Juried Small Works Community Exhibit Now On View

The Bristol Art Museum in partnership with the Rogers Free Library announces a new community exhibit, Small Works, a compilation of two-dimensional works of drawings, paintings, photography, prints, or collage. The exhibit can be viewed now through Dec. 16 in the Community Galleries of the Library, located across the street from the Museum. The exhibit was judged by Rhode Island artist Rina Naik.

The Small Works exhibit is comprised of 70 pieces of art, six of which were chosen for recognition. The pieces are two-dimensional in form and limited to 12 inches on either side. Large in imagination, but small in size, Small Works provides artists the opportunity to share a wide variety of styles, media, and subject matter.

“The theme of the Small Works exhibit resonated with me, as much of my work is on a smaller scale,” said Naik, Bristol Art Museum Guest Curator. “For this reason, I am very familiar with the joys and challenges of creating work at these sizes. It was a pleasure to see the variety of themes and media represented in the submissions. Artists took this opportunity to showcase a wide variety of subject matter from landscapes to a close-up image of beautiful lips and everything in between. Their artistic points of view made us see the familiar in new ways on a small scale.
Those artists selected for recognition include:

First place: Talaria Deserta, Ronald Butler
This is a beautiful example of wet plate collodion on aluminum that showcases the artist’s technical expertise while evoking nostalgia for a bygone era. It is a one-image story waiting to reveal itself to viewers who spend time with it.

Second place: Early Morning, Caroline Calia
This beautiful photograph has a strong composition. It uses a tangible element of lines and their reflections to draw us into the image which then dissolves into a beautiful intangible atmosphere.

Third place: A Good Day for Fishing, Arianne Del Rios
This artwork captures a charming summer scene. It showcases a variety of brushstrokes and watercolor techniques such as dry brushing and flat washes. The artist captured the texture on both the boat and the pilings as well.

Honorable mentions
First Cucumber, Elizabeth O’Connell
A lovely watercolor painting that gives us a beautiful rendering of a familiar subject. This piece has a strong composition that is enhanced by the use of a variety of greens. The artist also captures the variety of texture on the cucumber, stems, and leaves.

The Farm, Phyllis Lohrum
The overlapped horses with the building creates an interesting composition and adds to the atmospheric perspective of this artwork. The brushstrokes are energetic and enhance the visual appeal.

Eyleen, Ronald Butler
This C-print employs interesting subject matter that captures the viewer’s curiosity. The crackled face, large eyes, and red lips along with the artwork’s title encourage the viewer to learn more about the subject of this photograph.

Naik, the juror, is an Asian Indian-American artist who primarily focuses on oil painting using the cold wax medium. As of late, she has been exploring mixed media pieces on paper and panel with sumi ink, acrylic inks, asemic writing, Japanese papers, etc. She draws inspiration from the New England Landscapes, in particular, plein air painting on the Cape. Naik shares “New England landscapes are magical in their beauty,” and created a series of mini paintings called Truro wanderings.

Naik holds a certificate in drawing and painting from RISDce and an MFA in Interior design from Endicott College. She lives and works in Plainville, Massachusetts and has participated in numerous shows, receiving awards of merit and excellence. Her work can be found in private collections. Naik was awarded the Best Emerging Artist Award at the Art Providence Holiday show in 2018; Viewer’s Choice Award, second place, Pawtucket Arts Collaborative Member Show; Merit Award, Attleboro Museum Member Show, Attleboro Arts Museum; and Distinction of Excellence, National Juried Show, IMAGO Gallery, Warren, RI.

Naik is a member of IFA Imago Foundation for the Arts, Fort Point Arts Community; Monotype Guild of New England; Attleboro Arts Museum; Pawtucket Arts Collaborative; and the Concord Center for Visual Art, Concord.