While visitors to the Rhode Island State House may typically expect to see legislators filing in and out of bill hearings, advocacy organizations preparing testimony and the occasional group of tourists admiring the building’s rotunda, new guests at the state capitol may also spot an array of paintings lining the edifice’s lower level.
Titled “Somos Rhode Island,” the painted portraits feature a variety of Latino trailblazers who have made a lasting impact on the Rhode Island community. The art exhibit opened for public viewing on Sept. 2 — just before the start of Hispanic Heritage Month on Sept. 15 — and is set to remain on display until Nov. 28.
All 30 or so portraits were created by artist René Gómez in a pointillistic style — where thousands of tiny dots are compiled into a larger image. Each aims to highlight an individual’s contributions to local Latino history.
A collaboration between the State House and R.I. Latino Arts, the idea for the project was originally conceived as part of a 1991 personal oral history project by Marta Martinez, the founder and executive director of R.I. Latino Arts.
“It just became something I was interested in (while) talking to individuals,” Martinez said. The project is now a collection of over 200 interviews.
“Somos Rhode Island” began as a website focused on telling the oral stories of Latino community members who were “pioneers” in their respective fields, Martinez added — including the first Latino grocery store owner, doctor and social worker in the state.
Martinez began collaborating with Gómez on the project after Gómez listened to a selection of the oral histories listed on the group’s website and decided to bring in a variety of sketches.
Martinez then recalled asking, “why don’t we just start doing portraits?”
For Gómez, the project is deeply personal. Many of the celebrated figures “are leaders that I grew up with, and knowing their stories inspired me” to increase awareness about more key figures in Rhode Island’s Latino history, Gómez said.
Among the featured individuals are Josefina and Tony Rosario, advocates that helped spur the first wave of immigration from the Dominican Republic to the U.S. by sponsoring families and supporting them with free room and board. Other portraits depict Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos and Angélica Infante-Green, commissioner of elementary and secondary education.
Known for his signature pointillism style, Gómez worked with Martinez to select the colors for each portrait but personally painted each of them with the help of reference images.
“I wanted to capture their likeness. I want people to see the portraits and know exactly who that is,” he said in an interview with The Herald.
Gómez tried to choose photos that would best represent the painting’s subject and their legacy, as well as what would be most recognizable.
After Gómez’s work was complete and the histories of each featured individual were compiled, Martinez hosted a reception at her gallery in Providence. The event caught the attention of Secretary of State Gregg Amore, who later contacted Martinez to ask if she was interested in displaying the collection at the State House.
Martinez delivered the exhibit “the very next day.”
In an interview with The Herald, Amore described the exhibit as an opportunity for “Rhode Islanders who are interacting with government to see an incredibly vibrant artistic display that tells a story.”
Amore, a former U.S. history teacher, was drawn to the project because of its ability to “tell the untold stories of Rhode Island.”
“We want to make sure that Rhode Islanders and the Latino community, in and of itself, has an opportunity to celebrate its contributions — culturally, economically, politically — and this is a great way to do that,” Amore said.
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Martinez recalled that the project unveiling was “very heartwarming,” especially for family members of those featured in the project.
“It really makes me realize how significant and deep the impact that this project has on the personal lives of people,” she said.
Gómez hopes that these portraits will inspire the local community “to be proud to be a Latino in Rhode Island and know the history behind some of the public figures and people that you might not even know,” he said.
