
January 2025…
A new year, new programs…
We are starting the year by looking back as we prepare to move forward.
While our celebration of India Point Park continues through January 10th, we will be starting the new year of with the Director’s Choice Exhibition. Generally this exhibition series starts the year by taking a look behind the curtain, presenting work from the curators, and jurors we partner with to produce exhibitions at the Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts. As part of a process of looking back, to move forward, this year I am presenting a selection of my own work. We will be bring home Rites of Memory, an exhibition of work that explores and attempts to make visible the formation of memory and the creative process. This solo invitational exhibition was curated by Juan Carlos Mejías, and spent most of 2024 touring Cuba. A small selection of this work will be paired with work pulled from a number of ideas, experiments and projects spanning several decades (or more). Sales of all work goes to supporting the Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts.
The exhibition will be followed in February with our next installment of Behind the Lens, our annual invitational in recognition of Women’s History Month. This invitational is our longest running exhibition series, and for this year we have invited back the women we featured in the 2020 to present an update on their efforts and explorations five years later… and to give them the in person opening we couldn’t provide in March 2020.
Also coming in February, and also five years in the making, will be re/vision re/visited, the second exhibition of work from re/vision, a peer review group born out of the COVID-19 pandemic. The exhibition will be presented at Art in the Atrium, (in the first Unitarian Church on Benefit St.) with an opening on February 13th.
Following up on past successes, our most popular workshop with David Wells is back and will be starting on March 5th, and there are still a few seats available for anyone interested in developing or refining a project or photo essay in a collaborative environment. Also continuing is our Featured Member program, with a selection of work from long time Exhibiting Member Bonnie Jaffe. The program, designed to feature work from our Members on an ongoing basis.
New for 2025 is Analog Saturdays, an informal meetup with Coffee & Film, open to members (or prospective Members) working with analog photographic processes. If you are shooting film, working in a wet darkroom, or exploring alternate processes, come and sharing your experience and knowledge with like minded community members. Our first informational meeting is scheduled for 9:30am Saturday, February 1st. We’ll provide the Coffee, you provide the (interest in) Film… For the first meeting we are looking to gauge interest, and explore programing options. Sharing analog work, exploring possibilities and creating a list of resources are among our initial goals for this program. Member presentations and participation will be encouraged, as will a small suggested donation to fuel this project.
Details and links to events are included below, and also available on our website at riphotoarts.org
The gallery is open Wednesdays – Saturdays, Noon – 6:00pm or by appointment
– David DeMelim
Managing Director
Currently in the Galleries – Through January 10th
Friends of India Point Park 50th Anniversary Photo Contest
We are happy to have the opportunity to present the work of local photographers and draw attention to this local community resource with this two part exhibition to celebrate India Point Park.. Part juried photo contest, part historical exploration of India Point and the process of turning it into a park for all to enjoy.
Join us Friday afternoon for a closing reception from 4:00 – 6:00pm. Come, enjoy current photographs of the park, historical images of India Point, and learn about the process of establishing the park… and learn how to become a Friend of India Point Park.
Exhibition: closes 6:00pm January 10th
Also in the Gallery – Featured Member Bonnie Jaffe
Our Featured Member program offers the opportunity to present a small selection of member work on an ongoing basis. Bonnie’s work is on display through February 14th in a section of our Streetside Gallery reserved to feature member work. More of Bonnie’s work can be found on the website she shares with her husband Marc at photojaffe.wixsite.com/photojaffe
New for 2025…
Analog Saturdays:
First Saturday of the Month
Join us in the gallery Saturday 9:30am, we’ll provide the Coffee…
Come for Coffee, Conversation and to Share the joys, (and challenges) of Analog Photography.
Open to Members, and prospective members, who are working with film, or other analog photographic process. This program will run on the first Saturday of the month, and much like our Print Share & Peer Review program, will offer participants the opportunity to share their work, their knowledge, and their resources. The program will also provide the opportunity for short presentations by members or invited presenters.
Join us Saturday, February 1st for more information, and help us build this program.
Coffee & Film: First Saturdays, 9:30am
Workshops:
Visual Storytelling with David H. Wells
The next session of our most popular workshop with David H. Wells starts March 5th. Seating is limited so register early for this project development workshop. A great way to refine an existing project, or start your first one. Covers story telling concepts, project statements, sequencing and more in a collaborative group setting. Our Back to School exhibition opening September 19th presents selections from several projects developed in previous sessions.
Register Now, Seating is limited
Sessions are held on Zoom 7:00 – 9:00pm, • March 5th • March 19th • April 16th • May 21st • June 18th • July 16th
Next in the Galleries – The Director’s Choice:
Rites of Memory & selections between Printmaking and Photography

As a rule, as Managing Director, I don’t use the Center or its galleries to promote my own work, but without a doubt, “where is my work” is the most frequently asked question from gallery visitors. In answer, I am brining in a selection of work from Rites of Memory, an exhibition that spent most of 2024 traveling around Cuba, and pairing it with a selection of work that came before, and after for an opening January 16th.
The work will be and supplementing will feature a wide selection of my own work and will include a selection from Rites of Memory an exhibition of mine that spent most of 2024 traveling around Cuba. I
Almost a year after to the day, an exhibition of my work traveling around Cuba comes home and will be paired with a selection of new work from the two weeks I spent in Camagüey for the inauguration of this traveling exhibition.
Coming in February…
Behind the Lens 2025:
2020 Revisited (plus 5)
This exhibition brings back the early career photographers we featured in 2020 to see were they are five years later. Their return was always part of the plan, the COVID-19 lockdown interrupting their first exhibition was not. With the help of Grace Marie DeWitt we made the best of it and launched a free online exhibition series to feature a wider selection of Women Behind the Lens. The series carried us most of the way through the lockdown and was presented virtually in the gallery as part of the Behind the Lens 2021 exhibition.
Opening Reception: February 20th – 5:00pm- 8:00pm
Exhibition: Thursday, February 20th – March14th
re/vision re/visited:
at Art in the Atrium
This is the second exhibition for this member re/view group, and will be presented at Art in the Atrium at First U, 1 Benevolent St. Providence. The exhibition is the second for this group and a follow up on another project started in 2020. re/vision, was started as a weekly review/support group in April 2020 and made possible with the adoption of ZOOM. The project gave a purpose and a reason to keep the doors open through the early days of COVID and five year’s later we continue to meet bi-weekly, sharing new work and exchanging ideas.
The current exhibition re/visits work from our first portfolio project, and includes new work from members, Angela C. Brown, Bill Clark, David DeMelim, Deb Ehrens & Keith Prue.
Opening Reception: February 13th
Exhibition: Thursday, February 13th – March 15th
Location: One Benevolent St. Providence (in the First Unitarian Church on Benefit St.)
Past Exhibitions Live On…
The Exhibition may have ended… but the exhibition lives on online.
Once a gallery presentation ends, our exhibitions remain available online… The original exhibition links remain active and our past exhibitions can found under Exhibitions> Past or order your own copy of select exhibition catalogs here
Exhibition catalogs are a new program launched in 2023 and are available for most of our exhibitions. Catalogs are available in the gallery in limited quantities and links to order can be found on the respective exhibition pages and collected here to be ordered for home delivery
Print Share:
Our next Print Share & Peer Review session is scheduled for February 12th
These peer review sessions are open to interested in sharing and commenting on work with fellow members and enthusiasts. Bring your prints to this monthly event which is generally scheduled for the Second Wednesday of each month and starts at 6:30pm. Check the events section on our website for more information and updates.
Individual Portfolio/Project Reviews:
Individual feedback opportunities are available on an ongoing basis in four different formats for 2023. These review sessions can be used to preview new work, share ideas and explore future directions or projects in development. Appointments can be scheduled online for Zoom or in person sessions at www.riphotocenter.org/portfolio-reviews-and-consultations
Registration is open for our annual 20 minute individual Member review sessions.
We are also offering 45 minute one on one sessions open to the public via zoom or in person at the Gallery
New for 2022 we will also be offering “Lunch with the Director” for those interested in a more immersive conversations about your work and your goals. Lunch is included with these two hour more casual sessions. Questions can be directed to gallery@riphotocenter.org
Currently Available Online:
All of our exhibitions are available on the RICPA website, past exhibitions can be found here https://www.riphotocenter.org/category/exhibits/past
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