GRAFTON – The 2023 Small Stones Festival of the Arts announces a new schedule for the sixth annual fine art and photography juried exhibition, with run dates of Dec. 8-17 at the Grafton Public Library, 35 Grafton Common.
The festival opens with the reception and awards ceremony on Dec. 8, 7-8 p.m. The free exhibit is open to the public.
The exhibit is open daily from noon to 4 p.m., with extended hours on Saturday, Dec. 9; Friday, Dec. 15, and Saturday, Dec. 16, until 6 p.m.
The dates of the artist and juror talks will be announced soon.
The Blackstone Valley Art Association and the Worcester County Camera Club have collaborated to create one of the region’s largest juried exhibitions to provide a venue to showcase artists’ work and to elevate the practice and appreciation of fine art.
This year the festival received a grant of $2,500 from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, as well as additional grants provided by the towns of Grafton’s and Millbury’s cultural councils administered through the nonprofit organization.
A panel of six jurors (three for each category) have selected 144 works to appear in the exhibit and printed catalog. The hardback exhibit catalog is for sale online and at the festival. All submissions meeting minimum requirements are featured in the festival’s web gallery.
Awards are given for both fine art and photography categories. Cash prizes of $500 for first; $250 for second; and $100 for third are awarded. Additionally, each of the six jurors select a juror’s choice. The public votes for a popular choice winner in each category.
This year’s fine art jurors are Michael Rose, Glenn Murray and Kim Morin Weineck.
The photography jurors are Ron Rosenstock, Shane Gutierrez and Tom Nault.
The festival is under the aegis of a fiscal sponsor, Grafton Arts Inc., a nonprofit 501 (c) 3 organization.
For more information, visit https://smallstonesfestival.org.
