Inside Art with Michael Rose - Four Best Spots to See Art in July

Inside Art with Michael Rose - Four Best Spots to See Art in July

 

While summer in Rhode Island tends to be a time of beaches and clambakes, there is still plenty of art to be seen in locations across the state. Whether interested in the talents of emerging and local artists, museum-quality exhibitions of art historical significance, or bold works of public art, viewers have plenty to choose from. In July, there are four opportunities to experience art that are not to be missed. Each of these art excursions provide both locals and vacationers with ample opportunity to get creative as summer comes into full swing.

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Through July 23, Wakefield’s Hera Gallery is hosting a compelling group exhibition drawn from its roster of talented member artists. The show includes works by Molly Kaderka, Elizabeth Lind, Michelle Henning, and Viera Levitt. These four skilled artists offer up distinct takes on contemporary issues and their work is being showcased in the context of one of the nation’s oldest women’s cooperative galleries.

 

 

Throughout the show, the gallery will host special programs on Thursday evenings, each starting at 7pm. On June 30, there will be a Meet the Artist Night, on July 7, visitors can “Stitch and Bitch” with Viera Levitt, on July 14 Molly Kaderka will host Make and Take paper Marbling, and on July 21 there will be a stone carving demonstration with Elizabeth Lind.

Hera Gallery is located at 10 High Street in Wakefield. Its regular hours are Wednesday through Friday 1-5 pm and Saturday 10 am - 4 pm. Admission is free. Full details can be found at www.heragallery.org.

From July 2 - 31, DeBlois Gallery, a longstanding cooperative space in Middletown, will host a ten-person exhibition titled "Between the Sea Foam and Over the Sand". With its title borrowed from a Simon and Garfunkel ballad, the exhibition promises to celebrate everything Ocean State, all within walking distance of the beach. The wide-ranging exhibition will offer works in a variety of media by local talents. Featured artists include Shawndavid Berry, Ellen Blomgren, Laura White Carpenter, Izabella Casselman, Juliette Casselman, Frank Fishburne, Karen Nash, Suzie Pacheco, Virginia Fishburne Stone, and Joyce Zipperer. From two-dimensional paintings to three-dimensional ceramics and sculptures, this show will offer art for many tastes.

 

 

DeBlois Gallery is located at 134 Aquidneck Avenue in Middletown. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 1-5 pm each day. Admission is free. Full details can be found at www.debloisgallery.com.

 

Beginning July 16, the Newport Art Museum will host an exciting Georgia O’Keeffe exhibition. The show, which will run through October 16, 2022 is not the first time O’Keeffe’s work has come to Newport. During the artist’s lifetime, she showed work at the museum in 1938. With drawings, watercolors, and oils on view by one of the preeminent artists of the twentieth century, this show promises to be one of the best of the summer. When visiting the Newport Art Museum, art-lovers can also partake of a handful of commercial galleries located nearby, enhancing the experience of art history with views into contemporary making.

The Newport Art Museum is located at 76 Bellevue Avenue in Newport. Current hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 am - 5pm each day, Saturday from 10am - 3 pm, and Sunday from 12-5pm. Regular admission is $15 for adults. Full details on visiting can be found at www.newportartmuseum.org.

For those who find it tricky to make it to a museum or gallery in between other summer activities, public art provides an inspiring outlet twenty-four hours a day. The public artworks managed by The Avenue Concept are widely accessible on walls and sidewalks throughout Providence and beyond. When out and about this summer, they provide an artful accompaniment to seasonal activities in the city. For those spending a sunny afternoon around the popular Michael Van Leeston Pedestrian Bridge, several Avenue Concept works occupy sites nearby.

 

 

Artist Lena Mac has recently completed a bold and symbol-filled new mural on the facade of Tiny Bar in the Jewelry District. Kendel Joseph’s “Ode to the Artist in Spray Paint” is a series of compelling artist portraits at 35 Weybosset Street. Older, but no less exciting artworks in the neighborhood include Andrew Hem’s “Misty Blue”, an enormous figurative work from 2017, and perhaps Avenue Concept’s most well-known commission, Gaia’s “Still Here”, which faces the river and can be enjoyed from popular WaterFire vantage points.

Full details on all of The Avenue Concept’s projects as well as fun interactive maps of their projects dotted throughout the city can be found on the group’s website at www.theavenueconcept.org.

 

With so much to see in venues across the state, there is no excuse for excluding art from a summer itinerary. In July alone, these four art opportunities show off Rhode Island’s creative excellence.