http://www.providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism/ArtsArts Calendar from the City of Providence, Rhode Islandwebmaster@providenceri.comen-usMon, 12 May 2008 05:00:00 GMTMartha Elena Rojas, Assistant Professor of English, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, will present "American Imprints: Franklin's Emblems for the new United States" on Monday, May 12, 6:30 pm at Providence Public Library (PPL), Central Library, 150 Empire Street, (Barnard Room, 3rd Floor). Rojas' presentation is in conjunction with the continuing "Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World" exhibition at PPL through May 23.Rojas holds a Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Stanford University and currently teaches 18th and 19th Century U.S. literature and culture. She will discuss how, Benjamin Franklin, as a republican diplomat at the royal court of France, faced a particular difficulty: how to embody the United States, and how he drew his solution from his career as a printer. Allowing his own seemingly omnipresent image to circulate as that of an iconic American, he also fashioned, printed and distributed iconic emblems of the United States."The Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World" Exhibit will be at PPL until May 23. For complete Exhibit and program information, go to www.provlib.org or call 455-8005.http://www.providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism/event.php?id=4388Fri, 09 May 2008 05:00:00 GMT9 May through 3 July, 2008Fleet Library at RISDIT IS UP TO US IF WE GO ON AS IS: Ruth Laxson's Persistent Muse"IT IS UP TO US IF WE GO ON AS IS: Ruth Laxson's Persistent Muse" is an exhibition of Ruth Laxson's artist's books and bookmaking process archives at the Fleet Library at RISD, with an opening reception Friday, May 9th from 5 * 7 pm. Research notes, preliminary sketches, mock-ups and camera-ready work will be featured along with many of her books. Ruth Laxson, an Atlanta, Georgia based artist, started making artist's books in the early 1980's, at the age of 63 and is known for her quirky visual poetry, playful use of text and image, and her highly relevant social and political commentaries. Fleet Library at RISD15 Westminster Street Providence, RI401-709-5923http://www.providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism/event.php?id=4381Thu, 08 May 2008 05:00:00 GMT2nd Thursday of the month, 7:00 p.m.The Brooklyn Coffee & Teahouse209 Douglas Ave, ProvidenceLast year, over 2,400 films were submitted to the Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF). The reputation of our festival continues to grow as filmmakers and audiences from around the world spread the word about RIIFF. It is the largest film festival in New England and one of only a handful worldwide that is a qualifying event for the Academy Awards ("Oscars"). You Be The Judge is a unique opportunity for you to help us select the best films for RIIFF 2008. Throughout the year, RIIFF will be organizing special screenings and inviting you to be a festival judge for the night. Your comments will be recorded and used in helping us to determine which films make the cut. No experience necessary, just be prepared to watch an eclectic mix of shorts, documentaries, animations, local, and foreign films. For more information, please visit our web site, www.rifilmfest.org, or call our office at (401) 861-4445. Your top pick may be the next Oscar winner!http://www.providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism/event.php?id=4389Thu, 08 May 2008 05:00:00 GMTAnnual Student ExhibitionMay 8 - 17 This annual juried exhibition features the work of graduating seniors of the Rhode Island College Department of Art.Representative works from all disciplines within this vibrant and innovative department will be on display, including ceramics, drawing, graphic design, jewelry design, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture.Opening: Thursday, May 8Reception: Thursday, May 8, 5:00 to 8:00 pm Closing: Saturday, May 17, 9:00 am to 1:00 pmhttp://www.providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism/event.php?id=4378Mon, 05 May 2008 05:00:00 GMTURI Feinstein Providence Campus presents:The 2nd Annual Richard W. & Ronald S. Buteau Memorial ExhibitRhode Island Alliance For Art Education "PS 2008":Public School Art and the Gift of Art to the State of RI May 5 - 30Gift Of Art Reception Awards Ceremony and Performance:May 8 at 7:00 pmGallery Night Reception and Musical Performance:May 15 from 5:00 - 9:00pmThe Exhibit will feature more than 300 works of art created by K-12 students from the Public Schools throughout the State in a non-juried exhibit. The works will include oil, acrylic and water color paintings, drawings, printmaking, photography, mixed media, pottery and ceramics, sculpture, collage and construction. Many of the works are by multitalented students who are also accomplished scholars and athletes. The exhibit also clearly illustrates the integration of the arts into the curriculum and the dynamic educational impact of the arts on learning other subject areas.There will be a Rhode Island Alliance for Arts Education Awards Ceremony & Reception featuring the West Warwick School System 2008 Gift of Art to the State of Rhode Island which will be permanently displayed at URI Providence Campus. The event will also include live music by the West Warwick choral ensemble, a dance performance by SleeQue FeeT, and a multimedia presentation on May 8 at 7:00 pm. The Gallery Night Reception and Performances will take place on May 15 from 5:00 - 9:00 pm with performances by two musical ensembles from West Warwick High School.URI Feinstein Providence Campus Gallery 1st and 2nd floor lobbyHours M-TH 9-9, F&S 9-4,closed Sunday and holidays For information call Steven Pennell 277-5206 or visit www.uri.edu/provhttp://www.providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism/event.php?id=4327Fri, 02 May 2008 05:00:00 GMTDuring the month of May, 2008, Fred DeGregorio's informative and thought-provoking photographs, titled "Israel: One Land, Three Religions," will be exhibited in the Chapel Gallery of Mathewson Street United Methodist Church, at 134 Mathewson Street in downtown Providence. The exhibit will open on May 2 and will close on May 30, 2008. Having photographed extensively in New England, in the American Southwest, and in the Canadian Rockies, Mr. DeGregorio in April of 2007 was commissioned for a photography assignment, resulting in a tour of Israel. Numerous photos of the faces and places of Israel are on permanent display at The Miriam Hospital in Providence. On Gallery Night -May 15th, from 5 to 9 p.m.- in addition to meeting Mr. DeGregorio and viewing his exhibit, visitors to Mathewson Street Church can also walk the meditative labyrinth on the fourth floor, and can hear an organ concert by David Clyle Morse (at 7 and 7:45 p.m.) on the second floor.For additional information, please contact the Church office at 401-331-8900.http://www.providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism/event.php?id=4330Thu, 01 May 2008 05:00:00 GMTCome spend a jolly hour aboard the Providence Trolley. Relax in climate controlled comfort and enjoy a historic and entertaining narrated tour of Rhode Island's capitol city.$18 Adult Lap children under 3 are free Schedule*April 15-Memorial Day Every day except TuesdayTours leave promptly at 11 am and 1 pm*Memorial Day-4th of JulyEvery day except TuesdayTours leave promptly at 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm*4th of July-Labor DayOpen every dayTours leave promptly at 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm*Labor Day-FallCall our Trolley Line for tour times at 401.421.3825http://www.providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism/event.php?id=4384Thu, 01 May 2008 05:00:00 GMTThe BankRI Galleries present:BankRI Pitman Street Gallery: "Photographs by Michael Guertin," May 1 through June 4, 2008.Armed with theory, philosophy and a good camera, Michael Guertin set out to make the pictures he saw in his head. He is always on the lookout for interesting patterns in water and ice. He juggles time pictorially, figuratively cutting an image apart into many versions of itself and weaving them back together. He stretches and manipulates images as he sees fit to create very stylized and personal viewpoints of the world. Guertin exhibits and sells his work in four different locations around the country and has received a Best in Show award at a juried exhibit on Cape Cod. His photographs can be viewed at www.i3images.com.The branch is located at 137 Pitman Street in Providence. Hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m. For more information, contact www.bankri.com or call 456-5015, ext 1330.http://www.providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism/event.php?id=4339Sun, 27 Apr 2008 05:00:00 GMTExhibitionsApril 27-May 16, 2008Reception Sunday, April 27, 2-4pmMaxwell Mays Gallery Merlin Szasz and Dean RichardsonArtist Merlin Szasz brings his intricate, classic works in bronze and gold together with Dean Richardson's realistic images of America's past in an engaging, multi-media exhibition. Szasz draws inspiration for his original works from his studies of history, mythology and symbology, to create pieces that are truly unique. Every part of each work is original, including molding, frames and finishes. Richardson's artistic inspiration also draws from history, particularly the American past. In capturing this timeframe, Richardson strives to identify and recreate images that express what we are as a society, what we have become and what we may become.Dodge House GalleryMelissa BrownEmerging Edges: Paintings, Drawings, PrintsShowing concurrently in the Dodge House Gallery, 'Emerging Edges: Paintings, Drawings, Prints' a solo exhibition featuring the work of artist Melissa Brown, recipient of this year's Eleanor Parker Anderson Scholarship Award. This award, granted by the Providence Art Club, provides one young artist with the opportunity to have their first solo exhibition with all expenses paid at the Club. The scholarship was open to all artists under thirty, living, working and/or studying in Rhode Island. In this exhibition, Brown, a student at Rhode Island College, showcases a series of fresh, mixed media works. In describing the exhibition she says, "In the effort to resolve an image, I see paralleled the ways in which we wrestle with the chaos of life, looking for a reason."http://www.providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism/event.php?id=4369Sat, 26 Apr 2008 05:00:00 GMTPlease Join Us for the Opening Reception of an Exhibit of Recent Paintings by Paula MartiesianSaturday April 26, 4 to 7PMMusic by Mark Armstrong and Ken CarpenterGail Cahalan Gallery200 Allens AvenueProvidence, RIwww.gcgallery.net401 527-9199The exhibit runs April 26 through May 23Hours: Wednesday through Friday, 1- 5PMSaturday 12-5PMhttp://www.providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism/event.php?id=4358Mon, 21 Apr 2008 05:00:00 GMTTHE PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER ANNOUNCES THE SPRING 2008 BLUE CROSS & BLUE SHIELD OF RHODE ISLAND "WONDERS OF THE WURLITZER" ORGAN CONCERTSA PPAC Annual Fund ProgramThe Providence Performing Arts Center is pleased to announce the Spring 2008 schedule for the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island Wonders of the Wurlitzer organ concerts this April, May, and June. The concerts run from Noon - 1P and are free and open to the public. Patrons are welcome to bring a bag lunch; complimentary beverages will be provided. Wonders of the Wurlitzer is a time-honored tradition in the City of Providence; people of all ages are welcome to attend and enjoy local organists demonstrating the impressive and rich sounds of this rare and mighty instrument. The concerts are scheduled throughout the spring and fall and are supported by Providence Performing Arts Center's Annual Fund donors and our sponsors.The Spring 2008 Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island Wonders of the Wurlitzer Organ Concerts schedule, with organists, is as follows:·Monday, April 21, with Patrick Aiken·Monday, April 28, with Jack Cook·Monday, May 12, with Len Beyersdorfer ·Monday, May 19, with Jim and Linda Duncan·Wednesday, May 28, with Alden Mitchell·Wednesday, June 4, with Robert Legon and Silent FilmFor additional information, call (401) 421-ARTS or visit ppacri.org for details and updates. http://www.providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism/event.php?id=4290Sun, 13 Apr 2008 05:00:00 GMT"Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World," a traveling exhibition that will officially open at the Providence Public Library (PPL), Central Library, 150 Empire Street, (Lippitt Hall) on April 13, 2008, tells the remarkable story of the man who began his life as a poor printer's apprentice and ended it as a revered elder statesmen known throughout the world for his wisdom, wit, and resourcefulness. Benjamin Franklin's achievements in diplomacy, science, philanthropy and other fields profoundly influenced the path of a new nation and continue to inspire us more than three hundred years after his birth.Ben Franklin Exhibit PROGRAMS & EVENTS LECTURES AND PRESENTATIONSMartha Elena Rojas - "American Imprints: Franklin's Emblems for the New United States" Monday, May 12, 6:30 pmBook Discussion/Signing - The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin, by Gordon Wood Monday, May 19, 6:00 pmFamily Kite Making Day Sunday, May 18, 1:30 and 3:00 pm - Central Library, 150 Empire Street, Barnard Room Local kite-maker Tom Casselman will lead two kite-making programs for families. Workshops are free; registration required. Call 455-8025 to register. Children must be accompanied by an adult. http://www.providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism/event.php?id=4295Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:00:00 GMTThe artistic expressions of current inmates at the ACI are on display during April and May at the Atrium Gallery at One Capitol Hill, a gallery space located across from the State House in the State's Main Administration Building managed by the State Arts Council.This is the tenth annual exhibit of "Arts in Corrections", a show featuring works of art, poetry and prose by adults incarcerated at the ACI.Marietta Cleasby, an art instructor at the RI Department of Corrections for almost 20 years, is the curator of the exhibition and is responsible for choosing the 135 pieces to be displayed. All works are reviewed by the Department's Special Investigations Unit prior to being displayed. The theme of this year's show, selected by the inmate artists, is justice. The works deal with this topic on a personal, state or national, or global basis.http://www.providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism/event.php?id=4303Tue, 01 Apr 2008 05:00:00 GMTPainter Gordon Peers: Transformation During the War YearsApril-JuneWWII touched all facets of American life and challenged the careers of many Rhode Island artists. The structured and precise painting style of Gordon Peers pre-war evolved to meet the ne realities of a postewar art world. Geometric Abstraction, Surrealism and an emerging American vangaurd were on the forefront. This exhibit looks at the evolution of painter Gordon Peers, nurtured in a war free art world transformed by the altered American culture of the 1950s.Bert Gallery540 South Water St., Providence RIGallery Hours:TU-F 11-5, Sat 12-4401.751.2628http://www.providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism/event.php?id=4285Fri, 14 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMTSTYROFOAMon view Friday, March 14 to Sunday, July 20In recent years, artists have used styrofoam in new and ingenious ways, and in the process have expanded our definitions of what painting and sculpture can be. Taking advantage of the material's lightness, cheapness, and facility for shaping, they carve into it, mold it, and assemble it into entirely new forms and images. Opening Artist PanelWednesday, March 195:30pm, View the exhibition6:45pm, Panel Discussion with artistsGallery NightThursday, April 17 5-9pm6pm, Gallery Talk with Judith Tannenbaum7pm, Artists Speak presentation224 Benefit StreetProvidence, RI 02903401-454-6500www.risdmuseum.orghttp://www.providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism/event.php?id=4231