the heart goes nine:
work from an open call for entries
Taking a cue from ee cummings, referenced in the exhibition title we are happy to provide this opportunity for photographers to explore their personal vision and ability to craft unique images. ee cummings was a master innovator who disrupted convention. An intrepid experimenter, he went beyond previously held notions of form and syntax in his art form of poetry, courageously breaking the bounds of traditional techniques and structure. Celebrating his courage to move beyond traditional constraints, we present this diverse and highly personal look at image-making to celebrate photography’s ability to question, disrupt, capture and express emotion… we think he would be pleased…
Curatorial Statement: J. Sybylla Smith
For every mile the feet goes the heart goes nine, states ee cummings in the last line of Songs(VII). Words in the hands of this innovative poet ignite our imagination to create visual imagery, which in turn evoke emotion. Artists and visual creatives have a similar power to stir the heart with what they see and illuminate. In the hands of a photographer this power is called punctum.
Roland Barthes, the French philosopher, uses a Latin term, punctum, to describe the emotional impact embodied within an image. The literal translation of punctum means to bruise or puncture. A sentiment silently travels like an arrow, from object, the image, to a person, the viewer, with an ability to pierce one’s heart. Something touches us, we are stirred, perhaps moved, we are impacted.
To create this compilation of visual poetry each photographer has created from a journey, an exploration, a quest. Something in their heart, a longing, a curiosity, a memory, a love, a grief, a chance encounter, has led them. Listening, observing, allowing intuition and permitting curiosity to lead, is their daring practice. Authentic exploration and genuine expression of untrodden territory demands courage.
I honor the myriad emotions evoked by each brave explorer we encounter in this exhibit. Humor, witness, homage, engagement and healing can be found. An invisible thread links the creators vision with ours. By following their heart song, they create an opening for each of us to listen, and celebrate our own.
– J. Sybylla Smith
About the Juror: J. Sybylla Smith, jsybyllasmith.com is an independent curator, educator and photographer with international reach. Through all her activities she is invested in helping others develop their personal vision. Her Concept Aware® curriculum provides a unique concept development framework to strengthen creative practice. Smith lectures and writes on visual culture, the creative practice and gender parity in photography. Concept Aware® is taught in a variety of formats including weekend workshops in her Somerville MA studio and a week-long class taught at Maine Media College and Workshops. As an adjunct professor, thesis advisor and guest lecturer she has worked with the School of Visual Arts New York, Harvard University, Emerson College, Emmanuel College and Tufts Museum School of the Fine Arts. She has curated exhibitions internationally and her involvement in Tokyo Photo and Paris Photo has established her relationships with international galleries and arts organizations. She has juried for Critical Mass by Photolucida and the traveling exhibit, the Fence, sponsored by United Photo Industries. She is an avid portfolio reviewer participating in photo-centric reviews nationally and is an active member of the Society of Photographic Educators.
the heart goes nine
Exhibition: Thursday, February 20th, thru Friday, March 13th, 2020
Opening Reception and Awards: February 20th, 2020 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
This exhibition presents sixty one photographs representing the work of thirty one photographers from fourteen states as well as Canada, France and Germany.
and the awards go to…
first place:
Gabriella Imperatori-Penn from Jersey City, NJ for her series from her Zine “Remembering Nature … The Force of Life and all it’s Impermanence”

second place:
Jennifer Lucey-Brzoza from Somerville, MA for her series “Medicine Bundle” exploring deeply internal, solitary spaces that contain information that is difficult to communicate, because they are as individual as dreams.

third place:
Marky Kauffmann from Somerville, MA for her series “Motherland” capturing moments from childhood. Gelatin silver prints painted with potassium ferricyanide where the bleach eats away the silver and acts as a metaphor for innocence lost.

honorable mention:
Stone Peng from Grand Rapids, MI for his minimalist landscapes where the Chinese philosophy of life and the aesthetic principles “less is more” and “empty is full” are clearly evident.

honorable mention:
Veronica Mecchia from Paris France for her images exploring the inexorable passage of time. She celebrates the “The Impermanence of All Things”, using photography to represent the transitory nature of things, highlighting how everything melts into a never-ending universal flow.

Take a walk through the galleries and view a simulation of all the photographs included in the heart goes nine
The exhibition presents the work of thirty one photographers, listed alphabetically, from fourteen states, Canada, France and Germany.
Deb | Achak | Seattle | WA |
Les | Allen | Dixon | IL |
Gary | Beeber | Centerville | OH |
Sharon | Bibeault | Johnston | RI |
Elizabeth | Claffey | Bloomington | IN |
Marcy | Cohen | Croton on Hudson | NY |
Chel | Delaney | San Antonio | TX |
Bruce | Eissner | Naples | FL |
John | Femino | Foster | RI |
Bastian | Hertel | Hamburg | Germany |
Jennifer | Holtz | New York | NY |
Elaine | Hunter | Halfmoon Bay | Canada |
Gabriella | Imperatori-Penn | Jersey City | NJ |
Leslie | Jean-Bart | New York | NY |
Timothy | Johnson | Providence | RI |
Anthony | Kappler | Weston | OH |
Marky | Kauffmann | Somerville | MA |
Patricia | Littlefield | New Paltz | NY |
Jennifer | Lucey-Brzoza | Somerville | MA |
Ian | Macleod | Seattle | WA |
Eileen | McCarney Muldoon | Jamestown | RI |
Veronica | Mecchia | Paris | France |
Ralph | Mercer | Millis | MA |
Lucretia | Moroni | Malden on Hudson | NY |
Lee | Musgrave | White Salmon | WA |
Karen | Olson | Hope | ME |
Stone | PENG | Grand Rapids | MI |
Astrid | Reischwitz | Bedford | MA |
Annette | Schreiber | Chester Springs | PA |
David | Wade | Portland | ME |
Nan | Whitney | Holden | MA |
Cate | Wnek | Harpswell | ME |
Washington | Wyatt | Sulphur | LA |
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/
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