Yellow Studio and Its New Exhibition = Community for Women Artists

Mixed-media artist Rebecca Rivard is reemerging alongside a community of women at Yellow Studio in Cross River. Rivard’s first solo-show at the gallery, From Within, is an intimate showcase that explores themes of transformation and self-discovery through pieces that peel back layers to reveal the beauty of our internal beings.

Yellow Studio: Providing Community for Women Artists

Yellow Studio was founded by Tina Villaveces with the intention of providing a community-focused space for women to make and display art, exchange ideas, support one another, and be celebrated. Rivard says she’s one of many artists who find themselves working independently and longing for the camaraderie and constructive feedback they experienced in places like art school. Yellow Studio bridges that gap, hosting a wide array of programming such as a book club, artist talks, critique nights, and more. These offerings aim to give women the opportunity to make genuine connections, whether that’s finding a collaborator for a project, or gaining a new friend to grab a coffee with.

Seeking a space to work outside her home, Rivard was encouraged by Villaveces to apply for an artist residency at Yellow Studio, which she completed and commemorated with a group show alongside two other artists last February. Rivard has since acquired a permanent studio space in the facility and says that she is overjoyed for her upcoming solo exhibition: “I was dormant for a little while, spending a good amount of my adult life being a full-time mom. Now I get to reemerge. This is my Spring — my bulbs were deep in the ground, and Yellow Studio really helped nurture my practice and give me the roots so I could grow.”

Rebecca Rivard: Layers of Expression and Reemergence

Rivard’s work is meditative and emotionally-driven. Once in her flow-state, she allows the layers of her pieces to guide her next steps and welcomes the idea of an organic outcome, abandoning the idea of perfection. She explains: “I like to show my part in the equation. I don’t use a ruler for my linework, as I value rawness and realness. I get lost in these little moments, allowing whatever is supposed to happen, to happen.”

Visually, Rivards paintings are intricate and expressive, drawing inspiration from natural patterns and rhythms. Growing up with a mother who quilted and sewed dresses for her, she is intrigued by the lost art of fabric design and the connotations of this medium as a domestic practice. “Textiles tell such a story throughout time,” she says. “You can imagine where it’s been.”

Music is another big influence in Rivard’s work. As a composer and former piano teacher, she spent a lot of time working with and studying composition. The visual element of digital compositions and soundwaves appealed to Rivard and began informing her paintings. “It had me reimagining the connection between the visual and auditory world — it further cemented that line of connectivity,” she says.

Both Rivard and Villaveces were eager to see this exhibition come to life and experience the joy of this show among other people. The work itself, along with the gallery space, embodies these larger concepts of community, artistry, connection and intention. “I hope women take away the idea that you can always reemerge,” says Villaveces. “You can return to what you previously loved doing, or find a completely new direction. There’s always opportunity if you’re willing to seek out spaces where you can explore your creativity.”