AS220 Youth and the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts are collaborating once again to present the Annual Youth State Art Exhibit at the Atrium Gallery at One Capitol Hill, a gallery space managed by the State Arts Council and located in the state's main administration building.
The show will run from January 13th, - January 31, 2014 and includes the work of more than 50 young artists from around Rhode Island.
A free public reception honoring the student artists will be held at the Atrium Gallery on Thursday evening, January 16th, 2014 from 6:00-8:00pm
The Atrium Gallery at One Capitol Hill is encouraging the development of new curators and gallery directors from communities of color with New Visions/New Curators Series which provides mentorship and opportunities to curate several exhibits at the Atrium Gallery since 2011.
AS220 Youth is a free arts education program that serves young people ages 14-21, with a special focus on those in the care and custody of the State.
Through their art AS220 Youth students have collectively created a portrait of the state of Rhode Island. Through artistic mediums as simple as graphite pencil, to images made with computer imaging software the students have learned over time to master technical achievement and give voice to their own lives. "United," one of the AS220 Youth Hip Hop groups, has written and performed a song about bullying while their counterparts choreograph their own dances. Young photographers have pushed the boundaries of digital photography with fabulous light drawings while others have enlarged traditional black and white photographs documenting their own experience.
Elena Calderon Patiño, Director of the Community Arts Program at RISCA, applauded the collaboration with AS220 Youth. "The Youth Art Exhibit has been part of the RISCA's "New Visions/New Curator Series" for the past 3 years," said Patiño. "The students conceptualize the theme, create the artwork, the brochure, and hang the show themselves, AS220 Youth Studio does a fantastic job, it is everything we hoped the "New Visions/New Curator Series" to be and more."
"For the last three years the AS220 Youth program has been thrilled with the opportunity to showcase the work of all our students to the RI public at the Atrium Gallery," said Scott Lapham, AS220 Youth Photo Coordinator. "We invite everyone to help celebrate with our artists, we would love to see you at the reception and show."
The Atrium Gallery is located in One Capitol Hill, the state's main administration building, and is managed by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. It is open weekdays from 8:00am to 5:00pm, and closed on all State holidays.
About AS220 Youth
AS220 Youth has three teaching sites: our downtown Providence studio, UCAP middle school, and the Rhode Island Training School, the State's juvenile detention facility. The work in the exhibit was produced by youth at the three sites, through independent and collaborative projects. In 2012, AS220 Youth received the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award and was recognized by First Lady Michelle Obama for using engagement in the arts and to increase academic achievement, graduation rates, and college enrollment, as well as improve literacy and language abilities, communication and performance skills, and cultural awareness.
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.
About the Atrium Gallery at One Capitol Hill
The Atrium Gallery at One Capitol Hill was developed to exhibit the work of Rhode Island artists in the State Capitol Complex. It hosts exhibits on a rotating basis, in partnership with several state agencies & organizations. The art gallery enhances Capitol Hill as a destination point for visitors, as well as for the many people who visit Administration offices or attend conferences at One Capitol Hill. It also enriches the work environment for the hundreds of state workers who spend their workday in the building.