Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace: A Metals Exhibition

October 7-29, 2021

PRE-REGISTER TO VISIT THE GALLERY (REQUIRED FOR ATTENDANCE!)

View artist statements from the exhibition

Named after John Lennon’s song “Imagine,” Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s (Innovative Merger of Art & Guns to Inspire New Expressions) Peace is a carefully curated exhibition of work by metals artists who are transforming decommissioned guns into art objects specifically for this show. The exhibition will take place in the Edward Mitchell Bannister Gallery at Rhode Island College in Fall 2021. A select group of metal artists, listed below, from all over the United States were invited to participate in recontextualizing these weapons of destruction for new purposes of exploration and dialogue.

Attendant programming in the form of a three-part symposium hosted in Rhode Island College’s Art Department expands the mission of the exhibition by bringing attention to the wider pandemic of gun violence, in all of its forms, that has spread across the country. We invite members of our community, local and national, to join us in bringing together various perspectives and to participate in lectures, panels, and open conversation about guns and gun violence. Together, the exhibition and programming invite discussion and hope to clarify the intersection of art and the role of guns, the rights of citizens, and the laws that oversee guns in American society today.

The exhibition and corresponding events are organized by Boris Bally, metal artist; Dianne Reilly, Studio Art Professor; Sara Picard, Art History Professor; and Victoria Gao, Director of the Bannister Gallery.

Invited Artists:

Matthew Coté
Lauren DelBrocco*
Peter Diepenbrock
Shingo Furukawa
Ingrid Goldbloom Bloch
Stefan Gougherty
Hoss Haley
Vee Hight*
John Huckins
Rob Jackson
Nicole Jacquard
Niki Johnson
Terry Lavin
Tim Lazure
Michael Nashef
John Rais
Catherine Rubery*
Howie Sneider + Peter Tenney
Peter Snyder
Billie Theide
James Thurman
Jennifer Walstead*
Stephen Yusko

*indicates Rhode Island College alumni

Symposium | Transformation
Friday, October 8, 2021, 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Alger 110, Rhode Island College, 600 Mt. Pleasant Avenue, Providence, RI 02908

Click here to watch the full symposium

Hosted by Bannister Gallery and Rhode Island College’s Art Department, these discussions intend to expand the mission of the exhibition Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace, on view at the Bannister Gallery from October 7 through 29. We invite members of our community, local and national, to join us in bringing together various perspectives and to participate in lectures, panels, and open conversation about the power of art to transform material, ideas, and lives. Together, the exhibition and programming invite artists, activists, and all individuals to share experiences and to examine our relationship with the social, cultural, and human impact of this object.

Schedule of Events

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Panel 1: Transforming Material (Guns) into Art

Shingo Furukawa
Artist and Participant in Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace

Catherine Rubery
Artist and Participant in Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace
Rhode Island College Alumna

Tim Lazure
Professor of Metal Design at East Carolina University and Participant in Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace

Peter Diepenbrock
Sculptor and Participant in Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Lunch/Bannister Gallery Visit

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Panel 2: Transforming Self through Art

Peter Tenney
Artist and Participant in Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace

Jennifer Boylan
Volunteer Leader for the Rhode Island Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America

Lauren DelBrocco
Director of Communications and Business Affairs at Splop Design, East Carolina University MFA Candidate, and Participant in Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace
Rhode Island College Alumna

Scott Lapham
Artist, Activist, and Photojournalist

2:45 PM - 4:15 PM
Panel 3: Transforming Political Conversations through Art

Boris Bally
Metalsmith/Designer and Co-Curator of Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace

Vee Hight
Artist and Participant in Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace
Rhode Island College Alumna

Gemelya Barros
Artist and Founder of Healing through Art

Halima Ibrahim
Current Rhode Island Youth Poetry Ambassador

4:30 PM
End of Symposium: Bannister Gallery Open until 8:00 PM

Reasonable accommodations can be made for persons with disabilities with 72 hours notice.

Masks are required in all Rhode Island College buildings. Vaccinations are highly encouraged.