Studio Visit with Artist Alicia Renadette - Inside Art with Michael Rose

Studio Visit with Artist Alicia Renadette - Inside Art with Michael Rose

 

For many artists, curatorial work comes as second nature. Alicia Renadette is one Rhode Islander whose career spans both the making of art and the shaping of exhibitions. From a cozy studio in the basement of her home in Smith Hill, Renadette constructs collages and sculptural work that are full of details and intimacy. From August 2 - September 10, she will share some of her exciting recent work alongside her friend Maggie Nowinski in the exhibition “Exquisite Variants” at Overlap Gallery in Newport, where the multitalented Renadette also serves as Gallery Director.

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Originally from upstate New York, Renadette first came to New England as an undergraduate student at the Hartford Art School in Connecticut, where she earned a BFA in Experimental Studio Art and Sculpture. She went on to head west and received her MFA in Sculpture from the San Francisco Art Institute. Her educational focus in three-dimensional making comes across acutely in everything she does, whether it is on a panel or meant to be seen in the round.

 

 

Much of Renadette’s straightforward sculptural work hinges on reuse and repurposing unexpected materials into graceful forms. Her 2D work expands on and deepens this idea, often containing self-referential imagery that allows viewers to see her work anew. Themes in Renadette’s work also appear in works of her co-exhibitor, and the two have even collaborated on individual works for their summer show.

 

Speaking about her excitement to show alongside Nowinski, Renadette says, “I love exhibiting with Maggie- she's one of my dearest friends and one of my favorite artists. Our relationship grew out of conversations around art, studio visits, and long walks in nature when I was living in Western Massachusetts. We've had a very deep connection and making this body of work has kept us tethered from a distance since I've moved to Rhode Island.  We will be showing a selection of our own individual pieces, alongside collaborative works, including a mixed-media installation, collages on panel, and framed drawings- all of which reference and/or replicate imagery from the solo work.”

 

 

The pairing of her own work with Nowinski’s is just one example of Renadette’s curatorial acumen. Since the inception of Overlap Gallery, one of the state’s newer art venues, Renadette and gallery owner Susie Matthews have brought compelling shows to the community, elevating local artists.

 

Asked about how her role as Gallery Director at Overlap has impacted her practice as a studio artist, Renadette answers, “It's been a wonderful opportunity to meet with artists in their spaces and to engage in others' thought processes. Like a lot of artists, I'm naturally shy/ socially anxious, and the scene can feel pretty siloed and intimidating-  meeting other artists in RI has felt like a real struggle, there have been times when I've felt very isolated and lacking community. Coming into the position at OVERLAP and getting to work alongside a fabulous artist like Susie Matthews in a beautiful space with a mission of exhibiting and selling non-traditional contemporary arts and craft, has felt like a huge gift. I now make it a part of my daily experience to seek out people who make works that inspire me so that I can share them with others- it's a mandate to connect and be curious, which is ultimately invigorating.”

 

 

The energy that has invigorated Renadette’s practice is evident in her studio, which is packed full of recently finished pieces for her exhibition. The collection, which has taken about a year to complete, is full of the kind of enjoyable fastidiousness that defines Renadette’s aesthetic. Her assemblages and collages entice the eye to return again and again.

 

Considering the question of what she hopes viewers experience when seeing her work on view at Overlap, Renadette responds, “I make my tangled sculptures from salvaged commemorative and celebratory items, mixed with familiar textures, textiles, and objects, in order to suggest an interconnectivity between peoples' lives. These intricate arrangements are invitations to look deeper, and reflect on our internal and external experiences. With our collaborative work, I hope that viewers might feel like they've just been immersed in a garden that is both tended and growing wild in sections - hopefully, it feels like an environment of discovery and new possibilities.”

 

 

Renadette is one of the state’s most compelling creative practitioners and her joint exhibition at Overlap Gallery will offer both locals and Newport tourists the opportunity to examine her sense of craft and construction up close.

 

Alicia Renadette’s exhibition “Exquisite Variants” will be on view at Overlap Gallery from August 2 - September 10, 2023. The gallery is located at 112 Van Zandt Avenue in Newport and will host an opening for the show on August 5 from 4-7 pm.

 

Learn more about Alicia Renadette at www.aliciarenadettestudio.com.