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.

Main Exhibit
In Their Own Way: Vintage Watercolors by Providence Artists (1890 – 1960)
January 13 – March 19, 2010

Bert Gallery, located along the Providence waterfront at Corliss Landing, 540 South Water Street, begins its twenty-five year anniversary with the exhibit, In Their Own Way: Vintage Watercolors by Providence Artists (1890 – 1960). New Gallery Hours! The gallery is open Wednesday through Friday from 11am-5pm and Saturday 12-4pm, closed on Sunday, by appointment Monday and Tuesday. Call ahead – we are often at the gallery working during off hours! Free parking is available on the street in front of the gallery or in the parking lot across the street. Exhibits are free and open to the public.

The artistic community in Providence has always been in step, or a step ahead, of American art trends. For many years, watercolors were considered an inferior art form as compared to oils, but by the late 19th century watercolors found an audience among artists, collectors and museums. A very fine group of Providence artists emerged in 1880 on par with other colleagues across the country. American art giants, such as John La Farge (1835-1910) and Winslow Homer (1836-1910), showed their watercolor mastery in Rhode Island venues further fueling the local enthusiasm of the medium. Rhode Islanders Sydney Burleigh (1853 – 1941), H.A. Dyer (1872-1943) and Mabel Woodward (1877-1945) ushered in a new level of excellence in watercolors, and by the early 20th century, modern trends emerged among top watercolorists, such as Edgar Corbridge (1901-1988) and Florence Leif (1913-1968).

In the Providence arts arena, Sydney Burleigh (1853-1941) was the earliest Rhode Island artist to achieve recognition for his mastery of watercolors. The Providence Journal, who stated, “The only professed watercolorist in Providence is Mr. Sydney Burleigh”, validated the Little Compton native’s forte in 1885. While there were, certainly, other artists painting in watercolor before Burleigh, such as the precisely rendered watercolors of S.R. Chaffee (1850-1913), Burleigh’s facility in the medium was unmatched. By 1896 he founded the Providence Watercolor Club and was teaching watercolor at the Rhode Island School of Design in 1897. A new era of painters followed Burleigh and became adept in the medium, taking command of the nuances of pigment on paper, including the talents of Mabel Woodward (1877-1945) and H. A. Dyer (1872-1943), who clearly established their craft in a series of European travel images on exhibit.

The 20th century ushered in a modern era, and to that end, Edgar Corbridge celebrated in his watercolors of the 1940’s and 1950’s the clean, clear lines advanced so well by Edward Hopper. Corbridge renders still images devoid of figures where light and line dominate. Another Provincetown summer resident, Florence Leif, took a different tact. Her watercolors show colorful bleeding lines often blurring the horizon of sky and land during evening sunsets. These two artists elucidate the changing trends in watercolor technique in Providence and throughout the country from the early 19th century to the 20th.

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Pocket Exhibit
Kathy Hodge 2010: Shoemaker Series
January 13 – February 12, 2010
Reception: Saturday January 16, 2010 2-3pm

A collection of recent paintings by Kathy Hodge will be on view at Bert Gallery from January 13 through February 12, 2010. The gallery is located at 540 South Water Street in the Corliss Landing building in Providence, RI and is open Wednesday through Friday, 11am-5pm and Saturday 12-4pm. Monday and Tuesday by appointment. Parking is available on the street in front of the gallery or in the parking lot across the street. Visit our website at www.bertgallery.com to preview our inventory of paintings in the gallery collection.

This latest body of work comes from a series of paintings of old-fashioned cast iron shoe making machinery at a small shop in Warren, RI. Fascinated by these heavy machines, Hodge made many sketches and charcoal drawings, leading up to this striking and colorful series of oil paintings. She is able to look beyond the harsh, oily exterior and capture the implausible beauty and grace of this industrial equipment. The delicate and precise brush strokes of the paintings reflect the intricacy of the machines, garnering respect for the careful craft of shoemaking. Some of the pieces turn utilitarian structures into abstract forms turning the seemingly mundane into a fantastical world of shape and color.

Kathy Hodge attended Rhode Island School of Design and the Swain School of Design where she received a BFA in painting in 1980. She is greatly influenced by natural landscape and has been appointed eight times as artist-in-residence by the National Parks Service. Hodge continues to paint in her East Providence studio, often producing works in series, such as churches, trains, and most recently, shoe making equipment.

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Bert Gallery Celebrates 25 Years in 2010!

Bert Gallery celebrates twenty-five years in business in 2010. Founded by Catherine Little Bert and Hugo Bert in 1985, the gallery was located for seven years in the Biltmore Hotel and has exhibited the rich artistic heritage of Rhode Island. In 1991, Catherine Little Bert became sole proprietor and re-located to the present location in the historic Corliss Landing building at 540 South Water Street. Over the past twenty-five years, the gallery has organized 130 exhibitions, participated in 90 Gallery Night Providence celebrations, lectured and published on historic Rhode Island artists. The gallery website was launched in 2001; it documents past and current exhibits, videos and podcasts. More information about this celebration to come – stay tuned!

Moderated by RISD Assistant Director James Hall, with artists Frank Gasbarro & Nick Paciorek

Date: Thursday August 21st
Time: 6:00pm, Reception to follow at 6:45pm
Location: Bert Gallery, 540 South Water St., Providence

What is it like to be a professional artist in Providence? What challenges would you face? What are the benefits of being surrounded by so many other artists? How do you deal with the unpredictable art market? To find out, join us for a discussion with local, veteran artists Frank Gasbarro and Nick Paciorek on August 21st at Bert Gallery. Through this discussion, we hope to gain an understanding of the life of an artist in this city.

The backdrop for this program is the series of Summer Pocket Shows at Bert Gallery, featuring the paintings of three local contemporary artists. Paula Martiesian, Frank Gasbarro, and Nick Paciorek have uniquely personal styles and approaches to painting, ranging from fairly realistic cityscapes, to painterly landscapes, to entirely abstract images. Each artist faces different obstacles in their careers and have their own unique relationship with the Rhode Island arts community.

James Hall is Assistant Director of the RISD Museum. Previously, he worked for twenty years at RISD as the Director of Campus Design and Exhibition. He has advised numerous private and corporate collectors on the acquisition and installation of contemporary art and has extensive knowledge of living artists in the New England region.

Frank Gasbarro seeks to evoke a response with his paintings. Throughout his career, he has used bold colors and geometric shapes to create striking images, reflecting his view of the world. The current Pocket Show features his newest works form 2008.

Nick Paciorek is best known for his vibrant paintings of busy cities. Most recently, he has finished a series focused around the theaters of Rhode Island. Though he grew up in Chicago and graduated form Maryland Institute’s College of Art, he has settled in Rhode Island, crediting the area with providing a wealth of subject matter for his paintings.

A Panel Discussion with Ruth Dealy & Thomas Sgouros with Moderator Catherine Bert
Date: Thursday June 19th
Time: 6:30pm
Location: Bert Gallery, 540 South Water Street, Providence

The upcoming program is a panel discussion on painter Gordon Peers (1909 -1988) from the point of view of Rhode Island School of Design colleague, Thomas Sgouros, and painting student, Ruth Dealy. Thomas Sgouros was an assistant to Peers, and then became the Department Chair of Illustration, when Gordon was Chair of the Painting Department at RISD. Ruth Dealy had Peers as a painting instructor during her student years at RISD.

There are many friends, colleagues and students in Rhode Island today, who knew Gordon Peers or were intrigued by his art. This panel provides an opportunity to discuss and document aspects of his life, work, and teaching philosophy, as well as his impact on the Rhode Island arts community.

The backdrop for the panel discussion is the current Bert Gallery exhibit, Painter Gordon Peers (1909 – 1988): Transformation During the War Years, which is on view until June 27th. The show features the work of painter and former RISD professor Gordon Peers, exhibiting important works from different stages of his life. The show highlights the stylistic range of this talented artist. Earlier works reflect Peers’ technical discipline, while the later works bring out a more mature, experimental style, always maintaining an introspective approach to the painting process.

Ruth Dealy is a graduate from Rhode Island School of Design and has lived and worked in Providence for 34 years. She is an accomplished painter, earning awards from the Rhode Island State Council for the Arts and the Pell Award for Excellence. Her landscapes reflect her honest approach to painting, as she wants, she says, “to paint directly from my eye to my hand, without the shadow of editorial opinion falling in between.”

Thomas Sgouros is internationally known for his illustrations and watercolors. He was a prominent Professor of Illustration at RISD and earned the Claiborne Pell Award for lifetime achievement in 2001 and is included in private and museum collection around the country. Despite suffering from macular degeneration for the last decade and no longer able to distinguish between colors, Tom continues to paint, primarily from memory, creating powerful canvases, full of emotional expression.

Saturday December 1st, 2007 from 1-3pm
There is a one-day trunk show, Saturday December 1st from 1 – 3 pm of Bonnie Buck jewelry. Meet the artist and preview the new sterling silver and pearl designed jewelry by contemporary Providence artisan Bonnie Buck. Elegant, affordable and quietly sophisticated, Bonnie’s jewelry makes the perfect addition to your holiday shopping list. Holiday refreshments will be served.

About Bonnie Buck:
Bonnie Buck is an artist of many talents. But as a silversmith she has a special aptitude. In the late 1970’s she relocated to Providence. Originally from Ohio, Buck received a BFA from Ohio State University and went onto Rochester Institute of Technology to study at the School of American Craftsman. The result is a twenty year history as a metal smith traversing the commercial arena and the fine art world.

Artists’ Statement:
I enjoy the paradox of creating comfortable accessories out of hard metal by using shapes which compliment the human body, and by the use of fabric techniques in metal. The pieces are hammered, cast or crocheted, and move freely with the body. I am an artist who makes objects that are intended to be worn. The most common compliment is that, “Bonnie Buck’s work feels good on and is meant to function with the lifestyle of the individual who wears it.” I have worked extensively within the fashion and jewelry manufacturing industry making products for reproduction as well as creating special runway items for the NYC fashion market. My work is high fashion jewelry and accessories of original sophisticated style; work which exudes flair and originality. It is art, craft and fashion that has been transformed into wearable ornament.