This highly selective, beautifully curated showcase for 175 of the finest of independent artists and craft makers is a “must-see” for lovers of the arts in the Greater Boston region and beyond.  The “Jewel of Craft Shows” is nestled into the heart of Boston’s western suburbs, easily accessible from all over New England. The curated exhibitors come to Marlborough, Massachusetts from every corner of America to participate in this award-winning event. With so many painters, potters, sculptors, jewelers, woodworkers, fashion designers, furniture makers and more, make sure you allow enough time to see them all!

The Sculpture Café

The sunlit Sculpture Café is a meeting place, a gallery exhibition area, and a cozy spot to grab a drink or a sweet bite and rest your feet after your first pass through the show. Every afternoon from noon to 4pm music wafts from the café through the entire exhibition hall. Reconnect with your friends at one of the small tables in the Sculpture Café for coffee or tea, sweet treats, and – best of all – sharing the contents of your shopping bags. 

The Sculpture Café is a great place to people-watch and share photos of work by your favorite Paradise City artists on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. If you’re more in the mood for food that’s savory and substantial, look to the Paradise Café at the rear of the hall for sandwiches, salads, hot soups and yummy daily specials, along with a glass of wine.

There’s an excellent lineup of music in the Sculpture Café from noon to 4pm each day. Listen to jazz, vocal classics from the Great American Songbook, Latin, Motown, and upbeat swing.

Friday, November 17 – Green Street Trio: Classic jazz with pianist Paul Arslanian, bassist George Kaye, and Haley Isadora, jazz vocalist and composer who divides her time between Brazil and Massachusetts.
Saturday, November 18 – The O-Tones Trio: Infectious renditions of swing and Motown. Soulful singer Mary Witt is accompanied by a variety of instruments and three-part harmony.
Sunday, November 19 – The Leslie Alexandra Trio: An eclectic mix of jazz, Latin, swing and pop with fabulous vocals by Leslie Alexandra and keyboards and bass by Don McMahon. The face behind the beat is Chet Pasek on percussion.

Special Exhibit: A Rose Is a Rose Is a Rose!

The themed shows-within-a-show at Paradise City Arts Festivals have always enchanted and educated the public, while offering the artists an opportunity to be extra creative and think outside the box.

The rose is not your ordinary flower. When using the image of a rose, or the color named for the flower, what exactly are we referring to? Is it the romanticism of the red rose, a nod to its association with the goddess Aphrodite? Is it the presence of something beautiful within a thorny, dangerous environment? 

“A rose is a rose is a rose”, the famous quote from Gertrude Stein’s poem Sacred Emily, is an attempt to claw back the rose from its mixed metaphor of meaning — in other words, it is what it is. Some artists revel in the form itself: a painting of a vase of flower buds or a rose garden, an earring in the shape of a many-petaled rose, perhaps even a sculpture, bowl, or piece of furniture that reflects the signature spiraling of a blooming rose flower. Others take the red-rose color to heart. And as history shows us, few symbols are as malleable, as open to interpretation and analysis, as the rose. 

But in the end, when you look at the world through rose-colored glasses, everything is beautiful!

How Do they Do It?

Walking the show, one often comes across an artist working on a painting, sketching out a concept for a commission, carving wood or sizing clothing for a client. This is one of the little pleasures of Paradise City. Not only is the event an opportunity to meet the artists and talk to them about their work, but there is always a glimpse of the technique and thought process behind each piece of art. Listen to their stories!

Enter to Win a Shopping Spree

Visitors may stop by the Information Booth at any time during the show to place their entry for a drawing in one of the big baskets. The winner will receive a gift certificate for a $250 shopping spree that may be redeemed at an exhibitor’s booth at any Paradise City Arts Festival over the next year.

Support Music in the Public Schools

Benefit Coat Check

Since 1998, the enthusiastic volunteers from the Marlborough Public Schools Music Association have been operating a gift wrap, coat and package check at the entrance to Paradise City to benefit music in the public schools. It’s so much more comfortable to walk the show without wearing or carrying a heavy coat or umbrella! You can even leave any purchases at the coat check and pick them up on your way out. Have the volunteers wrap your treasures, too. Donations are voluntary, and much appreciated.