Published on Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Opening Reception is Thursday, Aug. 20
Providence, RI—The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) announced today that the current display in the Atrium Gallery at One Capitol Hill features mixed-media artworks created from hundreds of paintings made by both artists and non-artists in a series of workshops hosted by artist Cathren Housley, East Providence.
The Opening Reception is on Thursday, Aug. 20, from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m., in the Atrium Gallery, first floor of the state’s Administration Building, One Capitol Hill, Providence. The reception is free and open to the public.
Bio (provided by the artist):
For the last 24 years, Cathren Housley has been a teaching artist, illustrator, journalist and grant writer. Since 2007, her focus has been on sharpening this goal: To use collaborative art to provide new opportunities for growth within the community and to bring more non-artists into the creative experience.
The art that you see in this exhibition is not for sale. It wasn't meant to be sold. Each piece was meant to represent an idea, a shared idea. There's no single artist for any of them. They belong to the community.
More than visual impact, Housley’s goal is to distill the energy of collective intent into the final large-scale design and construction. There are more than physical materials that goes into this art. Every participant is a strand in the paintbrush, the medium is their messages, and Housley’s current palette carries the many colors of Hope.
Artist statement (supplied by artist):
The theme of this exhibition, Circle of Light, is community collaboration. There is a strong core belief behind community collaborative - that energy can be collected, gathered and focused with a particular intent, and that a work of community collaborative art contains the energy and the intent of every person who contributed to it. What we have created here is with hope, love, and light of the human spirit.
Exhibit Details
What: Circle of Light by Cathren Housley.
When: Open to the public, weekdays 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., until Sept. 16.
Where: Atrium Gallery, first floor of the state’s Administration Building, One Capitol Hill, Providence.
Directions to the Atrium Gallery
The Atrium Gallery at One Capitol Hill Rhode Island State Council on the Arts developed the Atrium Gallery to recognize artists from communities throughout the state. The Atrium Gallery hosts multidisciplinary exhibitions in partnership with diverse artists and cultural organizations. The Gallery features a stunning tall glass ceiling with light that cascades into an open space surrounded by three walls of artwork. This has become a destination point for visitors and the many people who frequent the administration offices at One Capitol Hill, while enriching the environment for hundreds of state workers in the building.
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. Visit https://www.arts.ri.gov/ for more information. Remember to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
Date
