This month we are spotlighting The Gallery at Sprout CoWorking located in the Olneyville neighborhood of Providence. Learn more about the story behind Sprout in our interview below with Shari Weinberger, the gallery's founder, curator, and manager.
Q: Can you tell me more about the Gallery at Sprout CoWorking's backstory? How did it start?
A: My husband Zachary is a compensation consultant. He has a lovely home office, but he found it a little isolating and he missed the collegiality of working around other people. So he looked for a coworking space in Providence.
In 2015, when he learned that Providence was too small a market to attract WeWork, or any of the other national coworking chains, he and his business partner John Kevorkian decided to open Sprout. After a bout with breast cancer, I decided to leave the education world where I’d spent the bulk of my career, and put my Bank Street master’s degree in museum education to work, so I agreed to Zachary and John’s business plan with the stipulation that I could open a community art gallery in the space and be the manager.
Before Sprout even opened its doors to the public, the first thing I did was join Gallery Night.
Q: Having a gallery in a coworking space is a departure from the traditional white-walled gallery space. How is your space unique?
A: Sprout provides a professional environment for remote workers to work that is not their kitchen table. The monthly changing exhibits in the art gallery provide a dynamic, creative work environment. Because we are a CoWorking business, we sell office space, meeting rooms, and event space. This provides me with the financial flexibility to show new, emerging and underserved artists. The artist does not have to make any financial contribution to have a show. We take only a 20% commission on sold works (way below industry standards), and that money is rolled back into the gallery to purchase hanging materials and provide gallery night snacks.
Because of the nature of the Sprout gallery, I often show local artists new to the Providence art scene. I take particular pleasure in shepherding artists through their first shows, teaching them about the process. There is nothing like seeing the excitement on the face of an artist as they make their first ever gallery night sale.
Q: I've noticed a lot of your exhibits have community-based organizations or causes that have a larger purpose than just aesthetics. Can you speak to this element of the gallery?
A: I am a very socially conscious person and I want to use my position as the Sprout gallery manager to do things to give back to our community.
As an out of the box thinker, I’m always looking beyond the walls for new ways to show art, hang art, engage artists, engage the public and build a stronger Providence. This is why I love creating exhibits that benefit nonprofit organizations. Over the years, I learned how to throw a great benefit party for Gallery Night. Recently I’ve kicked it up a notch and applied the same party principals to nonprofits like the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resources Foundation, or the RI Bike Coalition. These events, along with all Sprout Gallery events, are always free, fun, and open to the public.
Q: What's on display at Sprout in May?
A: For the month of May Sprout is partnering with the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation, a Rhode Island Nonprofit based in Pawtucket. The joint exhibition, "ScART," enables cancer survivors to tell their stories, share their cancer journeys through painting, and find community and emotional healing with other survivors.
The gallery will also showcase ceramicist Rick Martell's Raku pieces for the tea ceremony, including flower vases, water jars, and tea bowls. This process produces a very distinct glazing and lets the potter have intimate involvement with pieces from start to finish.
A third artist, Richard N. Eugene, is showing as well! A Haitian American artist based in Providence, Richard's artwork reflects the cultural richness of his background and upbringing. Come and wish Richard a Happy Birthday on Gallery Night on May 18th! You can stop by Sprout on your own that night, anytime from 5 to 8 pm, or as part of the 6:30 pm trolley tour.
Q: Anything else you want to add?
A: Sprout CoWorking and Gallery is staffed every M-F, from 9-3pm by Joe, our business manager. Stop by 166 Valley Street and say hi! Additionally we are open on the 3rd Thursday of every month until 8 pm for a gallery party. If you are an artist, or you know an artist, if you like art, or you don’t like art and want to learn how, you can reach me at gallerymanager@sproutcoworking.com.