Inside Art with Michael Rose -- HeARTspot, a Center for Local Art has Emerged

Inside Art with Michael Rose -- HeARTspot, a Center for Local Art has Emerged

 

The pipeline for the top tier of the art world often begins in community art centers that nourish local talents. So, the importance of small independent art spaces in connecting new audiences to the arts is difficult to overstate. In East Providence, energetic community leader Jennifer Gillooly Cahoon has created a valuable and accessible center that is bringing visual art to a broad range of neighbors from her community.

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Cahoon completed her undergraduate studies at Rhode Island College, where she also earned a Master’s Degree in Education. For nearly twenty years, she served as a public school art educator. Switching gears in 2017, Cahoon opened HeARTspot Art Center and Gallery in a building nearby to East Providence High School. The space is part art gallery and part educational venue, giving local artists room to show work and emerging artists room to learn about art.

 

 

Cahoon’s background as an art educator is integral to the model she has developed at HeARTspot. Of it, she says, “The most obvious way is how it prepared me to develop a variety of classes for our all-ages education programming and tap into wonderful local talent to help me deliver it. Bigger than that though, as a woman who spent nearly two decades as a public educator, I’m driven by the desire to open up the world of the arts to absolutely anyone who’s curious and interested regardless of their background. It’s my firm belief that anyone can benefit from embracing creativity whether that be as a student or one who learns to appreciate the beauty fine art can bring into their lives.”

In numerous classes and workshops hosted on-site, HeARTspot offers learning opportunities for everyone from first graders to adults. Because an appreciation for art begins with education, the gallery’s course offerings are foundational to its importance in the area. Today’s students are tomorrow’s creators and collectors.

 

 

Describing what she aims to bring to the community, Cahoon says, “My hope is that through my business, I can open up doors to a whole new world for anyone who walks in. My space is incredibly inclusive, warm and welcoming, and a spot where those who enter find that even if they don’t have “natural” ability they can tap into their own creativity to enhance their quality of life. It’s also provided an environment in which those who have never purchased art before often become first time collectors – it feels amazing to introduce new people to the joys of art collection.”

On view now through January 19, HeARTspot is hosting a Small Works Holiday Show which features a juried collection of works by 18 local artists, all priced at $250 or less. Works in the show are being sold cash and carry, so collectors can bring items home immediately. Through this and other exhibitions, Cahoon is cultivating new collectors in East Providence and beyond.

 

 

When asked what makes her city a conducive place for an art-focused business like hers, Cahoon states, “We are a community bursting with creatives, but up until recently have never had the organization to harness that amazing resource to enhance the quality of life in our city and help spur economic development via the arts. Through establishing my business here and through the work I do as Chairwoman alongside my board of the East Providence Arts Council and the City of East Providence, we are at long last creating a culture in which the arts and businesses like mine can thrive. Through the work of many dedicated individuals and the recent establishment of an Arts District we are finally beginning to come into our own.”

Cahoon is a remarkable ambassador for East Providence and in her business has created something the city lacked, a multi-purpose art space. In addition to exhibitions, classes, and even theatrical productions, HeARTspot hosts a gift shop stocked with affordable works by local creatives. The space and its friendly owner are dynamic assets within the state’s art scene.

 

 

On her aspirations for her business, Cahoon says, “Long term, I hope to expand upon my educational programming and at some point move into a space in which I can offer more room for an even larger variety of artists to display their work. My goal is to continue to do the best I can to offer support to continue to enhance the quality of life for an expanding base of students and clients, and to be a conduit for artists, artisans, and art instructors to thrive doing what they love.”

HeARTspot Art Center and Gallery is located at 1970 Pawtucket Avenue in East Providence, Rhode Island. It is accessible via the building’s lower entrance in the rear. To learn more and plan your visit, go to www.heartspotart.com.