Donation Collection Period: August 10^th – September 11^th

It’s time to join a group of distinguished artists, collectors and organizations in supporting the Attleboro Arts Museum by donating to our 30th Benefit Art Auction. The Auction is regarded as a powerful opportunity to contribute to a vital cultural resource and for donors to gain valuable exposure for their artwork and business.

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Each donor of one or two items will receive:

• A one-year Museum artist or individual membership ($35 value)*
• Revenue sharing up to 20% on the sale of items valued at $300 or more
• International exposure through our prestigious online auction site
• Artist or business biography/profile within the online auction and digital auction catalog

* Visit our membership page for a list of member benefits.

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Collection Period: August 10^th – September 11^th

Donations of framed or gallery-finished original art, handmade gifts, crafts and objects created for the home from artists or collectors – as well as specialty items – will be collected from August 10^th – September 11^th, 10am – 3pm.  Specialty items that have been popular with audiences in the past include a one-on-one art-making workshop, tickets to a cultural performance or gift certificates to a frame shop.  Artists are encouraged to contribute artwork that best represents their current style and standard, as this year’s online site will touch an audience of international collectors and buyers.

Remember to complete an online donation form for each donation.

Note: the form must be completed in one sitting. Download a guide to the form here:

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Auction “Salons”

Organizers are pleased to present a 2021 Auction season that offers entertaining gatherings with considerations made for health and safety.  Two themed Auction “salons” will be held during the Auction Preview Exhibition, welcoming art buyers, collectors, patrons and artists to our gallery.  At these limited capacity events, attendees can view the donated art, place auction bids and celebrate the Museum’s 30^th year of Auction success in style. Each salon, complete with live music and creative attractions, will be a ticketed event with proceeds supporting the Museum’s programs, art classes and operations.  Salons will be held on Friday, October 29^th and Friday, November 5^th, 2021.  Salon themes and details will be announced this summer along with the launch of ticket sales for these events. 

The salons replace our customary Auction event this year.  All bidding, for all items, will take place online this year. Our traditional live Auction is on hold until 2022. 

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2021’s Benefit Art Auction Donation Details

• Be sure to complete an online donation form for each donation. Note: the form must be completed in one sitting. https://forms.gle/hpxkopmrnfqxRhVN8
• All donated pieces will be on view during our in-gallery Preview Exhibition launching on October 12^th
• Donations will simultaneously be found online through our Benefit Art Auction platform – Bidsquare.  Our partners at Bidsquare have worked with over 100 top-tier auction houses and antique dealers to promote and sell original art through their virtual bidding site. Bidsquare’s many attractive features include the opportunity for donating artists to have their work seen by national and international bidders. The Museum’s auction on Bidsquare will go live on October 12th at 10am.
• Our in-gallery auction event (last held in 2019) will convert to two festive, themed “salons.” Guests will be introduced to all auction items and enjoy live entertainment. This will not be a live Auction – it will be a colorful time to gather, celebrate the arts and support the Museum. 
• All bidding, for all Auction items, will be online.  Bidding will begin on Tuesday, October 12^th at 10am.  Final bids can be placed on Saturday, November 6^th starting at 12pm EST.  

Auction organizers were quite pleased with 2020’s impressive donations and popular online bidding. Please honor us with your fine work and keep the standard of this year’s Auction just as strong.

Thank you for your support, generosity and much appreciated partnership.

KEY DATES: Collection of donations: Aug 10^th – Sept 11^th; In-gallery preview exhibition: Oct 12^th – Nov 5^th, Tues – Sat, 10am – 5pm; Online bidding: Oct 12^th – Nov 6^th

Exhibition: August 3rd – 28th, 2021

Summer gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 4pm

• In-gallery Reception: Saturday, August 21st, 2pm – 4pm
• RSVP by August 19th: 508-222-2644 x10 or office@attleboroartsmuseum.org
• Free and open to all

All guests are asked to wear masks during the reception. The reception will feature live music, however we will not be able to provide refreshments during this event.

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Since 2002 the Attleboro Arts Museum has presented a late summer “Visions” group exhibition featuring the work of juried member artists.

The exhibiting artist review process for 8 Visions began during the Museum’s Members’ Exhibition in December of 2020.  Over 60 artists applied to be considered for this premiere exhibition opportunity. Members’ Exhibition juror Jennifer Jean Okumura, a practicing artist and President and founding Exhibition Chair for National Association of Women Artists, Inc., MA chapter, carefully reviewed the work of these artists and the field was narrowed down to twenty. 

Two new jurors, Anne Corso, Executive Director of the Southern Vermont Arts Center and Lauren Riviello, former Executive Director of the Brookline Arts Center in Brookline, MA, combed through the twenty portfolios.

In the end, a talented team of eight was selected. Working in diverse mediums and concepts, the 2021 8 Visions artists will exhibit their work in an in-gallery exhibition from August 3rd – 28th.

2021 8 Visions Artists

• Monica DeSalvo – Arlington, MA
• Craig Elliott – Lincoln, MA
• Lindsey Epstein – Tiverton, RI
• Virginia Mahoney – Brockton, MA
• Kat Masella – Manchester, MA
• Alexander Morris – Rumford, RI
• Lisa Redburn – Plymouth, MA
• Chuck Tramontana – Cumberland, RI

The Attleboro Arts Museum has joined museums nationwide in participating in Blue Star Museums, a program which provides free admission and/or benefits to our nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families this summer. The Museum’s program runs through Friday, September 3, 2021. See the list of participating museums at https://www.arts.gov/blue-star-museum-map.

Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and museums across America. Blue Star Families is a national, nonprofit network of military families from all ranks and services, including guard and reserve, dedicated to supporting, connecting, and empowering military families.

“We are grateful for the many organizations that have signed up for the Blue Star Museums program this summer, demonstrating strength and resiliency on the heels of a very challenging period for the arts sector,” said Ann Eilers, acting chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “We are pleased to collaborate with Blue Star Families and the Department of Defense on this initiative, and hopeful it will provide the opportunity for military families to engage together at museums while strengthening ties to their community.”

The effort to recruit museums has involved partnerships with the American Alliance of Museums, the Association of Art Museum Directors, the Association of Children’s Museums, the American Association of State and Local History, the Association of Science-Technology Centers, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.  The Attleboro Arts Museum has been participating in the program since its inception in 2009. 

“Admission to the Attleboro Arts Museum is always free, however the organization participates in the Blue Star Museum program by providing military families with complimentary tours and discounts on programs and classes,” states Mim Brooks Fawcett, the Attleboro Arts Museum’s Executive Director and Chief Curator.

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About the National Endowment for the Arts

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America.

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About Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families is the nation’s largest grass-roots military family support organization, with a mission to support military families to improve military readiness. Its distinctive approach builds stronger communities around military families through knowledge and programs that address the unique needs of those who serve. Blue Star Families’ nationally recognized surveys and analysis give military families an important voice that informs policymakers and its military family programs. It uses the power of its collective resources and cross-sector collaborations to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of members of military families to strengthen the troops, their families, and our nation as a whole.

The Attleboro Arts Museum is now a proud underwriter of The Public’s Radio, reaching NPR listeners in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts on 89.3 FM. 

Thanks to a grant from the Mass Office of Travel and Tourism you can now view the ad below on The Public Radio’s website and will hear our radio announcements beginning May 3rd, 2021.

When the Attleboro Arts Museum opened its doors in 1923 several area residents supported the organization by gifting fine art, memorabilia and items of aesthetic and historical interest.  These donations came to form the majority of the museum’s permanent collection. 

Today, thanks to funding from a Commonwealth Places COVID-19 Response Round: Resurgent Places grant from MassDevelopment, selections from the permanent collection are on view in a unique exhibition entitled Signs of the Times. This meandering display of art features replicas of permanent collection works imprinted on banners that are attached to downtown Attleboro’s light poles.  Signs of the Times is a coronavirus-safe way for participants to experience art and gain exposure to Attleboro’s downtown restaurants, businesses and attractions.  

You can learn about the work on view by participating in a complimentary self-guided tour. Let’s get started!

SELF-GUIDED TOUR FORMATS:

USING YOUR SMARTPHONE, CLICK ON ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TOUR FORMATS:

1. “At A Glance” – This is the most popular tour format for viewing on your mobile phone. Includes family-friendly worksheets, art making videos, and select videos from special guests.

Access the “At A Glance” Tour Now.

2. Download a pdf (includes family-friendly worksheets, art making videos, and select videos from special guests)

3. Audio (52:51) Hear the tour!

TO VIEW THE TOUR BEGIN AT:

Banner #1

Located at 77 Park Street, Attleboro, MA 02703  – in front of Attleboro’s City Hall.

(Street parking is available near Banner #1 and throughout the tour)

• The Signs of the Times tour has 22 banners stops
• The full tour averages 1-1.5 hours
• Participants can take the complete tour or break it down into parts over several days

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View a self-guided tour map:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=16owsnAv40NOZfn-7OdCkpwYtEem6mGWv&ll=41.94427460253364%2C-71.28241525&z=17

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Kindly complete the quick 4-question survey when you have finished your tour.  Thank you.  https://forms.gle/jFyKhHegUWc7xdyq6

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KEEP IN MIND …

There will be a series of several self-guided tours that will be added during 2021. Keep checking back for new additions!

To ensure the health and safety of Museum visitors, art students of all ages, and staff members, all guests are being asked to adhere to the following guidelines:

• Masks are required for entry and will be provided if needed

• Please maintain a respectful distance between yourself and other visitors. Thank you.

Feel free to contact the Museum with any questions: 508-222-2644 x10.

Looking forward to seeing you,

Mim Brooks Fawcett

Executive Director and Chief Curator

We’ve been taping a series of free art demos featuring projects that are great to make at home using readily available household items.  These are easy and colorful projects to work on with kids – and adults will also enjoy the art-making experience.

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We encourage you to share these demos with your friends!

Thanks for watching. Consider making a donation of any size to support the Attleboro Arts Museum today.