Buonaccorsi+Agniel Gallery Opens Big in Providence

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Renée Doucette, GoLocalProv Arts Critic

simsopening

Aaron Gilbert's work will be among more than 50 artists showing as part of YES!

This Friday, Jon Buonaccorsi and his wife Sara Agniel Buonaccorsi officially introduce their new joint venture, Buonaccorsi & Agniel Gallery, to the public. The 2000-square-foot gallery is located at 1 Sims Ave, right next to the Steel Yard. There had been murmurings that one of the owners of Tiny Showcase might be opening a new gallery for months. So, while we all have been distracted by the endless events of the autumn, Jon and Sara went ahead and opened a new space.

Building momentum

Sara Agniel closed the doors of Agniel Gallery in 2007 after several years of continuous receptions, studio visits, and wall patching. Meanwhile, Jon Buonaccorsi restarted his own career and opened Head Light Studios, a commercial screen printing business, at the Steel Yard while still running Tiny Showcase. In between all of these major career transitions, Clay Rockefeller, the visionary behind the Steel Yard and a friend, started to not so subtly drop hints that he wanted a gallery space to open at the Steel Yard and Jon and Sara had a baby girl. As their family grew, Head Light Studios also started to grow at an unexpected rate, as if the business had a mind of its own and was determined to see dreams finally come to fruition and a gallery space open. Soon, Head Light Studios had to move to a larger space and Rockefeller moved one-step closer to getting his wish.

YES!

The show launching this new space entitled, YES!, brings together the work of more than 50 artists from across the country, as well as local artists from around Rhode Island. There will surely be something for everyone. Even though it is close to impossible to pick out works that are worth noting, some of the online teasers have included a remarkable watercolor by Mario Read that at first glance looks like a photograph. Works by Shawn Kenney and Brian Chippendale have also been included in teasers for the public, but it is clear that this exhibition, with its sheer magnitude of hanging work, is an embodiment of its name, a shout of affirmation, excitement, and relief.

Gallery shopping in person and online

The benefit of running an internet business like Tiny Showcase on the side is that it will be easy to launch both a physical and digital gallery to allow the luxury of purchasing work in the privacy of your own home or in the new space. The Buonaccorsi+Agniel online gallery plans to launch on Friday. Currently, there is no plan to start formally representing artists, but there is no telling what the future holds. Despite the fact that the opening of this space means another opportunity for artists to exhibit their work, Rhode Island is in dire need to have more art dealers sign formal representation contracts with contemporary artists if they want to keep them working here. Friday will be the beginning of a new chapter for the Buonaccorsi family and Rhode Island’s Providence art scene and hopefully as the new space finds its stride, we will see the endless possibilities as Jon and Sara combine their forces for the first time professionally to become a true art power couple in this town.

The YES! Reception will be held Friday, October 14th with a reception from 6 - 9 PM. The exhibition dates are October 14 - November 12, 2011. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. One Sims Avenue #102, Providence. Hours: Wed - Sat, 12 - 6 PM and by appointment.