Rhode island's art&newport unveils cloudscapes and birdsong amid historic sites
Brooklyn-based artists Na Kim and Austin Eddy are dominating Newport’s summer Art scene, offering a striking juxtaposition of introspective portraits and vibrant, avian installations – all within the city’s historically rich landscape.
A skyward shift: kim’s cloud studies and eddy’s flock
Art&Newport, founded in 2017 by Dodie Kanazjian, is once again transforming a significant Newport location into a temporary gallery space. This year’s offerings are undeniably focused on the horizon – both literal and metaphorical. First, at the 17th-century Old Stone Mill in Touro Park, Na Kim presents “Portraits,” a series of delicately rendered cloud paintings secured within waterproof frames. These aren’t landscapes, precisely, but rather a meditation on the ephemeral nature of observation, echoing Kim’s own artistic process.
“When I first started painting three years ago, I was drawn to painting portraits because of the inscrutable and changing nature of faces,” Kim explained. “I feel the same way about clouds that I do about people and faces. They’re constantly shape-shifting, appearing and disappearing. There’s something about paying attention to them that makes me feel present in the same way that I do when I’m painting or really connecting with another person.” The exhibition also includes a horizontal painting at the Redwood Library and Athenaeum on Bellevue Avenue – a testament to Kim’s diverse practice, currently showcased in New York this fall at Nicola Vassell.
A chorus of ceramics: eddy's ‘hope deferred’
Complementing Kim’s work is Austin Eddy’s “Hope Deferred,” a sprawling installation of ceramic bird sculptures mounted throughout the 19th-century barn at Norman Bird Sanctuary in Middletown. Eddy’s work, a deliberate departure from Kim’s more contemplative approach, evokes a sense of collective presence and the inherent beauty of imperfection.
“The Birds have always been a metaphor for aspects of the self or the human condition,” Eddy stated. “They still exist as that here, but their meanings can change when they’re amassed. In this context the uniqueness of each individual sculpture is highlighted while simultaneously elevating its counterparts. For this exhibition, they will occupy the same table, same space, same life, existing as a group and almost relinquishing their responsibility as an individual. Through this togetherness and focus on the unknown, I am hoping to take a closer look at the kindness of living.”
Unlike Kim’s two-week exhibition, “Hope Deferred” will remain in place until June of next year, offering a sustained engagement with the sanctuary’s natural setting. Admission to both shows is free, a vital accessibility measure considering the region’s seasonal tourism.
Key Dates: “Portraits” runs July 28 – August 10 at the Old Stone Mill. “Hope Deferred” opens August 27 at the Norman Bird Sanctuary and continues through June of next year.