Artist Talk May 3rd at 4pm

Hera Gallery is proud to present Aspire to Inspire, an exhibition featuring the work of nine Senior Seminar students from the University of Rhode Island Department of Fine Art and Art History

Aspire to Inspire invites viewers to connect with raw, vulnerable emotions and experiences through the creative expression of these emerging artists. The exhibition addresses a wide range of themes, including: mental health, chronic illness, identity, freedom and belonging. The exhibition reflects the diverse voices and experiences of URI's senior seminar students, whose art serves as both a reflection of their academic journeys and a deeply personal exploration of the complexities of life. Visitors will have the opportunity to engage with thought-provoking works that challenge perceptions, foster empathy, and ignite conversations about these themes of mental health, identity, and societal issues.

Featured Artists: Ife Alarapon, Gabrielle Antonelli, Julie Byrnes, Noli Gomes, Karla Monterroza, Bryant Pablo, Megan Raleigh, Madeline Walsh, Emily Wheaton

Ife Alarapon

My name is Ife Alarapon, and I am preparing to graduate from the University of Rhode Island in December 2025 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Studio Arts). As an artist based in Johnston, Rhode Island my art focuses on portraying my personal experiences and passions. I use a variety of different mediums like oil paint or digital programs like Medibang. My ultimate goal with my art is to experiment while staying true to my vision of sharing my perspective with others.

Artist Statement

A sentiment I’ve often come across in my life is “It’s just hair.” As a young Nigerian person raised in the U.S., my hair has been a personal struggle. I was taught to control it in order to look a certain way which felt restrictive. For a while my hair was relaxed and styled in box braids of different colors. It was what was expected of me to look “put together” but it never felt quite right. When I did the big chop, I finally had the fresh start I needed to feel like my hair was mine. These paintings represent my hair journey, the challenges I faced, and ultimately, the triumph of embracing my hair on my own terms.

Gabrielle Antonelli

“I wanna be an artist when I grow up, just you wait and see..." I sang on the stage of my elementary school. Little did I know, I was right. 

My name is Gabrielle Antonelli and I am an artist based in Smithfield, Rhode Island. Living with Crohn's Disease, I spent much of my early life in hospitals, where I longed for a connection to the outside world. That longing and appreciation for nature inspires my art and it has been my form of personal healing. 

I am preparing to graduate from the University of Rhode Island in May 2025 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Studio Arts) and a minor in English Literature. Last summer, I studied abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France. Painting in the landscape taught me how to build a connection with my environment, practice observational skills, and truly immerse myself in the process. 

As a mixed-media artist working with photography, print media, painting, drawing, fiber arts, and creative writing, I explore the relationship between human connection to our environment. Intertwining text and images has made its way into my practice because writing is another version of storytelling that I found therapeutic throughout the years.  

Artist Statement

Life Takes Guts

"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." – A.A. Milne, Pooh's Grand Adventure.

After living with Crohn's Disease in secret for over 15 years, I am finally ready to share my story. The longer I kept my diagnosis hidden, the worse I felt both physically and mentally.

Crohn's Disease is an autoimmune condition that affects the digestive tract and weakens the immune system. While it primarily targets the gut and intestines, it also impacts the entire body, including brain health. The causes and cures for Crohn's remain unknown, and about 1 million+ people in the US are affected by it.

The work showcases multiple aspects of the disease. The materials were drawn from my diagnosis binder, personal journals, and family photographs. Remember, you are not defined by your diagnosis. If you have a story to share, find a way that feels right for you. Through this project, I hope to become the role model I wish I had.

Julie Byrnes

Julie Byrnes, Enveloped Emotions, 2025, Digital scans on velvet fine art paper, $500 each or $1,500 for all

Julie Byrnes turns to art as a means of self-expression. Growing up with ADD, depression, and body dysmorphia, she often struggled to find her voice. She now leans into her experience, creating films and drawings that voice what she struggled to find and hoping to inspire others to do the same. Based in Wickford, Rhode Island, Julie specializes in digital, colored pencil, and oil painting, drawing inspiration from animated TV shows, movies, and webcomics. In 2024, she was awarded the Winifred E. Brownell Fine Arts Scholarship and is currently interning at Hera Gallery in Wakefield. She also creates digital thumbnails for the YouTube channel Pixel Perfect. Julie has also been recognized for the Dean’s list in Fall 2024, and has become a member of the honor society in Spring 2025. Julie will graduate from the University of Rhode Island in May 2025 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Arts. She will continue her journey of using art as a powerful tool for connection and self-expression.

Artist Statement

Everyone has struggles and weaknesses, but we mask them from the outside world. Feelings are complex and can be misunderstood by those around us. Unnoticeable by others, our current emotional state can "color" our perception of life. I find that capturing how I feel in my artwork can help me voice what I can't say out loud, so I’ll let the colors speak for me. These are my biggest struggles. How do you perceive them?

Noli Gomes

Feeling allows us to truly live. Born and raised in Rhode Island, Noli Gomes always tended to feel very strongly. Working in both 2D and 3D mediums, they are able to translate emotional and physical feelings into their pieces; each work needs to be felt before they can consider it finished. 

Currently, their work focuses on their feelings around their identity as nonbinary, as well as the physical and mental stressors and fears associated with being queer in an increasingly divided society. They hope that the art that they create can connect with people, conveying some meaning that can’t quite be put into words, or at the very least making the viewer feel. 

Before graduating in May 2025 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Arts, they will complete an internship with Professor Zellers at the ceramic’s studio at CCRI. In 2025 they also received the Jesse M. Simmons Memorial Scholarship in Art. They will also have their first solo show, “Monsters of the Deep”, which was supported by the 24-25 URI Undergraduate Research Project grant. 

Artist Statement

“Breakthrough”

Having a body is horrifying, especially when it doesn’t feel like your own. If you were stuck

in a body that doesn’t agree with who you are, what lengths would you go to to fix it? If you

were stuck in a world that was not made for you, what would you do to break free from it? I

am not a stranger to these feelings of disconnect, and I aim to represent them in these

Works.

An empty, uncaring world almost consumes an uncanny human figure, just adjacent to

what a person “should” look like.

Their world is not kind to them.

Looking outwards, they notice a world that is different, one not as cold and dark.

Maybe this will be different.

They reach forward, pushing on the barrier between us.

Maybe this world will let me be different too.

Breaking through the canvas and into our world, they begin to crawl their way out.

Maybe this world can set me free.

This world will not be kind to them.

Karla Monterroza

Art is a philosophical act, a way to confront the ambiguity of existence and create meaning in a world that offers none. Karla Monterroza is a painter and sculptor based in Newport, Rhode Island. Her work explores the existential tension between our search for meaning and the recognition of its fragility in a world that feels broken. Through her practice, she reflects on the emotions of loss, isolation, and the events that shape our existence.

Karla's work intersects with existential philosophy to seek meaning in a world that often feels unrelenting and isolating. She is currently pursuing her studies in Studio Arts, Philosophy, and Chinese at the University of Rhode Island, where she will graduate in May 2025. 

Artist Statement

Karla Monterroza is a painter exploring the human condition through the tension between our search for meaning and the fragility of that pursuit. Her work meditates on disorientation and vulnerability when the familiar dissolves, confronting raw, unanswerable questions of existence. Rooted in existential philosophical inquiry, Karla draws from Nietzsche, Plato, and Aristotle to interrogate identity, freedom, and belonging in a fragmented world. Her figures inhabit liminal spaces—poised between connection and alienation, chaos and stability—mirroring the dualities of lived experience. Influenced by Francis Bacon’s visceral intensity, Anselm Kiefer’s layered narratives, and Ferdinand Hodler’s symbolic harmony, her paintings merge deeply personal introspection with universal resonance. Through the human form, she reveals the invisible struggles that shape our existence. By weaving philosophy into visual narratives, Karla invites viewers to contemplate their own uncertainties and search for meaning in an ever-shifting world.

Bryant Pablo

Bryant Pablo is a fine art oil painter based in Rhode Island. Throughout his childhood, he was always fascinated with nature, interiors, and the human figure and those early interests have an influence on his art. Today, most of his paintings explore how interiors and the natural world interact with the human subject. He mostly focuses on showcasing the beauty and simplicity of everyday life as well as narratives incorporated in his art.

He’s graduating from the University of Rhode Island in May 2025 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and being on the Dean’s list. After graduating, he’s interested in producing more work as a painter and exploring different creative endeavors that he’s interested in. 

Artist Statement

Two titles:

Appreciating nature. 

Contemplating in nature.

In this modern day, everything seems so fast paced. As we move forward in this world, sometimes we tend to forget the natural beauty that we’re surrounded with. These two paintings show that it is okay to slow down, breathe, take a step back, and immerse ourselves in nature. Whether it may be about contemplating the complex beauty of mother nature’s design or just appreciating nature as it is, it shows that you have allowed yourself to be captivated by the natural world and if life gets a bit overwhelming for you, nature is a great place that you can return to if you want to reflect and take things lightly.  

Megan Raleigh

Hello, my name is Megan Raleigh, and I was born and raised in Warwick, Rhode Island. I draw inspiration from music, nature, the human experience, and my pets – Mama, Benny, Stewie, and Minnie. Psychedelic late 1960s through early 1970s music and album covers have a significant influence on my work, especially Pink Floyd. Combined with my Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), it allows me to create intricately intertwined pieces, combining my ideas like vines creeping over a trellis—organized yet unpredictable

I am graduating from the University of Rhode Island with a BFA in Studio Art in the Fall of 2025. Since 2022, I have been running my small jewelry business, participating local craft fairs including the Holiday Craft Show at CCRI, St. Mary’s Ladies Auxiliary Holiday Craft Fair, and WestBay RI Holiday Bazaar.

Artist Statement

Transitions—both in nature and in life—have always inspired me. The shift from winter to spring requires energy, preparation, and release, much like my own transformation after leaving an abusive relationship nearly a year ago. I deeply relate to nature’s struggle to survive the harsh winter and its seemingly effortless bloom in spring. This process mirrors my own journey— breaking through, growing, and shedding past protections, from a seed to a bud to a flower.

During this time, music was something I could relate to, especially Pink Floyd's Echoes. The song’s dynamic transitions inspire this piece.

Madeline Walsh

Madeline C. Walsh, Untitled (seed chorus, Pods #1-50), 2025, Red earthward clay & acrylic paint, $52 per pod, $850 large piece, or $3,450 as a set

Madeline Walsh is a formalist sculptor from South Kingstown, Rhode Island, whose passion for sculptural art has grown through years of exploring various mediums. Inspired by artists such as Paul Klee, Adam Silverman, and Brie Ruais, she draws from the organic and natural world to shape her work. Her primary medium, ceramics, allows her to feel connected to nature even within the studio, transforming raw earth into expressive, tactile forms. Madeline is dedicated to continuing her artistic practice, always exploring new techniques and deepening her connection to her work.

Madeline will graduate from the University of Rhode Island in May 2025 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Arts. Over the past year, she has worked as an intern at the University of Rhode Island Child Development Center, teaching art to preschoolers, and at Hera Gallery as a gallery assistant. Currently, she teaches art at Monsignor Clarke School, where she is excited to continue inspiring young artists and sharing her deep appreciation for creativity and the natural world. 

Artist Statement

My ceramic objects exist as they are, open to interpretation and appreciation in their pure form. I explore how shape, structure, and composition can stand independently as a narrative. The work is deeply rooted in my connection to nature and the organic world.  This is not driven by a specific idea or reference. Instead, it is inspired by the naturalistic world, and my pieces reflect that fascination with the forms that make up our world. My process is about experimenting with form and shape intuitively and finding the best way to refine and express them in my sculptures. I enjoy the simplicity of patterns and the natural formations created by the world around us. They exhibit the repetition and organic uniqueness of every aspect of nature. 

Emily Wheaton

Emily Wheaton is a Rhode Island-based artist specializing in oil and acrylic painting, with a distinctive focus on exploring human expression through color, texture, and body language. Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) with a minor in Art History at the University of Rhode Island, Emily’s academic journey has been enriched by international study programs in London and Paris, where she immersed herself in the art and architecture that continue to influence her work. A Talent Development Scholar, UNFI Endowed Fund for URI Art Students recipient  and recipient of several prestigious scholarships, she has also honed her skills through hands-on experience at the URI Fine Arts Gallery and Graphic Design Lab. Emily’s artistic path began with public art and mural projects in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, where she collaborated with Riverzedge Arts to create murals for schools, hospitals, and other community spaces. These formative experiences deepened her appreciation for art’s power to connect and communicate meaningful narratives. Today, she aims to create artwork that invites reflection and emotional engagement, whether through intimate canvases or large-scale murals. Looking to the future, Emily aspires to establish a gallery and creative space that nurtures community and fosters collaboration among passionate artists.

Artist Statement

In Bloom

This painting explores personal and social growth through the symbolism of the orchid. A towering, vivid orchid stretches across the canvas, its blossoms reaching outward. Beneath it, a woman strides confidently, applying lipstick, her red hair blending seamlessly into the flower’s stem. Her scarf billows behind her, suggesting motion and freedom. Drawing from the orchid’s historical associations with beauty, strength, and rarity, In Bloom reclaims these symbols to challenge traditional notions of femininity. Rather than fragile or ornamental, the woman embodies the dynamic force of nature—flourishing on her own terms, representing autonomy, transformation, and modern feminist empowerment.