The Fourth of July weekend was appropriately kicked off at the Hammetts Hotel with the opening of American Realist Jessica Brilli’s art exhibition. With Friday evening’s strong warm winds, Brilli’s centerstage boat artwork “Apparent Wind” looks as if blew right off Newport Harbor and sailed right into the hotel’s Sarah Langley Gallery. The much admired painting’s vivid blue water must be experienced first hand, and the smile on the young woman’s face says everything we feel about a perfect day on the ocean.
Brilli, who lives in Quincy, MA, finds her inspiration in old 35mm Kodachrome slides and photographs depicting the nostalgic life of middle class Americans in earlier times but also paints present-day subjects. Female subjects dominate this exhibit (in fact, one of the paintings, which sold, is a portrait of Newporter Bunny Wharburton) but also included are paintings of American automobiles, pools and architecture.
Jessica Brilli has many artists whom she admires, including American Realist Edward Hopper. The comparison of the work is justified, but while Hopper’s work is somber, Brilli’s is uplifting. She brings a modern, hip vibe to her work through her use of color and the subjects to which she gravitates.
The exhibition is curated and for sale by Newport Curates and Jessica Hagen Fine Art + Design and will be up through August 1st. The Hammetts’ Sarah Langley Gallery, named after the only female owner of the wharf in history, is open to the public and new artwork is featured seasonally. It’s long galley-style exhibition space is perfect for a stroll, and in this case, a stroll down memory lane.
Jessica Brilli Exhibition
July 1, 2022–August 1, 2022
Hammetts Hotel
4 Commerical Wharf
Newport, RI 02840
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