#buylocal
Sales opportunities for artists
two events this September
Expand your reach and sell your art! ArtsWorcester will participate in two public events this September: Pride Worcester and stART on the Street. This year, we will sell original artworks made by our artist members--be a part of it! We're looking for artists and volunteers to join us at our booth. These events are fun, festive, and a great way to grow your community. Learn more about both events below:
Pride Worcester Festival
Saturday, September 10, 2-7 pm
Worcester Common
Artist members that are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community are invited to sell their artwork at our booth at this year's Pride festival. This is a great opportunity for artists who want to sell work at Pride, but may not have the inventory to fill their own table. Register your work by September 1.
Pricing is up to the artist, and artists will receive 60% of sales of their work. For artists who volunteer for a short shift to work the table alongside a staff member, ArtsWorcester’s 40% commission will be waived. These shifts will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
stART on the Street
Sunday, September 18, 11 am - 6 pm
Park Ave, Worcester
Rain date September 25
stART on the Street features hundreds of artists, crafters, musicians, and performers, spread along Park Ave. All ArtsWorcester members are invited to sell their 2D artwork at our booth. Like Pride, this opportunity is perfect for artists who want to present their work to a large audience of local art lovers, but may not have the inventory to fill their own table. Register your work by September 1.
Pricing is up to the artist, and artists will receive 60% of sales of their work. For artists who volunteer for a short shift to work the table alongside a staff member, ArtsWorcester’s 40% commission will be waived. These shifts will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Questions about selling work? Email Alice Dillon or call the galleries at (508) 755-5142.
Don't want to sell your work? You can still volunteer!
Join us under the tent! Volunteering is a great way to meet artists and make new friends. A staff member will always be present at our table to provide support and take payments. Your partner, friends, and kids are welcome to be part of your shift. Time slots will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Questions about volunteering? Email Allie Heimos or call the galleries at (508) 755-5142.
///// Amanda Santerre, Frog & Toad, linocut print, oil based ink on archival paper, 5" x 7", 2021, $100 (sold). Exhibited in The Little One, winter 2021.
call for art
Go Big
a juried members' exhibition of large-scale works
Submission Deadline: September 20, 2022
Notifications: by October 4, 2022
Drop off: October 13 - October 16, 2022
Exhibition Dates: October 27 - December 18
Opening Reception: November 11, 6-9 PM
Artwork pick up: December 19 - December 23 or by appointment
It’s time to think big! For a competitive juried exhibition, we call for wall-hung artworks that are at least 3 feet in one direction (but no larger than 8 feet). All themes and media are welcome, including but not limited to painting, photography, digital, and fine craft.
We are going big in only two dimensions: artwork may extend no further than 8 inches from the wall. (Artists will be contacted after submitting if there are concerns about fitting the artwork through our doors.)
Artworks must be able to be securely mounted to the wall by nails, screws, picture hooks, magnets, or grommets (no binder clips). Stretched or panel paintings should not be wired, and should hang on D-rings. Any unframed works on paper or fiber pieces must be secured at top and bottom.
Nancy Burns, Stoddard Associate Curator of Prints, Drawings and Photographs at Worcester Art Museum, will serve as juror.
Current ArtsWorcester membership is required for all artists at the time of registration. There is no geographic restriction on membership, but artists (or their proxy) must deliver and pick up all artwork.
This is a juried exhibition, meaning that the juror will consider all eligible submissions and select certain artworks to be shown at ArtsWorcester. All Artist Members may submit up to two pieces for consideration. Due to the size of submitted artwork and the space available, the juror must be highly selective. Bring your best work!
Have a question about the call, or want to share what you’re thinking of submitting? Email alice@artsworcester.org or call the gallery at 508-755-5142.
ArtsWorcester exhibitions are sustained in part by the generous support of the C. Jean and Myles McDonough Charitable Foundation.
Ongoing support comes from Mass Cultural Council.
///// Cesar Rodrigues, untitled 76, acrylic on canvas, 24" x 36", 2020. Material Needs 2021.
call for art
The Nineteenth Annual College Show
a juried, in-person exhibition
Submission Deadline: December 20, 2022
Notifications: by January 11, 2023
Drop off: January 26 - January 29, 2023, or earlier by appointment
Exhibition Dates: February 9 - April 8, 2023
Opening Reception: February 10, 2023, 6-9 PM
After two years of virtual exhibitions, ArtsWorcester’s College Show returns in-person! The Nineteenth Annual College Show is a juried exhibition open to all undergraduate college students studying or residing in Massachusetts, in any major. The deadline to submit is December 20 at midnight. Notifications will be made by January 11, 2023.
The College Show has no theme. Bring us your favorite piece from your art class or your personal artistic practice, or show off your latest experiment. You do not need to be an art student or in an art class to submit.
Students may submit a maximum of three pieces for consideration, and must complete a separate form for each piece. When submitting more than one piece, please return to the original link to make additional submissions.
Submission is free to students of our institutional partners: Anna Maria College, Assumption University, Clark University, College of the Holy Cross, and Worcester State University. There is a nonrefundable $5 submission fee per submission for students of any other school.
This is a juried exhibition, meaning that the juror will consider all eligible submissions and select certain artworks to be shown at ArtsWorcester. All media are welcome, including but not limited to fine craft, painting, photography, sculpture, digital, and video. Have a question about the call, or want to share what you’re thinking of submitting? Email alice@artsworcester.org or call the gallery at 508-755-5142.
Cash prizes will be awarded and announced at the opening reception. This year’s juror is Ellie Krakow, Assistant Professor of Art and Mazmanian Gallery Director, Framingham State University. Learn more about the juror here.
Students enrolled at Anna Maria, Assumption University, Clark University, College of the Holy Cross, and Worcester State University: Submit here!
All other students: Submit here!
ArtsWorcester exhibitions are sustained in part by the generous support of the C. Jean and Myles McDonough Charitable Foundation.
Ongoing support comes from Mass Cultural Council.
///// Wynne Dromey (Clark University, 2025, Studio Art and Business), Place of Repose, acrylic paint and mixed medium on canvas (recycled paper, food wrappers, trash, etc.), 11" x 14", 2021. Prize winner, The Eighteenth ArtsWorcester College Show, 2021.
Online availability of professional development resources for artists has exploded in the last few years. Our Artists' Resource Page is a curated guide to the best free advice and training available, with a specific eye to the needs of emerging artists.
For larger, more strategic questions that artists members have as their careers advance, Artists' Roundtable events will provide opportunities to hear from practitioners, experts, and fellow members, and to get answers to individual questions.
up next:
Approaching Galleries
Saturday, May 21, 2022, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
ArtsWorcester, 44 Portland Street
Gallery representation is a goal for many artists, but one clouded by mystery and intimidation. Three experienced gallerists familiar with ArtsWorcester will break down the benefits of gallery representation, how to identify the right galleries for your work, and what you need to approach them. This is an open discussion about galleries; it is not a portfolio review.
We will hear from:
Arlette Kayafas, Gallery Kayafas, Boston, MA
Kate Rasche, George Marshall Store Gallery, York, ME
Tamar Russell Brown, Gallery Sitka, Shirley, MA
and leave lots of time for your questions. Then we’ll adjourn to the galleries for refreshments and more conversation.
This event will take place in person at 44 Portland Street, Worcester, MA. Tea and cookies to follow. Proof of vaccination is required for this event, and masks must be worn during the panel conversation. (Masks are optional when we gather for tea and cookies in the galleries afterwards.)
Artists' Roundtables are free to current ArtsWorcester members, but may be limited in number of participants. If you have questions about your membership status, please call the gallery at 508-755-5142.
We thank the Melvin S. Cutler Charitable Foundation for for their support of artists' professional development.
call for proposals
Member-Curated Exhibitions
Rolling deadline
ArtsWorcester invites proposals for Member-Curated Exhibitions. Proposals are reviewed on a rolling basis. Member-Curated shows offer experienced artists an opportunity for artists to use their curatorial skills and gain independent, hands-on experience producing an exhibition. Located in ArtsWorcester’s Central Corridor, these shows include at least 3-4 artist members’ work, chosen by one curator. The curator may include their own artwork in the proposal.
Curators are responsible for communicating with participating artists, collecting, delivering, and retrieving artwork, providing an exhibition statement, and installing the exhibition in the Central Corridor. ArtsWorcester staff will be available for input on layout and to train the curator on the Arakawa hanging system.
Successful proposals should clearly state a curatorial vision for the space and the artists to be included. Curators should have experience working with ArtsWorcester and must demonstrate 6 their capacity to fulfill this leadership role. Proposals are welcome on a rolling basis, and will be evaluated by ArtsWorcester staff and volunteers.
All work must be wall-hanging and may not extend more than 12” from the wall. Artworks are hung on a secured Arakawa hanging system (track and wire) and D-rings. This space cannot accommodate free-standing or pedestal artwork. Further questions about what type of artwork is feasible in this space may be directed to alice@artsworcester.org.