Mount Pleasant. Elmhurst. The Valley Arts District. These are all neighborhoods whose offerings I thought I knew well, having worked in and around Providence over the last few years. But you can certainly miss a lot of subtle, intricate treasure troves of experience in this city if you’re not looking for them. As the Gallery […]
Rhode Island’s first feminist and gender-expansive cultural center has changed its name to The Alcove from Gather RI ,and moved to new digs at 189 Broadway from Atwells Avenue in Providence. Why the change? “We wanted a name that truly evokes the feeling of what we do,” said Amanda E. Strauss, the founding executive director […]
Ask anyone if they know about The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and they most likely will say yes. But are they aware that what could be the biggest Grinch of all is on Route 114 through the East Bay? Probably not. Here are the details. Ryan and Dani Sauve are the owners of Stony Hedge […]
We the artists of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Prosperity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America. Our Ocean State […]
Doesn’t the Warwick Mall seem like an unlikely location for a photographic recreation of The Sistine Chapel? It strikes me as similar to hearing that Buddy Cianci was dating Sophia Loren; totally improbable. And yet there it is, right inside a side entrance, next to Target. An empty corner store has been repurposed to display […]
By Maureen O’Gorman Rhode Island is well-known for two things: its vibrant arts and culture scene centered in Providence, and the unwillingness of its residents to drive over 20 minutes to go somewhere. The newly-opened Westerly Museum of American Impressionism (WMAI) hopes to challenge both of those ideas. Several years in the making, the WMAI […]
A bare-chested woman swimming from the mouth of a fish. Seaweed and skulls. A pipesmoking dog perched on a whale. If any of this sounds familiar, you’ve likely encountered the surreal and distinctive mural work of Michael Ezzell. From the brick walls of Blick Art Materials to the windows of the beloved local shop Frog […]
Studio Playground provides children, teens, and adults the opportunity to learn the art of clown and physical acting. They ask that everyone arrive as their true self and leave their social masks at home. “Studio Playground supports students in their individual growth and inspires audiences to engage in meaningful discourse by enacting our core values […]
Susan Clausen has been a presence in the Providence art scene since 1985 but it wasn’t until 2021 that I first glimpsed her work through the half open door of her studio. I was on assignment to interview her husband, well-known artist Umberto Crenca, and I was intrigued by this unexpected find. Why hadn’t I […]
When I walk up to the triple-decker home on the quaint residential street, the blinds are closed. In the space between the blinds, a pedestal is visible in the center of an otherwise empty room. Is this the right place? I assume it is either the newly opened art gallery I seek, or some kind […]