SHELBURNE FALLS — Want to hatch a new direction in your art careeer?

A pilot program designed to inspire, support and help pay for creative projects related to the hilltowns of western Franklin County begins Monday, with the first of three free work sessions at the Art Garden, next to the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum.

“HATCH” stands for “Hilltown Art & Thriving Community Happenings,” and it’s a new program started by the Art Garden and the Greater Shelburne Falls Area Business Association. The purpose is to support the development, refinement and start of projects brought forward by artists and others in the 10 towns served by the Business Association.

Three free work sessions, run by artists Jane Beatrice Wegscheider and Phyllis Labanowski, will be offered to help artists develop and get feedback on their projects.

Wegscheider is director of the Art Garden and Labanowski, a regional artist, is co-director of Art For A Change and the ARTeens program at the Art Garden. Work sessions will be held Monday, as well as May 5 and May 18. Applications for the hatching event are due by May 27.

At the end of each session, those who want to continue their projects will have a chance to present their vision at a “community hatching” event on June 25, in the Buckland Town Hall. Up to five projects will be selected through a juried process.

Grants will be awarded to each project, along with mentoring support and marketing assistance to help these start-up projects. Applications for this will be available by May 1.

This program is partially funded by a Massachusetts Cultural Council Adams grant awarded to the Business Association last year.

Project criteria include: relevance to one or more of the 10 West County towns (Ashfield, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Conway, Hawley, Heath, Plainfield, Rowe or Shelburne); lead artists who live or work in any of these communities; the project or event either integrates the arts into the life of the community or addresses challenges and priorities within these towns; the project must be able to be completed by May 2017 and have a realistic schedule and budget.

Creative projects can include performances, murals, sculpture, spoken word or street art.

For more information, call the Business Association at 625-2526 or the Art Garden at 625-2526.