Current and Upcoming Exhibitions

Enrico Pinardi

painting of a table and chair with deep red, ivory, and blue — Enrico Pinardi, *Enigmatic Variation II*, oil on canvas

October 3-25, 2024
Opening Reception - Thursday, October 3rd, 4-7 PM, in the gallery (Speaker Presentation at 5 PM)

Enrico “Henry” Pinardi (1934-2021) taught in the Rhode Island College Art Department from 1967 to 1995. He was a sculptor, painter, and inspiration to so many young artists that traveled through the Art Department over the years at RIC. His work is a visual poetry that creates an atmosphere so saturated that it has an extraordinary power to transport and transform the viewer. In his art, he used color, line, volume, and form as a conduit for the interstice between the known and the unknown. His work stemmed from his own life story and allowed us a peek into a beautifully deep soul. This exhibition, curated by Professor Dianne Reilly, celebrates his life and art.

Richard Whitten: Objects of Wonder

Painting with a mechanical toy in the center surrounded by a Renaissance-style landscape — Richard Whitten, *Tellurian*, 2021, oil on wood panel

November 7-December 6, 2024
Opening Reception - Thursday, November 7th, 4-7 PM, in the gallery
Artist Talk - Thursday, November 21st, 5 PM, Alex and Ani 138

Richard Whitten creates paintings which transport the viewer through the surface of the painting into a world of imagined architectural spaces. There, the viewer finds similarly imagined machines. The views are invited to bring the worlds inside the paintings to life – to propel the machine into motion – through sight and thought alone. The machines Whitten depicts have a variety of possible functions and are often inspired by the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci and other Renaissance inventors. These machines tend to include elements that suggest motion, such as flywheels, gears, and ropes. It is Whitten’s belief that when the viewer tracks the potential movements of his machines, the paintings feel alive.