The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) announced today that a new art exhibition of works by David Zapatka will be held from January 21, 2016 through May 31, 2016 at the Block Island Airport Gallery. The Block Island Airport Gallery presents the work of contemporary Rhode Island artists in quarterly exhibitions.
A native of Westerly, David Zapatka first picked up a camera at age 13 and hasn't looked back since. Studying film and video at Rhode Island College, Zapatka has made a career as a cameraman and director of photography for various networks including ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, HBO, and CNN. His assignments have brought him to 49 states and over 30 countries. He has covered six Superbowls, 17 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournaments, and four winter Olympic Games, winning along the way two National Sports Emmy awards for his contributions to the NBC coverage of the Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2002 and Vancouver in 2010.
In 2013, Zapatka conceived his "Stars and Lights" project, in which he captures our coast's lighthouses at night using long-exposure photography. He finds inspiration in documenting these historic buildings in what he considers their working environment, knowing that they were built to light, guide and safeguard our sailors. He has photographed over 60 lighthouses to date, and continues in his quest to document as many as possible as a historic record.
Zapatka is the President of Friends of Plum Beach Lighthouse, and created the Rhode Island Lighthouse license plate to aid in its preservation. His work has garnered numerous awards and has been featured in solo exhibitions in New York and Block Island. He lives in North Kingstown with his wife, Lisa.
Exhibitors for the Block Island Airport Gallery were selected by a panel of artists and community members. Panelists for the 2016 exhibition schedule were Lisa Starr, Ben Wohlberg and Carolina Arentsen. The Block Island Airport Gallery, a partnership between the Rhode Island Council on the Arts and the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, promotes outstanding work by artists living and working in Rhode Island. The gallery will present art to an ever-changing audience of local, national and international travelers.
About RISCA: 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 RIAC: The Rhode Island Airport Corporation operates T.F. Green Airport, the Block Island Airport and four other general aviation airports in Rhode Island. A long-time supporter of public art in Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Airport Corporation has worked with the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts on a number of public art commissions.