BELL ART GALLERY
“Here the past becomes immediate through History, Art and Nature”
Our recently expanded, fully handicapped accessible Welcome Center houses our reception desk, gift shop, and the state of the art Bell Art Gallery.
View original works by premier portraitist Gilbert Stuart, his daughter Jane Stuart, and changing themed exhibits highlighting the works of both locally and historically renowned artists.
Be engaged and inspired by these outstanding artistic offerings.
Please check our current exhibition schedule below.
Gallery Hours: 10:00 am—4:00 pm
Admission charged. Members free.
EXHIBITIONS
Edward Bannister & Friends: From the Collection of Dr. Nicholas P. Bruno & the Providence Art Club
June 17 - October 25, 2026
The life and work of Edward Mitchell Bannister, Providence’s highly regarded African American painter, has been explored in several exhibitions over the last few decades. The 2018 exhibition “My Greatest Successes Have Come Through Her”: The Artistic Partnership of Edward and Christina Bannister was one of the first Rhode Island Masters’ exhibitions held at the Gilbert Stuart Birthplace, and Bannister’s life and work will again be the focus of a major upcoming show in 2028.
In Bannister & Friends, Bannister’s network of friendships and associations in the Providence arts community of the late 19th century takes center stage. The exhibition will highlight the collection of longtime Bannister enthusiast, Dr. Nicholas Bruno, who owns wonderful paintings by the artist and his colleagues. Bannister shared studio space in the iconic Woods Building in Providence and he co-founded the Providence Art Club, both important gathering places for Bannister and his friends.
