Destination Rhode Island

DESTINATION RHODE ISLAND

& DRYDEN GALLERY Custom Framing Original Art Printing Mirrors Delivery Installation Creative Art Sourcing

27 Dryden Lane Providence RI 02904 www.ProvidencePictureFrame.com Monday - Saturday 8:30 to 6:30 401.421.6196

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DESTINATION RHODE ISLAND

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ew England prides itself on its thriving art scene, and perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in tiny Rhode Island. The state covers just over 1200 square miles yet it bursts at the seams with creative individuals, world-class art institutions and countless arts-based entities, including galleries, non-profits, museums and studios.

The state’s ethos of creativity has deep roots in the American industrial revolution, which began on the banks of the Blackstone River in the town of Pawtucket. It was here that a young industrialist named Samuel Slater built the country’s first water-powered cotton mill in 1793, leading the way for the textile mills that would eventually crop up all over New England, and the booming economy that followed as a result.

In addition to textiles, Rhode Island was the

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country’s largest manufacturer of costume jewelry, beginning in the mid-to-late 19th century in the capital city, Providence. While this still accounts for about 18 percent of Rhode Island’s manufacturing base, the industrial economy here began to fade after its peak in the mid20th century, leaving the landscape dotted with large, brick mill buildings, many of which were crumbling and empty—a sad reminder of New England’s post-industrial malaise.

Flash forward to 2017, and these formerly abandoned mills are once again bustling with use. Their current incarnation as art studios, galleries, start-up incubators and live/work spaces comes after decades of efforts on behalf of state and local governments to revitalize Rhode Island’s economy by focusing on the arts.

In 2009, Providence began rebranding itself as the “Creative Capital,” officially establishing

a new arts district downtown. Local nonprofits and real estate investors incentivized artists to move to the city by turning rundown buildings into affordable live/work spaces. In 2013, the state passed a law making the sale of original and limited edition works of art exempt from state sales tax.

Clearly, Rhode Island values its creative community, and the benefits of this are evident throughout the state, from its vibrant urban center to the gorgeous coastal galleries and studios dotting its shoreline.

To experience a prime example of the Creative Capital’s mill-space-turned-art-space, make sure to tour Providence Picture Frame & Dryden Gallery. Located in a former textile mill just north of Downtown, Providence Picture Frame is renowned for its beautifully restored wooden floors, 25-foot vaulted ceil-

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RHODE ISLAND Previous spread: Rob Lorenson, Textured Gear, installed on the Providence Riverwalk, Providence, RI. Photo: N. Millard/GoProvidence. Left: Mark Freedman, Original Starlites, oil and mixed media on panel, 40 x 60".

Courtesy of Charlestown Gallery.

ings and nearly 3500 square feet of space. The building is also home to two separate galleries. From October 19 through November 25, the downstairs Red Gallery presents the photographs of local artist Brooke Hammerle, featuring light-suffused pool scenes shot from both above and below the water. On the third floor, opening September 30, the Grand Gallery will host the 25th Anniversary exhibit of teach-

ing artist Kate Huntington. “We’re very excited about the show coming up in the Grand,” says gallery director Donna Parsons. “Huntington has been teaching for decades and the exhibit features as many of her students as are able to participate—almost all have become professional artists.” Be sure to check out the huge selection of readymade frames, framed mirrors and pictures, original photographs and movie

posters available for purchase on the second floor, too.

If you’re in town over the weekend of September 23–24, hop over to the XOS Exchange Street Open Studios, held in the Armory Arts District of Pawtucket, located just a few minutes north of Dryden Gallery. Now in its sixth year, XOS Exchange Street Open Studios takes place in three repurposed mill buildings along the historic and picturesque Blackstone River. Mad Dog Artist Studios, located at 65 Blackstone Avenue, is a shared artist workspace with studios and a gallery; Blackstone Studios at 163 Exchange Street is the studio of Morris Nathanson, a painter, printmaker, sculptor; and at 10 Exchange

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Nancy Gaucher Thomas Mark Knapp

Henry Gauthier

OCTOBER 21 & 22, 2017 PARTICIPATING ARTISTS LOCATIONS

westbayopenstudios.com Pick up map at any participating artist studio OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

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RHODE ISLAND Court, you’ll find the Riverfront Lofts, where artists open their studios for the event, and residents open their lofts as pop-up galleries for featured artists. The studios will be open from 11 a.m. through 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday as part of the annual Pawtucket Arts Festival.

Located just a 20-minute car ride away in Providence’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood, the Bannister Gallery at Rhode Island College is a hidden gem, often overlooked in the shadow of Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design. Named in honor of distinguished 19th-century African-American landscape painter Edward Mitchell Bannister, the gallery will be offering three major exhibitions this fall. An annual faculty exhibition

will be on view through September 22, including new works by painters, printmakers and graphic and digital designers. A group exhibition entitled Forever Fornever will be on view from October 5–27—a serious examination of hyper-technologies with an international lens.

Along with exhibits, the gallery regularly hosts presentations by artists, lecturers, curators and performance artists, so be sure to check their calendar.

While in Providence, take a stroll around College Hill, home to the renowned Rhode Island School of Design and the world-class RISD Museum, as well as loads of gorgeous colonial architecture. A prime example of this is the famous, and oft-photographed, Fleur de Lys building on Thomas Street, home to the

Providence Art Club. Built in 1885, the Fleur de Lys is an historic landmark, with beautiful Arts and Crafts-era workmanship visible both outside and within. Here you’ll find the studio of Providence-based painter Anthony Tomaselli, whose series of atmospheric seaside paintings and cityscapes will be on view throughout the fall. The Fleur de Lys is a working studio, home to a rotating display of local art and is open to the public.

Also located at the Providence Art Club is the Dodge House Gallery, where the work of artist Theresa Girard will be featured during the first three weeks of October. Girard is a native of Rhode Island with a lifelong interest in the arts that has taken her career in many directions, from a large manufacturing company, to

“a degree of curiosity” new paintings and sculptures from

THERESA GIRARD contemporary artist Sunday October 1st 2–4pm The Providence Art Club

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RHODE ISLAND the marketing, education and training sectors.

She’s staged and styled numerous photo shoots, large trade productions and arts program development from New York to Los Angeles. She has taught at numerous workshops and residencies all over the East Coast, from Nantucket, MA to Bonita Springs, FL. This show, entitled A Degree of Curiosity, will incorporate her most recent soft and expressive abstract paintings of various sizes, as well as sculptural pieces inspired by recent family events.

Just down the street you’ll find Providence’s beloved Cable Car Cinema, a true art house movie theater with comfy couches, snacks and an always-exciting roster of expertly curated films. It’s also home to the Providence Art & Design Film Festival, a four-day event that

highlights makers and creators from around the world and the impact they have on culture and society. This year’s festivities take place November 2–5 at the Cable Car as well as the RISD Museum, with panel discussions and guest speakers after most film screenings.

Don’t miss the opening night party at the RISD Museum auditorium on November 2, featuring food from the Ocean State Oyster Festival, wine and a special screening of The Happy Film, a much-anticipated documentary about famed graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister and his unusual quest for happiness. The festival also has a counterpart in Jamestown and Newport the following weekend, November 9–12.

Just two miles away you’ll find the adorable Studio Hop, a gift store located in Providence’s

Hope Street shopping district among first-rate bakeries, restaurants, and other eclectic small businesses. Founded in 2000, this carefully curated gallery features the art of more than 100 local artists as well as artists from around the country. Its contemporary collections include paintings, fine hand crafted jewelry, ceramics, photography, sculpture, wood, blown glass, handmade clothing, scarves, journals, albums, toys, ornaments and organic skin care, as well as vintage and antique furniture and jewelry with a concentration on midcentury modern pieces from around the world.

Expertly executed gift-wrapping is part of the charm, but chances are you’ll want to buy something for yourself as well.

Rhode Island has much to offer outside

Nancy Hayes, acrylic on board (detail).

in Crescita

Through October 15: Perspectives Opening October 20: Art League of Rhode Island Members Exhibit

Natasha Harrison & Maggie Nowinski September 14 - October 21 | Wed. - Sat. 10am - 2pm Opening Reception: Thurs., Sept. 14, 6 - 8pm Artist Talk: Fri., Oct. 13, 6 - 8pm Jamestown Arts Center jamestownartcenter.org 18 Valley St., Jamestown, RI | 401.560.0979

Open Th–Su 12-4 pm bristolartmuseum.org

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RHODE ISLAND its urban center, so visitors will want to head south out of the city on I-95 and take a tour of Rhode Island’s more pastoral landscapes.

Rolling farmland and breathtaking New England foliage mark the trail of the West Bay Open Studios, which encompasses the mainly coastal towns of East Greenwich, Warwick, Exeter, North Kingstown and Saunderstown.

Now in its ninth year, the 2017 West Bay Open Studios weekend will take place October 21 and 22 from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. This self-guided tour is free and open to the public, and features dozens of artists working in oil, watercolor, pastel, acrylic, metal, ceramic, pottery, fiber, glass, calligraphy, printmaking, photography and wood. Participants will have the opportunity to meet the artists in their working environments, view the artistic process and purchase original art at each stop.

Continue south towards the shoreline for an authentic coastal experience and cross over the sparkling waters of the Narragansett Bay to the seaside community of Jamestown located on tiny Conanicut Island. Tucked away on a side street in the middle of town you’ll find the Jamestown Arts Center (JAC). Founded in 2007, the JAC is a nonprofit, multidisciplinary facility that hosts rotating workshops and studios, art exhibits, theater and dance performances. From September 14 through October 21, the JAC presents in Crescita: Natasha Harrison & Maggie Nowinski. This installation of recent works in collaborative dialogue will showcase glass, paper, drawings, moss, collage, sculpture, sound, printmaking, pollen, flowers and other mixed medias by these two accomplished artists and colleagues.

Further south on Route 1 you’ll find Charlestown, a quiet seaside town that hosts some amazing arts and culture sites. Not to be missed is the Charlestown Gallery located just two miles from the ocean at 5000 South County Trail. The gallery represents more than 50 New England-based artists, from painters and photographers, to jewelry makers, sculptors and those working in mixed-media. “It’s usually a great surprise for first time visitors to find such a high caliber gallery in little Charlestown, Rhode Island,” says gallery co-director Renee O’Gara. See for yourself from September 1 through October 29, when the gallery will be featuring a host of incredible works, including the dreamy New England landscapes of oil painter Burl Dawson, the vibrant abstractions S P E C I A L

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of painter Linnea Toney Leeming and the collages of Derek Gores, who uses recycled magazines, labels, data and assorted found analog and digital materials to create his captivating works on canvas.

Art enclaves also exist in the communities of Rhode Island’s East Bay region, where you’ll find delightfully eclectic coastal towns like Warren, Little Compton, and Bristol, home to the oldest 4th of July celebration in the country. For art in an historical setting, check out the Bristol Art Museum, located inside a circa 1867 carriage house on the grounds of the historic Linden Place mansion. Through October 15, visitors can take in Perspectives, a group show featuring the captivating minimalist sculptural paintings of artist Lisa Perez, the cosmologically inspired paintings of Tayo Heuser and the sometimes psychologically jarring sculptures of Jesse John Thompson, among others. The space also offers five studios, art classes, artist talks and guest speakers.

For more information and an up-to-date listing of current arts and cultural events taking place throughout the state, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts is an excellent resource. RISCA was founded by the state legislature in 1967 to stimulate public interest and participation in the arts and to serve as the liaison to the state arts community. Check their website to learn about featured Rhode Island artists, events, organizations and arts opportunities: arts.ri.gov.

Imagine for a moment what Samuel Slater would think about the future incarnations of the buildings he left in his legacy. They’re no longer factories where workers toil for hours on end, but many of them are still used as places where people create—now in ways that are personally fulfilling, publicly enriching and far less toxic to the environment. Rhode Island’s soot-stained industrial roots and the golden-blue shorelines of its coastal communities may have seemed at odds for decades, yet the past seems to have reconciled itself with the present in unpredictable ways. Today, new industry has taken root in Rhode Island, much of which involves creative endeavors inspired by the state’s coastal beauty and rich history.

As it turns out, art and industry aren’t so different after all.

—Liz Lee

Toby Sisson, Grow Inward Like a Root VI

August 31–September 22 2D Faculty Exhibition Opening Reception Thursday, August 31 5–8 p.m.

October 5–27 Forever Fornever Curated by Chris Romero Opening Reception Thursday, October 5 5–8 p.m.

November 9–December 15 Toby Sisson: The Soul of All Color Opening Reception Thursday, Nov. 9 5–8 p.m.

ric.edu/bannister

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