Three art majors chosen for competitive scholarship exhibition

Studio art majors Victor Aguirre-Williams ’21, Jeremy Lukasiewicz ’21 and Madison Squizzero ’21 were recently chosen for the competitive Student Scholarship Exhibition sponsored by the highly respected Providence Art Club.

Juried by gallery manager Michael Rose, the Student Scholarship Exhibition features works in a wide variety of media, including paintings, prints, photography, glass, sculpture and weaving. “This exhibition is a unique opportunity for area students to exhibit their work in the Dodge House Gallery at the Providence Art Club, one of the oldest arts organizations in the nation,” Rose said.

All three Salve Regina entrants were accepted into the exhibit, and Aguirre-Williams’ painting received an honorable mention. “It should be noted that our students were in direct competition with peers from all art programs in the state, including the Rhode Island School of Design,” said Gerry Perrino, associate professor in the Department of Art and Art History.

Aguirre-Williams’ painting is from a series of five portraits highlighting the role of women through art history. “I chose to use my friends at school as the models for the portraits,” he said. “I think it’s really important to have a connection with the person I paint in order to capture not only their likeness, but also their aura.”

Squizzero’s piece, “Sky Girl,” is an 18×14 oil painting on panel. “I wanted to create a new and fresh approach to painting horses,” she said. “I ultimately try to create pieces that break from that mold and expand the framework of what the ‘genre’ of horse paintings can be or include. Things like candid moments, strange angles and even things that people don’t usually attribute much beauty or significance to that actually play a large role in what it means to be involved with equines and the sport itself.”

The Student Scholarship Exhibition will be on display through Friday, Nov. 1. Gallery hours are noon to 4 p.m. weekdays and 2-4 p.m. on weekends. To learn more, visit providenceartclub.org.

Founded in 1880 to stimulate the appreciation of art in the community, the Providence Art Club has long been a place for artists and art patrons to congregate, create, display and circulate works of art. Through its public programs, art instruction classes for members and active exhibition schedule, the art club continues a tradition of sponsoring and supporting the visual arts in Providence and throughout Rhode Island.