spotlight

Spotlight on...I Will Not Bend an Inch exhibit

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We're excited to feature a new show at one of our Partner Galleries, the RISD Museum, this month!

Nancy Elizabeth Prophet: I Will Not Bend an Inch celebrates the work and legacy of this underrecognized 20th-century sculptor who is best known for her contributions to expatriate culture in Paris during the interwar period.

Prophet (1890-1960) was one of the first known women of color to graduate from RISD and her work reflects skills developed through academic training with a distinctly Modernist sensibility. The first museum survey will feature three-dimensional sculptures of marble and wood, painted wood friezes, and watercolors as well as photographic presentations of archival documents and lost or destroyed sculptures.

“We are thrilled to share the story of this underrecognized artist, Nancy Elizabeth Prophet, RISD’s first known woman of color to graduate. The exhibit features three-dimensional sculptures of marble and wood, painted wood friezes, and watercolors.”
— Deborah Clemons, Director of Public Programs, Education Department

Can’t make it on a Gallery Night? You have plenty of time to plan your visit to Providence and to the RISD Museum. The show will be on view February 17 through August 4 2024. For information on how to visit the RISD Museum, visit their website here. 

Spotlight on...Adèle and Antoine!

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This month, The Gallery at City Hall will be featuring the work of two talented artists, Adèle Saint-Pierre and Antoine Soued in an exhibit titled "Mondes cachés / Mondes cochés." Catch it as part of the 5:30 pm guided tour, or stop by City Hall on your own anytime between 4:30 to 6:30 pm on Gallery Night. The exhibit is on view during regular City Hall business hours, Monday to Thursday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, through January 17.

Q: Antoine, you are a native of Beirut, and worked in Tokyo, and Adèle you are from Quebec City.  How did you each come to make Providence your home?

Adèle: I moved to Providence in July of 2021 from Brooklyn, NY, where I had been living and working since 2010. Prior to that I lived in Boston, Québec City, and Le Mans (France). Though I was born and raised in Maine, my soul is in Québec City, the heart of both my paternal and maternal heritage and ancestry and the cradle of the French language I grew up speaking. I spend my summers there, and the academic school year here in Providence.

Antoine: Born and raised in Beirut, I studied architecture and spent my early professional years working in various studios that were developing interesting projects and ideas. I traveled the world quite a bit and landed a job in Tokyo in 2019. After Covid I headed to the United States to discover the wonderful town of Providence. I fell in love with this city and its people, and it has been my home ever since.

Q: Adèle, your artist statement says that your watercolors are inspired by "stains and cracks" in Providence sidewalks. Please tell us more about that!

Adèle: For as long as I can remember, animals and human figures have been jumping out at me from things like creases in fabric or wood grain patterns on floors. The water stain on the ceiling of my childhood bedroom, for example, was a big wolf howling at the moon. After reading Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way in the months leading up to Covid, I started taking pictures of the stains and cracks I was noticing on the sidewalks during my walks in Brooklyn and then painting the worlds of animals, humans and fantastical creatures they contained. Since moving to Providence, it is the stains and cracks I see on the sidewalks here that inspire my work, including the pieces I will be exhibiting at the Gallery at City Hall. I have been writing about this process and exploring what my earlier pieces communicate in my weekly blog.

Q: And Antoine, you are an architect by day.  How have architectural drafting methods influenced your work?  

Antoine: My illustrations are a natural extension of my profession and design process. I work based on models and images, extracting the essence of their atmosphere by abstracting the subject to its bare essence. I rely heavily on the contrast of shadow and light.

Q: Tell us more about the name of your exhibit, Mondes cachés / Mondes cochés, and what visitors can expect to see.

Adèle: Hidden in the stains and cracks of the sidewalks are entire worlds of people and animals doing everyday things, hence the first part of the title Mondes cachés. My show will feature an eclectic collection of new pieces ranging in themes from weight lifting to bread making, as well as a series of portraits of the quirky personnel of the imaginary Pharmacie Vachon. Finally, one of the walls will feature a cigar-themed work in collaboration between Antoine and me. 

Antoine: By changing the a of cachés to o, we get cochés, which means “to (make) check (marks),” a movement that loosely describes the process behind the pieces that make up my show. The work I will be exhibiting depicts scenes from daily life in the different cities I have lived in or visited. These scenes are suspended in time.

Spotlight on...Elise Fortier!

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April is National Volunteer Month, a time to recognize all those who give their time and energy to causes they care about. We at Gallery Night are grateful for the many volunteers and the hours they've spent, directly or indirectly, helping us bring people to art spaces in Providence. This month we are spotlighting volunteer Elise Fortier, who organized the silent auction and raffle for our fundraiser in February! 

Q: When and how did you first hear about Gallery Night?

A: I was first introduced to Gallery Night in October of 2019 by my dear friend Mike Ryan, who is one of the board members. I had just moved to Providence and would arrange my social calendar by what was advertised in his publication Motif Magazine. He and I went on one of the tours and I was hooked. 

Q: What made you want to go on a tour? What keeps you coming back?

A: I grew up surrounded by art. Both my parents and my godmother were talented artists. My parents made a point of bringing us to museums as children, and taking us to cultural events and encouraging an appreciation and interest in art. I studied graphic design, drawing and art history in college. It’s just always been a part of my life. I can easily walk into a museum and pass five hours as if it was nothing. I become mesmerized. The Gallery Night tours appealed to me because I could visit so many spaces in one evening that I would most likely never go to on my own. Some studios can feel intimidating, especially if you’re solo. With Gallery Night, I’m with a group and we are warmly welcomed. There’s an abundance of art in varying mediums in interesting spaces. There’s nothing I don’t love about it. It always feels fresh and new, regardless of how frequently I go. 

Q: What is your favorite part about Gallery Night? 

A: Along with all of the amazing artwork being shown at some truly spectacular venues, is the sense of camaraderie that is present amongst everyone attending. There’s an element of shared awe, appreciation and joy that permeates the group. The tour guides are knowledgeable and informative and in some cases you get to meet the artists and learn about their work firsthand. 

Q: What motivated you to volunteer to organize the silent auction and raffle for our fundraiser?

A: I love the city of Providence and our community. I have done a good bit of volunteering in the past and it had been my desire once I moved here to find an organization that was aligned with my values and interests.

I knew Gallery Night was something that resonated with me personally, as art has always been integral to my life and I believe it should be accessible to all. I fully and wholeheartedly support the mission of Gallery Night Providence and it was my honor to be able to help out in whatever way that I could. I thoroughly enjoyed my role and it was an absolute pleasure meeting all the talented artists who generously donated to our cause and to be able to familiarize more people with their work by including them in our auction and raffle.

Thank you to intern Justin Medeiros for interviewing Elise and writing up this feature!