R.I. Government Agencies | Privacy Policy |
The Atrium Gallery at One Capitol Hill has been developed to provide opportunities to exhibit the work of Rhode Island artists in the State Capitol Complex. It will host exhibits on a rotating basis, with work drawn from museums, gallery spaces and art associations throughout the State of Rhode Island. The art gallery will enhance Capitol Hill as a destination point for visitors, as well as for the many people who visit Administration offices or attend conferences at One Capitol Hill. It will also enrich the work environment for the hundreds of state workers who spend their workdays in the building.
Any Rhode Island non-profit art organization, art association, gallery (non-profit or for-profit), school or college art department can apply to participate in the exhibition schedule. A schedule will be established, with the intent of accommodating as broad and diverse a group as possible.
Exhibitions will be on display for one month, on a rotating schedule established by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts in cooperation with the Rhode Island Department of Administration.
Interested parties should send a letter to the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, attn: Atrium Gallery Committee, 83 Park Street, 6th Floor, Providence, RI 02903. This letter should provide information on the organization, its mission and something on the kinds of exhibitions it presents. The applicant should also provide up to ten slides that represent, in a general way, the kind of art it intends to display should it be chosen to exhibit at The Atrium Gallery.
A committee will be established to periodically review applications, and maintain a schedule of exhibitions into the future. Organizations will be chosen based on their ability to display works of quality, in a professional manner. Ability to install and de-install works, and be responsible for their maintenance during the period of exhibition, will also be considerations for selection.
The Atrium Gallery at One Capitol Hill is a large, brightly lit area in the center
of the William E. Powers Administration Building. There are two recessed
areas of wall space established for the display of artwork, located on the
west and north sides of the Atrium. Each recessed area measures 25' wide
by 9'10" tall (each actual area of display measures 24ft wide by 8 ft high).
Within those two areas panels of one-half inch homasote board, covered with
a durable, double-weave fabric, will be installed for the display of artwork.
The areas will be lit by low-voltage track lighting.
The William E. Powers Administration Building is a state office building. It is open during regular business hours, usually between 8:00am and 6:00pm on weekdays. It is closed on weekends and official state holidays. While the building is climate controlled (heat and air-conditioning), exhibitors should understand that it is an office building and not a museum. For reasons of economy, ventilation systems, heat and air-conditioning are scaled back on weekends and after office hours. While conditions are generally not inhospitable for art, the environment during non-business hours will be considerably warmer in the summer months, and colder in the winter months. Exhibitors should keep this in mind.
The Capitol Police maintain a 24-hour a day presence in the William E. Powers Administration Building. Police officers are responsible for the entire building, and are frequently away from the Atrium area as they inspect other areas of the complex. They will, however, provide for the security of the artwork as part of their responsibility for the building. The building is locked during non-business hours.
The State of Rhode Island will provide insurance coverage for the artwork while it is on display. This coverage will provide an aggregate limit of $25,000 with no restriction on individual piece valuation with a $500 deductible. Coverage of the pieces in transit will be the responsibility of the gallery.
In order to qualify for coverage, an inventory of the work to be exhibited must be provided. A form has been attached, which may be copied. Information on the name of the artwork, the name of the artist, the dimensions of the work, the material (oil, watercolor, etc.), the work's estimated value should be provided by the exhibitor. A representative of the Arts Council or the Department of Administration will be on hand during installation of the work, to record that the work has been received in good condition or record any problems with the work upon its receipt. A representative of the Arts Council or the Department of Administration will also be on hand at de-installation to record the condition upon release of the work.
If any artwork needs to be removed for any reason during the course of a show, the Arts Council office must be notified in advance for record-keeping purposes.
Exhibitors are responsible for the installation of their exhibition. A specific date and time must be set in advance for the installation of artwork, particularly if work is to be done after regular business hours. Installers will use clean nails and other hanging implements, not to exceed the size necessary for the weight of the painting to be hung (i.e., do not use heavy nails unless the weight of the painting requires it). Paintings will be inspected for damage upon installation by a representative of the Arts Council or the Rhode Island Department of Administration. Labels will be affixed to the proper place by each painting. Information sheets will be stocked, and extra sheets will be left with the representative for restocking, as needed. An original of the information sheet should be forwarded to the Arts Council for its records.
Exhibitors are responsible for the de-installation of their exhibition. A specific date and time must be set in advance for the installation of artwork, particularly if work is to be done after regular business hours. Paintings will be inspected for damage upon removal by a representative of the Arts Council or the Rhode Island Department of Administration. All nails will be removed, and nail holes worked out of the fabric. All labels will be removed. The display panels should be returned to as original a state as possible.
Name of Painting #27
Artist's Name, Anytown, RI
Watercolor
1979
The Atrium Gallery is not a commercial gallery, and since it is state property it should not be used for commercial purposes. This does not mean that work on display cannot be made available for sale. It simply means that the sale of work should be subordinate to the display of work. An information stand will be available, which can accommodate 8 1/2" x 11" sheets with information on the artist and artwork. These sheets can contain pricing information, as well as information on how an interested buyer can purchase a work of art. Sales should not take place on site, and any work purchased during the run of a show must continue with the show until it is taken down. The labels of works that have been purchased may be marked with a small dot or other symbol, at the discretion of the exhibitor, to indicate that the work is no longer available for sale. Labels should not indicate that a work is or is not for sale: that information should be available only on the information sheets described above. The State will not participate in the sale of any item on display in The Atrium Gallery, nor will it seek any commission or payment for the sale.
The exhibitor should take primary responsibility for the promotion of their exhibition. Press releases should describe the space as The Atrium Gallery at One Capitol Hill, and its location in the first floor lobby at the William E. Powers Administration Building on Smith Street across from the Rhode Island State House. The Gallery hours of operation are from 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. The Gallery is closed on weekends and on all state holidays. Press releases should also mention that this Gallery is a joint project of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and the Rhode Island Department of Administration. The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts will distribute information on exhibitions as part of its regular efforts to promote upcoming events. The Council will work with exhibitors to gather information to use for this purpose.
The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts is committed to the protection of artistic freedom in the creation and exhibition of art. The Atrium Gallery is a government building through which pass a broad range of people, of all ages and ethnicities. It also contains a day-care center located not far from the Gallery location. We therefore ask that a great deal of discretion be exercised in the presentation of works that contain nudity, or which touch on racial, ethnic or political issues. This is not a private gallery, where the exhibition of any work would not be questioned. Exhibitors are asked to exercise suitable discretion in the choice of works to display.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts at (401) 222-3880, fax (401) 222-3018.