Art in August is coming! For over twenty years, Winchester businesses and artists have collaborated to turn the downtown area into an arts colony during the month of August. This festival will open soon for the summer of 2026: all artists and businesses are encouraged to join us (see below).

Throughout the month, creations of local artists will be on display in windows and inside stores in downtown Winchester. The festival includes with a gala reception on August 6 at 7 pm at the Griffin Museum of Photography, and features smaller meet-the-artist receptions on subsequent Thursday evenings.

The Just A Minute Festival is an online celebration of short videos, each one minute or less, that has been running since 2012, during which it has shown nearly 1,000 entries. On July 16 at 7 pm, the Lexington Venue, at 1794 Massachusetts Ave. in the heart of Lexington, will host a special “live” screening of 60 minutes of the best entries from the festival.

Everyone is invited to this free event. Make it a night out with dinner and a (short) movie!

The Just A Minute Festival is sponsored in part by a grant from the Winchester Cultural Council.

Winchester's utility box art program completed its third year in 2025 with four artists decorating boxes throughout town, under the sponsorship of the Winchester Cultural Council. The art brings a touch of beauty to what had been a utilitarian street object and gives these local artists a showcase for their creativity and skill. The 2025 artists were Gena Bronson, James DePeter, Fenway Fan, and Holly Khalil.

The Winchester Cultural Council awarded $14,625 for 21 grants as part of the annual grants program for 2026. Funding for these grants came from the annual Local Cultural Council funding program of the Massachusetts Cultural Council and from the citizens of Winchester, through the Town of Winchester's own budget. Following is a list of the grants, in roughly chronological order.

The Winchester Cultural Council is in need of new members for the coming year. Cultural Council members are volunteers who are appointed by the town's Select Board; love of the arts is important, but no special skills are required. The Council meets monthly, gives cultural grants annually, and provides many opportunities to enrich our town. Click to read more!