In 2019, life and business partners Spocka Summa and Casandra (Cas) Inez founded Public PVD to serve as an art gallery, performance venue, and creative gathering space. It quickly outgrew its 800-square-foot home on Sims Avenue, and this September saw the grand reopening of Public in a larger, 3,400-square-foot spot on Agnes Street in Olneyville. “The larger space gives us more opportunity to engage with the community and offer more programming,” Summa explains.
From hosting events and functioning as an art gallery to incorporating a shop and maker areas, Public aims to be many things for many people. In their original location, Inez and Summa tried to run all of that programming out of one room, which came with a lot of challenges. “We weren’t able to do multiple things at once,” Summa says. “We wanted to do more workshops, but were limited by gallery hours. Now we have dedicated space for each type of programming. This expansion has allowed us room to breathe.”
Summa describes the aesthetic in the new location as safe, homey, and hospitable. “Some art galleries feel cold and austere,” he says. “We didn’t want our space to feel intimidating.” Summa and Inez, both artists themselves, not only made sure their personalities are evident in the design, but also ensured it represents the community it serves with a colorful palette and nods to different cultures.
“I’m Nigerian and Cas is Guatemalan, and we try to bring our background into the space,” Summa explains. The two knew each other in high school, and as kids they experienced similar challenges that they’re doing their part to solve. “When we were growing up here, we never felt that there was a space that represented us, and we feel like representation is very important. Incorporating different cultures into our design is a good way to let people know they’re invited into our space. When artists are trying to find a home or community, they’ll be more likely to gravitate toward something that speaks to them.”
The new location is divided into three
intentionally designed areas. The maker space is home to a rotating cast of local artists who will teach workshops, as well as five artists who will create from there. The gallery is where work from local artists of all skill levels and mediums will be on display. Lastly is a retail shop where local artists sell a little bit of everything, from clothing and books to prints and stickers. Summa and Inez curate the shop by seeking local artists through social media and via applications. “The artists featured are mostly from Providence, but we also accept artists from other areas,” Summa explains. Sometimes, artists in the gallery or workshop might also sell their creations in the shop in a process Summa describes as a farm-to-table approach to art. “We’ve created an ecosystem where artists can create, display, and sell their work.”
Summa and Inez are particularly excited about having enough room to hold more workshops, and have a few in the works on making zines, screenprinting, and block printing, as well as the possibility of ceramics and form building. The majority of the workshops are open to all ages, and are all artist-led. Artists apply to lead workshops and if they’re accepted, the couple helps them build their program, with a primary focus is on welcoming Providence artists to teach workshops, but Public is open to artists from across the globe.
The industrious pair are cautious, however, about not packing their calendar too tightly because they want to leave Public open on occasion for events, such as open mic, movie, and poetry nights, and for locals to host their own gatherings. Another big focus is on what they call “community builds,” which aim to construct bridges between
macrocosmic happenings and the neighborhood. “We look at things happening in the world, and address them through programming,” Summa explains. Public will host events like protest sign making or they might teach people how to plant their own garden. “We’re interested in anything that can bring families together to engage in things that spark not only conversation, but learning.”
Public’s mission of intentionally and respectfully representing its community, supporting and giving a physical location to emerging and established artists, and bringing people together for education, collaboration, and dialogue is a lofty one, particularly considering the
couple behind it is doing all this while raising two small children and engaging in their own creative pursuits. But that’s truly what keeps the pair committed. “Our motivation is creating space for people in our community, but also for ourselves. We want to be able to do the things we love and create programming we think our neighborhood needs while adding our take to it,” Summa says. “Knowing we can evolve this space to contribute to the culture and leave our own thumbprint on Rhode Island’s landscape is a major drive.”
50 Agnes Street
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