Simply Divine: Umberto Crenca shows off his work and a new book at a pop-up exhibit

Quiet glimpses of beauty can hide in plain sight – Divine Providence Continued, a pop-up exhibit opening August 19 at 233 Westminster Street, is a collection of windows into a world that most of us walk by every day without seeing. Umberto Crenca has focused a straightforward lens on the small scenes and in-between spaces that ordinarily blend into the background of life.

Crenca has long been a driving presence in the Providence art scene, co-founding the non-profit art space AS220 in 1985 and fueling the engine behind its growth to the multi-building complex it is today. The galleries, living spaces and studios, performance stages and teaching programs have provided creative growth opportunities for a countless number of artists and performers.

Throughout it all Crenca has continued to create his own art, taking on a wide range of genres and subjects with an intensity that has earned him a reputation that extends well beyond Providence. Since his retirement from AS220 in 2015, Crenca has been painting with renewed clarity and vision. This newest series brings his work full circle – Divine Providence is an homage to the city where his journey began. 

The exhibit also launches the release of Crenca’s new book, Divine Providence Volume 1. The large format volume is filled with striking full color images of the first 100 paintings of this continuing series. Both paintings and copies of the book will be available for purchase during the exhibit and through Crenca’s website.  

Catch the pop-up on Thursday, August 19 from 5-8pm. Continued gallery hours will be on the last two Saturdays and Sundays of this month, August 21-22 and 28-29, from 2-5pm, or by appointment. For more information, visit umbertocrenca.com