Bob Rizzo



Professional Experience


1975 - Present        Self-taught artist
2001-2007             Owner, Over the Top Gallery, Providence, RI
1997-2003             Executive Director, CapitolArts Providence
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
1993-1999             Director, Providence Waterfront Festival
1994-1997            Visiting Faculty, Performance Art, School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
1987-1994             Special Events Consultant
1985-1987             Visiting Faculty Performance Art, RI School of Design, Providence
1982-1987             Carpenter
1978-1981             Cultural Affairs Coordinator, City of Providence
1975-1976             Visiting Artist, Schiller College, Strasbourg, France
1973-1975             Artist in Residence, RI State Council on the Arts, Arts in Education Program
1971-1973             Active Service, US Army

Other Activities

2004                      Moderator, “site-specific work, Open for Dancing", Island Moving Company
                             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
1990                      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, (Philip Palombo, Michael Diekmann) Anyart Gallery, Providence**
                              Internal Combustion*, (Philip Palombo, Michael Diekmann) Center for the Arts, Boston**
                              Cats and Dogs at P.C., (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 Pourtalés, Strasbourg, France
                               *Commissioned work  ** Performances

Selected Group Exhibitions/Performances

2010                      Fluxus Book Project,  Providence Athenaeum, Providence, RI - AS220 Pro Space Gallery,  Providence, RI
2009                      Fluxhibition #3: Thinking Inside of the Box - Boxes, Cases, Kits and Containers, University of Texas
2008                      Holiday Invitational, Imago Gallery, Warren, RI
                             Collective Exhibit, The Silver Circle Studio, Putnam, CT
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;  list on request.