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My HomeCourt: Lois Harada

September 20, 2022–
Ongoing

My HomeCourt 2022 at Davis Park with artwork by Lois Harada.

Davis Park, Providence, RI

Program Description:

Public Launch Event:
Featuring Community Partners
& Ribbon-Cutting by PVD Mayor Jorge Elorza
September 20, 2022 at Davis Park, 4:30 – 6pm

In September 2022, non-profit My HomeCourt [MHC] and Providence College Galleries [PCG], in collaboration with Providence Parks, will unveil a newly revitalized basketball court at Davis Park in the Smith Hill neighborhood of Providence. The court will feature a large-scale mural by renowned local artist Lois Harada.

Over the last several months, Harada, MHC and PCG have conducted surveys and held community outreach events with various neighborhood stakeholders, including the Friends of Davis Park, Nathanial Bishop Middle School, and the nearby Veterans Administration and hospital.

Harada’s artwork often employs the power of text to navigate histories, interrogates ideas, and frame responses to issues. Some of her most potent work centers on the internment of Japanese Americans during the Second World War. Of the upcoming 2022 My HomeCourt Lois says, “I’m excited to engage with the communities invested in Davis Park and create a living work that melds with the vibrant activity in the park. I’m looking forward to working with My HomeCourt and working on a project of this scale.”

My HomeCourt 2022: Lois Harada is curated by Kate McNamara, PCG Curator at Large.

About the Artist

Originally from Salt Lake City, Lois settled in Providence after graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Fine Arts, Printmaking (2010). Harada has exhibited her work across the United States and internationally. Her work is included in private collections as well as the RISD Museum.

Her practice is bolstered by residencies, and she is currently preparing for a five-week residency at Anderson Ranch in Colorado in the spring of 2022. She recently finished a seven-year term on the board of New Urban Arts, a nationally recognized free, arts drop-in program and a term as a city commissioner on the Art in City Life Commission serving the city of Providence.

Press Release

About My HomeCourt

My HomeCourt is an annual initiative that fosters community engagement through the revitalization of basketball courts and city parks facilitated by cutting-edge contemporary art. Every year, a Providence park with an outdoor, public basketball court is selected for renovation. Providence College Galleries then commissions an internationally renowned artist to design a ground mural for that court. The annual project culminates with the opening of a refreshed basketball court and large-scale colorful artwork for the community.

All My HomeCourt projects are curated by PCG staff and co-produced with Providence Parks and the My HomeCourt nonprofit, which is founded and supported by Providence College alumni and friends. Crucial support and help are provided by a rotating group of various community organizations, public and private funders, sponsors, partners, individual volunteers, and Providence College students, faculty, staff, and other alumni.

For information about individual My HomeCourt projects, please visit Collaborations → Upcoming, Current, or Past.

My HomeCourt: Lois Harada

September 20, 2022–Ongoing