Meet Emerging Artist Sylvia Atwood - Inside Art with Michael Rose

Meet Emerging Artist Sylvia Atwood - Inside Art with Michael Rose

 

 

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Although she graduated from college just two years ago, emerging artist Sylvia Atwood already has an impressive slate of accomplishments under her belt. She has created a compelling body of work and has actively shown her art, earning praise in the process. Currently featured in a two-person exhibition at Paper Nautilus Books on Wayland Square, Atwood is a young artist that Rhode Islanders should know.

 

Born in Rome, Atwood lived in Mexico City as a child. Her family relocated to the United States when she was eight and she lived in North Carolina before moving to the Ocean State. She came to Rhode Island to attend Brown University, where she earned her undergraduate degree in 2022. At Brown, Atwood earned the Marlene Malik Fellowship Award, the Ann Belsky Moranis Award, and a Creative Works Grant. She has participated in shows in Rhode Island, New York, North Carolina, and abroad and has been an artist in residence in Vashon Island, Washington as well as in Assisi, Italy.

 

 

While a student at Brown, Atwood produced an inventive senior exhibition which included works in both two and three dimensions. Employing everything from found objects, to crochet, to light, the show exemplified some of what interests Atwood as an artist.

 

Discussing her time studying art at Brown, Atwood explains, “I had an abundance of resources available to me from the department’s incredible faculty and facilities, especially because only a few of my peers were also majoring solely in visual art. While this also meant I didn’t have the kind of artist community I might have had at RISD, I had my own version with students of history, geology, religious studies, etc. This experience prepared me well for life after graduation – I learned how to find creative community in unexpected places and get myself to the studio when no one is watching.”

 

 

Through the end of August, viewers can see new work by Atwood in an exhibition at Paper Nautilus Books at 19 South Angell Street. Titled Baiting Hollow, the show includes work by Atwood and her friend and fellow Brown alum Kate Salke. Often experimental, the works in the exhibition show off Atwood’s tendency to explore media and seek connection with other artists. The show is also a platform for Atwood to explore novel ways of sharing art.

 

Speaking of the exhibition, Atwood explains, “Kate’s and my work asks viewers to be comfortable with not understanding everything, and to let the work reach you in whatever way it does. I think people can be more receptive to this kind of art in a place like Paper Nautilus—where they're open to stumbling upon something unexpected— as opposed to a stiffer gallery atmosphere that can make people feel insecure and closed off. To lean into the playful nature of the show and encourage cross-pollination with the space, we left drawings poking out of a bunch of books and sent people hunting for them at the opening.”

 

 

With so many talented alumni from area schools departing to find success in major cultural centers, it is always exciting to see a great young artist opt to create work in Rhode Island.

Asked what it means to her work in the state, Atwood answers, “Artists here work so hard to create opportunities for each other and the result is a huge collection of resources and accessible ways to tap in. It feels really good to be surrounded by artists who have all made the intentional choice to be here over a bigger city.”

 

Atwood is energetic and productive. In addition to a job in the service industry, she tries to work in the studio at least five days a week. In a shared creative space at the iconic Atlantic Mills building in Olneyville, Atwood has ample space to make work that pushes boundaries. In one corner, a large diptych utilizes drywall for its substrate, while on another wall, a collection of the artist’s playful cast relief works is on display.

 

Asked what is next for her, Atwood details plans for an artist-led pop-up exhibition at her studio building. She says, “I’m doing a show with Julian MacMillan, a Providence-based artist whose work I’m really inspired and challenged by. We will be installing a pop-up show in the beautiful and formidable 150-year-old spiral staircase in Atlantic Mills. The show will be up for one night only on August 23rd.”

 

 

Atwood is a remarkable talent and someone to follow. Through her inquisitive way of making, she has come across a visual language that belongs to her alone. In her show at Paper Nautlius and her upcoming projects, viewers will discover an exciting and gifted emerging artist.

 

Learn more about Sylvia Atwood’s work at https://sylviaatwood.work/ or follow her on Instagram at @sylviaatwood.