Wet Paint! Issue #009

Greetings and salutations!

There’s some interesting events and exhibits in our area over the next 3 weeks, but I spent the bulk of my time in this issue researching and writing about all the artist opportunities closing soon, so make sure you check those out. I want to believe there’s something here for all of you! 

Let’s get into it - here’s my Worcester-based visual arts radar February 6 - 28, 2026.

Events

Openings, tours, and the like, sorted chronologically. 

Mechanics Hall is offering a Portraits Gallery & History of the Hall Guided Tour 2/11 from 10-11:30a. Having worked in this architectural landmark in the past, I can confidently say from experience that this tour is well worth the $10 ticket (especially if you can charm your way inside the 1864 Hook Organ). Plus you’ll be able to hear stories and get up-close looks at the recently commissioned portraits in the Great Hall for far less than strategically planning seats to multiple concerts.

Galentine’s at Crompton isn’t just for lady friends - it’s an opportunity for everyone to sip, shop, and support women entrepreneurs and businesses! Friday 2/13, 5:30-8p, you can do pilates in the White Room with Sculpt, share a heart-shaped pizza at Birchtree, and shop at Crompton Collective, Haberdash, Seed to Stem, Sol Rune, Sweet Janes, and the Makes Like a Girl Market!

ArtsWorcester’s 22nd Annual College Show celebrates the next generation of artists with 76 artworks created by 57 area college students. Awards will be announced at the opening reception 6-9p on 2/13, which is free and public. See this exhibit at the Davis Gallery (Printer’s Building, 3rd floor) through 4/12, gallery hours Wed-Sun 12-5p.  

The next installment of the Worcester Arts Museum’s After Hours series is a Valentine’s Date Night. From 6-8p 2/14, you and your person/people can grab a drink, dance, and explore new and legacy exhibits. Free for WAM members, $25 for public.

AI is a growing concern for many creatives and free thinkers, and it’s not going away in the foreseeable future, so how do we deal? Clark University invites the public to a free talk titled From Data to Doubt: Understanding AI’s Cultural Impact 2/24 at 4:30p. I’d like to go, if anyone else is interested maybe we meet up after to talk about the potential/impact for artists and creatives. 

Ongoing Exhibits

Gallery hours tend to have far lighter crowds, making it easier to take your time with each artwork. Below items are sorted chronologically by end date. 

The JMAC presents Radical Reverie // Raging Revolt, reimagining the enchanted forest of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as a punk queer nightclub. This group exhibit invites viewers to step into a dreamscape in which glitter meets grit, fairies wear leather, and moonlight glows neon. On view through 2/14, Wed-Sat 2-6p.

Not wanting vitamin D deficiency to make me S.A.D. again this year, I came up with [Re]Frame the Dark as a way to embrace the beauty, wonder, and mystery of this season sans sun, and you know what? The 40+ works created by 2 dozen local artists are absolutely helping! See for yourself Hunchback Gallery 4-8p Fri and 12-6p Sat through 2/21. (PS - if you can’t make it IRL, we just got the exhibit online)

With Play!, the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery challenged artists submit works which evoke the unburdened joy and fun that are cornerstones of children’s play. On view through 2/21, Wed-Fri 11a-5p, Sat 1-5p.

ValleyCAST welcomed the New England Sculptors Association back to the Whitin Mill Complex for the 5th annual Inside & Out Sculpture Exhibit. A total of 31 sculptors created 44 pieces which can be seen inside the Heritage Gallery and by touring the grounds outside the complex through 2/22. With viewing hours Mon-Fri 9a-4p, the public are encouraged to vote for their favorites by 2/13, with final awards given announced at the exhibit closing 2/22.

On view through 2/28, Blackstone Valley Art Association’s 14th Annual “Anything Goes” Photography Show features a diverse range of styles and subjects. The exhibit will be on view at the BVAA Open Sky Uxbridge Community Gallery 10a-3p Mon-Sat.

I DECLARE is on view at the Worcester Center for Crafts through 2/28, gallery hours Tues-Sat 10a-5p. Have freedom and/or the American Dream been fully realized for Black Americans, or does it remain a dream deferred? The Black Artist Collective of New England asked, find out how 17 artists responded.

Two exhibits are on view at ArtsWorcester through 3/1. Taylor Apostol and Evan Morse’s Here and Gone features clay, plaster, marble, and stone works in the West Gallery, and the East Gallery will be broken into 4 Artist Shoeboxes, or mini solo shows, featuring Matthew Burgos, Ashley MacLure, Nina Menard, and Susan Swinand. Both shows will be on view 12-5p Wed-Sun. 

Opportunities

A collection of calls for exhibits, commissions, and residencies, locally and a bit further away. Sorted chronologically by deadline.

BLKOUT Walls is bringing a mural festival to Roxbury, MA in June. According to their call, selected artists will be paid for their work plus lodging, meals, and transportation. The app requires an artist bio, 3 work samples, and some quick questions. No need to submit a concept or rendering, but do check out the FAQs for eligibility and guidance. Apply by 2/10. 

Gallery 9 in Norwood, MA wants to know what GREEN means to you - is it the color of nature, luck, heritage, renewal, envy, or greed? Open to 2D and 3D creative interpretations, no prints, reproductions, or AI. Artist retains 60% of sales, $5/submission (3 max), apply by 2/11.

The Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown, MA invites artists to submit work that is inspired by art’s healing potential for their upcoming show Art and Healing. The creative process can be calming, offer ways to express and discuss difficulties, and lead to the sharing of hope and joy. Submit up to 5 2D or 3D works which reflect these ideas for $15/piece, artists receive 60% of sales, apply by 2/13. 

Art City HQ is a Lowell, MA-based group coming to Worcester April 4 to host an immersive, late-night art experience. While the idea sounds cool, let’s make sure Worcester is well-represented in our own city! Open calls are currently live for Gallery Submissions (apply by 2/15), Vendors (apply by 2/27), and for Musicians and Live Artists (demos) - no deadlines noted so I’d consider these “open until filled.”

Service Brewing Co in Savannah, GA is commissioning an artist to Design Beer Cans! The ideal candidate works illustration, graphic design, drawing, painting, mixed media, print making, or digital art; the selected artist will receive $1,500 to create a cohesive 3-can illustration series. Submit your existing portfolio (no new work required!) for consideration by 2/15.

The Nave Gallery in Somerville, MA has an open call for We Create Diamonds. It seems each new day is bringing a new hardship which is pushing each of us and society as a whole to our limits, yet rather than crumble, we the people are creating pressure to advocate for change. The harder the pressure, the brighter we shine. I love this sentiment. I can’t find info on what percentage of sales is paid to the artist, but it’s a $0 app fee, apply by 2/15. 

The art is out there - the New Hampshire Art Association in Portsmouth, NH has an open call for 2D and 3D works for their upcoming show betty & barney. Under hypnosis, Betty and Barney Hill detailed their 1961 abduction by a UFO from a rural NH road; their revelations of little green men and spaceships became canon for extraterrestrial representation in the media. This exhibit will explore the Hills’ stories as reflected in pop culture; the impact it had on the lives of this interracial, politically-active couple; and the idea of cultural alienation through “the other.” Commission percentage is not shared, app fee is $40/1, $45/2, $50/3, apply by 2/16.

How about a solo retreat in the Berkshires? The Long Meadow Art Residency ranges from 6 weeks to 3 months, during which selected artists will receive use of a house, studio, and vehicle, plus $2,500 for materials, and a $3k/month stipend.  Don’t delay - get your app in by 2/18!

The City of Worcester has an open call for Window Installation Art, with each of the Denholm Building’s 8 available windows focused on 1 of 7 themes celebrating Worcester’s past and present. Selected artists will receive up to $1,200 (unclear if this is in addition to a materials budget). To apply, submit your portfolio, cover letter, a project concept, and a technical plan by 2/20.

Located in Roxbury, MA, Castle of our Skins is a Black arts institution dedicated to fostering cultural curiosity and celebrating Black artistry through music. There’s 2 items on their Opportunities page that may be of interest: an open call for The Great Migration & Other Forced Migrations is inspired by an excerpt from Richard Wright’s autobiography; they’re looking for up to 5 artists to loan existing work for 1 day in exchange for $250 and a pair of concert tickets, apply by 2/20. There’s no deadline listed on their Open Call for Teaching Artists, but if you’re interested in projects around curriculum development, in-school instruction, or producing edu-tainment programs, check it out! 

The Limner Gallery in Hudson, NY invites submissions for Arte•Natura. Artwork should be inspired by the natural world - realist, abstract, or conceptual representations of landscapes, skyscapes, plants, and animals are all welcome. Artist receives 65% of sales, $35 app fee, apply by 2/28.

City Lights Gallery in Bridgeport, CT invites artists to submit for their upcoming show Is Fat Phat? Culture, Language, Morphology. Interpretations can include body image, oversized fashion, pop culture, imagery, spoken word, music, and beyond. Artist receives 60% of sales, $0 app fee, apply by 2/28.

A bit closer to home, the Blackstone Valley Art Association in Uxbridge, MA has an open call for Local Beauty. All visual mediums are accepted, so long as the subject is somewhere in the Blackstone Valley. While artists do receive 75% of sales and there’s no app fee, there’s also no deadline to submit listed but delivery is 2/28.

***

That’s it for this week. If you enjoyed this newsletter, your support can help me keep it going - send me a note to share your thoughts, or consider making a donation here!

Thanks for reading, stay creative Worcester!