A recent interview on “Art Matters” with Wayne Quackenbush

This past month, I was invited to attend a special interview session of “Art Matters”, a program hosted by a local public access channels. The host of Art Matters is Wayne Quackenbush, a good friend who is the proprietor of Annex Comics in Newport, and the president of the Portsmouth Art Guild. As Wayne was also putting my artwork on display in his shop windows, he asked if I might like to speak on his show about my work and process. I was quite honored to participate, and rather enjoyed the experience!

The interview is now up on YouTube, where the second half of the program features artist and yoga instructor Elizabeth Hughes .

Warwick Center for the Arts in JEOPARDY?

The other morning, I received an alarming note that the Mayor of Warwick is considering the prospect of evicting the Warwick Center for the Arts from their longtime home in order to convert the historic Kentish Armory Building into a municipal office, as according to this article in the Warwick Beacon. Suffice it to say, I do not believe that this is a well considered plan.

The WCOA has long been a vital center of arts and culture . Yesterday, I wrote this letter to Mayor Solomon. I am hoping that my input, along with may others , may help him to find an alternative plan that preserves the WCOA in their historic home.

_____________________________________________________________

Dear Mayor Solomon,


My name is Krzysztof Mathews. I am a resident of Warwick, and I am writing to you out of concern for the proposed plans to evict the Warwick Center for the Arts from their home at the historic Kentish Armory building.

The Warwick Center for the Arts plays a vital role for the arts here in Rhode Island. Situated between Wickford and Providence, it provides an excellent space and serves a wide cross section of the arts community. For the youngest emerging artists, the WCOA has consistently offered a robust selection of classes. This is the foundation that can help young people to begin a lifelong appreciation of the arts and their own developing skills and enjoyment of the practice of art. The main gallery is a beautiful space that has been lovingly developed over years of hard work and careful remodeling to create an accessible exhibition venue that has hosted a truly wide and diverse series of shows in every media, and in a substantial range of subjects and themes. Over many years, arts groups such as the SENE Film festival, the Art League Rhode Island, 19 on Paper, the University of Rhode Island Department of Art and Art History, and RISCA have all shared their art, workshops, and events in this space.

And let us also not forget that the WCOA has been a place that offers a location for music and live performance including a local comedy improv group. To find an arts venue that offers all of these benefits to the public is an increasingly rare thing!


I fear that if the WCOA is forced to evict their space, they may well find themselves without a location that allows them to provide the public and the arts community with these opportunities and services, and that would be a serious loss.

Respectfully,

Krzysztof Mathews
158 Sand Pond Road
Warwick Rhode Island

Huge thanks to my friend Verna Valencia!

Verna Valencia: artwork photographed at her parents’ house.

Collage on paper (2018) 14 ¼ x 15 ½ in.




This past year, I was visited by a good friend who I knew from my days back as a RISD undergraduate. Verna Valencia is a skilled and dedicated painter and collage artist who regularly travels to visit and report on artists, museums and galleries. I was incredibly honored that she chose to visit my studio and create an in depth profile of my art and working process. This article is now live on her web site!



The Fascinating Work of Sculptor Krzysztof Mathews

I owe her my deepest gratitude for this wonderful attention, and I hope that in turn folks will take the time to visit ( and perhaps even find a home for) some of her marvelous artwork online!


https://vernavalencia.com/



A few updates for the first of the year- 2019!

A good but packed holiday season finally comes to an end. With it, here are a few developments I was busy with during November and December, as the semester came to a close..

Juror for the Warwick Center for the Arts

I was honored to serve as the juror for the show “Brave New World” a showcase of digital art on display at the Warwick Center for the Arts. I was quite impressed by the variety and quality of the work submitted!

As juror, I had one of my artworks on display as well- my digital print “Supercharge”

Awarded Honorable Mention at the Winter’s Eve juried show

One of the annual events that artists in the area have come to look forward to is the annual “Winter’s Eve” show hosted by the Friends of the East Greenwich Library. This year, I was pleasantly surprised to earn the award of Honorable Mention for my digital print “Finally Found it!”


So all in all, a very good season. I now look forward to the various exhibitions taking place in the coming year!

Getting ready for the “Art of Darkness” 2018 Show

This October, I was proud to have three of my artworks selected by juror Bob Eggleton for exhibition in the “Art of Darkness” show at the Heartspot Gallery. Two of these pieces are masks, and a third will be a surprise that I am waiting to share on the web after the opening!

The Opening reception will be on Thursday, October 25, from 6:00PM – 9:00PM

The address is:

Heartspot Gallery
1970 Pawtucket Ave. East Providence,  RI 02914 

31st Annual RI Open Juried Exhibit at the Warwick Center for the Arts

I was very pleased to learn recently that a piece I had submitted to the WCOA Annual Open Juried Exhibit was accepted into the show.

The piece I have in this show is “Tyrant” a mask made from found object assemblage.

The “RI Open Juried Exhibit” reception will be held on Thursday, October 11th from 6:00 – 7:30pm.  Two Excellence awards and four Honorable mentions will be awarded at the reception at the Warwick Center for the Arts