The undercurrent of the American spirit is driven by the ideals of progress, resiliency, and modernization. The Industrialization Revolution was a time of great technological advances, inventions of manufacturing, mass transportation, and greater means of disseminating information, resulting in great social change and unrest. Today the Digital Revolution marks another historical advancement with its own set of technological impacts and cultural ramifications, oftentimes neglecting our history of innovation and industry. Many, however, find the history of process and manufacturing still relevant and influential to their own work. Sculptor Will Reeves discusses his research at the Athenæum, the driving force of progress in today’s world, and perspectives of the 19th century to discover if there are parallels the 21st century can learn from.

Funded by the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, the Open Sesame project brings together a diverse group of six artists/scholars working in different genres to research in the Athenaeum’s extensive collections.

Reservations required.

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Will Reeves is an artist, designer, and maker creating functional objects in wide range of industrial materials and processes. He is the founder of The Wurks, an artist resource center in Providence, RI offering exhibition space, private studio space, and communal access to industrial metal, wood, and printmaking equipment. As RISD graduate of Sculpture, his affinity for metal has led him to further his studies at several craft schools and collaborate with architects and designers on commercial projects. He currently teaches in the Industrial Design Department at RISD.