July 15 – August 22, 2015 Exhibit Hours: Wednesday – Saturday 12 – 5 Contact: Catherine Little Bert 401 751 2628 Download press release as PDF.
Bert Gallery is located along the Providence waterfront at Corliss Landing, 24 Bridge Street, formerly 540 South Water Street. A special 30th Anniversary Exhibit
Providence, Rhode Island was the home of several important American painters at the turn of the century such as S.R. Burleigh (1853 – 1931), C.W. Stetson (1858 – 1911), G. Whitaker (1841 – 1916) and M. Woodward (1877 – 1945). The Providence School contributed to the regional American art scene and many of these artists were also innovators and promoters in the national arena of American painting. Divine Providence: REGIONAL AMERICAN PAINTING examines The Providence School, artists who shaped the art culture of the capital city, the state and in some cases the nation.
The exhibit is organized around four themes championed by the Terra Foundation of American Art: Anglo American portraiture, Genre Painting & Everyday Life, The Simple Pleasures of Still Life, Landscape & the New Frontier. Over 25 artists are on view including the “Dean of RI Artists” and first Providence Art Club President in 1880, James Sullivan Lincoln (1811 – 1888). A stunning 1852 portrait by James Lincoln of the two great- grandchildren of John Brown; Amasa M. Eaton (1841-1914) and Charles F. Eaton (b. 1842) is one of the major works exhibited.
Since the 1830’s artists have set up studios in Providence, entrepreneurs found galleries (Vose Gallery 1842, Bert Gallery 1985); collectors acquired paintings and philanthropists established cultural institutions (RISD, Providence Art Club, Handicraft Club & Providence Athenaeum). Providence became the cultural center for artists from the city, state, region and ex-patriots. The capital city has always served this role for the state through good times and bad. With the ebb and flow of American progress the talents of 19th & 20th century regional American artists have escaped recognition among art historians, art dealers and collectors. Much of this has to do with the foibles of the art world; what is fashionable to collect, curatorial snobbery, art dealer dalliances and auction market gyrations. Divine Providence: REGIONAL AMERICAN PAINTING re-examines the significance of the oft-neglected Providence School of painters
Enhancing the “Divine Providence” exhibit at 24 Bridge Street are two web- based projects:
Thirty artists from Rhode Island are explored on the website for 2015 within the context of American painting. The stories unravel the complexities of artistic life in Rhode Island and across the country.
The advantage of thirty years in business, over 150 exhibitions, lecturing and appraising is that you meet the most fascinating and passionate art lovers in all corners of the community. In the spirit of crowd sourcing for 2015 Bert Gallery asked 30 members of the community to single out a work of art from the Bert Gallery collection that they particularly enjoy. Follow the selections and comments over the year on www.bertgalery.com and our social media feeds. New works will be posted two to three times a month.
Program and Event announcements are posted on the website. Through social media and blogging a series of topics are covered including Art Market, Art Intrigues, Where they are now?, Art Travels, Myths in the Art World; Collecting ideas: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Practical Art Tips