Hall of Masters, Past and Present

The Art League of Rhode Island has been working on a painting project in collaboration with Paula Most, Arts Coordinator at Lifespan, “Museum on Rounds” program at The Hasbro Children’s Hospital. This project offers a terrific opportunity for the ALRI to bring art to our culturally diverse community. Through the paintings created by ALRI artists their objective is to have created a visually comforting environment in the examination rooms within the Specialties Clinic that will help alleviate some of the patient’s stress and anxiety associated with their hospital visit. The rooms will incorporate works of art from the past with present day Rhode Island artists into a museum-like setting within the confines of the treatment rooms.

Murals in the Tomorrow Fund Children's Oncology Clinic were the impetus for this project. For this particular project ALRI artists will tackle the hospital’s Specialties Clinic one of the hospital’s busiest clinics. Physicians in this clinic see over sixty patients on a daily basis. The Specialties Clinic includes: Gastroenterology, Urology, Sleep Clinic, Pedi II and International Adoption.

Wayne Thiebaud, an American modern artist, was the inspiration of Jonathan McPhillips and Peter Hussey’s landscape painting. Jonathan and Peter chose Thiebaud primarily for his palette, which is wonderfully cheerful, and fitting for a children's hospital setting. Jon came up with the Narragansett Bay idea, and Thiebaud's free handed treatment of perspective and scale allowed them to have some fun with choosing and positioning Rhode Island icons throughout the painting. Peter and Jonathan hope that the painting evokes a feeling of levity for the children, staff, and visitors at Hasbro as well as providing a refreshing look at the landscape of Rhode Island.

Mimo Gordon Riley and Gretchen Dow Simpson chose Edward Hopper, an American realist painter. Mimo and Gretchen are both interested in architecture and landscape, the selected painting by Hopper had both of these elements. They were also attracted to the abstract qualities of the piece. Mimo expressed, “ It was a challenge to take Hopper’s melancholic painting and extend it through line and light, to create a whimsical and playful painting.” The painters hope that their painting will help people look deeper into the piece of art- to go beyond the frame in their own way if they so choose.

Nancy Gaucher-Thomas and Peggy Leeson looked to Georgia O’Keeffe and her keen sense of design. In speaking of Georgia O’Keeffe, colorful images and a wonderful sense of space come to mind. “Having the two distinct styles of each artist converge realizing that no individual part is as important as the painting as a whole and that the image work as a unit, that is the greatest challenge. Peggy and I are delighted to be a part of this project, as we believe art is a wonderful aid in the healing process. It allows us to go to another "place", a distraction. Georgia O'Keeffe was selected simply because there were no other women represented.”

Creating paintings that are inspired by the great masters, yet painted by Rhode Island artists is an interesting concept and one that will undoubetedly be just the right medicine for the patients and their families who visit the clinic.

Funding by Rhode Island Foundation and Rhode Island State Council on the Arts.

For more information, contact us.