Members’ Open: Small Works

Each year, we present the Members’ Open Small Works exhibition during the holiday season as an opportunity for shoppers to bring home a piece of original artwork created by a Provincetown artist.

Unlike in our other exhibitions, we invite you to bring your new piece home with you upon purchase, instead of waiting for the conclusion of the exhibition.

PAAM mounts upwards of 5 members’ open and juried exhibitions annually in which participants display their work alongside some of America’s most noteworthy artists. These exhibitions represent the work of PAAM’s contemporary artist-members, many of whom live on Cape Cod either full-time or for part of the year. While the work varies greatly in media and approach, each artist-member joins a long roster of distinguished artists who have studied, taught, and exhibited at PAAM over the past 100 years. There is no submission fee for members’ exhibitions, but membership must be up to date.

OPEN EXHIBITIONS

In the 1970’s, the PAAM membership voted to present “open” exhibitions, allowing any and all members to exhibit their work in PAAM’s galleries throughout the year. Members’ Open Exhibitions represent an eclectic and extensive body of work displayed in salon style – that is, works that are stacked and tend to blanket the walls, versus the minimalist presentation most often seen in contemporary art galleries and museums. This practice was begun in Paris, France in the 19th century, where work was hung floor to ceiling and great paintings rubbed shoulders with the work of new and evolving artists.

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Artist Guidelines

SUBMITTING WORK

Drop-Off Day is Tuesday, November 18 from 12-4pm.

There is no theme for this exhibition. Artwork must not exceed 20″ (including the frame), and be dry and equipped with a hanging device upon arrival. You can submit your Artwork Receipt online below–it will save you the time of filling out the receipt at Drop-Off. 

Membership must be valid through January, 2026–anyone can join or renew online here or at Drop-Off. 

Dropping Off Early: If you can’t make it on Drop-Off Day, you may drop off the prior weekend when the Museum is open: Wednesday-Sunday from 11am-5pm. Due to the quick installation turn-over we cannot accommodate late submissions, so consider 11/18 your absolute deadline.

SHIPPING WORK

Shipped works must arrive by Tuesday, November 18. Please submit the online Artwork Receipt below prior to mailing the piece and include some kind of identifying information inside the package so we know it’s yours.

PICKING UP WORK

Pick-Up Day is Tuesday, January 13 from 12-4pm.

We are happy to ship your piece back to you, please fill out the Return Shipping Form (published in January) to begin the process. We use USPS, and charge a $15 handling fee in addition to the cost of shipping, which includes insurance determined by the price you list for your piece. PAAM cannot ascertain the shipping costs prior to packaging and weighing the artwork for return. 

Alternatively, you can send us a prepaid label from your preferred shipper (FedEx, UPS, USPS, etc.) and a check for the $15 handling fee, or simply send us a blank check that we will fill out when we have determined your shipping charges.

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Artwork Receipt