The Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts is committed to supporting the photographic efforts of our Members, and that starts by keeping our own skills up to date. This year’s Director’s Choice exhibition presents a selection of work connected, not by a subject or theme, but by our drive to stay current, to be actively engaged, and to stay passionate… This exhibition is presented as an update on our activities behind the scenes, and an opportunity to explore photographs as physical objects. The cohesive thread running through this exhibition is our refusal to accept the default digital capture, instead exploring alternate capture options, and investing the time to craft a print that reflects our unique visions.
The prints on display were crafted to be viewed by reflected light… with texture, surface, and a quality that just can’t be reproduced on screen…
Opening Reception: February 19th 5:00 – 8:00pm
Closing Reception and Artist Talk: March 13th, 5:00 – 7:00pm
On View: Thursday, February 19th, thru Friday, March 13th, 2026
Free and Open to the Public
Opening Reception: February 19th, 2026 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
The Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts, 118 N. Main St. Providence, RI
Down the Rabbit Hole, with Reed Pike
Reed’s presentation represents the culmination of almost two years of research, experimentation, and effort to recreate the magic of Kodachrome in a purely digital workflow. While the quest for better color was the original goal, a new control of the digital printing process resulted in some of the best direct digital black and white prints I’ve seen. The images stand on their own, revealing a keen eye, and a strong sense of composition, it is however, the quality of the prints themselves, that elevate these images to a higher level, and speak to a true passion and commitment to craft.
– David DeMelim,
Managing Director,
RI Center for Photographic Arts
Artist Statement: Down the Rabbit Hole
It is strange, and maybe even a little mysterious, how a breakthrough can emerge from the most unlikely of circumstances. In November of last year, my printer finally gave up the ghost. By the time its successor arrived in late December, the winter cold had truly set in. Rather than fight the elements, I decided to stay inside and spend a few weeks simply “playing” with the new machine and the manufacturer’s software. From that quiet, forced retreat, the work on display here was born…
This new printer brought with it features that eclipsed my older equipment, and I quickly found myself on an express elevator down a rabbit hole. I exhausted my usual paper stocks and decided to face an old nemesis: the matte surface. Even back in my “analog” days—during my time in the Navy and at Stanford—printing on matte paper was a compromise. You could have a deep, rich black (what we call Dmax) or you could have the whitest of whites, but you could rarely have both on the same sheet. I spent days chasing that balance, and I believe these images are the closest I’ve ever come to achieving that standard.
The color images in this exhibition are part of a different, years-long quest. I’ve always been haunted by the “soul” of Kodachrome—that specific palette celebrated by Paul Simon and the film that was my constant companion for years. I still keep a few of my old transparencies as a benchmark, a way to remember what that world actually “looked like.” But I wanted more than just a digital copy; I wanted the three-dimensional glow and the saturated depth of a dye-transfer print….
… I hope you find the results pleasing. For those of you old enough to remember the hum of a slide projector in a dark room, I hope these images feel like a warm call back to another time.
If these processes pique your curiosity, I’ll be sharing the “how” behind these prints in a series of upcoming workshops. I’d love to have you join me as I continue to explore what’s possible in this digital darkroom.
It is often the most unlikely circumstances that lead to a breakthrough. Last winter, a broken printer and a stretch of cold weather forced me into a period of deep experimentation. This exhibition is the result of that retreat—a collection of images re-processed with new intent and new technology.
– Reed Pike
About Reed:
What began as an adolescent passion led me to capture images for the U.S. Navy and Stanford University. However, the grind of professional work eventually extinguished that spark, leading to a thirty-year hiatus. My return came unexpectedly through the lens of an iPhone—a digital rebirth that rekindled the drive behind the work seen here today. While my current practice is rooted in the digital medium, I have recently begun a return to my analog origins, embracing the truth that life’s most meaningful paths are rarely straight lines.
Online: reedpikephotography.com
Reflections for 2026: David DeMelim
Artist Statement: Reflections
It is strange, and maybe even a little mysterious… that a camera has an oft unspoken ability to function as a time machine. The ability of a photograph, to fix a memory, or to communicate a feeling, has always fascinated me… offering a unique opportunity to transport the viewer or trigger a memory. Underlining much of my work is a curiosity about how we process visual information and record memories. Consequently, much of my work is an exploration of an image’s ability to fix a memory. Fix as in, to make permanent, not to correct.
Unlike most exhibitions, this is not a presentation of a cohesive body of work, but rather a collection of thoughts, experiments, and works in progress. Most of the work on display remains untitled and/or unfinished, an expression of an idea, a fragment of a bigger statement, yet to be completed. With a few exceptions the prints on display are hand crafted, one off artist proofs, and present a rare look at work in progress.
Included are images captured with five different cameras, each leveraged for its unique capabilities to capture, record, and render an image. Most of the cameras have had their capture software (firmware) modified (or corrupted, depending on your point of view), in a quest to create a very specific look or feel. Form factors run the range from 2 1/4 square to 16×9, with 4×5 and a pair of more conventional aspect ratios in between. My quest to expand my visual vocabulary, finding (or in my case, making) a camera capable of capturing the image I imagined is an integral part of my practice and a way to exercise my inner geek.
I am sharing these unfinished thoughts and phrases in an effort to start a conversation, and with the hope of finding the thread to develop over the course of the year, and probably beyond.
– David DeMelim
David grew up in a printshop, and actively pursues parallel explorations in printmaking and photography. After studying photography with Bart Parker, a career in print production and prepress afforded early access to computer imaging systems. This access quickly provided the opportunity to be actively involved in developing and advancing computer driven printing technologies. As Managing Director of the Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts, scheduling and exhibition programing often eclipses personal studio time, but exploration of the intersection of art and technology continues.
It started in a print shop… It is funded by a studio practice specializing in support services for other artists, and continues with an effort to build a sustainable supportive community at the Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts.
The RI Center for Photographic Arts, RICPA 118 N. Main St. Providence, RI 02903
Located in the heart of Providence, RICPA was founded to inspire creative development and provide opportunities to engage with the community through exhibitions, education, publication, and mutual support.
RICPA exists to create a diverse and supportive community for individuals interested in learning or working in the Photographic Arts. We strive to provide an environment conducive to the free exchange of ideas in an open and cooperative space. Members should share a passion for creating, appreciating, or learning about all forms of photo-based media. We work to provide a platform for artistic expression, that fosters dialogue and drives innovation in the photographic arts.
The Gallery at the Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts is a member of Gallery Night Providence https://www.gallerynight.org/
Want to become a RICPA Member? Membership brings many benefits and discounts, for more information and to find the membership level that fits you, visit our website at https://www.riphotocenter.org/membership-info/ You may become a member at entry, member benefits begin immediately and run 365 days from your start date.
Questions: Contact gallery@riphotocenter.org To learn about other RICPA exhibits and programs, visit https://www.riphotocenter.org/.
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