"Art Rhode Island" (Art RI) Unveils Second Season September 5

After the successful launch of its premiere season in January, Art Rhode Island will resume this fall with four new episodes. Starting September 5, the new episodes will air Wednesdays at 7 P.M. on Rhode Island PBS, and on Fridays at 10 P.M. on Learn.

Hosted by Martina Windels, Art Rhode Island engages artists, curators, educators, collectors, and gallery owners in a series of conversations punctuated by beautifully filmed segments. Its mission is to raise public awareness of the arts, and promote the rich and diverse arts community of Rhode Island.

Season two explores such topics as art as an economic engine and art education, as well as the roles of museums and galleries in Rhode Island. The guests are Randall Rosenbaum, Clay Rockefeller, Aidan Petrie; Sarah Ganz Blythe, Barbara Wong, Paul Sproll; John Smith, Lisa Goddard, Richard Fishman; Sara Agniel, Brian Chippendale, and Deb Dormody.  (See episode descriptions below.)

In addition to the television broadcast, two public screenings of Art Rhode Island episodes are planned: "Art Education" will be shown at 6:30 P.M. on September 12 at the RISD Museum's Chace Center, and "Art Museums and Art Centers" will be screened at 6:30 P.M. on September 19 at the Granoff Center for the Creative Arts at Brown University. Both events are free and open to the public.

Art Rhode Island Executive Producer Joseph A. Chazan, M.D., a long time collector and generous supporter of the arts and local artists, explains his goal for the program: "The presence of artists in the state creates a great community and enriches the state. Art is a thriving industry here in Rhode Island, and I want to help raise awareness of it," he said.

"TV is a great tool to do just that," added show host Martina Windels. "I am excited about the opportunity to reach a broader audience with Art Rhode Island than any exhibition will ever be able to do. Hopefully we’ll reach a non-arts audience because art has the potential to enrich everybody’s life,” she said.

A former faculty member of the Rhode Island School of Design, Windels is probably best known locally for her signature gallery, Martina and Company, she operated in Providence for ten years. Windels was invited to host Art Rhode Island because of her active involvement in the Providence art scene for more than 20 years as designer, teacher, gallery owner, and now, art critic. 

Art Rhode Island is a production of NetWorks project. Originally conceived through  collaboration between Dr. Chazan and AS220 Artistic Director Umberto Crenca, NetWorks strives to document the work of Rhode Island artists. Since launching in 2008, NetWorks has created an archive of video profiles, accompanied by exhibitions, catalogs, and panel discussions. Over the last five years Richard Goulis, an artist himself and the producer of Art Rhode Island, has produced more than sixty video portraits featuring a wide range of Rhode Island artists, all of which have aired on Rhode Island PBS.

Art Rhode Island Season 2 Episode Descriptions

5. Art as an Economic Engine (9/5)
The panel takes a look at the role that art, design, and creativity play in the Rhode Island economy, and discuss whether art can and should be employed to stimulate the economy, and how.

• Randall Rosenbaum, the executive director at Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) 
• Clay Rockefeller, a co-founder of the SteelYard 
• Aidan Petrie, the Chief Innovation Officer and co-founder of Ximedica, a Providence company developing medical devices.

6. Art Education (9/12)

Three art educators introduce their programs and discuss art education in Rhode Island. They take a look at the role art education plays in teaching subjects other than art, such as the development of essential skills and creative problem solving skills. Art education is often cut from public school budgets because it is not part of the core curriculum, but are non-profit arts organizations in Providence and beyond equipped to provide an appropriate substitute for the missing art education in public schools? Paul Sproll explains RISD’s President John Maeda’s STEAM* (versus STEM) initiative.
*Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics

• Sarah Ganz Blythe, director of education at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Museum of Art
• Barbara Wong, the executive director at City Art and member of the Providence school board 
• Paul Sproll, Professor at RISD, Department of Teaching and Learning in Art and Design

7. Art Museums and Art Centers (9/19)
The discussion examines the role of art museums in the community and in the larger context of the role of art in our lives, and why art matters.

• John Smith, director of the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art 
• Lisa Goddard, director of the Newport Art Museum 
• Richard Fishman, director of the Brown University Creative Arts Council.

8. Art Galleries (9/26)
The guests take a look at the relationship between gallerist, artist, and collector, and the function of a gallery - beyond a place to view and buy art - as a place for the exchange of ideas among artists and between collectors and artists.

• Sara Agniel, from Buonaccorsi+Agniel Gallery 
• Deb Dormody from Craftland 
• Brian Chippendale, artist

Rhode Island PBS transmits standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) programming over the air on digital 36.1; RI cable channels are Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon FiOS 08 / 508HD, and Full Channel 08; in MA, Comcast 819HD, Verizon FiOS 18 / 518HD; on satellite, DirecTV 36, and Dish Network 7776. 

Learn transmits over the air on digital 36.2; on Cox 808; Verizon FiOS 478; Full Channel 109; and in MA, Comcast 294 or 312.