MONSON — For three weekends, the Monson Arts Council will have their 29th annual Juried Spring Art Exhibition & Sale starting April 15-16, 22-23 and 29-30 at the House of Art on 200 Main Street from 12-5 p.m.

Admission is free and everyone is welcome to the art show which includes 82 artists, 122 works of art including oil, acrylic, watercolor paintings, sculptures of all kinds, photographs, quilted art, drawings, and prints. Monson Arts Show Committee Co-Coordinator Susan James said, “The purpose of the art show is to encourage the regional artists and give them a place to display their work.”

She continued, “I want people to be impressed with the amount of talent that we have in our region and in the Pioneer Valley. I’m excited about the range of talent, so I hope other people are inspired, as I was, to explore their own talents.

The Monson Arts Council is a nonprofit organization of volunteers promoting art in the community including visual arts, craft fair, theater, art camp, concerts and performing arts like bands and choirs. Every year the Arts Council picks a theme, and this year is What Was ... What Will Be which James said is open to your interpretation.

She explained, “We come up with ideas and different names with the intention to prompt creativity.” The Council usually pick a piece of art they’ve had in the previous show which becomes the face of the show for the following year. This year is Beverlee Corriveau ‘s Tie-Dyed.

There will be four different categories: painting, photography, multi-dimensional art – sculpture, fiber art and ceramics and graphic arts – printmaking and drawing. Over $4,500 in prizes, $2,400 in prizes in the four categories, $500 for first prize, $100 for second prize and $1,000 Best of Show. The jurors are Mahwish Chishty, associate professor in the department of art at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Barbara Lussier, a signature member of New England Plein Air Painters, and Lauren Szumita, the curator at the Fitchburg Art Museum.

“We want artists who are skillful in all the areas, so we try to choose jurors who are experienced in all of the categories,” James said. “We look for somebody with a background in painting, photography and so forth and these jurors fit that bill.”

Additional awards include:

• President’s Choice, $300. sponsored by Monson Savings Banks and selected by the President Dan Moriarty
• Outstanding Monson Artist, $300, selected by the jurors
• The Edward and Shirley Lastoff Memorial Prize, $25, sponsored and selected by Linda Lastoff
• Committee Choice, $200, selected by committee ballot
• Emerging Artist Award, $75 gift certificate to Giclée of New England Inc., a prize for artist who has not previously exhibited in a juried show
• People’s Choice, voted by ballot by visitors to the show

“To gather these artists together in a larger venue gives the artist exposure and it gives participants who come to the show an opportunity to see the variety of talent under one roof,” James replied.

The Monson Arts Council has a gallery store available throughout the exhibit. All artists who entered work to the juried show are eligible to participate. To learn more information, visit monsonartscouncil.org.