GRAFTON - Artists and photographers please submit your original works of art to the fourth annual Small Stones Festival of the Arts, a juried fine art painting and photography exhibit. The Festival returns Oct. 15 to the Great Hall, Grafton Town House, One Grafton Common, Grafton for a live ceremony announcing the winning artists. The top three artists in each category will win cash awards.

                                                     Bonnie Frederico - Apple Blossoms

Four regional arts organizations – Apple Tree Arts, the Worcester County Camera Club, the Blackstone Valley Art Association and the Shakespeare Club of Grafton have collaborated to create the exhibit accompanied with music and literary programs, jurors and artist talks and an art collection presentation. The extended Festival runs Oct. 15-24 with free exhibit hours on weekends and weekday evenings of Oct. 20, 21 and 22.

The Festival’s art call opened Aug. 15 for submissions of artwork.  Photography and all forms of two-dimensional artwork are welcomed, with a maximum of three entries per artist. The art call will remain open until 500 entries are received. Visit https://smallstonesfestival.org/ to submit artwork. 

                                       Carolyn Kinlock-Winkler - Sparrows in the Mulberry

Three prestigious jurors for each category will select 144 works to appear in the exhibit and hardbound printed catalog . Fine art category jurors include renowned artist Carol Arnold, first place prize winner in the best figure/portraiture category of the June 2020 Plein Air Salon Art Competition; Charlotte Wharton, a highly accomplished portrait, plein-air and genre artist and Susan Swinand, a prominent painter with a preference for water media. Photography category jurors are David DeMelim, founder and managing director of Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts ; Jessica Roscio, director and curator at Danforth Art Museum; and renowned fine art portraiture photographer Al Weems.

                                               Gimme a Break - Doreen Evangeline.

Awards will include first, second and third cash prize winners, juror’s choice and popular choice for each category. Cash awards are $500 for first; $250 for second; and $100 for third place. The exhibit catalogue will be sold online in late November.

For more information about the festival, visit https://smallstonesfestival.org/ or contact chair Ken Crater, Worcester County Camera Club, [email protected].