With their artwork on display, Providence students shine at Brown’s Granoff Center
A creative collaboration between the Brown Arts Institute and Pleasant View Elementary School, “PantherArt” featured more than 400 young artists, offering a joyful highlight in Brown’s IGNITE series this fall.
Providence art teacher Robert Boerner created the unique exhibit with support from the Brown Arts Institute as part of the IGNITE series. Photo by Qiwen Ju/Brown University.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Amelia Ramirez Diaz, a fifth-grader at Pleasant View Elementary School in Providence, has been dreaming of becoming an artist since she could hold a paintbrush.
“I started painting when I was 4 or 5,” Ramirez Diaz said. “In preschool, I wrote on my ‘All About Me’ paper that I wanted to be a painter when I grew up.”
That dream might already be taking shape for the talented 10-year-old.
The aspiring artist is one of more than 400 Providence Public School District students whose artwork was recently featured in a one-of-a-kind exhibition at Brown University’s Granoff Center for the Creative Arts. Titled “PantherArt: The Work of Pleasant View Elementary School,” the exhibit was created by Providence art teacher Robert Boerner with support from the Brown Arts Institute as part of the IGNITE series, a multi-year series of activations, performances and events launched with the opening of The Lindemann Performing Arts Center.
According to Boerner, who teaches all Pleasant View students from pre-K through fifth grade, close to 100% of the school’s student body was represented in the showcase, with artwork created throughout the last school year. Carefully installed across six floors of the Granoff Center, the colorful collection featured hundreds of paintings, drawings, mixed media works and large-scale collaborative pieces that explored themes of community, nature and self-expression. Boerner said the exhibit aimed to highlight creativity, individuality and youthful energy by showcasing the imaginative visions and artistic marks of young artists.
“The beauty of kids’ art is that they don’t have any rules,” Boerner said. "There’s no set standard for them at this point, and I’m not trying to teach one. What I want them to understand is that whatever they’re creating is important, it has value and people want to see it — and I believe they do. That’s the feedback I’ve gotten from the Brown community; people really want to see their work. It’s inspiring."
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Amelia Ramirez Diaz, a fifth-grader at Pleasant View Elementary School is one of more than 400 Providence Public School District students whose artwork was recently featured in the PantherArt exhibition. Photo by Lynda Curtis/Brown University.
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The colorful collection featured hundreds of paintings, drawings, mixed media works and large-scale collaborative pieces. Photo by Grace Olubusayo Cockfield-Dina/Brown University.
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Close to 100% of the school’s student body was represented in the showcase, with artwork created throughout the last school year. Photo by Grace Olubusayo Cockfield-Dina/Brown University.
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PantherArt was carefully installed across six floors of the Granoff Center. Photo by Qiwen Ju/Brown University.
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The pieces explored themes of community, nature and self-expression. Photo by Lynda Curtis/Brown University.
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The exhibit aimed to highlight creativity, individuality and youthful energy by showcasing the imaginative visions and artistic marks of young artists. Photo by Lynda Curtis/Brown University.
When she found out her artwork would be displayed in a gallery on Brown’s campus, Ramirez Diaz was thrilled.
"My reaction was like, 'Whoa!' So many people can see my art now," Ramirez Diaz said. "It’s amazing that people can come to the gallery and see all of the students' work. I think it's awesome that our teacher made this happen."
Igniting creativity and community
PantherArt has been described by visitors as one of the happiest and most joyful displays on campus, according to Brown Arts Institute leaders. Photo by Qiwen Ju/Brown University.
This fall, PantherArt is one of seven projects led by local and regional artists and arts organizations as part of the IGNITE series' PVD+ Projects. The program, curated by the Brown Arts Institute, encourages collaborations across the Brown and Providence communities. Funding was awarded through a 2023 call for proposals, and collaborative projects include symposia, arts research, public discussions, readings, exhibits, tours, performances, screenings and more.
Avery Willis Hoffman, artistic director of the Brown Arts Institute, said the BAI is committed to partnering with individuals and organizations on campus, in Providence and across Rhode Island, catalyzing opportunities to uplift the work of local artists and advancing Brown’s focus on teaching, learning and making a positive impact in the local community.
"The PantherArt exhibition has been an uplifting and inspiring project not only for these talented up-and-coming artists but for everyone on the Brown campus who came in contact with their joyful work," Hoffman said. "Encouraging young, local artists is just one of the layers of the IGNITE series that celebrates the arts across campus, Providence and beyond."
Pleasant View Elementary School Principal Tracey Learned said art has become a powerful tool for self-expression, particularly for students with disabilities or distinctive teaching and learning needs.
“At Pleasant View, half of our students receive support through individualized education plans,” Learned said. “What Robert is able to bring out in them through art is amazing. Some of our students are nonverbal, and this gives them a voice in a whole new way; it’s very special. We’re tremendously appreciative of Brown – it’s been a wonderful partnership and we’re so grateful.”
PantherArt has been described by visitors as one of the happiest and most joyful displays on campus, according to Brown Arts Institute leaders. Conceptualizing and installing the exhibit took more than a year and included brainstorming sessions led by BAI and Boerner, campus tours to explore potential spaces, and the production and installation of the artwork. The installation was completed with the help of seven workers from the institute’s ArtsCrew program, which trains Brown students and local professionals in the technical skills needed to support campus performances and exhibits.
Boerner, a seasoned educator who has worked in Providence since 2008, credited the Brown Arts Institute for their partnership in bringing his vision to life.
Providence families toured the Granoff Center, proudly taking photos of their children standing next to their artwork. Photo by Grace Olubusayo Cockfield-Dina/Brown University.
"Installing the exhibit was a completely new venture for me," Boerner said. "Everyone at Brown, from the ArtsCrew workers to the IGNITE producers, went above and beyond to assist me with every detail and decision of the project. Their guidance and support were instrumental."
Inspiring future artists
As a fitting finale to the exhibition, which concluded in October, the Brown Arts Institute hosted a celebratory event that brought together more than 150 people from the Brown and Providence communities. Families toured the Granoff Center, proudly taking photos of their children standing next to their artwork. The young artists and their families participated in hands-on art-making stations; enjoyed live performances by Brown student groups Gendo Taiko, a Japanese drumming ensemble, and Mariachi de Brown, one of Rhode Island’s only mariachi groups; danced in the vibrant "Panther Disco;" and put together upcycled art goody bags. The festivities were capped off with treats like popcorn and ice cream, creating a fun, memorable day for everyone.
Among the many proud parents in attendance was Ebony Medina, a Providence resident whose daughter Aidra-Lee is a first-grader at Pleasant View.
“I think today is extra special because they get to feel like they’ve accomplished something,” Medina said. “Like, 'Yay, my parents are here to see what I’ve done!' It’s nice to be here and see everyone appreciating them and the hard work they put in.”
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As a fitting finale to the exhibition, the Brown Arts Institute hosted a celebratory event that brought together more than 150 people from the Brown and Providence communities. Photo by Lynda Curtis/Brown University.
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At the community event, Providence art teacher Robert Boerner was joined by more than 20 Pleasant View students that were featured in the PantherArt exhibit. Photo by Grace Olubusayo Cockfield-Dina/Brown University.
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Brown students led art-making and face painting stations at the celebration. Photo by Lynda Curtis/Brown University.
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Brown students led art-making and face painting stations at the celebration. Photo by Grace Olubusayo Cockfield-Dina/Brown University.
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Local families also enjoyed live performances by Brown student groups Gendo Taiko, a Japanese drumming ensemble, and Mariachi de Brown, one of Rhode Island’s only mariachi groups. Photo by Grace Olubusayo Cockfield-Dina/Brown University.
By collaborating with BAI to create PantherArt, Boerner ultimately hopes that his young students got a taste of what it feels like to be an artist, experiencing the pride and satisfaction that comes with exhibiting their artwork.
“I did this not only because I believed I could fill a gallery with their art, but because these kids are inspiring, and I knew people would love to see their work,” he said. “And that’s exactly what’s happened — it’s just fun to look at. This is my third year as an art teacher at Pleasant View, and as someone who went to art school, the culmination of being an artist is exhibiting your work. And so I think this is a really valuable learning experience for the kids. They get to see their art in a gallery and realize, 'Hey, I’ve made it.”
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