No matter how you feel about what is contained in the recently-proposed state budget, practically everyone agrees that the document itself looks terrific.
That's because this year's budget contains cover art by Rhode Island artist Stephanie Izzo, born and raised in Coventry. This is an annual collaboration between the State Budget Office and the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts to feature original works of art by Rhode Island artists on the state budget document.
Randall Rosenbaum, Executive Director of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, said that such collaborations are important. "The State Budget represents the life and livelihood of all Rhode Islanders. It's not a sterile set of charts and numbers. Art helps to humanize this important document."
The cover of the State FY2012 budget books features a photograph of a boat moored at Bowen’s Wharf in Newport. The boat is named HOPE, which is both our state motto and, in the context of the budget, a sense of optimism regarding our state’s economic recovery.
Stephanie Izzo, whose website is www.stephanieizzo.com, agreed, saying, "the picture of this beautiful boat -- named HOPE -- conveys the same sense of hope and excitement I feel when I take photographs in the State I call home."
About the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts
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.
