2014 State Youth Art Exhibit RISD Project Open Door Atrium Gallery New Visions New Curator Series

Rhode Island State Council on the Arts presents the "2014 State Youth Art Exhibit, RISD Project Open Door" at the Atrium Gallery @ One Capitol Hill. This exhibit is part of the New Visions New Curators Program. The work in this show is a sampling of POD’s teens’ work created during after-school programs with partnering high schools under the guidance of RISD graduate student artists-in-residence. The Atrium show provides POD’s teens with an opportunity to have their work exhibited in a gallery setting.

Project Open Door (POD) has a dual mission: to increase access to high quality arts learning and career in art and design for underserved Rhode Island teens, and to provide a community education laboratory for RISD students, alumni, faculty, and staff. POD was founded in 2005 as a college access program, is a public engagement initiative of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). POD is committed to providing talented teens attending public high schools and charter high schools in Rhode Island’s urban core cities of Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence, and Woonsocket with access to free programing, both at their schools and on RISD’s campus.

Participating Artists: Artwork featured in the show was created by students from the following high schools; Blackstone Academy, Central Falls Senior High School, Charles E. Shea Senior High School, Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School, Hope High School, Jacqueline M. Walsh School of Performing and Visual Arts, MET School, The Juanita Sanchez Complex, William E. Tolman Senior High School, William M. Davies Jr. Career and Technical High School, Woonsocket High School

Partnerships: Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Project Open Door

Atrium Gallery at One Capitol Hill
Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) developed the Atrium Gallery to recognize talented artists from communities throughout the state. The Atrium Gallery hosts multidisciplinary exhibitions in partnership with diverse artists and cultural organizations. The gallery features a stunning tall glass ceiling with light that cascades into an open space surrounded by three walls of artwork. This has become a destination point for visitors and the many people who frequent the Administration offices at One Capitol Hill, while enriching the environment for hundreds of state workers in the building.

State Youth Art Exhibit
The Youth Art Exhibition showcases the work of young artists in the state of Rhode Island in partnership with afterschool programs like AS220 Youth, Riverzedge, RISD Project Open Door, and New Urban Arts with outstanding results. Since 2011, students have participated in the New Visions/New Curators Program where they conceptualize the theme of the exhibit, create the artwork and marketing materials, organize performances for the reception, and proudly put their creations on display.

New Visions/New Curators Program
The Atrium Gallery encourages the development of new curators and gallery directors from diverse communities through the New Visions/New Curators Program. Artists of color are provided logistical support to curate a show by defining a theme, professionally installing the artwork, and creating marketing materials that promote the exhibit. Previous participants have curated exhibitions in local and regional galleries and museums. This highly successful program has become an incubator for new curators that promote viewpoints and voices of artists of color.

The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts is a state agency supported by appropriations from the Rhode Island General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. RISCA provides grants, technical assistance and staff support to arts organizations and artists, schools, community centers, social service organizations and local governments to bring the arts into the lives of Rhode Islanders. To learn more visit www.arts.ri.gov