Night Into Day: In this solo exhibit, Marjorie Hellman displays work that reflect her current living and studio space located in a once-thriving historic industrial area, where architectural remnants surround her in shafts of light, shadow and a multitude of overlapping diagonals. She continues to contemplate the melding of historical influences and the impact of technology, digitization, and scientific discoveries on the making and perceiving of art.

Forms of Alchemy: This show, featuring the works of Adam Waimon, includes glass works inspired by a universal/timeless sense of adventure to explore and discover the vast depths of the ocean and interstellar space.

Reflection: Ken Steinkamp’s most recent body of work reflect his signature theme of life’s enigma by vigorously exploring surfaces on wood and acrylic panels that are enriched with piercing, subtle, impulsive lines, shapes and color. For this exhibition, Steinkamp has added a variety of metal panels to provide a reflective edge and, in turn, invite each viewer to reflect on their own world of shadows, dreams and enigma.

“Urban Wildlife: Learning to Co-Exist” is staged in collaboration with Creature Conserve, run by Dr. Lucy Spelman, whose aim is to bring artists and scientists together to foster informed and sustained support for animal conservation. The exhibit, which features works by 40 artists, explores the lives of wild animals in urban areas and the human responses to this shared territory. The goal of the show is to encourage the viewing public to take an active role in healthy co-existence with urban animals. Dr. Spelman will lead a discussion titled “Art Can Save a Panda” at the gallery on November 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. The gallery will donate 10 percent of all the proceeds from the show to Creature Conserve.

“A Memory of Elephants” features the works of Patricia Hansen. The mother/child elephant series evolved from a journey in northern Thailand, where she spent time with former working elephants, now rescued, learning to care for them and developing a bond and mutual trust in the process. Babies of different ages were present as well and the tender mother/child relationship was a joyous, life-affirming thing to witness. Upon return to the US, the elephants became a metaphor for Patricia of our relationship to the earth, prompting her to reflect more deeply about the issues of our co-existence and how we need to live now – respectful in a sustainable world. The gallery will donate 10 percent of all the proceeds from the show to Creature Conserve.

The distinctive styles of three artists who express themselves through the use of intense color will provoke and engage during ArtProv Gallery’s newest show “Colorist.” Abstract, still life and landscape works by Sherie Harkins, Linnea Toney Leeming and Nick Paciorek will be featured during the show, which opens August 8 and closes September 22.

• Sherie Harkins: Sherie’s earliest recollections are all about color in nature. She is awed by the ripe and fleshy energy of fruit, an unexpected splendor that surrounds us every day. To her, fruit is sweetness and light, color and texture.
  
  
• Linnea Toney Leeming: An abstract painter, Linnea’s vibrant and energetic paintings are emotionally-based, expressing what she sees and feels. Layering color, mediums and glazes, her compositions evolve of their own accord.
  
  
• Nick Paciorek: Nick’s landscapes of the canals, boats and small towns that define the south of France reflect his signature use of vibrant color, orchestrated in these works by the influence of the moon’s reflected light.
  

We would also like to welcome Constance Edwards Scopelitis, Craig Becker, and Eric Boyer to the gallery.

“Head Space,” is group show of eight artists that dives deep into the human psyche.

• Wendy Brusick: A storyteller, Wendy’s curious and highly personal characters are often misunderstood or underestimated, but to those who observe carefully, have stories to tell.
• Judy Volkmann: Judy’s art has focused mainly on the human figure and expressionism for over 20 years. Her figures are often in stage of being reflective, engaged, celebratory, or confrontational.
• VF Wolf: V.F. Wolf creates mixed media, semi-abstract grotesque mask-like faces to analyze the shadow present in every society.
• Ted DiLucia: Ted’s stripped-down paintings are driven by what is haunting and creepy, mysterious and gothic.
• Sean James Harrington: The ambiguous biological forms in Sean’s sculptures explore the conflicts between spirit and reason.
• Vincent Castaldi: For Vincent, much of his work is based in the figurative intended toward creating impressions of portraits, capturing the essence, look and beauty of the subject.
• Serena Lafond: Serena aims to explore the human condition, deconstructing and reconstructing the figure.
• Deborah Baldizar: Deboarh's ceramic figures grow out of a desire to visually translate the psychological concept of the shadow, or parts of ones identity concealed from others, either consciously or unconsciously.

Revealing the impact of love on the creative process, “Duets,” features works by three couples who serve as each other’s muse: Mara Metcalf + Maria Napolitano, Shari Weschler Rubeck (Sumo Bunni) + Christian Rubeck, and Ana Flores + Gabriel Warren.

While the duos did not collaborate on any of the pieces in the show and their styles are, in some cases, remarkably different, each work reflects the creative influence of the unions. The passion, support, and mutual respect that define the couples are evident in the work on display, offering glimpses into their relationships.

“As a couple who are both artists and gallery owners, we thought it would be interesting to highlight powerful artistic unions based on mutual inspiration that has fed creativity and success.”

The show opens on February 7, 2018. An opening reception will be held on February 9, 2018, from 5-9 p.m. The show runs through March 17, 2018, with a closing reception during Gallery Night Providence scheduled for March 15, 2018, from 5-9 p.m.

In this intriguing talk, which will begin at 6:30 p.m., artist Jessica Burko will discuss her series Quiet/Loud, currently on display at ArtProv Gallery. She’ll share her inspiration behind the works and how they reveal her attempt to balance the expected roles of modern womanhood with maintaining a sense of self. Her pieces, which are self-portraits in motion, visualize the contradiction between asserting an identity as an individual and being lost in the onslaught of parenthood.

She’ll also describe her many-step process of creating the mixed-media works, and how it is imbued with both meditative and monotonous motion driven by her need to reconcile the disparity of suffering and love. Following the discussion, guests will have the opportunity to ask Jessica questions and view the exhibit with newfound insights.

Read the review by Liz Lee from Art New England.