Lots of interesting things are happening every day at Artists' Exchange! I'd like to take a moment to shine a light on a few...

We are very lucky to have theater in Rhode Island that manages to be as high quality as it is affordable. For a state as small as ours, we are teeming with community and professional productions, many featuring top notch acting and direction. Artists' Exchange proudly hosts productions from theater companies like RI SALT, Burbage Theatre Company, Epic Theater Company and others. Our ultimate aim is to never go dark, to always have activity in our theatre, so we are thrilled to share our space with other groups.

Last night saw the opening of RI SALT (Stage Actors' Live Theater)'s production 3 One Acts by David Lindsay-Abaire. The comedic short plays toy with the topics such as love, law and voyeurism featuring a pair of talking chickens and some talking people, too. Three interesting things about David Lindsay-Abaire: he was born and raised in South Boston, his play The Rabbit Hole earned the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama (and was later made into a very moving film starring Nicole Kidman) and this: "Lindsay-Abaire describes his plays as centering around 'outsiders in search of clarity.' The playwright has always thought that theater is a place for absurd things to happen, which is why he tends to stay away from realism in his writings. He specifically looks for characters who look at the world differently than everyone else" (from Wikipedia). Check it out tonight, tomorrow night or next weekend... all shows at 7pm with tickets at just $15. More on David Lindsay-Abaire here. More on RI SALT here. More about the show here.

Next up in the theatre is "Edgar Allan Poe: Love and Death," presented by literary historian Rob Velella who will embody Poe and read works such as "Annabel Lee" and "The Raven." Dare we say this may be geared for Valentine's Day haters? Or maybe just those who love to love darkness. Two performances will take place on Saturday, February 11th at 6 and 8pm. Rob Velella's blog here. More about the show here.

On March 1st Artists' Exchange will open its gallery to feature works by three local painters: Beth Plante, Howard Bander, and Alexus Cruz. Beth is an art teacher at Artists' Exchange who will showcase her collection, "Black, White and the Seven Girls," a series of black and white paintings depicting female figures. Howard is a prolific painter whose works are abstract, with color, shape and layering as central to his style. Alexus is a young painter whose large scale paintings in black, white and red, feature icons such as Marilyn Monroe, Jimi Hendrix and Audrey Hepburn.

Our next session of classes begins on January 30th! Classes for kids, teens and adults. From the more traditional painting and drawing to DIY Upcycling and Lost Wax, check out our offerings in art and theater.

Artists' Exchange hosts a weekly gathering of artistic teens through a group called Art Guild. The teens donate their time and talent to complete projects for Artists' Exchange and sometimes work on personal projects to take home. If you are a teen or know a teen looking to get involved, contact Shannon. Art Guild offers a great way to give back, to meet other like-minded, creative young people, and to meet community service requirements while doing fun, engaging and skill-building projects like sign making, window display design and installation and more.

Interested in staying in the loop? Sign up for our mailing and/or email list here. Or, like us on Facebook.