The Gallery at 134 Collaborative / Mathewson Street Church*

• Exhibit: 134 Collaborative / Mathewson Street Church presents PHOTOGRAPHY by Catherine Ibern, exploring her work and unique take on the medium. Ibern uses photography to look at the world through a different lens, capturing the beauty of life from different angles. Through her work, Ibern invites viewers to look at the world through her lens and experience her deep appreciation for it. (Image credit: Catherine Ibern.)

• Address: 134 Mathewson St.

• Hours:

  • On May 16 Gallery Night: 5 pm to 8 pm

  • Outside of Gallery Night: By appointment only - call 401-331-1069.

• Parking: See downtown parking ideas here. Paid parking lot next door, sometimes metered parking on adjacent streets.

The Armenian Historical Association of Rhode Island (AHARI)*

• Exhibit: The Armenian Historical Association of Rhode Island explores the vibrancy of the Armenian community through the over 200 food-related businesses established and run by Armenians. With these companies, this still thriving piece of history is explored in their museum to highlight the contributions of the Armenian community to the state of Rhode Island. (Image credit: AHARI.)

• Address: 245 Waterman Street, Suite 204

• Hours:

  • On May 16 Gallery Night: 4 pm to 8 pm

  • Outside of Gallery Night: 3rd Thursdays of month from 4 to 7 pm and by appointment

• Parking: Street parking.

Arts in the Atrium First U*

• Exhibit: Art in the Atrium, a program focused on inspiring the community by presenting work by artists with diverse viewpoints, is holding their 2024 Member Show. The theme and the works in this exhibition will explore the Unitarian Universalist Principles. (Image credit: Daley, “Soul Journey.”)

• Address: One Benevolent Street

• Hours:

  • On May 16 Gallery Night: 9 am to 4 pm

  • Outside of Gallery Night: Monday to Friday 9 am to 4 pm

• Parking: Street parking.

AS220 Project Space**

• Exhibit: AS220 Project Space presents “Fragments,” an investigation of displacement, identity, and rituals within the multidisciplinary practice of Masha Ryskin. Expressed with attention to footprints and stains, this collection of work alludes to shifts in memory and history within the temporal quality of human experiences. In the Reading Room, “Forest of Magic '' by Vensa Longton, explores the intersection between who we are and our surroundings, and encourages moments of discovery through inner self connections and our interconnectedness with nature. (Image credit: Masha Ryskin.)

• Address: 93 Mathewson St.

• Hours:

  • On May 16 Gallery Night: 12 pm to 8 pm

  • Outside of Gallery Night: Thursday to Saturday, 12 to 5 pm

• Parking: See downtown parking ideas here.

AS220 Main Gallery*

• Exhibit: The AS220 Main Gallery presents two exhibits this May. In “Still,” Anthony Medeiros presents a series of expressive paintings conveying untold narratives of grief, confusion and longing. Utilizing practices of collage and iridescent paint, “Still” unveils characters within the works and its viewers. Robert Snowden presents a series of paintings influenced by tribal and skeletal themes. Through a process reflecting on appearances and emotion, “Your Mask” is a product of childlike intuition uncovering the inherent masks that everyone holds.  (Image credit: Anthony Medeiros.)

• Address: 115 Empire St

• Hours:

  • On May 16 Gallery Night: 12 pm to 7 pm

  • Outside of Gallery Night: Thursday to Saturday, 12 to 5 pm

• Parking: See downtown parking ideas here.

AS220 Aborn Gallery**

• Exhibit: At the Aborn Gallery, Madison Emond presents a series of medium-format color images captured during their Fullbright Fellowship in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand, with the Kaiwharawhara stream.  “Field Notes from Kaiwharawhara” encourages meaningful connections through psychedelic beauty.  (Image credit: Madison Emond.)

• Address: 95 Empire Street, 2nd floor

• Hours:

  • On May 16 Gallery Night: 12 pm to 7 pm

  • Outside of Gallery Night: Thursday to Saturday, 12 to 5 pm

• Parking: See downtown parking ideas here.

BankRI Turks Head Gallery*

• Exhibit: BankRI Turks Head Gallery presents “Pangea,” a series by artist Ben Watkins. The word refers to the continent hypothesized by geologists when all land masses were joined together. This work is a light-hearted nod to the idea that we are all connected, which after the collective experience of a worldwide pandemic, we now understand how real this concept is. His multi-colored assemblages use continuous lines and interlocking shapes to explore our own interdependence.. (Image credit: Ben Watkins.)

• Address: One Turks Head Place

• Hours:

  • On May 16 Gallery Night: 4 to 6:30 pm

  • Outside of Gallery Night: Monday through Thursday 9 am to 4 pm; Friday 9 am to 5 pm

• Parking: See downtown parking ideas here. Paid parking lot next door.

Bannister Gallery at Rhode Island College*

• Exhibit: The Bannister Gallery presents its annual exhibition of work from graduating seniors of the Art department, including studio concentrations such as ceramics, metalsmithing, painting, printmaking, graphic design, and many more mediums. This exhibit displays the wide variety of degrees earned through the department. (Image credit: Sam Lowder, Flesh Vase I, 2023, ceramic.)

• Address: Roberts Hall, 600 Mt. Pleasant Avenue

• Hours:

  • On May 16 Gallery Night: 12 pm to 8 pm

  • Outside of Gallery Night: Monday through Friday, from 12 to 8 PM, when exhibitions are on view - double check their website if unsure if an exhibition is on view!

• Parking: Free parking! There are few free visitor parking spots in front of Roberts Hall and a free visitor parking lot that’s a little bit farther away.

The Chazan Gallery at Wheeler**

• Exhibit: The Chazan Gallery at the Wheeler School showcases contemporary art for local, regional, and national artists to provide the opportunity to display their artwork and engage with the local community. The gallery will be presenting the last day of their All School Show, exhibiting the work of students of all ages. (Image credit: Mirabelle Bodine.)

• Address: 228 Angell Street

• Hours:

  • On May 16 Gallery Night: 5 pm to 8 pm

  • Outside of Gallery Night: During shows times September to April: Monday-Friday 3-6pm, Saturday 10am to 4pm and by appointment (closed on Sundays)

• Parking: Street Parking. During the opening hours people might be able to park on the street. No parking lot available.

David Winton Bell Gallery**

• Exhibit: In winter 2024, the Bell Gallery at Brown University will present a comprehensive survey exhibition of artist Barbara T. Smith (b. 1931, Pasadena; lives Los Angeles). An innovator within the performance art movement of the late 1960s, Smith has long produced work that explores the self, sexuality, gender roles, physical and spiritual sustenance, love, life, and death. Assembling an expansive range of artwork and performance-related ephemera, the exhibition will survey Smith’s bold experimentation. While her groundbreaking performances have received critical attention, the objects Smith has made over nearly sixty years—many for, or as a result of, performances—are less known. This includes the artist’s radical Xerox works, mixed media assemblages, sculptures, artist’s books, drawings, paintings, photographs, and videos. This survey will celebrate Smith’s incomparable contributions to contemporary art, feminism, performance, and technology. (Image credit: Barbara T. Smith, Proof, 1966–67. Xerox and drawing, 14 x 19 inches. Courtesy the artist and The Box, Los Angeles.)

• Address: List Arts Building, 64 College Street

• Hours:

  • On May 16 Gallery Night: 11 am to 8 pm

  • Outside of Gallery Night: Daily 11 am to 5 pm; Thursdays 11 am–8 pm

• Parking: Free and metered street parking on Prospect St

Galerie le Domaine at Domain Properties

• Exhibit: Galerie le Domaine presents the work of Jamie Murphy Hlynsky, American painter and collage artist. With a background as a professional illustrator and propmaker, she also works in the fine arts with her paintings and collages, with many of her works being exhibited in several museums, galleries, and private collections. (Image credit: Jamie Murphy Hlynsky.)

• Address: 173 Waterman St

• Hours:

  • On May 16 Gallery Night: 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm

  • Outside of Gallery Night: Open by appointment. Call 401-331-7100 for more information.

• Parking: Street parking

The Gallery at City Hall**

• Exhibit: “In and Out of Focus; Reality and Memories” at City Hall’s Main Gallery explores the powerful space between appreciating the immediate moment and respecting the intangibility of our memories. The artists, Olive the Giant (Quinn Bryan) and Jaclyn Tomasso, use a range of color, scale, and subject in their painting technique and palette, to delve into the notion of being in the here and now, while also looking with wonderment on what came before and what a new day may bring. (Image credit: Jaclyn Tomasso.)

• Address: 25 Dorrance St, 2nd Floor

• Hours:

  • On May 16 Gallery Night: 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm

  • Outside of Gallery Night: Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

• Parking: See downtown parking ideas here.

The Gallery at Sprout CoWorking*

• Exhibit: Sprout CoWorking is pleased to present “All In!” This is a group show of 17 high school students from grades 9 through 12 who are part of the “Arts Academy” course at Bishop Hendricken High School. The work shows a wide range of media and themes and is primarily self-driven from the interests and explorations of the students. Some of the art students and their art teacher will be present for the opening on Gallery Night! (Image credit: Nolan LaPerche.)

• Address: 166 Valley St, Building 6M, Suite #103

• Hours:

  • On May 16 Gallery Night: 5 to 9 pm

  • Outside of Gallery Night: Monday through Friday from 9 am to 3 pm, or by appointment

• Parking: Free parking in the building’s parking lot, and multiple off-street well-lit parking lots in the surrounding area, as well as street parking!

James Polisky Silkscreen Art*

• Exhibit: James Polisky creates limited edition and one of a kind hand-printed silkscreens, blending his original drawings and designs with a color separation background. His body of work is mostly character driven, showing views of monotonic bliss or desperate uncertainty, blanketed by an appreciation of the greatness and power of the everyday to encourage you to stop and think. (Image credit: James Polisky, “Axe Man.”)

• Address: 545 Pawtucket Avenue, Studio C108A, Pawtucket RI 02860

• Hours:

  • On May 16 Gallery Night: 5 to 8 pm

  • Outside of Gallery Night: By appointment or by chance, open most weekends 11 am to 4 pm

• Parking: Free parking in the building’s (large) parking lot!

RI Center for Photographic Arts

• Exhibit: RI Center for Photographic Arts’ exhibit, “Behind the Photograph,” explores the role of Artificial Intelligence in image making, asking early adopters of AI based imaging to show what this technology is and what is possible. Through this exhibit, viewers and artists are encourages to embrace AI imaging’s growing presence in our life and explore the concept of “fakes.” In tandem with this exhibit, “Guardians of Arcadia: Jim Bremer,” uses photo illustration to create images of Arcadia, a pastoral paradise and the women guardians who oversee it. Brem’s work focuses on creating something larger than life that provokes wonder about the production process in the viewer. (Image credit: Fran Forman.)

• Address: 2nd Floor at 118 North Main Street

• Hours:

  • On May 16 Gallery Night: 12 - 8 pm, with the reception from 5 to 8 pm

  • Outside of Gallery Night: Wednesday through Saturday, 12 pm to 6 pm

• Parking: Some free and some metered on the street, and a paid parking lot on the same block. Also see downtown parking ideas here.

RISD Museum**

• Exhibit: The RISD Museum has a variety of different exhibits on view. On the Gallery Night tour, you can get a taste of the many amazing exhibits that the museum has to offer! (Image credit: Exhibit at the RISD Museum.)

• Address: 20 North Main Street.

• Hours:

  • On May 16 Gallery Night: 12 pm to 8 pm, with free admission starting at 5 pm

  • Outside of Gallery Night: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10 am to 5 pm; Thursday 12 to 8 pm. Admission is free on Sundays from 10 am to 5 pm and Thursday evenings from 5 to 8 pm.

• Parking: From the museum’s website: “Discounted parking is available to Museum visitors at all Metropark locations. The closest lot is Metropark Location P5: South Main St Lot at 131 Canal St. Parking is also available at metered spots on adjacent streets. Visitors may park for free at RISD faculty/staff lots on weekends. Closest available lots are located at 7 or 10 Congden Street and 292 Benefit Street.

Studio Hop*

• Exhibit: Studio Hop is a local studio and shop specializing in contemporary fine art, hand crafts, jewelry, ceramics, and clothing. This month, new paintings by Ann-Marie Gillett and R. Sawan White! (Image credit: Ann-Marie Gillett.)

• Address: 810 Hope St

• Hours:

  • On May 16 Gallery Night: 10 am to 8 pm

  • Outside of Gallery Night: Monday through Saturday 10 am to 6 pm, Sunday 12 to 5 pm

• Parking: Street parking (no meters)

URI at RIC Alex and Ani Hall

• Exhibit: “The Gift of Art to the State of Rhode Island” features more than 250 artworks from K-12 students throughout the state. This mixed media exhibit gathers work from public and charter schools, with the honored selection of Coventry Public Schools to add 9 works to the permanent collection, due to their extraordinary work integrating the arts into the curriculum across disciplines. (Image credit: Minjun (Jeffrey) Ma.)

• Address: Rhode Island College Alex and Ani Hall

• Hours:

  • On May 16 Gallery Night: 5 to 8 pm

  • Outside of Gallery Night: Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday 10 am to 5 pm

• Parking: Parking directly in front of the Alex and Ani Hall.

WaterFire Arts Center*

• Exhibit: Janice Lardey’s exhibit is a 2024 Interlace Project Grant Awardee, using fabric and an immersive maze set up explores her distinct textural and artistic style. She creates abstract depictions of women from several generations of her family on the fabric, exploring their likeness and narratives on the fabric. (Image credit: Afie Nkonnwa, 2024 [re-imagined Ghanaian kitchen stools] Janice Lardey made in collaboration with Sandyva.)

• Address: 475 Valley Street

• Hours:

  • On May 16 Gallery Night: 10 am to 9 pm

  • Outside of Gallery Night: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm; Thursdays 10 am to 9 pm (open late!)

• Parking: Parking is free! Visitors have access to the parking lot in front of the WaterFire Arts Center and adjacent parking in the ALCO (American Locomotive Company) lot right next door.

Idea #1: Downtown walking tour

• BankRI Turks Head Gallery

• AS220 Project Space

• AS220 Aborn Gallery

• The Gallery at City Hall

• The Gallery at 134 Collaborative / Mathewson Street Church

Idea #2: Easy Parking Tour

• WaterFire Arts Center

• The Gallery at Sprout CoWorking

• Bannister Gallery at Rhode Island College

• URI at RIC Alex and Ani Hall (at Rhode Island College)

• James Polisky Silkscreen Art

Idea #3: Photography Tour

• RI Center for Photographic Arts

• The Gallery at 134 Collaborative / Mathewson Street Church

• AS220 Aborn Gallery

Idea #4: College Hill Tour

• Arts in the Atrium First U

• The Chazan Gallery at Wheeler

• David Winton Bell Gallery

• RISD Museum

Idea #5: Youth Art Tour

• The Gallery at Sprout CoWorking

• URI at RIC Alex and Ani Hall

• The Chazan Gallery at Wheeler

Idea #6: Exploring Identity and Roots

• AS220 Project Space

• WaterFire Arts Center

• Armenian Historical Association of Rhode Island (AHARI)

Idea #7: Texture Tour!

• Studio Hop

• WaterFire Arts Center

• James Polinsky Silkscreen Art

• Bannister Gallery at Rhode Island College

• BankRI Turks Head Gallery

• Galerie le Domaine at Domain Properties

• URI at RIC Alex and Ani Hall