Rose Island Seeks Artists to Inspire
A closeup of beach rocks, drift wood, and archival images of Rose Island. Photo by Annie Tuthill, courtesy of Rose Island.
Rose Island is idyllic. It is situated in Narragansett Bay, just south of the Claiborne Pell Bridge. In high summer fleets of vessels encircle it with their white sails blown taught. Its lighthouse, with its mansard-roofed keeper’s cottage, still stands proudly at the precipice of the sea, winking romantically into the night. Run by a non-profit for decades, the island began hosting a residency program for Rhode Island artists in 2023. Applications for the next cycle close on April 13, 2025.
A past Rose Island artist cohort in conversation during a peer critique. Photo by Annie Tuthill, courtesy of Rose Island.
Sean O’Connor, Executive Director of the Rose Island Lighthouse and Fort Hamilton Trust, explains the island’s artistic legacy, saying, “Rose Island has for centuries inspired art and artistic renderings. I think the farthest back artistic rendering I have seen is a postcard from the 1800s of the island before the lighthouse was built. When I started in my role in 2022, our office was chock-full of artwork donated from past visitors. Our stated mission speaks about preserving the history and environment of Rose Island, and supporting the creation of art on and about Rose Island is absolutely in line with the mission. I'd say it's an invaluable approach that helps share our story and inspires stewardship. I always tell people my favorite day of the year is when the Portsmouth Artists Guild comes for a plein air painting get-together organized by guild member (and Rose Island board member) Gina Manoni. It's thrilling and delightful for me to see more than a dozen people come out and find their unique angle and perspective and work on their art for the day. And it reinforces the important role of art in our mission.”
The New England coast is such an iconic element of the region that it is sometimes taken for granted. American artists from Rhode Island’s Edward Mitchell Bannister to Maine’s Winslow Homer have documented its dramatic shores and subtle inlets. Rose Island is ripe for that kind of exploration and its residency program offers contemporary artists the opportunity to reflect on tradition in novel and interesting ways. The next cohort will stay on the island from September 8 - September 14, 2025, making work inspired by their time on site.
Jen Thum, Associate Director of Academic Engagement and Campus Partnerships at Harvard Art Museums, is one of the residency’s board members. Asked about her connection to the project, she says, “I first got involved in Rose Island as an overnight visitor, when our former Executive Director found out what I did for my day job and started picking my brain about public engagement and interpretives on the island. I couldn’t resist the chance to bring a bit of my persona as a museum staff member to this place, and when I joined the board several years ago, I wanted to center my interests in visual art and museum education in my service.”
Thum continues, explaining some of the inspiration for the project, “A friend of mine had recently done the Wedding Cake House residency, and I realized that we could do something similar on Rose Island—which also has a rehabbed house, a charming antique feel, spaces ripe for community-building, and many layers of history. So I teamed up with Sean and my fellow board member Gina, who is an artist and also organizes our annual plein air painting event on the island, to create this residency in 2023. It has been magical to see this idea take off and to watch the residency become part of Rhode Island’s artist-community calendar over the past three years. It is a joy to hear how much this unique opportunity has meant to all of the participating artists so far. I kind of can’t believe we made this!”
A graphic for past Rose Island resident JooHee Yoon’s upcoming book talk event.
The residency has resulted in projects inspired by the environment and wildlife on the site. Past artist resident JooHee Yoon reflects on the experience of participating, saying, “The artist residency at the Rose Island Lighthouse was an eye opening experience in so many ways, and played a big role in my latest project, which I am happy to say is almost ready to launch! For most of 2024, I was working on creating a Rhode Island bird guide, chronicling the feathered creatures I spotted on my many bike rides and walks around the state. I applied for this residency since I had heard part of the island was a wildlife refuge and a great place to observe birds. This proved to be very true!”
Yoon continues, “One of the highlights was seeing the egrets come to roost every night around 6pm. But even beyond the birds, it was a truly unique opportunity. Being on the island in all types of weather was like nothing else I experienced before, and living off-grid made me aware of all the things I normally take for granted, such as having hot water and electricity on demand. The complete change of environment was an invaluable reset that resulted in a very productive week. Connecting with the other artists who were there and seeing the variety of work being produced was inspiring as well.” Yoon will be giving a talk on her illustrated guide at the Audubon Nature Center in Bristol, RI on May 3.
The Rose Island residency offers Rhode Island artists the chance to make work that considers the natural world and the local coast in a unique setting. At the same time, they get to build their professional resume and connect with other makers. While a newer asset on the local cultural scene, its impact has already been seen in its first cohorts and in the artists whose work it has shaped. It will be exciting to see what comes next for the Rose Island Artist Residency.
The Rose Island Artist Residency application closes on April 13, 2025. Transportation to and from the island, as well as accommodations are covered. Each artist will receive a $150 stipend towards food and travel. The application fee is $5.50. This opportunity is specifically for Rhode Island artists. Details on this program are available at https://www.roseisland.org/artist-residency
Past Rose Island resident artist JooHee Yoon will be giving a talk on her book 100 Birds of Rhode Island: An Illustrated Guide and her time on Rose Island at the Audubon Nature Center in Bristol, RI on Saturday, May 3, 2025 from 2-3pm.Copies of the bird guide will be available for sale following the talk. To see more of JooHee’s work visit www.jooheeyoon.com
If you are a patron or funder who would like to support this residency opportunity, you can make a donation at https://www.roseisland.org/donate
A shot of Rose Island’s historic lighthouse at dusk. Photo by Annie Tuthill, courtesy of Rose Island.
