts! Our “Local Beauty” community art show is open to ALL forms of art – photography, watercolors, acrylics, oil paintings, pastels, printmaking, sculpture, and more. The topic is our local Blackstone Valley in Massachusetts. We eagerly look forward to seeing local landscapes, architecture, visions, and interpretations of:
Do you have a photo of Purgatory Chasm in Sutton? A watercolor painting of the Millville canal lock? An abstract interpretation of Worcester City Hall? We’d love to see how you interpret this topic!
This show is FREE to participate in and is open to all community members! You don’t have to live in a listed down to participate. The image itself needs to somehow represent one of those towns.
When: Feb 28th to April 4th, 2026
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.
Participation is open to the public. Each participant may exhibit up to three pieces of art.
Entering the Show 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. 3M stick-on hangers are notorious for falling off – please don’t use those. 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 art which is entered is 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. You can have your art 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 the online label information is midnight on Saturday, February 28th, 2026. Work must be dropped off on Saturday, February 28th, 2026 between 10am and 3pm. Please only bring artwork in on Saturday – the staff in the location during the week do not handle artwork processing. All artwork which is brought in will be hung (as long as it is properly wired and is family-friendly).
Please indicate on your label which town each image represents. We’ll be using that information to create our town-specific slideshows, explained below.
Judging This show will be a community choice voting. Every person can vote for a first, second, and third place. Winners will be announced at the reception.
Video Slideshows
In addition to the in-gallery experience and the traditional full show video walkthrough, we will also do town-specific slideshows as part of this project. We’ll create a slideshow of the images representing Uxbridge, the images representing Grafton, and so on. That way people who are interested in art from a particular town can easily find it.
Reception The reception for this show will be on Friday, April 3rd, 2026 from 5-7pm. Prizes are usually awarded around 6pm. Winners will receive ribbons and certificates.
Pick Up Pickup of the art is on Saturday, April 4th, 2026, from 10am to 3pm. If you aren’t able to make this date, please contact us for other arrangements. Please do not stop by the gallery during the week to pick up art – the weekly staff are not able to process the art items.
Ask with any questions! We look forward to seeing your entries!
To get inspired, here is our Local Beauty show from 2024!
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!
Here is the proposed schedule for the BVAA Uxbridge Art Gallery for the year 2026. Please note that this schedule could adjust or shift based on weather issues or other issues. Please always look for a show’s specific page to get its final details. Those pages are set up as we get close to a show.
The public / private notation indicates who is able to enter art into a given show. Membership is only $25/year! All receptions are always open to the public.
The Blackstone Valley Art Association is sponsoring the 14th Annual Anything Goes Photography Show – this show is open to the public! Prints from all styles of digital cameras, film cameras, cellphone cameras, point-and-shoots, SLRs, cyanotypes, and other photo-related artwork are warmly welcome!
When: January 3rd to February 28th, 2026
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.
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. 3M stick-on hangers are notorious for falling off – please don’t use those. 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 the online label information is midnight on Saturday, January 3rd, 2026. Work must be dropped off on Saturday, January 3rd, 2026 between 10am and 3pm. Please only bring artwork in on Saturday – the staff in the location during the week do not handle artwork processing. All artwork which is brought in will be hung (as long as it is properly wired and is family-friendly).
If your submission features an unusual technique, for example you’re using a medium-format film camera or another unusual setup, please add notes in the submission form. We’d love to put those details onto the label. Our show visitors love to learn about unusual styles of photography.
We will arrange and label the show on Wednesday January 7th, 2026 from 5-7pm.
Judging The judge for this show will be announced at the reception. We generally do not announce the name of the judge before drop-off so that artists enter their best images overall, without attempting to ‘target’ a specific judge.
Prize money is based on the number of entries, since the prize money comes from those entry fees. So we won’t know, until all the artwork is in, how much money we have to distribute as prizes. Generally we award first, second, third, and three honorable mentions, depending on the number of entries.
Opening Reception The opening reception for this show will be on Friday, January 9th, 2026 from 5-7pm. Prizes are usually awarded around 6pm.
Pick Up Pickup of the art is on Saturday, February 28th, 2026, from 10am to 3pm. If you aren’t able to make this date, please contact us for other arrangements. Please do not stop by the gallery during the week – the weekday staff are not able to process the art items.
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!
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 by Kapi’s Pub on Route 122, heads south, and it ends right at our gallery.
There is music, food, crafts, and much, much more.
There’s even fireworks at 6pm! Come out and enjoy the day!
FREE CARICATURE
Talented caricature artist Tim Snow will be creating art on demand. Note THERE IS ALWAYS A LINE for this. Come early to reserve your spot. We will mark the order of requests on a board and give you an estimate of when Tim will get to you. If you come late, it might be that his list is full for the evening. Tim is *done* at 7pm :).
Open Paint 10am-7pm For the entire day, it’s an open paint! All are welcome, including the public, family, and friends! It’s free! We have watercolors, crayons, and colored pencils 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 6th, 2025 10am – 7pm
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.
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.
Our BVAA Members Annual Holiday Party for 2025 will be held on Tuesday, December 16th, 2025, 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!
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 $15 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 :).
Join us at ValleyCAST every month for a fun, FREE, and creative art workshop! Our December 2025 workshop is all about decorations! We will be painting and drawing inspiring designs on wood ornaments. They’ll be delightful for decoration and gift-giving. The workshop is led by the talented Laura Cenedella!
Wednesday, December 10th, 2025 10am-11am and 1pm-2pm
Located at: The Singh Performance Center First Floor Maker’s Space 60 Douglas Road, Whitinsville, MA
Two sessions are available to attend, so you can choose the time that works best for you!
All supplies will be provided, but feel free to bring additional materials if you have a specific vision in mind. We’ll have samples on hand to provide inspiration. All ages and abilities are encourage to participate! FREE!
About Laura Cenedella When I was in school, my favorite time of day was when I was allowed to draw and paint. As I got older, this love never faded and eventually I went on to study art. I use many different mediums, such as oil, acrylics, watercolor, pastels and photography. I believe that working in a single medium is restrictive to my artistic process. Each idea manifests in its own individual style.
Nearly every type of artist has to pay attention to perspective! What is 1 point perspective? 2 point? 3 point? How do you use perspective (or break the rules) to make your artwork shine?
Join us with talented artist Eric Rasmussen for a FREE hands-on practice and tutorial on working with perspective! All are welcome! Non-members welcome!
Location: BVAA Open Sky Uxbridge Community Gallery 5 South Main Street Uxbridge, MA 01569
When: Tuesday November 18th 2025 6:30-9pm
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!
If you’d like to bring supplies, we’ll be using:
Smooth drawing paper medium to large size #2 Pencils, soft graphite pencil (ebony) Vinyl eraser Ruler preferably 18″ or larger Triangle 📐
If you don’t have supplies that’s fine – we’ll have some to borrow!
