Churchwood Gallery and The Preservation Framer proudly presents a selection of vivid paintings by Jonny Skye and mixed media sculptures by Peter Manzella, curated by the gallery’s director, Shari Weschler (Sumo Bunni). An opening reception will be held on Saturday, Nov. 9, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The concept of ‘nature’ as a separate entity – outside of walls, a place to intentionally visit, wild and dangerous – breeds a dangerous abstraction of the parts of self. We are, in fact, made of the same elements as the soil and stars, the stones and trees, the rivers and the rain. Resistance to the commodification of life requires connecting the human experience to the experience of all living things. Fertility persists amidst futility. Symbiotic balance, a self with parts and the self as part – integration.
Skye is an emerging artist building on her life as a gallerist, curator, writer, convener, advocate, and educator. As the former owner of Skye Gallery in Providence, Rhode Island, upon its closure due to the untenable conditions of the pandemic, she redirected her focus to her own painting practice. She is a member of the Peoria Tribe of Oklahoma, holds a BA in Visual Art from Brown University and a MAT in Art Education from RISD.
“My life’s work has been driven by issues of access and voice and I deeply commit to artists and community,” Sky said. “I revel in bringing folks together in surprising ways – utilizing visual language to provoke joy and dialogue within transformative social intersections to inspire more respect and understanding for each other and the planet.”
Manzella, a long-time Providence, Rhode Island resident, is a woodworker and artist who has been quietly making museum-quality pieces for over 40 years. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1956 and moved to Barrington, Rhode Island, when his father, David Manzella, was hired to work at RISD.
Peter attended the Rhode Island School of Design, earning degrees in both sculpture and landscape architecture. At 67, he continues to work full-time as a carpenter/designer, recognized amongst his peers for his creativity and extraordinary commercial work. Ever the iconoclast, up until this point, Peter has only made his work available to those lucky enough to know him and has chosen to stay out of the limelight.
