NEW ART GALLERY IN WARREN
NEW ART GALLERY OPENS IN WARREN
Upcoming Exhibit to Benefit Audubon Society’s Environmental Education Center in Bristol
Taking advantage of the state’s tax-free arts district incentive, YES Gallery + Studio has just opened in Warren’s historic waterfront village. The eclectic and colorful gallery features the work of over thirty regional, national and international artists including painters, sculptors, photographers, jewelers, printmakers, ceramicists, furniture makers, and mixed media artists. It is owned by artist Leigh Medeiros, a native of Rhode Island. Medeiros is a graduate from the University of Hartford’s Hartford Art School and is the former director of the Eisenhauer Gallery on Block Island. Her own artwork has been shown for the past fifteen years at galleries around Rhode Island and Boston, and she was repped by the (now closed) Mixed Media Gallery on Block Island.
The artists at YES Gallery + Studio vary in their media and styles, using everything from oil paint to tiny pink pom-poms in their work. Many of them are full time established artists such as nationally recognized sculptor and printmaker Bryan Nash Gill . Others, such as textile artist Sarah Symes who was recently profiled in Quilting Arts magazine, have only been at it a few years. Most of them are from out of the state, and some are from far flung places such as Tokyo, Japan where award-winning artist Kana Ito lives. YES is the only gallery in the United States to show her work.
The upcoming exhibition, “Birdbrained/Harebrained,” opens with a reception on Friday May 9 from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. and features the work of YES artists who are inspired by the Spring arrival of Birds and Rabbits. 10% of the proceeds from the exhibition will go to the Audubon Society’s Environmental Education Center in Bristol. As part of the exhibit will be another event on Saturday May 17 at 2 p.m. An Audubon Naturalist will discuss the Society’s work and bring a live owl. In tandem will be a silent auction of “Owl,” a screen print by L.A. based artist Cole Gerst. 100% of the proceeds from the auction will go to ASRI. The event takes place in the gallery’s backyard and, therefore, is weather dependent. A rain date is scheduled for the following Saturday May 24. Reservations are recommended.
The building that YES Gallery + Studio resides was built in 1883 and has a rich history, including, for many years, being the studio of well-known artist and illustrator David Macaulay.
For more information about YES Gallery + Studio or the “Birdbrained/Harebrained” exhibition, please visit the gallery’s website at www.yesgalleryandstudio.com or call (401) 245-7174. The gallery is located at 146 Water Street, Warren. Hours are Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
