ArtRI: In Plain Sight: Art in Unexpected Places

ArtRI may be in its third season but - just like the subject it embraces and presents - we're given a whole new, fresh perspective. You might even call it a whole new series. It starts Thursday, April 3 at 8 p.m.

With a new format, ArtRI: In Plain Sight: Art in Unexpected Places goes mobile, taking audiences to publicly accessible Providence sites known for something other than their art, but that also offer noteworthy examples of artistic expression. 

Spanning three centuries, featured artworks represent various media, including paint, textiles, marble, steel, wood, glass, works on paper, and more. Rhode Island School of Design alumnus Richard Goulis directed and produced the series; Victoria Veh is the creative director.  

The four episodes each feature a different host:

April 3:   "DOWNTOWN PROVIDENCE" hosted by Barnaby Evans

April 10:  "FUNERARY ART AND MONUMENTS" hosted by Ronald Onorato

April 17:  "ART IN LIBRARIES" hosted by Tonia Mason and Alison Maxell

April 24:  "BROWN UNIVERSITY AND RISD CAMPUSES" hosted by Jo-Ann Conklin

April 3 @ 8 p.m.:  "DOWNTOWN PROVIDENCE" hosted by Barnaby Evans, multimedia artist and creator of WaterFire Providence Rebroadcasts on Rhode Island PBS: Saturday, April 4 at half after midnight (12:30 a.m.) and noon; Broadcasts on Learn: Friday, April 18 at 10 p.m., Saturday, April 19 at 5 a.m., Sunday, April 20 at 1:30 a.m.
Barnaby Evans at the RI Convention Center	The city’s downtown core offers significant public art in its park spaces, on city streets, at its civic and convention centers, and sited on buildings.  Discover a sculpture by Daniel Chester French, who also created the Lincoln Memorial, “hiding in place” on Dorrance Street.  In the Rhode Island Convention Center, look up to see a huge glass sculpture hanging overhead, created by renowned architect and MacArthur Fellow James Carpenter.  Uncover a tribute to lasting love in a familiar fountain.  Barnaby Evans, creator of WaterFire and an artist working in many media, shares details about these pieces as he leads our tour
April 10 @ 8 p.m.:  "FUNERARY ART AND MONUMENTS" hosted by Ronald Onorato, Ph.D., professor of art history, University of Rhode Island. Rebroadcasts on Rhode Island PBS: Saturday, April 12 at half after midnight (12:30 a.m.) and noon; Broadcasts on Learn: Friday, April 18 at 10:30 p.m., Saturday, April 19 at 5:30 a.m., Sunday, April 20 at 2 a.m.
Ronald Onorato at the North Burial Ground	The North Burial Ground and Swan Point Cemetery are two prominent Providence cemeteries exemplifying the artistic riches and tranquil settings to be found in historic cemeteries.  Family memorials honoring the deceased reveal the evolution of a city’s culture and industry. Ronald Onorato, Ph.D., professor of art history and department chair of art and art history at the University of Rhode Island, is a published expert on historic cemeteries.  Onorato shows us extraordinary museum-quality sculpture and architecture “hiding in plain sight” outdoors for all to see.
April 17 @ 8 p.m.:  "ART IN LIBRARIES" hosted by Tonia Mason – director of Marketing & Communications, Providence Public Library; and Alison Maxell - executive director of The Providence Athenaeum  Rebroadcasts on Rhode Island PBS: Saturday, April 19 at half after midnight (12:30 a.m.) and noon; Broadcasts on Learn: Friday, April 25 at 10 p.m., Saturday, April 26 at 5 a.m., Sunday, April 27 at 2 a.m.
Tonia Mason, Providence Public Library	Long-established libraries like the Providence Public Library and the Providence Athenaeum hold much more than books.  The opportunity to explore the art and artifacts in their collections makes visiting a stimulating and worthwhile experience whether or not reading is on a visitor’s agenda. The Providence Public Library opened its extraordinary building, itself a work of art now on the National Register of
Alison Maxell, Providence Athenaeum	Historic Places, in 1900.  Guided by Tonia Mason, see unusual architectural features of the building en route to viewing remarkable collections of ship models, ancient tablets, illustrated manuscripts, original WWII posters, and more. The Providence Athenaeum has always been a membership library, but while only members may borrow library materials, anyone is welcome to visit the library and use its holdings on site. The word “athenaeum” simply means an institution for the promotion of learning.  Alison Maxell, executive director, and her staff enthusiastically share the Athenaeum’s wide range of holdings with viewers and visitors, and many Athenaeum programs are open to the public.
April 24 @ 8:00 p.m.:  "BROWN UNIVERSITY AND RISD CAMPUSES" hosted by Jo-Ann Conklin, director, David Winton Bell Gallery, Brown University Rebroadcasts on Rhode Island PBS: Saturday, April 26 at half after midnight (12:30 a.m.) and noon; Broadcasts on Learn: Friday, April 25 at 10:30 p.m., Saturday, April 26 at 5:30 a.m., Sunday, April 27 at 2:30 a.m.
Jo-Ann Conklin, Brown University with Circle Dance by sculptor Tom Friedman	Artwork abounds on the campuses of Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design.  Gallery director Jo-Ann Conklin takes a walk around College Hill to highlight some of these pieces.  From outdoor sculptures by the internationally prominent Henry Moore and Jenny Holzer to challenging indoor installations by visual artists Sarah Oppenheimer and Diane Samuels, Conklin describes the intriguing features of these works and invites viewers to enjoy them on the campuses.

About ArtRI:

Joseph A. Chazan, M.D. is the executive producer of ArtRI and NetWorks Rhode Island, multi-media projects devoted to promoting awareness and appreciation of the arts in Rhode Island. A practicing physician, Dr. Chazan is also a longstanding and active arts supporter who received the 2013 Pell Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts.

WSBE Rhode Island PBS broadcasts over the air on digital 36.1; on cable in RI on Cox 08/1008HD, Full Channel 08, Verizon FiOS RI 08/508HD; on cable in MA Verizon FiOS 18/518HD, Comcast 819HD; and on satellite DirecTV 36/3128HD and Dish Network 36. 

WSBE Learn transmits over the air on digital 36.2; on cable: Cox 808, Verizon 478, Full Channel 89, Comcast 294 or 312.