Local 'Arts Advocate' to be Honored

Barnet “Bunny” Fain of Barrington will be recognized on April 17 as a “lifelong advocate for arts organizations.”

Fain will receive an Iona Dobbins Award from The Art Connection-RI (TAC-RI) at a "Celebration of Art in Rhode Island" exhibition and fundraising event. It will be held at the Roots Cultural and Arts Center in Providence. 

The award has been established by TAC-RI in memory of the late Iona Dobbins, an arts advocate who was tireless in her efforts to help and promote artists of all disciplines in Rhode Island, according to the organization.  The exhibition will include more than 30 pieces of art by Rhode Island artists. 

Fain, a photo artist himself who helped to launch the art gallery within Temple Habonim in Barrington, is being honored for his support of the launch and growth of TAC-RI in Rhode Island. Its mission is to make visual art accessible to people who might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience art in their daily lives. 

Wendy Ingram, acting director, said, “In the two short years we have been in business, we are proud to have received 165 donated artworks by 45 artists. Artists like placing their work where it will be viewed by an appreciative audience.” 

She continued, “We are thrilled to celebrate our anniversary and our accomplishments by honoring Len, Paula and Bunny with the Iona Dobbins Award. We hope we can also meet our fund raising goal at this event, which we are sure will be filled with fun and interesting people.”

For more information, visit www.artconnectionri.org, The Art Connection-RI¹s Facebook page, see TAC-RI¹s Weblog: tac-ri.blogspot.com, email artconnection.providence@gmail.com or call (401) 351-0463.