Art at the Seashore; Impressions of Island Park To Be Shown This Weekend

Eric Broudy, a Rhode Island resident since 1982, has been intrigued by the charm and character of Portsmouth's Island Park since making his home there 10 years ago. 

When visiting Island Park, one can easily see why Broudy, photographer and president of the Portsmouth Arts Guild, believes it is one of the last "true" neighborhoods on Aquidneck Island. 

The quaint beach cabanas dotting Park Avenue alongside small, privately-owned businesses exude qualities reminiscent of a by-gone era; it is easy to draw parallels to a time when the proverbial neighborhood held its own distinct persona and significance to its residents. 

Inspired by the charisma of this longstanding Portsmouth enclave, coupled with his life-long passion for photography, Broudy spent the last year capturing Island Park in its truest form and has compiled 40 of those images into an exhibit titled "Impressions of Island Park 2009-2010."

"I thought a neat idea would be to put on an exhibition in Island Park for Island Park," said Broudy, who is hopeful that residents will enjoy the photos. 

In addition to eight portraits of local business owners, the exhibit includes a mixture of miscellaneous scenes taken around the Island Park area.

The exhibit, which is to be cleverly displayed on a wire hung between two lampposts, runs this Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. alongside the Island Park seawall opposite Flo's Clam Shack. 

Visitors are encouraged to simply enjoy the atmosphere while browsing Broudy's work, but also have the option of purchasing various matted prints for sale, as well as a unique hardcover book of all the images in the exhibit. 

Rain dates for this free show are Aug. 28-29.