Bowen Galleries

several artworks installed in a home exhibition space near a set of stairs

Located inside the President’s House, Bowen Galleries consists of two unique experiences: Bowen Project Space, a blank canvas for presenting large-scale installations, and the more expansive Bowen Suite Gallery. These spaces call for guests to interact with the kinds of ambitious student work that emerges from RISD studios.

Bowen Suite Gallery

The Bowen Suite Gallery provides students with the opportunity to share their work with visitors through invitation-only events. Exhibitions change annually.

2025–26 exhibition

this must be the place
student-curated exhibition
opens May 15, 2025
on view through May 2026

the words "this must be the place: curated by Critical Curating class of 2025" printed on a white wall behind a flight of stairs

About the show

Featuring artworks from RISD students across a wide range of departments and years, this must be the place focuses on themes of the domestic as a place of healing, safety, and joy. Drawing from the understanding that people, places, or states of mind often embody feelings of “home,” all of the works on view explore how notions of domesticity manifest in the life and practice of each individual artist.

painting of two people with red skin and black braids braiding a black-and-gray checkered tapestry onto a wall

black-and-gold painting of a face emerging from heavy shadow

three pieces of paper with scattered black paint marks tacked up on a white wall

six red spheres stacked atop one another, all atop a small sculptural platform

a mannequin outfitted with a cream-colored knit dress, multicolored headpiece and netted face covering

painting of a woman in a long pink skirt working in a dining setting

a television monitor sitting on a nightstand displays a distorted street image

a brown tapestry with sewn-on shapes resembling tableware

two issues of a magazine titled "designed" facing one another atop a mantel

a log attached to a light-emanating sculpture stands upright inside a fireplace

a painting of a perforated yellow and red square inside a solid blue painted border

a short table with a wooden base and translucent, circular glass top

image of four person-shaped white figures walking on a landscape, mounted on a white surface inside a gold frame

a mounted image of an entryway in a traditional Chinese architectural style, including hanging red lanterns

a two-dimensional image providing a through-the-ceiling view of adjoining rooms

a rough-edged piece of off-white paper marked with irregular streaks of dark green

three irregularly shaped objects with hollow insides sitting on a table and decorated inside with various objects

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Bowen Project Space

Bowen Project Space offers a 20-foot blank canvas for selected students to present murals, digital prints and other large-scale installations. Centrally located within the house, the space invites transformation via installation and visitor engagement.

a student discusses a blue and white, large-scale QR code artwork to a gallery visitor

a blue and white QR code runs along a white hallway wall toward an open door leading toward a sunlit window

students use their phones to interact with a blue and white QR code mural printed on a white hallway wall

small QR codes visible inside larger blue and white QR code printed on a white hallway wall

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Current exhibition

QR Bulletin Board
installation by Min Hyuk Ji BArch 24

three small blue QR codes situated in the white spaces of a larger QR code

About the current show

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“Influenced by my architectural studies, I like to begin my process with a critical examination of space, which frequently serves as both the central subject and primary medium in my work. This exploration leads me to identify spatial constraints, where I delve into the frictions and capacities between various materials and mediums, often uncovering creative solutions.

My ideas often start as playful and seemingly absurd; yet upon deeper contemplation, they often reveal their potential for meaningful opportunities. I particularly enjoy this juxtaposition, balancing a whimsical attitude with the conceptual underpinnings of my project, creating works that are not only aesthetically engaging but also meaningful.”

— Min Hyuk Ji BArch 24

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“Transformation is defined as a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance. Ranging from the scientific to the spiritual realm, transformation can take on a myriad of forms and can have a different meaning for every individual.

QR Bulletin Board addresses the concept of transformation on multiple levels. Utilizing anamorphic projection, it transforms the viewing space from one that is too narrow for orthogonal viewing into a space where one can observe the piece from either end of the hallway, as well as up close.

By featuring a QR code, it transforms the viewing experience from physical to digital in nature. The mural itself transforms as you get closer to it—from afar it is clearly a singular large-scale QR code, but as the viewer approaches the wall it transforms into an array of small QR codes amidst large-scale abstract forms.

Finally, by utilizing a QR code that leads to the work of all RISD students, it transforms a solo exhibition into a democratized, all-inclusive retrospective of the work of the entire student body. This large-scale wall mural pushes the boundaries of artistic expression through its use of technology, which is something we are constantly exploring at Calico Wallpaper.”

— Rachel Cope 03 SC (guest curator and creative director/founder of Calico Wallpaper)

Location and contact

Please note: The space is not open to the public; visitors are required to have an appointment or invitation.

Bowen Project Space
132 Bowen Street
Providence, RI 02903
president@risd.edu

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