Bert Gallery

Bert Gallery, located along the Providence waterfront at Corliss Landing, 540 South Water Street, will host a two part lecture series, Sydney Burleigh (1853 – 1931): Harbinger of the American Arts and Crafts Movement on Wednesdays, February 10th and February 17th at 6pm. These lectures at Bert Gallery coincide with the exhibit, In Their Own Way: Vintage Watercolors by Providence Artists (1890-1960). The lectures start promptly at 6pm and will last 45 minutes with a 15-minute question and answer period at the end. Please call ahead (401) 751-2628 to make a reservation. Seating is limited. For directions to the gallery, click here.

Since 1985, Catherine Bert, owner of Bert Gallery has passionately researched, lectured, written and organized programs on the cultural history of Providence and greater Rhode Island. Dating back to the 1850s, Providence was a microcosm of the unfolding American art historical narrative and these two lectures focus on the important Rhode Island native artist, Sydney Burleigh. The late 19th century American Arts and Crafts (A&C) movement has captured the attention of scholars and collectors over the last two decades. This intense scrutiny has produced significant exhibitions and academic publications, including the seminal exhibit by Wendy Kaplan, The Art that is Life, at the Boston Museum of Art in 1987 and more recently the 2004 Los Angeles show, The Arts & Crafts Movement in Europe and America: Design for the Modern World.

The Arts and Crafts movement crossed the sea from England and profoundly reshaped American art and culture. United States artists were dismayed at the depersonalized and industrialized society that was unfolding in their country. Providence, a major industrial center post Civil War, was ripe for these sentiments. Artist S.R. Burleigh played a pivotal role introducing A&C ideals into the local community by advocating for the decorative arts and integration of fine arts and design when he returned to Rhode Island from European study in 1880. Find out more about Burleigh’s role in the Arts and Crafts movement in Rhode Island during these two Bert Gallery lectures.

February 10th at 6pm, Bert Gallery:
The first lecture will give a brief overview of the Arts and Crafts Movement, S.R. Burleigh’s artistic development and his early Arts and Crafts projects in Providence.

February 17th at 6pm, Bert Gallery:
The second lecture will discuss the 1901 Arts and Crafts Exhibit at the Providence Art Club and why Burleigh was one of the earliest American artists to adopt a more expansive “Morrisonian” model of art culture in the late 19th Century.