DESTINATION RHODE ISLAND
The four buildings of the Providence Art Club, (L to R): The Fleur de Lys Building (1885) and The Deacon Edward Taylor House (1784) house artist’s studios; The Seril Dodge House (1786–89) and The Club House (1790) contain the Club’s galleries, classrooms, dining rooms and offices. Photo: Warren Jagger.
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hode Island may be the smallest state in the country, coming in just under 48 miles from tip to tip, but boy, Rhode Islanders know how to make those miles count. Packed with galleries, museums, universities, and public art galore, the state exceeds all expectations; in fact, it’s home to one of the most celebrated art schools in the world, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). If you, too, hibernate in the winter and want to spark your wanderlust, a trip to RI for some gallery hopping and mural-spotting may be just what it takes to shake off and stretch your legs. Like a real-life choose-your-own-adventure game, there are plenty of routes to consider for a trip around Rhode Island: heading down to the southernmost coast, west towards the Connecticut border, or aiming for the quaint towns between. So where should you start? Perhaps the most scenic trip, especially if you’re driving south from Boston, New Hampshire, or Vermont: following the Blackstone River Valley, passing by lakes and ponds before landing amongst the Valley’s lush living landscape. The area is known for more than just its fresh air, woods, and waterfalls (as if that isn’t
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convincing enough); thanks to the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, the Valley is dotted with dozens of art galleries, music and theater venues. “Blackstone Valley has a wonderfully diverse and vibrant arts community that has clustered together in our region’s post-industrial spaces,” says James Toomey, the Council’s director of marketing. If you’re unsure where to start, let the 45-mile river be your guide, making stops along the way in towns like Pawtucket, one of the state’s first established arts districts; Central Falls, home to countless charming galleries; or Woonsocket, where the largest collection of fresco paintings in North America is housed at St. Ann Arts and Cultural Center. From the Valley, head south to Providence, Rhode Island’s capital and largest city. Providence is a walkable hub where visitors can enjoy viewing architecture, murals painted on buildings, and stopping by the RISD Museum that houses more than 100,000 pieces of art. If you plan to shop on your trip you will be happy to learn that Rhode Island was the first state to declare no sales tax on fine art items. Our first stop is the Providence Art Club located on historic College Hill. “In 2020, the
Art Club is turning 140 years old, which to my knowledge makes us the second oldest continually operating arts organization in Rhode Island after the RISD Museum,” says gallery manager Michael Rose. Founded by men and women in 1880, the club counts African American artist Edward Mitchell Bannister among its first framers. “With three unique gallery spaces and new shows every three weeks we are one of the most active art spaces in the state and the largest commercial gallery space in Providence—possibly in Rhode Island. We are a unique mix of private club and public organization, with our galleries open to the public at no cost seven days a week for most of the year. We also offer free, public gallery talks with every exhibition,” says Rose. Running March 8 to 27 will be an exhibition with oil painters Joan McConaghy and Sandra DeSano Pezzullo and watercolorist and illustrator Anne P. Wert, and solo shows with representational painter Madolin Maxey and painter and potter Susan Shaw. Opening March 28 and running through April 17 will be a group show with abstract artists Jayne Guertin and Karole Nicholson and realist painter Sherie Harkins, and a solo exhibition
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