The Blackstone Valley Art Association is a Massachusetts 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!
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!