Introduction
By Avery Shaw, June 2022Welcome to the Ocean State! The smallest state in the country greets you with open arms. Home of the largest carpeted mall in America. And our state building hosts the fourth largest self-supported marble dome in the world. User George L. reviews the building on TripAdvisor, writing, “This beautiful white building also houses some of the most egregious corruption and croneyism in the whole country. What a state. But we have a beautiful capital!”
And oh, what a state it is. Small and insulated. Familial and incestuous. Supportive and relentless. Valuing tradition and family above all else. Living in Providence, Rhode Island has been a privilege as my role in this city begins to materialize. Slowly and surely, I have felt the city grow warmer, more comfortable, and more open, as I prove to it that I am not just a passerby.
In my Driving in Providence collection, I share my experience of Providence through four artist books: Avery June Shaw stays in Rhode Island is documentation of my individual experience researching the city with a focus on location. The lens grows a bit wider in Storefronts of Olneyville Square, a peek into the Olneyville neighborhood in Providence. Zooming out further, 25 Neighborhoods in Providence, Rhode Island shows a familiar perspective of the city through the windshield of a car. Lastly, A Demographic and Economic Study of Providence, Rhode Island looks at the city as a whole, displaying how it functions and how the neighborhoods make up a larger, grander, more complicated system.
Endless thanks to everyone who supported me in my exploration; Kelsey Dusenka, for trusting my process and for encouragement throughout; Dan Wood, for his stellar letterpress mentorship and whose work about place, community, and justice served as inspiration; John Caserta, for showing me that all political work starts local; Natasha Brennan, for leading me through this city with a view of passion, care, and gratitude; Dirt Palace, for expanding my definition of what makes an artist; Gregory Shark, for being family, and for offering understanding and sincerity throughout it all; Samaaya Jayamaha, for showing me work ethic; My mom, for teaching me that vulnerability is a strength and resilience is a process; My dad, for investing in my future. And of course, thank you to the city of Providence, for endless inspiration, for being a constant in times of instability, and for being my home. Thank you.