The Avenue Concept

Happy International Women’s Day! We want to celebrate this wonderful holiday by sharing some wins in the art world - namely, some women at the forefront! 1. Koyo Kouoh, a curator from Cameroon, will be the first African woman to curate the Venice Biennale (Photo from @10and5, copyright Mirjam Kluka / La Biennale di Venezia) 2. The Guggenheim Museum’s deputy director and chief curator, Naomi Beckwith, will be the first Black woman to curate Documenta, an art exhibition occurring every five years in Kassel, Germany, in 2027. (Photo from @artnews, by Craig Barritt, Getty Images for Guggenheim Museum) 3. SCOPE Art Show in Miami, Florida, appointed its first-ever director, Haley River Smith, in July. (Photo from @scopeartshow) Do you have any wins to share? Comment them below!↓ … ?#avenuepvd #publicartisforeveryone #internationalwomensday

Here are some sneak-peak pics of our new sculpture exhibition, Urban Decay! We recently installed FOUR new sculptures in Downtown Providence. Have you seen them yet? * Tempest by Emmett Moore (2023) * Channel Park Bench by Tom Scicluna (2023) * Bird by Ray Smith (2016) * Skull/Plinth by Jim Drain (2025) Two of these works can be found close together on Empire St - “Channel Park Bench” on Empire and Fountain St (across Trinity Brewhouse) and “Tempest” on the corner of Empire and Sabin St. “Bird” and “Skull/Plinth” are in the Biltmore Park area. Special thanks to guest curator Nina Johnson for helping bring these works to Rhode Island. Learn more about Nina and “Urban Decay,” which will be on view through 2026, on our website! ?? by The Avenue Concept … ?#avenuepvd #publicartisforeveryone #sculpture #providence

Did you know we've produced sculptural shows for over 10 years? What happens when a sculpture is switched out? Here are some behind-the-scenes pictures of our founder and former ED Yarrow Thorne moving “Continuous Line V (Levity)” by Kelly Goff from its previous placement at Biltmore Park to its future home. Want to know more about the history of sculpture at TAC?? You can read more about it here: https://lnkd.in/ePd_J6Z5 … ?#avenuepvd #publicartisforeveryone #sculpture #downtownprovidence

Have you spotted “Spectrum of Gills: Hidden Mycellium” (2024) by Maia Hay in Downtown Providence yet? This piece’s name is perfect for its location, as the Weybosset Facade Lot holds our mural catalog's “hidden” gems. "‘A Spectrum of Gills: Hidden Mycelium’ celebrates Rhode Island’s fungal diversity, featuring five present species: Mica Cap, Split Gill, Red Chanterelle, Yellow Patches, and Shaggy Ink Caps. By magnifying these mushrooms, the piece invites viewers to appreciate their hidden beauty and explore deeper meanings within the natural world.” - Maia Hay This mural is part of the Weybosset Facade Residency, which started in 2016. Special thanks to @PaolinoProperties and @adlersri for their annual partnership on the project. Additional support was provided in part by a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, through an appropriation by the Rhode Island General Assembly, and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Completed in September 2024, “A Spectrum of Gills: Hidden Mycellium” will be on view through Summer 2025, when the new cohort of Weybosset Facade residents rolls in. ??: Small Frye Photography … ?#avenuepvd #publicartisforeveryone #mural #providence

Happy Valentine's Day from the The Avenue Concept Team! ?? Looking for a good spot for a photo op? ?? Check out You Are My Sunshine (2024) by Michael Ezzell at One Ship St. in Providence! Use #showusyourlove, and we'll repost it on our Instagram Story! ?? For the 2024 edition of this wall, TAC and our partners wanted to honor the twenty-year anniversary of the first legal same-sex marriages in the U.S., which occurred in Massachusetts and California in January 2004, and offer the community a mural imbued with unbridled joy and exuberant color. ??: Small Frye Photography … #avenuepvd #publicartisforeveryone #mural #providence

The Avenue Concept is popping up at LUMINA 2025! ??Biltmore Park, Providence ??Saturday, February 8th, 2025 ??3:00-8:00pm We’re hosting an illuminated, cozy corner with: *Artist video shorts,? *Art chairs,? *Heat lamps,? *and Warming Giveaways ?? Come be part of this experience with us! Lumina 2025 is presented by Downtown Providence Parks Network in collaboration with Downtown Improvement District- Providence. This Avenue Concept Pop-Up is supported by Rhode Island Commerce as we continue experimenting with public art, light, and technology to build connectivity between anchor activities during art- and experience-centering events. Learn more about LUMINA here: https://lnkd.in/e77nvkTv — ??: 1-2? by Small Frye Photography #LUMINA #publicartisforeveryone #avenuepvd #providence

Ringing in 2025 by celebrating some of our 2024 wins! In 2024, we installed NINE murals: *帝国崛起 (Empire Rising) by Lauren YS *West End Funk by Swerve with assist from gregwashere and back *The Serpent by Amanda Bradley Hill *A Spectrum of Gills: Hidden Mycelium by Maia Hay *You Are My Sunshine by Michael Ezzell *Blue Diamond by James Mustin *Pollinators by Rene Gomez *Keep It Movin' by Benjamin Jundanian *Made in Milford by Brian Butler We’re grateful to have worked with amazing artists and partners to help bring these works to life. Have you seen any of these? Let us know about your encounters with them below! … ?#avenuepvd #publicartisforeveryone #murals #providence

West End Funk, a new article on my website, about a new mural representing many characters you may know in the art and music world in Rhode Island. Visit: https://lnkd.in/ga7Pux_4 to see the different facades of the building and the mural covering the Big Nazo Lab.

The Ripples Curatorial Fellowship kicked off with a trip to Art Basel in Miami this past weekend! Made possible by a private donation to bring six invited artists to explore their own (and learn about TAC’s) curatorial process, this first encounter introduced local artists/producers Sav Hazard-Chaney, Ryan Richardson, Vatic Kuumba, Angie Gonzalez to the commercial art world through a visit to one of the most significant art confluences in the world. They were chaperoned by TAC ED Tracy Jonsson-Laboy, TAC Paintbar Specialist and local artist Kendel Joseph, and documentary photographer & videographer Phoenix Kabali with navigation advice by (former gallerist) Sara Mintz, TAC’s Strategic Partnership Senior Manager. Many learnings and observations! These artists, with the addition of Shey Rivera Ríos and Trae Brooks will be the cohort on the selection committee for the 15 open call utility boxes and the one Open Call Mural (announcement coming soon; watch this space) that The Avenue is producing as part of the Providence ACT funded RIPPLES Project. The Ripples Curatorial Fellowship, designed by TAC Staff to create pathways for local curators, is led by TAC leadership and the organization’s ace, our Providence-born Senior Mural Manager Nick Platzer. What is the difference between the private and public art market? What is curation in each space? How do we as producers have power, create change, and utilize art to create spaces that inspire joy, dialogue, and inclusion? We will discuss these questions with this cohort before we embark on the crucial work of creating the RIPPLES portfolio. What is TAC Certification? Just a way to celebrate the Fellows who have engaged with this project and who will now be more familiar with how we at TAC do what we do. Want to learn more about how to get involved with TAC? Subscribe to our mailing list! ? … #avenuepvd #publicartisforeveryone #ripplescuratorialfellowship #providence #artbasel?

Presenting “West End Funk” by Swerve, featuring gregwashere and Back at 1386 Westminster St. ?? “West End Funk” is a tribute to the West End neighborhood and the artists 40+ year legacy of painting in Rhode Island while also drawing inspiration from Providence’s beloved Big Nazo and Community Music Works. ?? “This production pays homage to Funk and Rhythm. It also gives a wink to tradition that was created in our region. The radio in particular is derived from a painting on the Pawtucket S-curves circa 1985. A few of these characters come from the BIG NAZO fam. These characters are all original thoughts that move me and hopefully will be a creative force to others.” - Swerve. This piece is a vibrant love letter to the people, past and present, who maintain the lifeblood of the community’s creativity and whimsy. ?? Can you spot any references? Guess below and learn more at the link in our bio! This mural is part of the Ripples Project, a public art initiative led by TAC with support from the City of Providence Office of Mayor Brett Smiley and Department of Art, Culture and Tourism. ??: Small Frye Photography Support by Look Alive Signs … ?#avenuepvd #publicartisforeveryone #mural #providence #ripplesproject