Art professor leads state-wide effort to showcase work of local animators
Art professor leads state-wide effort to showcase work of local animators
Jan. 24, 2020
Community College of Rhode Island Adjunct Art Professor Brian O’Malley has curated
a public screening for a group of independent animators next month, allowing them
the opportunity to showcase their work to new audiences in a fresh, cinematic landscape.
The inaugural screening of O’Malley’s newly-formed Rhode Island Independent Animators
(RIIA) collaborative – titled Rhode Island Independent Animators Shorts – is Thursday,
February 6 at the Jamestown Arts Center in Jamestown, RI, featuring short films from
10 animators, all of whom live and work in Rhode Island. This is the first of four
screenings O’Malley is planning for 2020. The films range in length from 77 seconds
to more than 10 minutes and will be condensed into one feature film for viewing.
O’Malley, who is also one of the contributing animators alongside colleague and adjunct
CCRI Art Professor Mara Trachtenberg, developed the concept as an outlet for independent
artists with little to no budget looking for new ways to network, share ideas and
present their films to a larger audience. O’Malley hopes the series, which he is planning
on a biannual basis, will help expand the growing short animated film culture, particularly
in Rhode Island. This year’s theme is transcendence.
“What happens when you make a short film is it doesn’t always get a lot of play,”
said O’Malley, who both developed the concept for the RIIA and sought submissions
from colleagues and local artists. “I thought to myself, ‘Why not get together with
a group of animators, get a bunch of short films together in one timeline and see
where it takes us?’
Tickets for the February 6 screening are $10 at the door and online. Additional contributors
include: Academy Award-nominated director Daniel Sousa; renowned experimental filmmaker
and Guggenheim Fellow Steve Subotnick; Providence-based directors Joel Orloff and
Riley Thompson; Providence native and emerging animator Emily London; Hayley Morris,
the owner and operator of Shape & Shadow Studies in Providence; and Academy Award-nominated
animators Ru Kuwahata and Max Porter, who collaborated on the 2017 film Negative Space.
Animation covers a variety of mediums from standard cartoon drawings to more contemporary
forms such as computer-generated imagery (CGI) and stop-motion animation, the latter
in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments to create the illusion
of independent motion.
O’Malley, a Providence native and recipient of the 2016 Rhode Island State Council
on the Arts Fellowship in Film and Video, co-created La vuelta de la polilla/ the
return of the moth with Daniel Penengo, a short film featuring O’Malley’s watercolor
and graphite paintings. The collaborative piece will premiere February 6. O’Malley
teaches Drawing, Color, and 2D Design at CCRI.
“We could sit down and watch it right now a small screen or smartphone, but when you
go into a big, dark room, it’s cinematic,” O’Malley said. “Sitting in this space with
a good gathering of people takes it to a different level. You become immersed in the
visuals.”
Trachtenberg, a Wakefield resident who teaches Photography and Digital Art at CCRI,
used stop-motion animation to create her 10-minute, 15-second film The Floating Hope
of the Winged Elephantine, which also premieres at the Jamestown screening.
“This feels like the [Academy Awards] to me,” Trachtenberg said. “I’ve shown my pieces
in many galleries, but to witness this on a big screen with powerful speakers in a
non-gallery setting is going to be interesting. It’s a whole new world.”
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On Thursday, May 15, 2025, the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) celebrated a milestone achievement: its 60th Commencement Ceremony. Held at the Amica Mutual Pavilion, the event marked the culmination of CCRI’s year-long diamond anniversary celebration and was a stirring tribute to six decades of transformation, opportunity, and achievement for Rhode Islanders.
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The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) softball team is headed back to the NJCAA Division III Softball World Series for the second consecutive season following another remarkable run in 2025. With a 19-7 overall record, CCRI is currently ranked No. 6 in the NJCAA Division III national poll and will represent the Northeast District and Region XXI at the World Series, held May 21–24 at Carrier Park in Dewitt, NY.
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Ten student-athletes from the Community College of Rhode Island were honored last week for their athletic and academic achievements as part of the annual Scholar-Athlete Awards held in House Chamber of the Rhode Island State House. The Legislative Awards are designed to provide public recognition for student-athletes from CCRI, Rhode Island College, and the University of Rhode Island for significant achievements in their academic and athletic pursuits. The honorees have also demonstrated exemplary citizenship and community service.
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The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) and Rhode Island College (RIC) are proud to announce the launch of a new, fully online Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-to-BSN) program. This innovative partnership offers CCRI nursing graduates a seamless, affordable, and flexible pathway to earn their BSN while delivering the academic rigor and clinical relevance that Rhode Island’s healthcare system demands.
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The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) has partnered with United Way of Rhode Island to establish a 211 satellite office on CCRI’s Warwick campus, expanding access to essential community resources for students. This collaboration underscores CCRI’s ongoing commitment to removing barriers to student success and ensuring students have the support they need to thrive both in and out of the classroom.
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The Community College of Rhode Island and Rhode Island Energy are teaming up to offer a free exploratory program designed to give participants a window into the growing utilities industry.
Introduction to Utilities – free to anyone who meets eligibility requirements through funding from Rhode Island Energy – is a seven-hour introductory course that provides participants with foundational skills and knowledge to explore career pathways within the utilities sector, specifically with Rhode Island Energy.
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Warwick, RI – The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) proudly announces that four distinguished faculty members have been recognized with the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Awards. The recipients, honored for their exceptional dedication to student success and academic excellence
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Warwick, RI – The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) is proud to announce that it has been designated a Military Friendly® School for the fourth consecutive year, achieving Gold status for the first time during the 2025–2026 academic year. This prestigious recognition underscores CCRI's unwavering commitment to supporting military service members, veterans, and their families.
CCRI Celebrates First Cohort of MC3 Graduates, Expands Apprenticeship Readiness Program to Providence and Newport Campuses
April 08, 2025
WARWICK, RI – The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) proudly celebrates the graduation of its first cohort of the Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (MC3) Apprenticeship Readiness Program, marking a significant milestone in the college’s commitment to expanding career pathways in the skilled trades. The graduation ceremony took place on Thursday, April 3, at 3:30 p.m. at CCRI’s Warwick Campus.
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March 31, 2025
The CCRI Dental Hygiene Clinic’s upcoming Sealant and Fluoride Community Day on Friday, April 25, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Lincoln Campus will provide free dental sealants and fluoride treatments for children and teens ages 6 to 17. The event will be led by CCRI’s dental hygiene students, who will provide preventative care under the supervision of licensed professionals.
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Warwick, RI- Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) student and Warwick resident, Lucas Johnson, has been named a 2025 New Century Transfer Scholar and will receive a $2,250 scholarship.
