Exhibit curated by CCRI professor examines digital communication
February 15, 2021
Community College of Rhode Island Adjunct Art Professor Brian O’Malley is exploring
the world’s reliance on digital communication during the coronavirus pandemic and
its impact on our relationships through a unique multimedia exhibit at the Newport
Art Museum.
Digital Breath: Video and Sound Art in the Age of Global Connectivity is on display from now through June 6 and puts an eclectic spin on the way people
have been forced to connect with one another over the past year amidst the COVID-19
outbreak – everything from socially-distanced get-togethers to virtual workday collaborations
using a variety of communication technology platforms.
The exhibit – curated by O’Malley – features video, audio, and animation components
submitted by seven different artists, including O’Malley and CCRI Assistant Professor
Daniel O’Neill, and offers fresh and diverse perspectives exploring the theme of “breath”
during the pandemic.
Described by O’Malley as a “an audio and visual chamber ensemble,” the exhibit’s concept
and title is inspired by the poem, “Breath,” by the late Mark Strand, specifically
the closing line, which reads, “that breath is what I give them when I send my love.”
“That line reminds us to revisit the very breath we take as we join together to make
the world stronger at this unprecedented moment,” O’Malley said.
“The poem is timely and relatable right now in that we are sending our love to one
another through digital messaging or via digital platforms. That is our ‘digital breath.’
The pieces featured in this exhibit also speak on where we are headed in this digital
world and how the pandemic has further pushed us toward that, perhaps even sooner
than we anticipated.”
The exhibit space at the Newport Art Museum, according to O’Malley, is designed to
ensure the pieces work “in harmony” with one another. “I want the visitor to feel
like they are walking into an orchestra,” he said. Artists featured in Digital Breath include Annu Palakunnathu Matthew, Steven Subotnick, John Devault, Lauren Mantecón,
and Andrea Pérez Bessin, all of whom are addressing the concept of “digital breath,”
O’Malley said, “and what it means as we enter a new year challenged by COVID.”
Matthew, a photography professor at the University of Rhode Island and the director
of the URI Center for the Humanities, has had her work displayed at the Rhode Island
School of Design Museum and The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. An
award-winning independent animator, Subotnick teaches animation at RISD; Bessin, a
printmaker and mixed media artist, focuses on what she describes as “the instability
of gender through the fragmentation of the body” in her work; and Mantecón, an abstract
painter who lives and works in New Mexico, has won several awards displaying her artwork
in museums and galleries throughout the world. DeVault, an East Providence-based musician,
produced his own work the exhibit and contributed audio effects to several other pieces.
Among the prominent works on display is O’Neill’s video projection piece, “Crossroads,”
which he describes as a “circular narrative” in which the characters are trapped in
malfunctioning loops speaking past each other as if they were trapped in a Zoom meeting,
a feeling, O’Malley says, all too familiar for those who’ve had to adjust to remote
interactions during the pandemic. He describes O’Neill’s production as a “strange
juxtaposition of people being boxed into spaces.”
“When you walk into our exhibit, you will be immersed in the concept of ‘digital breath,’”
O’Malley said. “We’re featuring electronic media in a variety of formats, and what
you see from the moment you walk in really sets the tone for the entire experience.
“We’ve survived almost an entire year of virtual meetings, Zoom calls, and not seeing
one another. The intimacy we normally experience has been taken away from us, and
the work on display here really speaks to what we’re all going through at the moment.”
The Newport Art Museum is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am–4
pm and Sunday from noon–5 pm. Visit newportartmuseum.org or call 401-848-8200 for more information.
O’Malley also hopes in 2021 to revive his Rhode Island Independent Animators (RIIA),
which he launched last February pre-COVID. The pandemic forced the cancelation of
five of his scheduled six events. The RIAA offers independent animators the opportunity
to showcase their work to new audiences in a fresh, cinematic landscape.
Share this story
Latest News
Broadway tour members visit Providence Campus next week to discuss life on the road
April 17, 2024
Students interested in a career in performing arts will have a unique opportunity next week to learn about life on the road from two well-traveled industry experts, Jay Carey and Christopher DeAngelis from the Broadway musical Company, during a free Q&A session at CCRI’s Providence Campus Theatre on Wednesday, April 24 at 4 pm.
Read More
First cohort of trainees graduates CCRI's GWO-certified Basic Safety Training program
April 11, 2024
Thirty-nine local residents are the first to complete the Global Wind Organisation (GWO)-certified Basic Safety Training curriculum at the state’s only offshore wind safety training center and are prepared to continue building fulfilling careers in America’s fast-growing offshore wind sector.
Read More
Class of 2022 grad Tavares gains acceptance into prestigious Juilliard School to pursue acting
April 01, 2024
Less than a year after wrapping up a life-changing fellowship with The Gamm Theatre, 22-year-old Pawtucket, RI, native and Class of 2022 graduate Eddy Tavares is one of only a small percentage of applications who were accepted into Juilliard's four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program in Drama beginning in the Fall of 2024.
Read More
Unwilling to give up her dream, New Century Scholar Grace pursues a career in Archaeology
March 28, 2024
After an on-again, off-again journey to further her education, West Warwick, RI, native Kelly Grace earned the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society's 2024 New Century Transfer Scholarship for the state of Rhode Island, awarding her $2,250 toward her pursuit of a career in Archaeology.
Read More
CCRI earns Military Friendly® School designation for the third year in a row
March 27, 2024
The Community College of Rhode Island has been named a 2024–25 Military Friendly® School by VIQTORY, a data-driven military company that helps connect the military community to civilian employment.
Read More
Insurance training grad makes investment in herself to break into a satisfying new career
March 26, 2024
Dorchester, MA, native and current Johnston, RI, resident Shamika Lyte initially worked in the construction industry fresh out of high school, but, thanks to CCRI's free Property and Casualty Insurance certification program, has found new life in a career that keeps her on her toes.
Read More
Social Sciences professor McCormack continues work to teach year-round inclusivity at CCRI
March 20, 2024
While February is known for the celebration of Black History Month and June is synonymous with Pride Month, among others, Suzanne McCormack works every day to ensure her students understand the importance of inclusivity and diversity while integrating such topics into her teachings throughout the year.
Read More
Budding artist and Promise scholar uses newfound ability to earn South Coast grant
March 19, 2024
Jonathan Colombo, a second-year Rhode Island Promise scholar and Fine Arts major with a concentration in Art, was recently named the South Coast Artists' 2024 Youth Grant Award of Merit recipient – one of several grants awarded annually to motivated high school and college students under the age of 21 to explore their artistic potential beyond the everyday classroom setting.
Read More
Former Student Ambassador and Class of '18 grad De La Cruz earns prestigious Emerging Leader Award
March 18, 2024
Mileiry “Milly” De La Cruz, a Class of 2018 alumna and former Student Ambassador at CCRI, is the recipient of this year’s American Council on Education (ACE) Women’s Network Massachusetts Emerging Leader Award for her hard work and dedication to serving students.
Read More
Renowned director Pitts-Wiley joins CCRI Players for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
February 28, 2024
The CCRI Players are collaborating with director Jonathan Pitts-Wiley this week for a special production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a novel written by Ken Kesey that was later adapted into the historic 1975 film starring Jack Nicholson that went on to win all five major Academy Awards the year it was released.
Read More
Secretary of Education Cardona visits CCRI to advocate for more statewide CTE training
February 21, 2024
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited the Community College of Rhode Island’s Warwick Campus today to discuss the need for more career pathways and career and technical education (CTE) programming and apprenticeships, especially in Latino communities, as part of Joe Biden’s President Joe Biden's Investing in America Tour, aimed to demonstrate how President Biden is delivering for underrepresented or minoritized communities across the country.
Read More
CCRI teams with city of Providence to host the 2024 Pell Lecture Series
February 14, 2024
CCRI is teaming with Providence Mayor Brett P. Smiley and the Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism to host for the first time the 2024 Pell Lecture Series, set to take place Thursday, March 7 at the Liston Auditorium in Providence.
Read More
CCRI appoints new CIO, Director of Enterprise Applications to IT division
February 12, 2024
The college has announced the hiring of James Bradley as the new Chief Information Officer and Rajeev Jayadeva as its Director of Enterprise Applications.
Read More
Black History Month 2024
February 05, 2024
February marks Black History Month, a time to celebrate the contributions of Black Americans in this country and acknowledge the lasting achievements of the people of the African diaspora who have shaped American history.
Read More
Fall 2023 Dean's List
February 01, 2024
The Community College of Rhode Island announces its Fall 2023 Dean's List. Students enrolled in a degree program who have completed 12 credits with a grade point average of 3.25 or higher this semester with no grade lower than “C” are eligible for this scholastic honor.
Read More
Upcoming Events
Mar.
18
March 18, 2024 All Day
Flanagan Campus
Mar.
23
March 23, 2024 All Day
Apr.
18
April 18, 2024 3:00 PM - June 27, 2024 3:30 PM
Woonsocket Education Center (WOC)
Apr.
23
April 23, 2024 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Newport County Campus
Apr.
24
April 24, 2024 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Flanagan Campus
Apr.
24
April 24, 2024 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Online
Apr.
24
April 24, 2024 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Knight Campus
Apr.
25
April 25, 2024 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Newport County Campus
Apr.
26
April 26, 2024 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Knight Campus
Apr.
28
April 28, 2024 3:00 PM - 5:30 PM
East Providence High School