2016 Native American Traditional & Contemporary Art Exhibit at the Warwick Center for the Arts

Rhode Island State Council on the Arts presents the "2016 Native American Traditional and Contemporary Art Exhibit" at the Warwick Center for the Arts. This exhibit is part of RISCA's New Visions New Curators Program.

Curator: Angel Beth Smith

Curator Bio: Angel Beth Smith is a Professional Artist with more than 30 years of experience providing artistic content, teaching, and marketing support to academic institutions, churches, and private organizations. A graduate of the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Angel holds a bachelor’s degree in Textile Design. Her love for the intricacies of fabric design and weaving are evident in her meticulous attention to detail portrayed in her work. Angel involves pastels, pencils, colored pencil, and Conte crayon, and watercolor as medium of expression. Revealing her subtly confident technical elements, viewers are comfortably drawn into the world of her canvas. Angel’s work has showcased at various galleries and art shows throughout Southern New England.

Curator: Casey Figueroa

Curator Bio: Casey Figueroa is a Contemporary Native American Abstract Painter exploring visual communication of Native Identity. Utilizing painted abstract works eschewing imagery, and digital works focusing on Native symbolism. Casey has shown at galleries across the United States and draws on his Native ancestry as well as his cultural education and experience with Tribal Nations across the country to create balanced and harmonious artwork.

Participating Artists: Josh Carter, Harman Deetz, Casey Figueroa, Graham Gruner, Deborah Moorehead, Venus Reels, John Rice, Dawn Spears, Loren Spears, Robin Spears, Angel Smith, Mark Thornton

Performances: Tony Bluze

Partnerships: Warwick Center for the Arts

Warwick Center for the Arts
WCFA unites the community through the arts. We connect all ages and abilities to a variety of arts activities through exhibits, educational programs and cultural experiences. Emerging and established artists will find a unique and inviting space in which to share their creative vision with the community. For more information visit https://warwickcfa.org

Atrium Gallery Traveling Exhibit Program
The Traveling Exhibits showcase the artwork of diverse artists throughout Rhode Island and New England. Exhibitions usually starts at the Atrium Gallery and travel to different locations including the Attleboro Art Museum, Newport Art Museum, and Warwick Center for the Arts. These intercultural exhibitions provide an opportunity to experience the artwork of diverse artists and represent the connections that can be achieved when we embrace diversity and inclusion.

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