There are not many who can claim to have fought for and saved lives in both medicine and the arts. Dr. Joseph A. Chazan was a rare individual, whose dedication in both the fields of art and medical science left an indelible mark on the lives he touched and the communities he nurtured. After his passing this summer, his presence echoes throughout the state in tangible and intangible ways: in the work he funded for the public, and in the lives of art professionals he supported.
A pioneer nephrologist, Dr. Chazan established the first dialysis units in Rhode Island, motivated by his concern for patients who had to travel to Boston for life-saving treatment. He sought an outlet amidst the intensity of his work life and was introduced to the RISD Collector’s Club in the 1970s, where he began collecting the work of RISD alumni and faculty with his late wife, Helene. When their family home was full of artwork, he moved on to adorning the walls of his dialysis units with his collection, wanting the patients to have a reprieve from the discomfort of their treatment. This passion for collecting did not stem from a desire to amass assets. It was born instead from a kinship he felt with artists as diligent devotees to their work, much like his own career as a doctor. He was moved by the people behind the work, which is why his collection of contemporary works is so diverse in mediums and subject matter. As a collector, he allowed himself to be moved by the art.
Throughout his life, he encouraged his friends and peers to be open, to feel called to an artist or artwork; to the process and the story, and the window that art opens to the world. Dr. Chazan’s enthusiasm for supporting artists and his interest in their processes led him to establish the NetWorks Rhode Island video series in 2008 with Umberto Crenca and AS220, an initiative that has celebrated RI-based artists. Through films, exhibitions, and catalogs, the NetWorks RI project has showcased local work, ensuring these stories and contributions receive the recognition they deserve.
Most recently, NetWorks Rhode Island and the Chazan Collection: A Half-Century of RI Artistic Patronage exhibition at the WaterFire Arts Center featured 108 artists and 217 works by the artists in the video series. The opening night, July 18, welcomed 1,000 visitors. Dr. Chazan beamed throughout the night, surrounded by the community he shaped and loved so dearly. He passed away just a few days later. Dr. Chazan believed in the right we all have to beauty and wonder and the power of art to inspire. He viewed artists as cultural leaders, admiring those dedicated to their craft with the same excellence he brought to medicine. His philanthropy was driven by a commitment to provide them the exposure and the financial and institutional support they needed to thrive.
His absence is acutely felt in Rhode Island, where his efforts made countless lives and dreams possible. He taught us to take pride in our state’s rich artistic tradition and to be open to the dialog, challenge, and truth that art offers. Continuing his legacy means supporting the artists and organizations that nurture creativity, ensuring they have access to the resources, funding, and opportunities necessary to flourish. Today, his legacy can be celebrated through the Chazan for WaterFire exhibition of his collection in the WaterFire Arts Center offices, through the acquisitions of the RISD Museum and Newport Art Museum he facilitated, through the public sculpture he supported throughout Rhode Island, through the NetWorks RI website, through his graphic novel, Chazan! Unfiltered, and so much more. Let Dr. Chazan’s legacy be both an inspiration and a rallying cry. Let it remind us that during a time when our city risks artistic neglect due to lack of funding, the necessity to support and invest in the arts is more urgent than ever. •
Flip to our comics spread to see a page from Chazan! Unfiltered, a full-length graphic novel biography illustrated by Motif’s comics curator Erminio Pinque. Hardcopy book available at Waterfire Arts Center Bookstore; book proceeds support Waterfire. In addition, there is a video interview with Chazan at neverenoughbooksri.com.
Portrait of Dr. Chazan Salvator Mancini. Photo of Networks RI Exhibition Opening Celebration by Fraenkie Poluchov.
