A Word of Gratitude
Many thanks to the Friends of the Gale Free Library for sponsoring Art Exhibits in the Program Room. We are grateful for your support!
Exhibit at the Gale Free
We welcome artists and local community organizations to exhibit in the Program Room and in the Upstairs Lobby at the beautiful Gale Free Library in Holden, Massachusetts.
Our next Community Show will take place March 2025. The theme is Spring! Artists of all ages and abilities welcome! Click to read our Call for Art.
We are now OPEN for exhibit applications for the 2025 season in both the Program Room and the Upstairs Lobby!
Reach out to Alana at agarrigues@cwmars.org with questions or for information about exhibiting opportunities.
- Shows in the Program Room rotate monthly from January through September, with October through December reserved for spectacular (and spooktacular!) exhibits put on by our Children’s Department.
- Shows in the Upstairs Lobby rotate monthly year-round. The Upstairs Lobby is also home to up to two Community Art Shows per year.
There is no fee to exhibit at the library, but an application and subsequent signed agreement are required. Before requesting exhibit dates, please be prepared to hang your show in the first 1-3 days of the month, and to remove it in the last 1-3 days of the month you are assigned. No storage is available.
Scroll down for more information about exhibit policies, applications, and spaces.
To set up an appointment to see the space and ask questions, contact Alana at agarrigues@cwmars.org, stop by the Reference Desk Thursdays between 1-5 p.m., or call the Reference Desk at (508)210-5569.
Exhibit Policies
Please review our current Exhibit Policies prior to filling out an application.
Local groups are eligible to exhibit annually. Individual artists and solo shows are eligible to exhibit every other year.
Note that a generous donor has offered to provide refreshments and event support for receptions through the 2024 season, provided the time and date scheduled for the reception are made well in advance.
Download the PDF version of our Exhibit Policies here.
Please be advised the Gale Free Library does not insure artwork, and the library is not responsible for loss or damage. You may wish to consider purchasing your own insurance if you are concerned.
Please note: Exhibitors may include title cards and a bio with links to their website and social media, but no pricing or red dots are permitted on library grounds.
Exhibit Application
Please review the Policies and familiarize yourself with the Room Plan prior to filling out an application.
On your application, please indicate dates desired/available . We will review your images, bio, and show statement, as well as the dates you are available, and get in touch with you.
Once an application has been accepted and a date has been agreed upon, the Gale Free will send you a contract. We kindly request 3-5 images of work that will be in the show, and a show statement and artist bio at least four weeks prior to your exhibit.
A friendly reminder: To ensure equitable access to our facility, organizations are eligible to exhibit annually. Individuals and solo artists are eligible to exhibit every other year.
Once you are ready, you are welcome to fill out an Application Online. The application can also be completed directly in Google Forms. A copy of your application will be sent directly to your email.
Alternatively, you may download a Paper Application and drop it off at the Reference Desk, scan and email it to galefreelibrary@gmail.com, or mail it to Gale Free Library, Attn: Reference Desk (Art Exhibits), 23 Highland Street, Holden, MA 01520.
About our Installation Hardware
We use the Walker Display Hanging System. You can learn more about that system here.
- Program Room: 20 Fiberglass Rods available for exhibitors
- Upstairs Lobby: 24 Fiberglass Rods available for exhibitors
Each Fiberglass Rod can hold multiple pieces of small artwork. Large artwork may require multiple Fiberglass Rods for safe hanging.
For a detailed count of hooks and holders, contact Alana at agarrigues@cwmars.org after you have submitted your application. We recommend no more than 25 artworks in the Program Room and 30 artworks in the Upstairs Lobby to fit the spaces comfortably.
Artists are welcome to include a bio, show statement, and contact information either framed, clipped, or adhered to the wall using mounting putty (provided). Titles and descriptions are welcome using putty. Please be sure to clean all putty from the walls after use.
No holes, nails, screws, or permanent adhesion are permitted. No prices or red dots shall be displayed.
images from Harmony in Duality: Bridging Realism and Abstraction (March 2024) by artist Dena Hengst | click here for more about the artist
About the Program Room
Exhibits in our second floor Program Room are located in a corner room overseeing the greens and Town Hall. The room is accessible by elevator and stairs, and open to the public. The room doubles as an art exhibit and gathering space, so during library programs, room access will be limited to those attending events.
Each side of the room has one wall available for hanging. Dimensions (by width) are:
- Side A: 1 ft., 7 in.
- Side B: 8 ft., 8 in. (Side B has two walls spaces, but one houses a permanent photography collection.)
- Side C: 6 ft., 8 in.
- Side D: 13 ft., 5 in.
- Total: 30 ft., 4 in. of linear wall space
[shown in images: Side B (top photo), Sides C, D (bottom photo)]
The height of the wall from the bottom of the picture rail to the top of the chair rail measures 50″ (4 ft., 2 in.), so including frames, pictures should measure no taller than 4 ft.
Windowsills may also be used for small free-standing artwork.
images from “Here and There,” a photography exhibit by John Gaumond (March 2024)
About the Upstairs Lobby
Exhibits in our second floor Upstairs Lobby wrap around the walls outside of the stairs and elevator. The lobby is accessible by elevator and stairs, and open to the public until 15 minutes before the library closes.
There are a total of four areas of wall to hang imagery in a galley style, with one wall just outside of the Program Room, two walls facing each other in a study area, and a fourth which wraps around the elevator, facing staff offices.
- Wall 1: 6 ft., 2 in. (adjacent to Program Room)
- Wall 2: 11 ft., 10 in. (above study cubicles)
- Wall 3: 6 ft., 11 in. (facing wall 2, above study cubicles)
- Wall 4: approx. 12 ft. (adjacent to wall 3)
- Total: approx 36 ft. of linear wall space
[shown in images: Wall 1 (top photo); Walls 3 {near} and 2: {distance} (middle photo); Wall 4 (bottom photo)]
Due to cubicles in some areas and space between chair rails and picture rails, we recommend that artwork in the Lobby area measure no taller than 3 ft., 6 in, including the frame. You are welcome to measure the space for accurate wall height prior to hanging your show if you would like to include larger artwork.
Past Exhibits
Curious about exhibits we’ve hosted in the past? Here’s a look back:
2025
- April: Darkroom Prints and Mixed Media Collage by Alejandra Spruill
- March: “Play!” by BNA Makery and Community Art Show: “Spring!”
- February: “The Girl with the Ponytail: A Cubist Reinterpretation” by Nile Drochak and “Process” by Wachusett High School Seniors Hannah Parry, Kelsie McDermott, Olga Morimanno, Silvia Morimanno, and Abigail Rock
- January: “Where Would You Like to Be in January?” Holden Senior Center Group Exhibit
2024
- December: Mountview Middle School
- November: Library Staff Show
- October: “Memories” by Cristina Farrer
- September: Water Scenes by Anne Tisdell and Community Art Show: “JOY!”
- August: Retrospective of the Art of James X. Palace and “Still Life from Everyday Life” by Iram Chughtai
- July: “New England Wild: Asian Expressions” by Miranda Buck and “Nature’s Palette: Inspired by Beauty around Us” by Kirti Nagpal
- June: “Windows: Real and Imagined” photography by June Derosier and “CYRK: The Follies of Frolicking” by Marta Szemiot
- May: Mountview Middle School Student Exhibit and “The Mother Cycle,” a Massachusetts Women’s Caucus for Art Group Exhibit
- April: “Spring Fling” Senior Center Group Exhibit and “Learning: Birds, Fruit and Landscapes” by Bronwyn Teixeira”
- March: “Harmony in Duality: Bridging Realism and Abstraction” by Dena Hengst and “Here and There” Photography by John Gaumond
- February: “Rhapsody in Eggshell” by William Holmes and Community Art Show
- January: “Reciprocity: Paintings and Poems” by Judith Ferrara
2023
- December: Mountview Middle School (Lobby)
- September: Refugee Artists of Worcester (RAW) Group Exhibit and Demonstration
- August: “Seasonal Changes” a Holden Senior Center Group Exhibit
- July: “Watercolor and Cartoons” a posthumous exhibit of George Ludway’s work
- June: “Endangered Animals” by Anne Tisdell
Art Club!
Last Wednesdays: You’re Invited
We had so much fun for our first get-together, and we can’t wait to do it again! Join us the last Wednesday of the month from 6-7:30 pm to meet your neighbors and make art in community. All abilities and experiences welcome, from beginner to professional!
Next Date: May 28
Click here for more information about the new Gale Free Art Club!
Reach out to the Reference Desk: stop by the library, call us at 508-210-5569 or email galefreelibrary@gmail.com to RSVP!
Upstairs Lobby
See two of Alejandra’s pieces on display in the Lobby outside of the Program Room.
The Upstairs Lobby is elevator accessible and open to the public until 15 minutes before the library closes.
Upcoming Exhibits
2025 Applications Still Open
Limited Availability for Solo and Group Shows in the Upstairs Lobby
See calls for art, including Community Shows, here.
Note: Our Program Room is now fully booked. Please apply to exhibit in the Upstairs Lobby if you would like to display your artwork during the 2025 season.
Permanent Exhibits
Stop by the library to pick up our brochure: Your Guide to Art at the Gale Free.
Included in the brochure is a scavenger hunt that is fun for all ages!
See black and white framed photographs of Holden by Ron Rosenstock throughout the Reference department on the first floor. The exhibit was commissioned by the Holden Arts Lottery Council in 1985.
Also on permanent display: see photos of early school children from when the Gale Free was both a library and a high school in the corner stairway nearest Highland Street, and peek over the shoulders of the Circulation Desk for a peek at our very first librarian. Visit the reading room and the lost and found section for additional artwork and sculptures in our permanent collection.
Exhibit Hours
Rotating Art Exhibits are on display in the Library Program Room and in the Upstairs Lobby, both located on the second floor.
Patrons and guests are welcome to visit during library hours:
| Monday: | 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM |
|---|---|
| Tuesday: | 9:30 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Wednesday: | 9:30 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Thursday: | 9:30 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Friday: | 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM |
| Saturday: | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
| Sunday: | Closed |
Both the Program Room and the Upstairs Lobby are accessible by elevator or stairs.
Please note: the Program Room may be closed to the public during adult and children’s library programs. Please check the Library Calendar or call the Reference Desk at 508-210-5569 to check room access if visiting from out of town.