It’s time for a critique session! We all bring in our latest works or images and then offer each other suggestions and advice. You can bring the works in in person or bring JPG images on a thumb drive for us to view on a laptop. You can bring in paintings, drawings, or sculptures. Whatever you wish! It’ll be fun, relaxed, and conversational.
If you aren’t able to bring the item in, and don’t have a thumb drive, you can email the image to our normal info@bvaa.org address sometime before Tuesday and we’ll handle it for you. Bob Evans will be on laptop duty for the night :).
Our April 2022 monthly meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 19th from 6:30-9pm.
This critique will be moderated by the talented award-winning painter Carol Arnold!
Carol is looking to start up a monthly class. Contact her if you’d be interested!
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!
Ask with any questions!
Some samples of Carol Arnold’s work:
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 Blackstone Valley Art Association is sponsoring its annual BVAA Spectacular Spring Show – this is our 64th year! The show is open to all BVAA members. If you’re not yet a BVAA member, now’s the time to join us!
When: April 30 to June 18, 2022
Where: BVAA / Open Sky Uxbridge Community Art Gallery 5 South Main Street Uxbridge, MA 01569
About the Show: The Blackstone Valley Art Association celebrates its 64th year with its annual Spectacular Spring show. This open-themed extravaganza features the very best artwork from its diverse membership. We explore stunning black and white photography, soaring landscapes, delicate watercolors, swirling acrylics, precisely detailed oil paintings, and much, much more. Our members range from teens to retirees, from those just starting out to award-winning Putney Painters. We warmly invite you to our opening reception where you can enjoy insightful conversations with the artists and infuse inspiration into your life!
Entering the Show The entry fee for the Spectacular Spring show, open to all styles of artwork, is $8/piece or $20 for three. You can submit up to three pieces. The theme is wide open. You can submit a portrait, landscape, still life, abstract, seascape, you name it. Your imagination is the limit. Because this show is judged, you cannot enter anything which has previously been submitted for a BVAA judged show. It’s fine to enter works which have been in non-judged BVAA shows.
All artwork must be family friendly. Any hanging artwork MUST BE properly wired for hanging. The gallery will not accept non-wired wall-hanging artwork. If you are new to preparing hanging artwork for shows, read our page on How to Mat and Frame Artwork. Please also check out our Show Terms and Conditions
Submissions To submit your entries use our BVAA Online Submission Form. The deadline to submit the online form is midnight on Saturday, April 30th, 2022. Work should be dropped off that Saturday, April 30th from 10am to 3pm. All work which is brought in will be hung (as long as it is properly wired and is family-friendly).
We will have a sign-in sheet. Please make sure you sign your art in so we can track what is in the gallery.
The show will be hung on Tuesday, May 3rd from 5-7pm. We’d love to have you come participate! Hanging is easy and fun now that we have the wall hanging system. It’s all about figuring out which artwork styles go together.
Judging This show awards cash prizes based on the number of entries received. The judge for this show is Kris Occhino.
Opening Reception The opening reception for the show is: Friday, May 6th, 2022 5-7pm
There’ll be music, fun, and lively conversation! Bring a snack to share – just how creative can you get? Lisa might bring her ladybug-tomato-on-mozzarella! That is nice and springy!
Please invite family and friends – all are welcome!
Viewing Hours Mondays through Saturdays 10am-3pm. If coming during the week, note that Open Sky uses this space for their work with clients. Call ahead to make sure someone will be there.
Pick Up Pick up for this show is:
Saturday June 18th, 2022 10am-3pm
If you aren’t able to make that, contact us for other arrangements. Address any questions via our BVAA Contact Information
Ask with any questions! We look forward to seeing your entries!
Greetings, everyone! It’s that time of month! Our monthly meeting! Always the third Tuesday. This is Tuesday, March 15th, 2022. And we have a real treat this month – the talented artist Jo Ellen Reinhardt is going to do a demo of a watercolor landscape!
Our BVAA meetings are open to the public and are free.
BVAA Uxbridge Gallery 5 South Main Street Uxbridge, MA 01569
We will do this HYBRID since we have a mix of people who enjoy in-person as well as those unable to come to the gallery right now.
Our meeting will start, as always, at 6:30pm at the Uxbridge gallery. We’ll discuss upcoming shows and other events.
Jo Ellen will start her watercolor demo at 7pm. I will bring the video camera and live-stream it on Zoom for BVAA members.
If you can’t make it in person, we’ll post the video in a private members-only link to watch it afterwards.
Due to the snowstorm, our Saturday January 29th, 2022 art session will be VIRTUAL ONLINE ONLY and not in person at the Uxbridge BVAA Gallery.
The Uxbridge BVAA Gallery will be CLOSED ON SATURDAY.
Please stay home and stay safe! Join us virtually online on Facebook at any time between 10am and 3pm to hang out and say hi! You can paint along, sketch, doodle, chat, or whatever you want. Poke in and wave!
This is a sneak preview for the 2022 BVAA Anything Goes photography show! Some of the labels weren’t fully updated yet – I corrected everything I found manually in the video. I wanted to make sure I got this up before our reception on Sunday January 16th at 2pm, when the winners are announced.
Some of the photo glass (mine included!!) showed very glare-ey in the video. If your photo has glare on it, you can send me (Lisa) a JPG of the photo and I’ll put it here on our BVAA website. That way people can see the image without glare. I tried my best with different angles, but as you can see from my two photos, sometimes it’s an enormous challenge, especially with darker image areas.
Ask with any questions!
Here are the photos I’ve been sent, so you can see them more clearly. Click on one to see it at a larger size.
“Fall in New England” – Cindy Wilder THIRD PLACE
“Carolina Wren” – Lucia Hackett FIRST PLACE
“Bodie CA” – Mike Blake HONORABLE MENTION
“Tufted Titmouse” – Richard Allain HONORABLE MENTION
“Lea” – Lisa Shea & Bob See
“Ilara” – Lisa Shea & Bob See SECOND PLACE
“Caught!” – Mike Zeis
“Just Another Day At The Office” – Tami Reichel HONORABLE MENTION
Thanks to the Douglas Cultural Council, the Blackstone Valley Art Association was able to create a celebration of art and beauty centered on various locations in Douglas. We have workshops on photography, watercolors, sketching, pencil, and much more.
Here are some videos featuring Douglas to get you inspired. The lead artist is talented Beverly Tinklenberg.
Also be sure to look through all the videos we created about Douglas, including many on the E. N. Jenckes store, for 2020!
If you’ve wanted to try pastels or improve your pastel skills, mark your calendars! On Saturday, February 12th, 2022, talented artist Jeff Ventola will lead a workshop on pastels.
NOTE THE NEW DATE!! RESCHEDULED DUE TO ICE STORM!! FEBRUARY 12th!!
Where: Singh Performance Center at the Alternatives Whitin Mill 50 Douglas Road Whitinsville Massachusetts
When: Saturday, February 12th, 2022 9am – 3pm
Cost: $30 for residents of Northbridge, $45 for non-residents Supported in part by the Northbridge Cultural Council
Attendees will be provided with a list of supplies they should bring.
Here is Jeff’s description of this workshop:
Please join me for this fun, one-day workshop as we thoroughly explore and examine the pastel process from early concept to finished painting, where you will learn firsthand how to execute simple practices and push the limits with advanced techniques.
Focus will be on the dynamic landscape and how to express yourself through your work by ‘thinking’ and creating dramatic compositions, adding intense value and lighting techniques and utilizing head turning color palettes. Leave your comfort zone and learn how to begin with an effective underpainting and layer building for finishing touches. We will even review framing and supplies, and current marketing practices to give you and your work the love it
To RSVP for this fun, entertaining event, please contact Carol Frieswick at csf@meganet.net
It’s our fourth annual Carbon Copies show! The Blackstone Valley Art Association is sponsoring a delightfully fun art show all about fakes, forgeries, and parodies!
Carbon Copies – Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
This Carbon Copies show is for all BVAA members to participate in. The idea is to find a famous painting and then duplicate it! You can duplicate it exactly or you can add your own fun twist to it. You can paint a version of a Roger Fenton photo. You can stage a photo which resembles a Vermeer painting. Maybe you paint Mona Lisa as a cat.
The sky’s the limit!
It doesn’t have to be a painting. You can imitate a famous photo. Play with a historical sculpture. It’s up to you.
Note that the source art needs to be in the public domain. In general that means it needs to have been created before 1923. Art which is under copyright, after 1923, has its rights controlled by that artist. You would need to ask that artist for permission to use their work in any exhibit.
When: March 5th to April 30th 2022 (extended run!)
Where: BVAA Alternatives 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.
Each BVAA member may exhibit up to three artworks.
Entering the Show The entry fee for this show is FREE
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. Please also check out our Show Terms and Conditions. This includes all details including the 25% commission for any sales of exhibit artwork in the gallery. You may also choose to have your artwork listed as not for sale.
All art items 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.
Submissions To submit your entries use our BVAA Online Submission Form. The deadline to submit is midnight on Saturday, March 5th, 2022. To submit your entries use our BVAA Online Submission Form. Work must be dropped off by Saturday, March 5th, 2022 at 3pm. All work which is brought in will be hung (as long as it is properly wired and is family-friendly). If you have one, please bring along a photo of each of your source artwork items, so we can hang those alongside your artwork. That way visitors can see what you were working with. If you don’t have printouts, let us know the artist & work title and we’ll track down and print those out for you.
Judging Judge to be announced
Opening Reception We’ll post a video of the show during its last week!
To see what the Carbon Copies vibe is about, check out these previous shows!
Ask with any questions! We look forward to seeing your entries!
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 Blackstone Valley Art Association is sponsoring the 10th Annual Anything Goes Photography Show – this show is open to the public! All styles of cameras and cellphone images are warmly welcome!
When: January 8 to March 5, 2022
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 is midnight on Saturday, January 8th, 2022. Work must be dropped off by Saturday, January 8th, 2022 at 3pm. All work which is brought in will be hung (as long as it is properly wired and is family-friendly).
In the past we had a separate section for film images. This year, we will have them included in the main show judging. If you do something unusual by using film cameras or unusual techniques, please let us know in the submission form. Members love to learn about those things.
We will hang the show on Wednesday January 12th.
Judging The judge for this show is Paul M. Murray. Here is his artist statement.
My photography remains a work in progress. I am very much a visual traveler who interacts with people, places, objects, and ideas on a variety of levels through several planes of vision that intersect with time and space. At those intersections, I may capture a moment and portray it with my implied perspective. The journeys to those intersections afford the opportunity to see, and perhaps become intrigued by what I am experiencing.
Often the story telling aspects of the photographic art form capture my attention and motivate a series of related images. Although my perspective is predominantly reality-based, I acknowledge not only the subjective nature of what I portray in my images, but an interest in pursuing at times more abstract images.
To the extent that my images enrich the experience and vision of others, I feel that I have achieved a way of communicating that is unique to me as a photographer.
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!
