About Material Needs 2023

September 14 through October 29, 2023

ArtsWorcester main galleries, 44 Portland Street

Public reception: Wednesday, September 20, 6:00-9:00 PM /// Free and open to all. Cash bar. /// Learn more.

During the past year, seven artists have been busy making use of the Material Needs Grant they won in 2022. Those awards, ranging from $500 to $1,500, fund the cost of supplies required to make new artwork in Worcester County. A year and a half later, awardees exhibit their completed artwork in a group exhibition.

The 2022-2023 grants funded a variety of materials, such as paint, LED lights, a wide-format printer, and a microwave glass kiln. This year’s exhibition includes surreal multimedia paintings that explore icons of visual culture, life-sized puppets of endangered species, casts of discarded objects from Worcester’s Elm Park created through a personal recycling process, and more.

To date, eighty-nine artists have had their careers advanced through a Material Needs Grant. Thank you to the anonymous donor who makes this possible.

Discover each artists' work below.

/// Learn more about the Material Needs Grant opportunity here.