For ten days in December, all of America will be united through art, and Tiverton Rhode Island helps to make it possible. The concept is called The Nomadic Project, and it is covering the country, one state at a time! The project involves one gallery, museum, or art center in each of the fifty states to serve as a representative. In Rhode Island, it is the Donavan Gallery that was chosen to participate.

Visual artist, Kristin Abraham and musician, Alfonso Llamas saw the United States divided through war, politics and religion, and realized that the only way to find unity would be to return to the source. That meant the land; one nation divided into fifty uniquely different states. So Abraham and Llamas set out to visit the big cities, small towns, and National Historic sites that make up this broken nation, and pull it together with art.

Living out of their orange Honda Element, Abraham and Llamas spend about a week in each state. Abraham responds to her experiences by painting a 24 x 30” canvas. That painting is carried to the next state, where it is displayed in a participating gallery until the end of 2006. This process physically unites the country through art, by blurring state borders.

Llamas is recording the experience through original music and video. He is working on an album and documentary based on this physical and emotional journey. He also uploads his journal entries online to promote discussion about each area. As the artists travel, they encourage communities to participate at www.TheNomadicProject.com, where the artwork, music, video trailer and photographs can be viewed as the project unfolds.

When The Nomadic Project made it to Rhode Island, they met Kris Donovan, who has been active in the arts for 25 years. The Donovan Gallery promotes and exhibits local artists in an area of Rhode Island that has been preserved from franchises and overdevelopment. Tiverton’s history shines through in the uncompromised stretch of land, which made it a perfect Rhode Island candidate for The Nomadic Project. The Donovan Gallery joins The Whistler Museum of Art (Lowell, MA), Carla Schmidt Gallery (San Francisco, CA), Aesthetic Eye (Chicago, IL), the Mansfield Art Center (Mansfield, OH) and many more, as the project reaches its final stretch. A complete list of the galleries in can be viewed at www.TheNomadicProject.com.

All of the work leads up to a time where each of the fifty states will be participating, uniting all of America through art. From December 21st-31st, one gallery in each state displays a single painting. However, December is not the end of The Nomadic Project. The second phase combines all elements of this journey into a physical exhibit. The work will finally be displayed together, and visit each region of the country. Even the emails in which we have received throughout the journey become part of the exhibit. This interaction illustrates how the community is serving a significant role in making The Nomadic Project possible.

To learn more about The Nomadic Project, e-mail TheNomadicProject@gmail.com. For more information on the Donovan Gallery and their participation, visit www.donovangallery.com, or call Kris at 401.624.4000.