COVID-19 doesn’t stop the Small Stones Festival of the Arts
Regional art associations Apple Tree Arts, the Worcester County Camera Club and the Blackstone Valley Art Association recently created a newly envisioned virtual fine art and photography festival, the Small Stones Festival of the Arts, to comply with COVID-19 pandemic safety requirements.
The Festival exhibit opened Oct. 1 with an online display for this year only of the first 500 pieces of artwork received. Fine Art and Photography Artists Talks were held live Oct. 1 and 2, featuring Festival artists who discussed their artwork and answered questions during Zoom teleconferences. Additional online programs will include the basics of marketing for artists workshop, distinguished juror talks with fine art juror Jim Welu, director emeritus of Worcester Art Museum (WAM) and photography juror, Ron Rosenstock, internationally-renowned photographer, a live awards ceremony and the Stephen Drury piano concert.
A panel of six independent art professionals have curated the show. The jurors will select 144 pieces of artwork to be published in the Festival’s catalog as well as the first, second and third prize winners of $500, $250 and $100 in each category. These winners and juror choice and popular choice awards will be announced at the live Oct. 23 awards ceremony featuring keynote speaker Juliet Feibel, executive director of ArtsWorcester.
Fine art painting and drawing juror Jim Welu, director emeritus of Worcester Art Museum (WAM) and photography juror, Ron Rosenstock, internationally-renowned photographer will discuss a few of their favorite pieces of artwork from the Festival. Their free talks will be presented online Saturday, October 24, 4:00-5:00 pm.
Donna Dufault and Scott Erb of Erb/Dufault Photography will present a marketing workshop for artists to learn how to market their artwork via Zoom on Wednesday, October 21, 7:00 p.m.
A panel of six distinguished jurors have curated the show. The fine art painting and drawing category is juried by Mr. Welu, former director and curator of WAM; Michael Graves, a nationally recognized and award winning plein-air artist; and Charlotte Wharton, a highly-accomplished, prominent portrait and landscape artist. Photography category jurors include Nancy Burns, associate curator of prints, drawings and paintings of WAM; Ron Rosenstock, renowned nature and travel photographer and published author of six photography books; and Stephen DiRado, professor at Clark University with over 40 years’ experience in documentary photography, film making and conceptual art.
The mission of the Small Stones Festival of the Arts is to elevate the practice and appreciation of fine art and photography in the Blackstone Valley and beyond. The Festival is now under the aegis of a new sponsor, Grafton Arts, Inc., a newly formed nonprofit organization. The festival’s printed catalogue will be on sale after October 23. For more information, visit https://smallstonesfestival.org. or contact Chair Ken Crater at ken@smallstonesfestival.org
