The town of Ashfield is looking for artists who know how to go with the flow — literally. The town is seeking 12 creators to help make a splash next September with lighted displays for a boat parade.
The town is seeking artists to construct lighted, floating art installations for a boat parade around Ashfield Lake next fall. Selected participants will be awarded $1,000 grants to support the construction of their installation.
“Gathering to see floating artworks seems so well-suited to Ashfield and our town’s history of unique events,” Ashfield Town Clerk Alexis Fedorjaczenko said in a press release. “Our team is conceiving the Lighted Boat Parade as an inclusive and whimsical way to connect people in a celebration of light.”
Last February, the town was one of 10 municipalities awarded a New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) Making It Public grant. The program invited Ashfield to attend bi-weekly training sessions on incorporating art into the community, and offered $15,000 for the town to fund an event and art installation.
Chris Nelson, a member of the Ashfield Cultural Council, said the event organizers, which comprised cultural council members, the library, and the town clerk’s office, had been inspired by other boat parades they’ve been to and wanted to bring something similar to Ashfield.
“It seems like there’s a lot of history of boat parades, particularly at marinas, but there’s one in Orange and that was a big inspiration,” Nelson said. “I just love the idea of seeing lighted boats at night and the reflections in the water.”
He added they wanted to hold an art-based event that could bring the community together, and there was no better location for it than the Ashfield Lake, which is “the centerpiece of town.”
“Instead of opting for a mural or sculptural piece, we thought it would be nice to have an event centered around light and the lake,” Nelson said.
The boat parade is being further supported by other sponsors, including Greenfield Savings Bank, Ashfield Trails, The Mill at Shelburne Falls, and The Ashfield Lake House. The additional funding will help the town not only pay participating artists, but create the boat parade into a bigger community event, with food vendors and other performances that will take place on land before the parade begins after dusk.
“The boat parade will be the centerpiece, but we want to make a whole night of it,” Nelson said.
Applications are due on March 31, 2026, at 5 p.m. and will be reviewed by a panel of local art and boatbuilding experts, who say there are no specific rules or criteria. Any resident of the United States with experience in art can apply, and original creative ideas should be designed to engage or appeal to audiences of all ages. Artists may team up, and artists under the age of 18 may apply, as long as the main contact is 18 or older.
Nelson said that given the accessibility and options that come along with LED lights, he hopes applicants are able to come up with creative ideas. He hopes they think about more than just lights, but also how else they can make their boat into a piece of art and consider sound and performance.
“I think there’s a lot of possibility,” Nelson said. “What we’re not looking for is just people putting lights around their boats … I hope people really think outside the box.”
Organizers added that artists do not need to own their own boat to put their installation on for the parade, as there are a few private community members willing to loan kayaks and canoes on a first-come, first-served basis.
Artists will be selected in April and awarded grant agreements in May 2026. The boat parade will be held on Sept. 12.
For more information or to apply, visit ashfield.org/publicart