When Lincoln Park’s new owners set out to expand and modernize the gambling venue, Len Wolman said, they wanted it to be filled with elements “that were unique to Rhode Island.”
They chose native plants, created stonework evocative of the industrial revolution and rocky beaches and raised awnings that resemble sails – and soon, they will add a lighthouse. They also formed a partnership with Rhode Island School of Design, to have students create a 12- by 12-foot mural for the hallway at the new south entrance.
Rhode Island's Market Has Changed. Developers, Builders, Investors and Sellers Must Change With It.
By Emilio DiSpirito IV License Partner | Engel & Völkers Oceanside Leader | The DiSpirito…
Learn More
“We really are excited about the chance to partner with such a prestigious institution,” said Wolman, a principal of Lincoln Park’s parent company, BLB Investors LLC.
Through the partnership, Lincoln Park sponsored an illustration class this semester at RISD, called “The Big Picture,” that is devoted to developing concepts for the mural.
Some of the designs were displayed at an event at the college last Tuesday. The paintings ranged from quaint New England landscapes to pastoral scenes to images that created the illusion of a continuing hallway.
The benefit of the project for RISD, said President Roger Mandle, is that “it has connected us with the community.” It also has helped the students, by giving them a taste of what it’s like to work for a client and a chance to have their work displayed at Lincoln Park in an area viewed by more than 10,000 people per day.
“This has been an opportunity for real-life experience working with a client, individually and with a group,” said Richard Gann, who taught the class.
Mandle added that it has also provided a chance for competition, because although each of the 11 students created dozens of images, there could be only one mural.
The students met with Lincoln Park officials five times, to get a feel for what they were looking for – but ultimately, it came down to the students’ creativity. The final mural, to be unveiled at the park this winter, will be a collaborative effort by all the students using elements from a few individual paintings.
Wolman said the project was a very interesting experience for him.
“There’s never really been a collaboration like this, where a company has worked with the students to come up with art for a facility,” he said.
The students agreed that it has been a good learning experience, with one student calling it “challenging and educational” to work for the “non-RISD public” and attempt to capture the vision of others.
Additional work by RISD artists will be displayed in the hallway leading up to the mural. The rotating exhibit will feature pieces to be chosen jointly by the school and Lincoln Park, where the first installment of the exhibit is already on display.
“We hope this is the beginning of a long and rewarding partnership,” Wolman said in a news release. “The mural and the exhibitions by RISD students will be an integral part of the efforts put forth while the property transforms and we near the grand opening of the ‘new’ Lincoln Park this spring.”
Mandle agreed. “We’re looking forward to a long relationship that benefits our students, the school, Lincoln Park and its patrons.”
