Celebrate The Local Art Scene

Add some culture to your life and support local artists at the monthly ART Night in Bristol and Warren tonight.

A free trolley runs among the many galleries in the two towns participating in the monthly night on the town. This month, Art Night features photographer Stephen Brigidi at Bristol Workshops in Photography, 4 Franklin St., Bristol, and oil painter tom Culora at Parker Mills (via Elm Street), Warren.

Stephen Brigidi, photographer and painter, received his MFA from Rhode Island School of Design, studying with Harry Callahan and Aaron Siskind. He is a Fulbright-Hays fellow, a MacDowell Colony fellow, and a recipient of fellowships from the NEA and RISCA. In 1991, Brigidi collaborated with poet Robert Bly on Angels of Pompeii, published by Ballantine. Remarkable People is Brigidi’s second book, published in 1995 by Sunningdale.

Brigidi has taught at the University of Hawaii, University of Connecticut, Providence College and Rhode Island School of Design. He is currently teaching Aesthetics at Roger Williams University. His work has been acquired by more than 30 museums. His work will be displayed tonight at The Bristol Workshops in Photography, 4 Franklin St., Bristol. For more information, call 401-253-2351, or visit www.stephanbrigidi.com.

Tom Culora holds a BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York. His most recent work explores the reconciliation between post-modernism and the historical line of art that existed in the late 19th to the mid-20th century.

He accomplishes this work through examining psychology of posting personal video streams on the Internet with the reciprocal psychology of viewing these images. He then appropriates images through a highly selective process that results in large two-dimensional work painted on framed hardboard using traditional hand-made oils. The frames are often an integral element of the work.

His most recent exhibition was a collaborative show at The Royal Institution in London, UK. Special for this ART Night: Culora will be debuting a community art project: “Allegory of Friendship” in his studio at Parker Mills, Elm Street, Warren. Use Entrance C and head to the second floor. For more information, call 619-995-2050 or visit www.tomculora.com.

Held on the last Thursday of every month March through November, each ART Night is completely different to the last, with new featured artists and exhibits at 17 galleries each month. In addition, ART Night business partners display the work of special “guest artists” and offer special ART Night promotions. A free trolley runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. between the studios and galleries, making it easy to get between venues in both towns.

Most recently, ART Night in Bristol and Warren won a Rhode Island Monthly magazine “Best of” category for best New Gallery Tour, and earlier this year the event won a Governor’s tourism award.

“We couldn’t be happier with the positive feedback we are getting. It’s clear that there are a lot of very talented people in these two towns and we are very grateful that they are participating in ART Night,” said ART Night committee chair Stephan Brigidi. “Participation of this scale really helps with the artistic diversity that we can offer.”

A big draw is the “open studio” component of ART Night, where visitors tour the inside of featured artists’ studios and get to meet and talk to artists about their work. The event also has 17 galleries open every ART Night, where dozens more local artists are represented.

Bristol and Warren galleries participating in ART Night 2012 include:

• Gallery Eleven Fine Art.
• Bristol Art Museum (displaying at Rogers Free Library).
• Bristol Art Gallery.
• The Sea Star.
• Hope Gallery.
• The Knotty Dog.
• Mosaic Arts.
• RWU Art Gallery.
• Muse.
• Mudstone Studios.
• 30 Cutler Street Gallery.
• Imago.
• Top Drawer at the BRASS.
• Studio 67.
• Don’s Art Shop.
• Wooden Midshipman.
• Main Street Gallery.