Paintings by Bob Rizzo
Blackstone River Theatre’s Art Gallery will host an exhibition and sale of paintings by Bob Rizzo on display January 11 through March 2, 2025, viewable two hours before and during scheduled theatre events, in the upper and lower lobby of the Blackstone River Theatre, 549 Broad St., Cumberland, RI. There will be a meet-the-artist reception Sat., Jan 18, from 1-2:30 p.m. in the upper lobby.
ARTIST STATEMENT – BOB RIZZO
Over the last three or four years I’ve been exercising my love for working in acrylics and pastels. The paintings in this exhibit were created while trying to find a way to channel the insanity of our world and the loss of some very dear friends and collaborators. I usually make a piece, look at it for a week or so, then box it and start a new one. Sometimes a series will develop. Other times I’ll go in a different direction and then return to create a missing piece of a series … Sometimes a new grouping will form. What is up on these walls is that quest, that adventure. Paintings are acrylic and pastel on clay board panel, 16″ x 20.”
Dedicated to Philip Palombo, Ed DeCarbo, Adri deFluiter, Craig Watson, Stephen Copel. Very special thanks to Karen Rizzo for everything!
“Sometimes the dream house was situated on top of a hill, so she was looking down on the road. Other times the dream house was located down the slope of the hill, so she was looking up.” – Robert Moss, 2012 – Dreaming the Soul Back Home
The Dream Houses series was created over a period of many years. I’d work on one or two while I made many other pieces that were not at all related. I finished them in the last couple of years. Initially inspired by a box of Monopoly pieces I found in my boxes of “stuff,” I began to play around with the idea of “Dream Houses” – Houses I saw in dreams, houses I would “daydream” about. These are the result. I hope you enjoy them.
All paintings in the “Dream Houses” series only are $150.00 and are 14” x 11 3/4″ (Acrylic, Gold leaf, Monopoly pieces on clay board panel). $75 from each painting sold will be donated toward the Northern Rhode Island Food Pantry and $75 will go to support Blackstone River Theatre programming. Both organizations are 501(c)(3) Rhode Island nonprofit corporations. Northern Rhode Island Food Pantry provides high-quality foods and services to individuals and families in the Northern Rhode Island area to sustain and enrich our neighbors in need so they can become as self-sufficient as possible and to improve their quality of life. Visit: https://www.nrifoodpantry.org
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Bob Rizzo is a multidisciplinary artist whose work is profoundly shaped by his cultural curiosity and a deep appreciation for tribal objects and music. Bob’s artistic practice encompasses various mediums, including painting, performance, sculpture, set design, and sound installation.
Rizzo began publicly exhibiting his work in the early 1970s, gaining considerable recognition for his participation in the 1975 American Painters in Paris exhibition at the Palais de Congrès in Paris, France. That same year, he created his first performance installation, Branch Prop, in Strasbourg, France, which marked the onset of his exploration into site-specific installations upon returning to Rhode Island the following year. Throughout his career, Rizzo’s works have been featured in numerous private and public collections, including the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Museum, the John M. Bennett Papers at Washington University in St. Louis, and the Bern Porter Mail Art Collection at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles.
In 1992, Rizzo was commissioned to design ceremonial groundbreaking shovels called GroundBreakers for the Daphne Farago Wing of the RISD Museum, collaborating with blacksmith George Martell. By 2005, his work was featured in the Trashformations East exhibition, which toured several venues in the Northeast and culminated in a solo exhibition titled Shrines, Icons and Spirits at the Newport Art Museum. He has also collaborated with Rhode Island’s Island Moving Company and notable choreographers, including Daniel McCusker and Bessie Award winner Tom Pearson, bridging the worlds of visual art and dance.
Rizzo has made significant contributions to the arts community in Rhode Island, serving as a local government arts administrator for over 30 years and spearheading numerous public art initiatives that have inspired temporary public art exhibitions worldwide. His commitment to the arts has garnered him multiple grants and fellowships from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, as well as recognition as a guest critic and visiting faculty member at RISD and The School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
From 1987 to 2003, Rizzo served as the Director of the Office of Cultural Affairs for the City of Providence, where he founded the Convergence International Arts Festival, showcasing over 300 temporary public artworks throughout the city. His advocacy for the arts has earned him several accolades, including the Business Volunteers for the Arts/RI Arts Advocate Award in 1998 and the Rhode Island Tourism Achievement Award in 2000. Since retiring from administrative roles in 2004, Bob Rizzo has fully dedicated himself to his artistic practice, continuing to explore and innovate across various mediums.
