(8.1) The Rhode Island art community is mourning the loss of its patron and dear friend, Dr. Joseph Chazan, who died last Friday. It is impossible to overstate this man’s generosity and influence. Up now at the WaterFire Arts Center is NetWorks Rhode Island and the Chazan Collection: A Half-Century of RI Patronage, a large-scale exhibition featuring over 100 NetWorks Rhode Island artists. This exhibition “celebrates a dynamic community of innovative artists living and working in Rhode Island and their champion, Joseph A. Chazan, MD” and the series of related artists talks will go on as scheduled.
However, his friends at the WaterFire Arts Center will need some time to organize an appropriate tribute.
In honor of Dr. Chazan, we will be holding a special conversation event on a date to be determined. This evening of conversation will celebrate Dr. Chazan’s vision and commitment to encouraging others to support artists and collect art. Further details about the event will be announced soon.
Meanwhile, the series of artists talks have been scheduled for three Thursdays coming up: August 1, August 15, August 22.
Over 28 artists will be participating in the talks. There will be two artist talks per night, the first from 6pm to 7pm and the second talk starting at 7:30pm and concluding at 8:30pm.
The first talk, this Thursday at 6pm, will be World Building with Networks artists Jesse Burke, Barnaby Evans, Wendy Wahl, Richard Whitten, and Providence-based illustrator and performance artist, Erminio Pinque, whose graphic novel “Chazan Unfiltered” (seen here) was the subject of an exhibition last October.
The Geometry of Abstraction follows, starting at 7:30pm.
Artists In Conversation, Thursday, August 1, WaterFire Arts Center, 475 Valley Street, (directions)
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Read Dr. Chazan’s obituary in the Providence Journal. Talk about a life well-lived.