Coastal canvas: brooklyn artists reimagine newport’s historic spaces
Rhode Island’s summer art scene just got a serious injection of contemporary cool, thanks to Art&Newport’s latest venture: a pair of solo exhibitions transforming two iconic locations into unexpected galleries.
A skyward shift: kim and eddy explore perception at the coast
Founded in 2017 by Dodie Kanazjian – a longtime contributor to this magazine – Art&Newport consistently delivers a surprisingly potent blend of established and emerging talent to Newport’s historic waterfront. This year, Brooklyn-based artists Na Kim and Austin Eddy are taking the reins, presenting distinct yet equally evocative explorations of space and form.
Kim’s “Portraits,” currently open at the 17th-century Old Stone Mill in Touro Park, is a delicate collection of miniature cloud paintings, meticulously secured in waterproof frames. A secondary installation at the Redwood Library and Athenaeum further expands the concept, offering a horizontal canvas that’s a surprisingly intimate study in atmospheric detail. It’s a fascinating pivot for the art director of The Paris Review and creative director of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, who is also exhibiting a series of cloud paintings in New York this fall. “When I first started painting three years ago, I was drawn to portraits because of the inscrutable and changing nature of faces,” Kim explained. “I feel the same way about clouds that I do about people and faces. They’re constantly shape-shifting, appearing and disappearing. There’s something about paying attention to them that makes me feel present in the same way that I do when I’m painting or really connecting with another person.”
Meanwhile, “Hope Deferred,” Eddy’s exhibition at the Norman Bird Sanctuary, is a dynamic assemblage of ceramic bird sculptures. Mounted throughout the 19th-century barn, the pieces – crafted over several years – create a restless flock, a deliberate disruption of the traditional barn setting. “The Birds have always been a metaphor for aspects of the self or the human condition,” Eddy elaborated. “They still exist as that here, but their meanings can change when they’re amassed. In this context the uniqueness of each individual sculpture is highlighted while simultaneously elevating its counterparts. For this exhibition, they will occupy the same table, same space, same life, existing as a group and almost relinquishing their responsibility as an individual. Through this togetherness and focus on the unknown, I am hoping to take a closer look at the kindness of living.”
While “Portraits” offers a contemplative two-week run, from July 28 through August 10, “Hope Deferred” promises a longer residency at the sanctuary, running from August 27 until the start of June next year. Admission to both shows is free – a testament to the organization’s commitment to accessible art. It’s a reminder that even in a town synonymous with wealth and legacy, a fresh, vital voice can find a home amidst the historic grandeur. And frankly, the sheer audacity of placing cloud paintings in a 17th-century mill is something worth noting.