Pawtucket gallery to stage resident artists’ exhibit

PAWTUCKET – From Sept. 15 to Nov. 1, Gallery 175 in downtown Pawtucket will be showing the artwork of 16 artists who currently maintain studios in a repurposed mill building in the Armory Arts District of Pawtucket. The exhibit is being held in conjunction with the 21st annual Pawtucket Arts Festival.

With the encouragement of city leaders, developers in recent years have recognized the economic potential of converting Pawtucket’s empty mill buildings into affordable work/live and studio spaces for artists. As a result, the city has gained a reputation as a haven for artists and has attracted artists from Boston and NYC, as well as other parts of the country.

One of the most recent buildings to have found a new purpose is located at 80 Fountain St. Owned and developed by James Tiernan, the building is home to graphic, textile, and industrial designers, media firms, photographers, makers of fine crafts, and artists working in various 2D and 3D forms.

The exhibit at Gallery 175 showcases the work of a number of these professional artists, many of whom exhibit in galleries and museums nationally. The artists are Silvia Acosta, Jeanne Arthur, Sandra K. Basile, Uli Brahmst, Melanie Chartier, Sharon Cutts, Angel Dean, Holly Ewald, Milisa Galazzi, Si Jie Loo, Ben Pell, Colleen Vanderventer, David Witbeck, Susan Bennet, Taleen Batalian and VF Wolf.

The public is invited to an opening reception on Sept. 15 from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Gallery 175 is located at 175 Main St. in downtown Pawtucket in the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center. The gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, there is parking, and the gallery is wheelchair accessible.

For more information, visit www.Gallery175.com.