Earlier this year when designer Andrea Valentini ’95 IA was invited to direct the Gail Cahalan Gallery at Conley’s Wharf in Providence, she jumped at the opportunity – not only because it came with great studio/gallery/showroom space for her own business, but because she immediately thought of showing RISD student work there.

An award-winning designer, Andrea creates sculptural textiles, bags, jewelry and lighting, transforming industrial materials into sensual functional objects. Last week, when she re-opened Andrea Valentini for business at the Cahalan space, she mounted her first exhibition there, too – featuring works by two recent Painting graduates, Annabeth Marks ’09 PT (that’s a painting by Annabeth) and Hugh Zeigler ’09 PT.

Called simply LAUNCH, the student exhibition space was conceived “to help graduating students transition from the campus to the community” by introducing their work to a regional audience, Andrea explains. “As a student, I can remember desperately wanting to exhibit in a real art gallery,” she added in an article in The Providence Journal. “My hope is that LAUNCH will be that kind of place for today’s RISD students.”

A portion of the proceeds from gallery sales will go to a new RISD scholarship fund known as a “RISH come true” (the acronym stands for Rhode Island High School Students), which will help Rhode Islanders attending RISD. The show at 200 Allens Avenue can be seen Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 6pm through August 7 or by appointment.