Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace
Named after John Lennon's song "Imagine," Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s (Innovative Merger of Art & Guns to Inspire New Expressions) Peace is a carefully curated exhibition of work by metals artists who are transforming decommissioned guns into art objects specifically for this show. The exhibition will take place in the Edward Mitchell Bannister Gallery at Rhode Island College in Fall 2021 and has invited a select group of metal artists, listed below, from all over the United States to participate in recontextualizing these weapons of destruction for new purposes of exploration and dialogue.
An ongoing series of video interviews with participating artists will continue through the spring and serve as a preview of the exhibition, which is delayed from its originally scheduled Fall 2020 date. Together, the exhibition and programming invite discussion and hope to clarify the role of guns, the rights of citizens, and the laws that oversee guns in American society today.
The exhibition and corresponding events are organized by Boris Bally, metal artist; Dianne Reilly, Studio Art Professor; Sara Picard, Art History Professor; and Victoria Gao, Director of the Bannister Gallery.
Invited Artists:
Matthew Coté
Lauren DelBrocco*
Peter Diepenbrock
Shingo Furukawa
Ingrid Goldbloom Bloch
Stefan Gougherty
Hoss Haley
John Huckins + Adam Cowell + Will Lutz
Rob Jackson
Nicole Jacquard
Niki Johnson
Terry Lavin
Tim Lazure
Michael Nashef
John Rais
Catherine Rubery*
Howie Sneider + Peter Tenney
Peter Snyder
Billie Theide
James Thurman
Jennifer Walstead*
Stephen Yusko
*indicates RIC Art Department alumni
