#decoding rhode island

Love the trees with Matt "The Twig" Largess, the voice of the forest. Matt, a certified arborist, educator and activist talks with Justin H Brierley about a life lived in the forest. Matt explains how he moved from cutting trees down to treating, planting and preserving trees, the community of trees who grow together, the worlds that develop around them, the melding of ages and the sounds of the woods.

Learn more about Matt's work at Largess Forestry.

Experience science and art with Babette Allina, visual artist and Director of Government Relations for the Rhode Island School of Design in this week's Decoding Rhode Island. Babette sits down with Kendall Moore to discuss her dual backgrounds in political science and art, connecting science and art together, being a congressional liaison by day and artist by night, and her latest collaborative effort, the Observatory Project, which filled Brown University's Ladd Observatory with artistic creations--treating the walls, blending exhibits with observatory equipment, incorporating live music and inviting viewers to engage with a space that blends the otherworldly and the everyday, macro (THE UNIVERSE!) and the micro (intricate instrumentation).

Here's a video about the exhibit that the Trans-mission Project artist collective put together for their successful Kickstarter funding campaign:

We talk with Lianna Slater and Denise Lussier about the power of art and creation for children with diverse needs and adults with developmental disabilities. Lianna, job coach for Looking Upwards and gallery manager for Downtown Designs gallery in Newport, and Denise, director of communications for Looking Upwards sit down with Justin H Brierley to describe Looking Upwards' mission and work. Looking Upwards provides services for children with developmental disabilities as well as broader challenges in their lives to learn skills for life, and has enrichment and employment programs for adults with developmental disabilities. Lianna and Denise highlight the amazing work being done by jewelry artists with disabilities, and describe the experience of seeing people transformed through their work creating art.

You can buy jewelry from the artists of Looking Upwards, and see the artists themselves at work at Downtown Designs. Click here to learn more, get directions to visit the store and see the artists at work, and buy online! 

Learn about the artisans of Tiverton Four Corners in our Decoding Rhode Island interview with executive director Jennifer Sunderland and associate director Alyssa Wood of the Tiverton Four Corners Arts Center, dedicated to promoting arts in the FarmCoast region. Jennifer and Alyssa talk with Blaire Gagnon about the beginnings of the center, how Tiverton Four Corners became a village full of artist studios, stores and galleries, and the power of meeting the artist.

Decoding Rhode Island is a feast for the ears this week. Blaire Gagnon and sound designer Justin H Brierley talk with yoga master Tom Gillette of Eyes of the World Yoga Studio in Providence. Tom explains the central role of sound and vibration in the origin of yoga, and the effect of sound-focused yoga on the brain and body. We recommend trying the techniques Tom suggests as you listen--you may be surprised how how the sounds of yoga engage your senses. it's the best kind of "interactive."

Click here to find out more about Eyes of the World, and you can even buy Tom Gillette's CD "Brainstem Breathing and the Ten Stones," a guide for meditation, breathing and vinyasa yoga here.

Here's our extended Decoding Rhode Island interview with Wendy Wahl. Wendy talks with Cheryl about her diverse works that spans visual art, textiles, tactile objects (stones, fabrics, thread), installations and design. She explains the origins of her work, her turn to paper and the integration of text and sculpture in installations that bridge the natural, cultural and scientific. We have a larger collection of images of her work here.