By unanimous vote, the board in 2021 expanded the Biennial’s mission by launching Providence Curates, an initiative that focuses specifically on recruiting emerging curators and assisting them in developing exhibitions of contemporary art. The collaboration with seasoned professionals is intended to strengthen activist curatorial practice in realizing ambitious, creatively conceived presentations that cross borders, identities and circumstances. It goes without saying that this approach includes consideration of alternative spaces and sites across Providence County. Stimulating diverse audiences is another key goal.

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The overarching title of our initial mentored exhibition, Curating Commemoration: Poiesis / Remedy, affirmed a vigorous connection between remembrance and the contemporary art/culture matrix. As the emerging curators investigated the perpetuation of historical memory through current memorializing practices, they found these often sustain a condition of power and domination. A reconsideration of memorializing encouraged the curators to move beyond the self-serving values of earlier (and persistent) 'timeless' monuments to propose and realize new perspectives on commemoration.

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Research and reflection on curating commemoration hastened the development of an activist curatorial response. Each curator selected and has determined ways to juxtapose thought-provoking, culturally distinctive, medialogically diverse works of art created locally, in Greater Providence. The two concurrent exhibitions that together comprised Curating Commemoration reflect the unique lens of each curator. In summer, 2023, they were presented for broad public response and debate.

(Read the Curators' Reflections)

(image of curators ©JustinCase Media, Inc.)