Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace: A Metals Exhibition

Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace: A Metals Exhibition

• October 7-29, 2021

View Artist Statements from the Exhibition

View Our Digital Exhibition Booklet

Named after John Lennon’s song “Imagine,” Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s (Innovative Merger of Art & Guns to Inspire New Expressions) Peace is a carefully curated exhibition of work by metals artists who are transforming decommissioned guns into art objects specifically for this show. The exhibition will take place in the Edward Mitchell Bannister Gallery at Rhode Island College in Fall 2021. A select group of metal artists, listed below, from all over the United States were invited to participate in recontextualizing these weapons of destruction for new purposes of exploration and dialogue.

Attendant programming in the form of a three-part symposium hosted in Rhode Island College’s Art Department expands the mission of the exhibition by bringing attention to the wider pandemic of gun violence, in all of its forms, that has spread across the country. We invite members of our community, local and national, to join us in bringing together various perspectives and to participate in lectures, panels, and open conversation about guns and gun violence. Together, the exhibition and programming invite discussion and hope to clarify the intersection of art and the role of guns, the rights of citizens, and the laws that oversee guns in American society today.

The exhibition and corresponding events are organized by Boris Bally, metal artist; Dianne Reilly, Studio Art Professor; Sara Picard, Art History Professor; and Victoria Gao, Director of the Bannister Gallery.

Invited Artists       

• Matthew Coté
• Lauren DelBrocco*
• Peter Diepenbrock
• Shingo Furukawa
• Ingrid Goldbloom Bloch
• Stefan Gougherty
• Hoss Haley
• Vee Hight*
• John Huckins
• Rob Jackson
• Nicole Jacquard
• Niki Johnson
• Terry Lavin
• Tim Lazure
• Michael Nashef
• John Rais
• Catherine Rubery*
• Howie Sneider + Peter Tenney
• Peter Snyder
• Billie Theide
• James Thurman
• Jennifer Walstead*
• Stephen Yusko

*indicates Rhode Island College alumni

Symposium | Transformation

• Friday, October 8, 2021, 10 am–4:30 pm
• Alger 110, Rhode Island College, 600 Mt. Pleasant Avenue, Providence, RI 02908

Watch the Full Symposium

Hosted by Bannister Gallery and Rhode Island College’s Art Department, these discussions intend to expand the mission of the exhibition Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace, on view at the Bannister Gallery from October 7 through 29. We invite members of our community, local and national, to join us in bringing together various perspectives and to participate in lectures, panels, and open conversation about the power of art to transform material, ideas, and lives.  Together, the exhibition and programming invite artists, activists, and all individuals to  share experiences and to examine our relationship with the social, cultural, and human impact of this object.

Schedule of Events

10–11:30 am: Panel 1 - Transforming Material (Guns) into Art

• Shingo Furukawa, Artist and Participant in Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace
• Catherine Rubery, Artist and Participant in Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace, Rhode Island College Alumna
• Tim Lazure, Professor of Metal Design at East Carolina University and Participant in Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace
• Peter Diepenbrock, Sculptor and Participant in Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace

11:30 am–1 pm: Lunch/Bannister Gallery Visit

1–2:30 pm: Panel 2 - Transforming Self through Art

• Peter Tenney, Artist and Participant in Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace
• Jennifer Boylan, Volunteer Leader for the Rhode Island Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
• Lauren DelBrocco, Director of Communications and Business Affairs at Splop Design, East Carolina University MFA Candidate, and Participant in Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace, Rhode Island College Alumna
• Scott Lapham, Artist, Activist, and Photojournalist

2:45–4:15 pm: Panel 3 - Transforming Political Conversations through Art

• Boris Bally, Metalsmith/Designer and Co-Curator of Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace
• Vee Hight, Artist and Participant in Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.s Peace, Rhode Island College Alumna
• Gemelya Barros, Artist and Founder of Healing through Art
• Halima Ibrahim, Current Rhode Island Youth Poetry Ambassador

4:30 pm: End of Symposium: Bannister Gallery Open until 8 pm

Reasonable accommodations can be made for persons with disabilities with 72 hours notice. Masks are required in all Rhode Island College buildings. Vaccinations are highly encouraged.