Bob Rizzo | home
Bio/Resume
Photo: Karen Rizzo
Born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1951, Bob is a self-taught artist skilled in many different media, who has been honing his craft for more than thirty years. He began exhibiting in 1975 as a participant in the American Painters in Paris exhibition at the Palais de Congres, Paris, France. In the same year, Bob created his first performance/installation entitled”Branch Prop” in Strasbourg, France. Returning to his home state of Rhode Island in 1976, he began exhibiting temporary site-specific work in numerous regional festivals. Collaborating with other local artists and musicians, he helped create many city celebrations and festivals for the City of Providence, Rhode Island.
During the mid 1970's -80's Bob participated in a series of “Correspondence Art” exhibitions internationally. In that same period many of his works were temporary site-specific installations. Throughout the 80`s and 90's Bob produced and performed in numerous performance art pieces around the New England region. In recognition of this work, he has received many individual grants and two fellowships in New Genres category (1992 &1983) from the RI State Council on the Arts. A guest critic for RI School of Design and has worked as adjunct faculty in Performance Art at both Rhode Island School of Design and The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
As the creator and curator of the internationally recognized Convergence International Arts Festival 1988-2003, Bob has developed extensive administrative and curatorial experience. His ability to curate interesting and sometimes risk-taking contemporary work is demonstrated by the unparalleled success of the festival. One secret to his success is that the work was always presented in a manner which made it highly accessible to the general public. In his many years within city government he effectively filled Providence's public spaces with high quality public arts programming, unrivaled by cities of similar size.
In 1998 he was the recipient of the Business Volunteers for the Arts/RI Arts Advocate Award for his dedication to arts advocacy and work in creating opportunities for individual artists. Recognized as a leader in cultural tourism, Bob received the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, Division of Tourism's highest honor "The Rhode Island Tourism Achievement Award" on behalf of his work to grow the Convergence 2000 International Arts Festival into a statewide arts celebration. In 2003 he was selected as a Rhode Island Foundation Fellow for his work as the Director of CapitolArts Providence.
As the former Executive Director of CapitolArts Providence, a not-for-profit arts organization he produced festivals and special events in Providence, Rhode Island. CapitolArts also provided funding and technical support for a growing group of regional and international artists. Among the many events he created and/or produced were the Convergence Street Painting Festival, the Providence Jazz & Blues Festival, and the Providence Waterfront Festival.
His work has been exhibited regionally, nationally and internationally. His interest in tribal art, spiritual worship and rituals influence his most recent work.
Resume
Professional Experience
1975- Present Self-taught artist
2001-2007 Owner, Over the Top Gallery, Providence, RI
1997-2003 Executive Director, CapitolArts Providence, a 501c 3 not-for-profit arts organization
2003-2004 Director of Programming, Mayors Office of Arts, Culture and Tourism, Providence
1987-2003 Director, Office Cultural Affairs, Providence Parks Department, Providence, RI
1988-2003 Founder/ Director/Curator, Convergence International Arts Festival, Providence, RI
1992-2003 Director, Providence Jazz & Blues Festival
1993-98 Director, Providence Waterfront Festival
1994-97 Visiting Faculty, Performance Art, School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
1987-94 Special Events Consultant
1985-87 Visiting Faculty Performance Art, RI School of Design, Providence
1982-87 Carpenter
1978-81 Cultural Affairs Coordinator, City of Providence
1975-76 Visiting Faculty, Schiller College, Strasbourg, France
1973-75 Artist in Residence, RI State Council on the Arts, Arts in Education Program
1971-73 Active Service, US Army
Other Activities
2004 Moderator, “site-specific work, Open for Dancing", Island Moving Company, Newport Art Museum
Guest Curator, Attleboro Museum Center for the Arts, Attleboro, MA
Panelist, Public Art Forum, The Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA.
2001- 03 Board of Directors, Blackstone River Theatre, Cumberland, RI
2001-03 Board of Directors, Newport News Public Art Foundation, Newport News, VA
2002-03 Downcity Implementation Network Committee, Providence, RI
2002 Guest Lecturer, “Public Art”, Statewide Historic Preservation Conference
Guest Lecturer, “Energizing the City: Public Art in Providence” Portland, ME
Providence Preservation Society, Tourism Committee
2000 Community Advisory Committee, RI School of Design Museum
1999-2000 Providence Banner Trail, Executive Committee
1998-99 Destination Providence, Executive Committee, Providence/Warwick CVB
1998 RI Percent for Art, Airport Art Selection Committee
1996-98 Board of Directors, Rhode Islanders for the Arts
1993-96 Executive Board, Total Arts Providence
1995 Grants Panelist, Massachusetts Cultural Council
1995-97 Board of Directors, Groundwerx Dance Theatre
1990-96 Rhode Island Earth Day Committee
1984-03 Advisor/Grant Panelist, Rhode State Arts Council
1985 Grant Panelist, Connecticut Commission on the Arts
1987-92 Board of Directors, AS 220, Providence
Personal Awards
2003 Rhode Island Foundation Fellow
Kovar Award for Community Service, RI Technology Council
2002 Waterfire Providence, “Prometheus”, Community Arts Award
2000 RI Tourism Achievement Award, State of RI
1998 Arts Advocate Award, Business Volunteers for the Arts
Blackstone River Theatre, Citation for Cultural and Heritage Partnership
1996 Outstanding Contribution to Regional Tourism Promotion, State of Rhode Island
Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, Pride in Providence Award
1992 Fellowship Recipient, New Genres, State of Rhode Island
1988 Running the Gauntlet, New England Foundation on the Arts Grant
1983 Fellowship Recipient, New Genres, State of Rhode Island
1981 Reader's Digestible, Individual Artists Project Grant, RI State Council on the Arts
Selected individual & collaborative performances/exhibitions
2003 Bob Rizzo - New Work, Community College of RI, Warwick, RI
2001 Bob Rizzo - Bill Reis, C. Francis Gallery, Providence
2000 Fitzgerald, Rizzo, Veneman, Paintings, Totems and Shrines, Full Circle Gallery, Providence
1992 Mirror Songs, **(Heather Ahern, Peter Bramante, Donna Meierdiercks) RI School of Design
Ground-breaking Sculpture * (Rizzo, George Martell) Daphne Farago Wing, RISD Museum
Masks, `92 * First Night Providence
Knot I Land * Set Designer, (Jane Perry, Christopher Knowles) Nashville Shakespeare Festival, TN **
1987 If an Army of Monkeys * (Lynne McCormack)"Science Projects", Mobius, Boston *
Cowboy Movie, Parts I, II, IV, Text;Craig Watson (McCormack,Reis) Hunts, Burlington, VT**
Cowboy Movie, Parts I-IV, Text; Craig Watson (Richard Goulis, Lynne McCormack) Mobius, Boston**
1988 Fossil Fuel * Text; Craig Watson (McCormack) First Night Providence, Mobius, Boston MA, AS 220, Providence **
Running the Gauntlet * First Night Providence
1985-86 Cowboy Movie, Part I, Text by, Craig Watson (McCormack, Goulis) Mobius, Boston**
Swinging With Vito * New England Arts Biennial, University of Massachusetts, Amherst**
Life Sure is Slow in the Fast Lane, (Bob Jungels) Mobius, Boston, MA**
1983 The Interrogation, (Bob Jungels, Richard Goulis) Amnesty International Annual Meeting**
1982 The Interrogation, (Bob Jungels, Richard Goulis) RI School of Design, Providence**
1983 Something Frightening But Not Inherently Dangerous * RI Community College**
1979 Two Bobs Do, (Bob Jungels) Anyart Gallery, Providence, RI**
1977 Dance for the Fourth, Performance for six dancers, pyrotechnics&Improvisational music* Roger Williams Park, Providence, RI**
Who Says I Can't Be in More Than One Place at One Time * Eventworks, MA College of Art**
Maze `77 *, Solstice Festival, Roger Williams Park, City of Providence
Cats and Dogs at Anyart, (Carol Ranson, Philip Palombo, Michael Diekmann) Anyart Gallery, Providence**
Internal Combustion*, (Philip Palombo, Michael Diekmann) Center for the Arts, Boston**
Cats and Dogs at P.C., (Carol Ranson, Philip Palombo, Michael Diekmann) Providence College, Providence**
Branch Prop #4, Slater Park, City of Pawtucket, RI
Dirty Laundry, (Connie Coleman) Woods Gerry Gallery, RI School of Design
1976 Branch Prop #2 *, Roger Williams Park, City of Providence
1975 Branch Prop, Chateau Portalés, Strasbourg, France
*Commissioned work ** Performances
Selected Group Exhibitions/Performances
2007 Trashformations East, Ohio Craft Museum, Columbus, Ohio
Collectors Collect; Works from Denver Private Collections, Mizel Museum, Denver, CO
2006 Trashformations East, Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster, PA
Trashformations East, Copia Museum, Napa California
Friendship: Angels and Saints, Ryoichi Jinnai Gallery, Lima Peru
Ourchitecture. Newport Art Museum, Newport, RI (collaboration w/Elizabeth Keithline)
2005 Trashformations East, Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA, curated by Lloyd Herman
Providence Craft Show, Providence Civic Center, Invitational Sculpture Garden, Providence, RI
2004 3-D Rhode Island: Selections of Contemporary Sculpture, Newport Art Museum, Newport, RI
Lost & Unknown, Stories from RI `s Underground, Newport Art Museum, Newport, RI
2003 The Last Supper, Museo del Hombre Dominicano, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Juliett 484, collaboration between Polish and American artists, Convergence 2003, Prov. RI
2002 Field Work*, collaboration w/Daniel McCusker & Island Moving Co., Newport, RI
Celebrate Orange, Sarah Doyle Gallery, Brown University, Providence, RI
1999 Recycle Show, Center City Artisans, Providence, RI
Small Boxes, Providence Children's Museum, Providence, RI
1998 Serious Fun, Warwick Museum, Warwick, RI
Kimono's, Center City Artisans, Providence, RI
1994 Wine-tasting, Mobius ArtRages, Boston, MA
1993 Maskcapade, RI Children's Museum, Pawtucket, RI
Mask Appeal, Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, RI
1986 Political Statements, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
1983 Provocative and Problematic Video from the American East Coast,Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia
1982 The Video Review, Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
1978 Assembling, Assembling, Pratt Graphics Center, NYC
1975-76 American Painters in Paris, Palias des Congres, Paris, France
Work in the numerous private/public collections including:
Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art, Providence, RI
Institute of Modern Art - Video Collection, Brisbane, Australia
Frank W. Robinson, Director, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Louis Mazzucchelli, Westchester, NY
Elise I. Jakabhazy & Diane C. Vatcher, Providence, RI
Kathy Cavanaugh, Providence, RI
Charles & Pam Meyers, Providence, RI
Mrs. Daphne Farago, Little Compton, RI
John & Dana Palmieri, Hartford, CT
Mr. and Mrs. Barry Fain, Providence, RI
Ibis Consulting, Providence, RI
Jay McNally, Bar Harbor, ME
Royden & Linda Mills, Edenborough Canada
Rand Smith, Boston,MA
Parkside Rotisserie & Bar, Providence , RI