RWU Visual Arts Senior Exhibition Coming to Bristol Art Museum
Visual Arts Department announces collaboration with museum in downtown Bristol
BRISTOL, R.I. – Roger Williams University Visual Arts senior majors and minors will exhibit their work in the light-filled spaces in the Bristol Art Museum’s galleries in May 2019.
Their exhibition will be on view to the public from Friday, May 3, through Sunday, May 12, with an opening reception set for 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 3. The exhibition will be on view for two weekends, including Mother's Day, May 12.
Bristol Art Museum Administrator Traci Williams and Board of Directors Chair Jane Lavender initiated the collaboration, which will become an annual event for RWU Visual Arts majors, and they are thrilled to collaborate with RWU.
“We look forward to supporting our community and its young, local artists in a meaningful and tangible way, and are thrilled for the opportunity to highlight their work while encouraging their professional and artistic growth,” said Williams, an RWU alumna. “It is our hope that this collaboration is the start of a wonderful partnership with the University.”
The museum’s mission is “to encourage the creation, promotion and appreciation of the arts through exhibitions and educational opportunities. Community outreach programs and partnerships are central to our goal of engaging diverse audiences in the arts of our time. Our aim is to enrich the cultural life of the community and region through eclectic exhibitions and educational programs, and to be an accessible presence for future generations.”
“To have their first public exhibition in a museum like BAM is an extraordinary opportunity for our students,” RWU Visual Arts Professor Elizabeth Duffy said. “It gives their artwork visibility and opportunities for critical feedback from a wide audience. It also gives our first-year students, sophomores and junior visual arts students something to work toward and look forward to. It’s a great culminating experience for our students, their friends and families.”
Visual Arts students at RWU prepare a final exhibition as part of their senior studio course. This advanced course requires a student to explore in depth a chosen direction for their artwork, constituting the final stage of the four-year Visual Arts program. Three years of research and experimentation with different media and processes culminate in a body of work for exhibition. Last year’s majors were the first to exhibit at BAM, in an exhibition in the Piccoli Gallery.
For more information, go to the Visual Arts Department website and the Bristol Art Museum website.