The Bristol Art Museum is proud to present Tides and Depths, an immersive exhibition that explores the sea’s dual nature as both a source of mystery and a symbol of profound transformation. The exhibition will be on view from Sun., Sept. 7, through Sat., Oct. 25.

Through painting, sculpture, and poetry, Tides and Depths invites visitors to experience the emotional, ecological, and symbolic dimensions of the sea. Works in the show incorporate bold colors, layered textures, and even natural materials, such as seaweed. capturing both the ocean’s beauty and its power to shape human experience.

Highlights of the exhibition include Two Swimmers by Michael Walden, a work that embodies the show’s central themes, presenting a vision of the sea that is at once deeply personal and universally resonant. At the heart of the exhibition is What the Sea Told Me, a poem by Vivian Eyre from her collection Ishmael’s Violets. Eyre’s writings mirrors the exhibition’s emotional depth, reflecting on endurance, vulnerability, and transformation in both the natural world and the human spirit.

Selected artists include May Babcock, Angel Dean, Jenna DeAngelis, Brenda Figuerido, Cynthia Guild, Joanne Gregory, Jodi Manca, Chris Page, Chryssa Udvardy, and Michael Walden.
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For more information about Tides and Depths and future programming at the Bristol Art Museum, please visit www.bristolartmuseum.org.

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The Bristol Art Museum announces its participation in Blue Star Welcome Week, an initiative by Blue Star Families to support military families moving to new communities. From Sept. 27 to Oct. 5, Veterans and military families will receive free admission to the Museum as part of this nationwide effort to provide a warm welcome to servicepeople and their loved ones.

The Museum is open Thursday through Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m.

As a Blue Star Museum, the Bristol Art Museum is committed to honoring those who serve our country and their families. This year, the Museum will continue its tradition of support for military families by offering a welcoming experience to Veterans and their families, helping them acclimate to their new community in a meaningful and uplifting way with free admission to the Museum. 

“Veterans, servicepeople and their families make tremendous sacrifices in service to our nation,”  said Lynn Moran, Museum board member. “It is our privilege to offer active duty personnel, their families and Veterans free access to the Museum. By opening our doors, we hope that the Museum can do its part to foster a sense of community and belonging as they explore their new or existing communities.”

Blue Star Welcome Week is an initiative that supports the estimated 600,000 military families who move to new communities each year. Through events and community messages, the program helps ensure that military families receive the welcome and support they need as they adapt to new surroundings. Museums like the Bristol Art Museum are well-positioned to make a positive impact, creating moments of connection in the community.”

The Bristol Art Museum invites all military families and veterans to visit during Blue Star Welcome Week to enjoy the Museum's exhibits and to experience the vibrant cultural offerings in the community.



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The Bristol Art Museum proudly presents In Her Own Image, a powerful new exhibition that invited women artists to challenge and reclaim how they are seen and represented. On view through August 30, the exhibition brings together works that explore identity, resistance, and liberation. This is a group of 14 artists working across media—from painting and photography to installation and digital works—each exploring themes of identity, self-perception, and autonomy through a female lens.

Among the contributions is an extraordinary floor installation by Iranian-born artist Maedeh Tafvizi, whose work bridges digital fabrication with results that are reminiscent of ancient forms of craft. Tafvizi’s piece Grief Resonance—a sprawling, 3D-printed clay “rug”— alluding to the visual language of traditional Persian textiles while invoking themes of displacement, cultural memory, and embodied presence. Viewers are invited to walk around the piece, encountering it not just as an object, but as an act of translation between personal history and public space.

The Museum’s board of directors and staff recognize the importance of supporting living artists like Tafvizi, whose voice and vision contribute to the diversity and urgency of contemporary art. Her presence in the United States—and in our cultural institutions—enriches public dialogue and artistic innovation at a moment when both are urgently needed.

Tafvizi, who earned her MFA from Rhode Island School of Design, spoke movingly at the exhibition’s opening reception about how to “belong” and about claiming space as a woman and an artist. Her creative approach—using cutting-edge technology to enliven traditional motifs—offers a timely and poetic response to questions of belonging, migration, and identity.
Serving as a compelling counterpoint is the work of Ruth Dealy, an established Rhode Island artist known for her raw, introspective self-portraits. Created over decades while navigating vision loss, Dealy’s paintings reveal a deep commitment to presence, vulnerability, and truth. Her work challenges idealized representations of women by confronting the viewer with unflinching honesty—each painting embedded with an intimate act of endurance, perception, and power. Where Tafvizi speaks to cultural exile and reconstruction, Dealy embodies the slow and fearless act of self-witnessing. Together, their works expand the exhibition’s invitation to see and be seen—on one’s own terms.

In Her Own Image features 14 artists working across media, from painting and photography to installation and digital works. Curated to amplify narratives often hidden or erased, the show fosters a space for visibility, solidarity, and creative agency. Participating artists include Anis Beigzadeh, Ruth Dealy, Cricket Fisher, Susan Freda, Leigh Craven, Soraya Lutes, Mercedes Nuñez, Allison Newsome, Magaly Ponce, Esther Solondz, Meredith Stern, Maedeh Tafvizi, Tina Tryforos, Shari Weschler.

The exhibition is on view through August 30. For more information, including a transcript of Maedeh Tafvizi’s opening remarks, click here. 
 

The Bristol Art Museum, in partnership with the Visual Arts Department at Roger Williams University, presents Collective Consciousness, a Visual Arts Exhibition by Class of 2025 visual arts students. On view from April 14 through May 2, this dynamic exhibition showcases the capstone projects of graduating seniors in a variety of media, including painting, drawing, photography, ceramics, fibers, and mixed media.
A free opening reception will be held on Thurs., Apr. 17, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Museum, offering an opportunity to meet the student-artists and experience their culminating works.​

“The title Collective Consciousness speaks to the strength of these students’ voices when considered in unison,” said Michael Rich, Professor of Visual Arts at Roger Williams University. “While each student’s work is deeply individual, there is a powerful cohesion in how they address the challenges and complexities of the world around them and the time in which they live.”
Collective Consciousness highlights the accomplishments of a diverse and thoughtful group of student-artists. The exhibition explores themes of identity, personal history, and the social and political issues that influence the artists' lives and practices. Each work is a deeply personal reflection, and the pieces express a shared awareness, perspective, and vision among this new generation of creatives.
“The Bristol Art Museum is proud to again host the senior exhibition from Roger Williams University’s talented visual arts students,” said Mary Dondero, Bristol Art Museum board member and exhibit coordinator. “Collective Consciousness not only celebrates the technical skill and conceptual development of each artist, but also captures the energy, urgency, and introspection that define this moment in their creative lives. The Museum is pleased to partner with the university to witness the emerging voices shaping the future of contemporary art.”
Participating Roger Williams University student-artists include: Violet Aitken, Mia Bouchier, Soraya Bussatti-Espanol, Christian Calabro, Angel Deschamps, Libni Fajardo, Eitan Hirshfield, Kelly Hochenberger, Reilly Hummell, Jill Lemieux, Ariana Medina, Carolyn Narahara, Lucy Tecca, Caroline Toli, and Chloe Tozier
The exhibit is free for RWU students and Museum members; $5 for general admission. For more information, please visit www.bristolartmuseum.org.

The Bristol Art Museum and Rogers Free Library announce a call for art for Into the Garden: Art Depicting Cultivated Nature, an exhibit that examines the intersection of nature, beauty, and human creativity. The exhibit will be on view in the Community Galleries at the library from Mon., Apr. 28 to Wed. Jun. 11. Barbara Edlund Healy, a juried member of the National Association of Women Artists and the Cape Cod Art Center, will serve as the exhibit’s juror.  

This exhibit seeks original works of art that reflect personal interpretations of the garden—whether large or small, organized or wild, ornamental or functional. Artists are encouraged to think about the garden as a space that bridges human artistry with the natural world. What makes a garden inviting or useful? What flora, fauna, and imaginative elements fill these spaces? These are some of the questions artists are invited to explore through their submissions.

"A garden is a canvas where beauty and purpose come together. Whether it's a small flower bed or a sprawling field, gardens reflect the harmony between nature and creativity,” said  Karen Rich, a member of the Bristol Art Museum/ Rogers Free Library Committee. “We invite artists to explore their personal definition of a garden — from the plants and flowers that thrive there to the animals and objects that make it a welcoming space. This exhibit is an opportunity to showcase how gardens can be both artistic and functional, wild and serene."

Healy is a Connecticut native who studied textile design at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth and draws inspiration from the landscapes and gardens of the South Coast. Her work reflects her deep connection to the rhythms of nature and its integration into artistic expression.

Submission Details:
Artists 18 and older may submit up to three works. Submission fees for Museum Members are $20 for one submission and $30 for two. For non-members, $25 for one submission and $40 for two. Works must be submitted online here by midnight on Mon., Mar. 31, 2025. Final selections will be announced by Fri., Apr. 11. 

Artwork Requirements:
Original works only, sized for ease of shipping, and ready for installation with plexiglass or shatterproof materials (no glass). Accepted media include drawings, paintings, printmaking, collage, fiber arts, or photography. No 3-D works (e.g. sculpture) will be accepted. Artwork must not exceed 18 inches by 24 inches in size and be ready to install with a wire on the back

Additional details can be found on the Museum website.
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For more information or questions, please contact [email protected].

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