Exciting New Art Space OVERLAP Opens in Newport - Inside Art with Michael Rose

Exciting New Art Space OVERLAP Opens in Newport - Inside Art with Michael Rose

 

The demand for spaces to show compelling contemporary art is ever-present. Artists need walls beyond their studios to exhibit and viewers deserve to see art in galleries, where it can be best appreciated. In Newport, local artist Susan Matthews has recently opened OVERLAP, a crisp new venue that combines gallery, shop, and studio into a singularly beautiful space. It is one of the finest new art venues Rhode Island has seen in years.

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Located at 112 Van Zandt Avenue in a building that formerly housed a glass shop, OVERLAP features a stunning project space for rotating exhibitions organized by Director Alicia Renadette as well as a retail gallery space that will feature items like ceramics and jewelry by a variety of makers offered at accessible price points. At the rear of the building, owner Matthews has created an expansive new studio for active artistic practice.

 

Asked about her goals for OVERLAP, founder Matthews says, “Fundamentally, I want to create more opportunities for artists to show their work and for the Newport community to experience art, but I also want to be an accessible venue for work that is perhaps less familiar. There are many excellent museums and galleries here in Newport already, but I think there is room for another perspective. In addition to the exhibits in the project space, I am really looking forward to sharing the functional work in the retail gallery. There are some really exciting, talented makers in our state that many people don't know about.”

 

 

The first show in OVERLAP’s project space, “Order, Disorder”, features an impressive series of new pieces by well-known Newport artist Sue McNally, whose bright and finely composed paintings shape new ways of seeing landscapes. Opening with a series of small abstractions, the exhibition shows off a collection of large scale paintings, too. Lushly rendered, McNally’s work is the perfect starting point for this new space.

 

Asked how she feels about being OVERLAP’s premier exhibition, McNally says, "Newport is my community of 30+ years and it's so exciting to be the first artist showing with Overlap! Not only is the gallery beautiful, with great programming in the works, but the location speaks to the locals and it's exciting to be part of that.”

 

OVERLAP’s exhibition program is spearheaded by Project Space Director artist Alicia Renadette. Responding to the question of what excites her most about her role, Renadette says, “The most exciting aspect of this position is the opportunity to seek out, connect with, learn about and learn from artists right here in Rhode Island, as well as the opportunity to connect these artists to one another. Whatever an artists' approach to making is, inevitably they need an outlet or venue for their work, which can be especially challenging for non-traditional, non-commercial or lesser-known artists in our community. I'd like to help fill that gap.”

 

 

Describing the process of collaborating with her first exhibitor, Renadette continues, “Working with Sue was great. We had never met before, so I was only familiar with her paintings and her reputation as a prolific painter. She's quite grounded and professional but also exceptionally spunky. Her spirit really comes through in her work.”

 

McNally’s personality is certainly on display throughout her solo exhibition “Order, Disorder”, which runs through April 13, 2023 and will feature a gallery talk where visitors can learn more about her process on Thursday, March 30 at 7 pm.

 

For OVERLAP’s owner Susan Matthews, her identity as a working artist sets her apart from others who start galleries strictly from the commercial perspective of an art dealer. Of her point of view, Matthews states, “As an artist myself, I can empathize with the people exhibiting their work here at Overlap. I know that putting one's work out into the public realm after committing to it deeply in the studio can be an intense experience, full of expectations and excitement as well as mental adjustments. I hope to be patient and supportive while also offering a helpful, objective eye.”

 

 

OVERLAP is a fantastic exhibition venue and its first show is a ravishing success. Under the leadership of Matthews and Renadette, the space promises to share a bold new approach to art-viewing with Newport and beyond. And at less than 40 minutes from Providence, OVERLAP brings the polished ambiance of a New York gallery to Rhode Islanders’ backyard.

 

OVERLAP is located at 112 Van Zandt Avenue in Newport. Sue McNally’s paintings are on view through April 13 in their project space. Gallery hours are Wednesdays -  Fridays from 11 am - 6 pm each day as well as Saturdays from 12-4pm and by appointment. McNally will participate in an artist talk on Thursday, March 30 at 7pm. For more information and to plan your visit, go to www.overlapnewport.com.