Art Call and Exhibit Dates 

Submissions for the 2026 Small Stones Festival of the Arts were being accepted starting September 15. This festival, known as the largest juried fine art and photography showcase in the region, invites talented fine artists and photographers to participate in its eighth year alongside some of the best painters, photographers, watercolorists, and other two-dimensional artists. 

The two-week exhibition, which is organized by the Blackstone Valley Art Association and the Worcester County Camera Club, will commence on January 24, 2026, at the Community Harvest Project barn, located at 37 Wheeler Road in N. Grafton. This free event for the public will run until February 1. 

Artists can submit works until October 15, with a limit of five pieces allowed per participant. All types of two-dimensional fine art and fine art photography will be considered. Selected juried artworks will be exhibited and included in a hardbound catalog, and the Festival’s web gallery will display all submitted pieces that meet the minimum requirements. For more details and to submit artwork, please visit smallstonesfestival.org/. 

A panel of six jurors, recognized for their professional careers in art and curation at local museums, galleries, and colleges, will choose around 144 works for display. Prizes will be awarded for first, second, and third place as well as six juror’s choice awards. Cash prizes total $500 for first place, $250 for second, and $100 for third place. Additionally, attendees will vote for a popular choice award in each category. 

The fine art jurors this year include Jim Welu, the former director of the Worcester Art Museum; Jo Ellen Reinhardt, a classically trained artist and co-founder of the New England School of Fine Art; and Janet Montecalvo, a versatile artist with a background in publishing, graphic design, and painting. 

For fine art photography, the jurors consist of photographer and educator Ron Rosenstock, whose works are held in renowned collections; Nancy Kathryn Burns, who serves as the Stoddard Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs at the Worcester Art Museum; and Pip Shepley, an artist whose photography is displayed in multiple institutions, including the Griffin Museum of Photography. 

The Small Stones Festival of the Arts aims to enhance the appreciation and practice of fine art and photography within the Blackstone Valley and beyond. Grafton Arts Inc., a recognized 501(c)(3) organization, is the Festival’s financial supporter. 

The festival organizers extend their gratitude to the following supporters: Brigham Hill Foundation, Grafton Cultural Council, Greater Worcester Community Foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Millbury Cultural Council, Upton Cultural Council, Yesod Foundation, and local businesses including EverRise, Gastonart & Frame, Gaudette Insurance, Homefield Credit Union, New England School of Fine Art, Sydney Padgett, Realtor, Pepperoni Express, Pulte Homes, Uncommon Cow, and UniBank.