Our Story

Achievements 2024-2025

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• Produced seven small-group exhibitions and two Member Shows.

• Participated in six Gallery Night Providence events, and hosting festive receptions

• Promoted our exhibits in the wider community. 

• Produced a highly successful exhibition titled Ekphrasis – Where Poetry and Art Meet showcasing 15 artists and 15 poets. We hosted a gala reception with a poetry reading which drew approximately 100 people. 

• Charitable giving included supporting First U’s Girl Effect Task Force by contributing artwork for their fundraiser, as well as donating $100 to help support their projects. 

• Contributed $1,000 to First Unitarian’s Strategic Campaign.

• Helped First Unitarian Church achieve its 2023-2028 Strategic Plan Aspiration One: “Rising Up to Nurture Spirit and Joy.”

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​Our History

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2006

After the 2002 renovation of the religious education wing of First U, Rick Richards and Sarah McQueen founded Art in the Atrium “to support and nurture a healthy spiritual community with the gift of art” by producing exhibitions of artwork by members of the Congregation.

 

2009-2018 

Chiara Van Erp led the Art in the Atrium for about nine years and the team produced several exhibitions each year with artists from the Congregation and the wider community. In 2016, First U’s Prudential Committee (Board of Directors) approved the selling of artwork in the Atrium. In 2017, the name was changed to Art Collective of the First Unitarian Church of Providence.

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2018-2022

Amy Webb chaired the Art Collective for four years. Generally, there were four exhibitions each year that included two member shows. During Covid (March 2020 to September 2022), there were no in-person exhibitions. However, Amy curated our first online exhibition called Sacred Space, co-sponsored by The Peace Flag Project. Amy worked with members to create an installation in the Atrium windows called Abacus. The artwork honored families deeply affected by Covid.

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2022-2023

Nancy Smith Worthen and Greg Kniseley co-chaired the Leadership Team. The team planned five exhibitions for the 2022-2023 church year and six exhibitions for 2023-2024. In 2023 the Leadership Team decided to simplify and changed the name from Art Collective of First Unitarian Church of Providence to Art in the Atrium First U (AitA First U). 

 

2023-2025

Margaret Rizzuto and Greg Kniseley co-chaired the Leadership Team. During 2024-2025 the team revised the mission at a leadership retreat, designed a branding logo, produced nine exhibitions including two member shows, joined Gallery Night Providence program, started hosting an Art Film Night, and began the quarterly newsletter.

 

2025-2026

Nancy Smith Worthen and Greg Kniseley co-chair the Leadership Team. The team scheduled five small-group exhibitions, and two member shows for 2025-2026, committed to charitable giving as part of the mission, and created this dedicated website.

 

​Our Team

 

Here are the people who help us achieve our mission:

 

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Karen Rand Anderson - Curatorial

Susie Dorr - Receptions Coordinator

Greg Kniseley - Co-Chair, Publicity Coordinator

Rick Pond - Installation Coordinator

Keith Prue - Gallery Night Providence Liaison, Technology Manager

Chiara Romano Van Erp - Curatorial

Ewa Roselli - Installation

Nancy Smith Worthen - Co-Chair, Curatorial Coordinator

 

OTHER VOLUNTEERS

Sally Barker - Curatorial

Pam Pond - Membership

Lucille Riccitelli - Installation

 

FIRST U STAFF

Kelly Coccio - Publicity

Jaime Durango - Receptions

Nancy Forsstrom - Scheduling, Logistics

Walter O. Sotelo - Accounting

Pedro Vasquez - Receptions

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