Twice a year, RISCA awards grants in a number of categories. Over the next few months, we will be profiling the amazing artists and organizations that received grants at our April 1, 2017 deadline, two at a time.
Arts Access Grants
Applicant Organization: Newport Gallery Organization
Project: Do you love learning about the art and culture of Newport? Join us for Newport Gallery Night! On the second Thursday of every month February-December from 5pm-8pm, you can explore Newport’s vibrant arts scene which includes 25 participating galleries, museums and cultural institutions. During the warmer months you could also get a free walking tour hosted by an artist/guide participant of Newport Gallery Organization. These nighttime walking tours are at 5:00 pm, 6:00 pm, and 7:00 pm, showcasing three different arts neighborhoods in Newport. Not only will you get to see the beautiful artwork featured in these galleries, but Gallery Night also includes gallery talks, artist demonstrations, opening receptions and other special events throughout the year. During many Newport Gallery Nights, the Newport Art Museum hosts Art After Dark events. Bailey Art Gallery, Spring Bull Gallery and DeBlois Gallery
host informal receptions and artist demonstrations with their featured artists as well.
About the Organization: The mission of the Newport Gallery Organization is to make the art community and the fine arts more accessible and visible to both area residents and out-of-town visitors. Our goals are simple: we want to heighten awareness and have the general public come and view art, to become more educated about the history of art, to become more aware that art is currently being created, and aware that there are nationally recognized and emerging artists working in their midst.
Project Grants to Individuals
Artist: Richard Goulis and Sheryl Kopel
Project: Unjuried/Uncensored: Making AS220 is a feature-length documentary that will chart the history of Providence-based art space AS220, highlight its impact on individuals within and beyond RI, and explore its role in rejuvenating downtown Providence. The project is currently in pre-production; RISCA funds will support archival research, public outreach, preliminary interviews and storyboard planning.
The documentary will chart the history of AS220, with emphasis on the organization as an example of successful creative placemaking. The fruition of such efforts represents the successful navigation of myriad challenges, including the need to garner support from community leaders, secure and maintain funding, meet zoning and safety requirements, and curb tides of gentrification. Recognition of AS220’s success reached a new pitch in 2015, with a huge 30th anniversary celebration, national recognition of the youth program, instant success of the Practice//Practice consulting program, and the conferring of 2 honorary doctorates and a White House nod to founder Umberto Crenca. Clearly the time is ripe to document the extraordinary arc of AS220 and to contemplate its future. The documentary will explore the factors that have contributed to its success and longevity as well as the challenges, missteps, and lessons learned. It will also consider the place AS220 occupies in the state’s cultural heritage.
They will be holding an event at the downtown Providence Public Library on September 13th, learn about the project, see a teaser, and hear from librarians about archiving all the AS220 materials! For more information, click here.
Artist Bio:
Richard Goulis is a video artist, filmmaker, performer and visual artist. He came to 
Providence in 1980 to attend the Rhode Island School of Design. During his studies in the Film/Animation/Video department he discovered the regional artistic community during his frequent forays into the mysterious city and his development of various artistic projects outside of RISD. His earliest performance art pieces have become part of the lexicon within and beyond the RI and RISD communities. He continues to explore work in performance and was the proud recipient of the 2016 RISCA Merit Fellowship for New Genres. His performance work has been seen at festivals around the world, and his video pieces are in the collection of The Museum of Art, RISD, Corning Museum of Glass, and many private collections.
A Providence native, Sheryl Kopel has worked since 1997 as a research project director at RI Hospital and is a Research Associate at Brown Medical School, during which time she has overseen the implementation of nearly two dozen federally funded scientific research studies. Since 2014 Ms. Kopel has been applying her professional skills and passion for the arts to promoting and producing the work of RI artists.