September, 2026
As summer draws to a close, we look to what comes next…
Thank you to everyone who turned out for the opening of our 7th annual Spotlight Member Exhibition and Gail Samuelson’s solo presentation of Curious Conversations in the Focus Gallery. Congratulations to member John Femino, who earned this year’s solo exhibition prize, and will be exhibiting in the Focus Gallery along side our 8th Annual Spotlight Exhibition next year. These current exhibitions continue through October 9th, and we are hosting a Gallery Night Providence reception on September 17th and live gallery talk with our Spotlight Members on Saturday September 19th, details below.
Lastly, I hope you will join us in creating a Snapshot of America for 2026. Our Snapshot America call for entries is closing soon, help us to create a snapshot of America as we mark 250 years and enter an other election cycle. Show us your corner of America, show us what you celebrate, what you lament, what we got right or what needs to be fixed, or whatever image best represents America to you. Entry is available on CaFE for this exhibition opening in November 2026 and we hope to have entries from all 50 states.
In person gallery events:
Analog Saturday –
Join Us September 5th
Join Us, on the First Saturday of each month for Coffee and discussions of all things analog. Feel free to bring film, or alternate process based work to share. Books and related resources to share are also welcome.
World Wide Half-Frame Photography Day – Join us for a photowalk leaving from the gallery at 3:00pm. We have several Half-Frame cameras to share, or bring your own. Come for the morning, stay for the afternoon. Register at PhotoWalk
Print Share & Peer Review
September 9th, 6:30 – 8:30pm
Join us on the Second Wednesday of each month for an evening Open House and Peer Review session. Bring some work to share and get energized….
Gallery Night Reception
Thursday September 17th, 5:00 – 8:00pm
7th Annual Spotlight Member Exhibition: Selections of work from Members;
Sharon Bibeault, Jeff Buttel, John Femino, Donald Johnson, Benson Margulies and Keith Prue
Presented in tandem with Gail Samuelson’s solo presentation of Curious Conversations in the Focus Gallery.
In Conversation: Member to Member Spotlight Gallery Talk
In the Gallery September 19th, 9:30am
With Sharon Bibeault, Jeff Buttel, John Femino, Donald Johnson, Benson Margulies and Keith Prue
along with Gail Samuelson and her solo presentation of Curious Conversations in the Focus Gallery.
4th Saturday Morning Book Share & Self Publishing
Saturday September 26th, 9:30 – 11:30pm
Join us for a Saturday morning exploration of photo books. Bring a book or work to share, meet some members and get a wide range of feedback as we explore photography in book form..
Beyond the Gallery:
Discover: Rhode Island, a selection of my own photographs of South County. The exhibition is presented at the McGarth Judicial Complex in Wakefield, RI as part of our upcoming 401 Project.
We are a still looking for Members to Claim their Frame, as we run a single roll of film through our Pentax Spotmatic 35mm camera. The Camera is being passed from member to member until all 36 exposures have been made. Your challenge is to expose a single frame to leave your mark on this project as we showcase our collective talents. Participation is first come, first served and the project will culminate in an online exhibition and book featuring the participating members. Read on for a more detailed explanation or visit our website to Claim your Frame.
Details and links to events are included below, and also available on our website at riphotocenter.org
The gallery is open Wednesdays – Saturdays, Noon – 6:00pm or by appointment
– David DeMelim
Managing Director
Currently in the Gallery:
7th Annual Spotlight Member Exhibition: Neal Rantoul, Juror
One of three annual member exhibitions here at the Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts, this Spotlight series was conceived as a way to present ideas that carry across a group of images and to shine a light on our members. This juried exhibition provides the opportunity to present expanded look at the members featured and the different ways a selection of images can be assembled to present an idea beyond a single frame.
This annual exhibition series provides both an opportunity and a challenge to our members, to explore how photographs can work together… for some it is a new concept, for others it is an incentive to finish projects already in progress or share something new. I’m happy to provide this opportunity to present the work of our members and celebrate their ability, commitment and the time invested to realize these ongoing projects.
A special thank you to all the members who submitted projects for consideration and to all our members for their ongoing support.
This Member exhibition is presented in tandem with a solo exhibition by Gail Samuelson, recipient of the exhibition prize from last year’s Spotlight Exhibition. At the opening year’s recipient of the solo exhibition will be announced at the opening reception.
Curious Conversations: Gail Samuelson
Opening in Tandem with our 7th Annual Spotlight Exhibition, Gail’s solo exhibition will be presented in the Focus Gallery. This exhibition opportunity was earned by her entry in last year’s Spotlight Exhibition, as selected by juror, Karen Haas.
The work presented are polymer photogravures, an intaglio print process, that produces rich blacks and a tactile feel, not available in a jpeg. Photogravures are hand pulled prints requiring a commitment of time, concentration, and care from the practitioner, not required from traditional digital printmaking processes.
The work was conceived as diptychs and triptychs presented in conversation, with groupings of two or three images arranged to extend a conversation across the series. As a viewer you are welcome to explore commonalties, discord, and tonal shifts as opportunity for discovery, and possible meanings.
Presented in Tandem with our 7th Annual Spotlight Exhibition
Gallery Night Reception: Thursday, September 17th, 5:00 – 8:00pm
Exhibition: Thursday, August 20th thru Friday, October 9th, 2026
Closing Reception: October 9th, 5:00 – 7:00pm
In Conversation: Member to Member Spotlight Gallery Talk
September 19th, 9:30am Join us live in the gallery for a round table discussion with the members featured in this year’s Member Spotlight & Solo Exhibitions, featured above. Pictured below, John Femino who was awarded the year’s exhibition prize.
John will be back next year with a solo presentation in our Focus Gallery alongside our Eight Annual Spotlight Member Exhibition.
Call for Entries: Snapshot America 2026
A portrait of America at 250. Where we are now?
Join us in creating this snapshot of the country as the United States of America turns 250. Entry is available on CaFE for this exhibition opening in November 2026.
This is a call for entries to capture, in photographs, the current landscape of [the United States of] America today. We are looking for pictures of your community, your friends, your neighborhood, local events, landmarks, landscapes, and everyday activities that represent life in America today. We are looking to capture the current American landscape in an exhibition to document these unique times we live in with a Snapshot of these United States.
From everyday activities to the grand celebrations and the tragedies that touch us all, we want to see what your America looks like. What image defines present day America for you? What best represents the city or town you live in? What gives you the strength to get up in the morning? What keeps you up at night? These are some of the ideas we are looking for as we put together this time capsule of United States of America in the 2026.
We are looking for those moments, ranging from the mundane to the magical that expose the landscape of America in 2026.
Entry Deadline: September 11th
Exhibition: Thursday, November 19th thru Friday, December 11th, 2026
Beyond the Gallery:
Discover Rhode Island: Selections from South County
At the McGrath Judicial Complex, 4800 Tower Hill Rd. Wakefield, RI
Extended Through: September 24th
A collection of photographs that celebrate Summer in South County.
This exhibition presents a selection of work from Managing Director, David DeMelim. The display presents two views, mixing selection of images straight out of camera with a selection of Built Panoramas, capturing the energy and vibrance of coastal Rhode Island.
On View: Through September 24th, 2026
McGrath Judicial Complex: 4800 Tower Hill Rd, Wakefield, RI
Workshops, Mentorship & Member Opportunities
Members Wanted to… Claim your Frame:
Claim your Frame:
one roll of film, one camera, one shared challenge
We are more than half way to our goal of finding 36 Members interested in adding one shot to a single roll of film to create an online showcase of our Member’s talents and interests.
From this one roll of film, we going to produce a Zine and a handmade book, complete with a genuine (gelatin silver) contact sheet. We are looking to showcase the talents of our participating members while exploring the unique experience of shooting film. The project will be presented online, and featured in our Street Side gallery space.
Your challenge is to expose one frame, and one frame only, to add your mark to this project.
See our web site for details and link to registration
There is a $36 participation fee to offset associated costs.
SlowPhoto with our CanCameras
Join our SlowPhoto Initiative, and explore photography’s analog roots…
Track the sun and more with our long duration pinhole CanCameras. No experience required and while we are working with light sensitive materials, no chemistry or darkroom is required.
SlowPhoto is one of the easiest and slowest ways to take a photograph, exposures generally range from 1-3 months, and often longer. These pinhole cameras take us back to the camera obscura (darkened room) and the origins of photography. These cameras are uniquely capable of recording the path of the sun across the sky. They also offer a number of other creative image capture possibilities, as exposures are built across a series of days, weeks, or even months. Capturing an entire year, or more is possible with our CanCameras.
We are opening the project up to our larger membership and our custom made preloaded CanCameras are now available in the gallery for in person pickup. The $10 price includes a scan of your resulting photograph, inclusion in an online archive and eligibility to be included in a book to document the project.
Visit our website to order your CanCamera(s)
Reloading of CanCameras will be available for $5, when you bring the camera back to the gallery.
Our CanCameras are now available in two sizes, the Pint can, show here in black, but also available in silver, and a new standard 12oz size can. The pint cans come loaded with 5″ x 7″ photo paper, and are designed to be deployed with the plastic cap down, while the 12oz cans are loaded with 4″ x 5″ photo paper. These will also work with 4×5 film and are suitable for making conventional pinhole photographs, with the aid of a darkroom or photo lab. The 12oz CanCameras currently come disguised as cans of Whalers, (RISE APA) beer. Alternate styles may become available, including plain silver. The 12oz CanCameras have a centered pinhole and can be deployed with the plastic cap facing up.
If you are not able to pickup your camera in person, feel free to email us your mailing address. Shipping of our preloaded CanCameras is expected to run an additional $15, or more depending on your location..
Live & in person for 2026…
Analog Saturdays:
First Saturday of the Month
Join us in the gallery Saturday, September 5th 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.
WorldWide Half-Frame Photography Day – Saturday Sept. 5th
Join us for a Photowalk, explore Providence & Half-Frame Photography.
We have several half-frame cameras to share, bring your own, or just grab camera and join us.
We will be leaving the gallery at 3:00pm (September 5th)
Join us Saturday, September 5th
Coffee & Film: First Saturdays, 9:30am
Print Share & Peer Review: September 9th
Second Wednesday of the Month
Join us at the Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts for an open peer review. Bring a few prints, half a dozen (or more) will do or just come to observe and share your feedback. The purpose of the event is to share new or work in progress and get constructive feedback from your peers. We are looking to provide an interactive experience where members can both give and receive feedback on work presented. Members or prospective members are encouraged to bring a print or small selection of prints to share with the group. This is a not a formal portfolio review, but a chance to receive some feedback from fellow members on your current work.
Who is the evening designed for?
Open to anyone with an interest in photography learning more about the Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts. Ideal for anyone interested in seeing new work and developing their vocabulary to provide constructive feedback when talking about photography and artwork in general
Join us in the gallery for our next in person Print Share & Peer Review
Print Share & Peer Review Sessions are generally scheduled for 6:30, on the second Wednesday of the month.
Check the events section on our website for more information and updates on in person events.
Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts (RICPA) riphotocenter.org
118 North Main Street, 2nd Floor, Providence RI 02903 401-400-2542
Join Us at 9:30am on the 4th Saturday of each month…
Open share & Photo Books
Bring a book, a problem to solve, or prints to share and join us… new work, current projects, or older work you are looking to revisit… or just come to see what other members are working on.
Saturday, September 26th 9:30 am – 11:30 am
Programs are open to anyone with an interest in photography, and learning more about the Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts. Ideal for anyone interested in seeing new work and developing their vocabulary to provide constructive feedback when talking about photography and artwork in general
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
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 time of entry, member benefits begin immediately and run 365 days from your start date.
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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