Inishowen artist
bound for Boston
13.03.25
MOVILLE artist Rikki van
den Berg travels to Boston, in just a few weeks’ time,
to exhibit her work at the Hopkinton Center for the Arts
(HCA) on March 25th. Rikki’s paintings are already on
their way across the Atlantic for the exhibition, which
will run until April 24th with an official opening
reception on April 4th.
Rikki says she’s excited to be making this US trip to
share her work with new audiences there. “Being invited
to exhibit my work at the Lotvin Family Gallery at the
HCA is a profound honour and feels almost surreal. It
has been a dream of mine for years to go to the US with
my work. And thanks to Lorelei Lotvin, founder of the
Lotvin Family Gallery, my dream has come true.”
Rikki says Lorelei walked into her studio-gallery in
Moville town one afternoon last summer. “She really
liked my work, and we got on very well. She is an artist
herself and kept in touch with me after she went back
home. A few months later, I got the invitation to
exhibit in Boston.”
“Since word got out that I’m exhibiting in Boston, I’ve
been overwhelmed by the incredible support from both the
local community here and the Irish community in Boston.
People at home have been wishing me the best for this
trip, and spreading the word to the US, which has been
really lovely. So, I hope to meet lots of Donegal people
while I am out there!” |
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Rikki getting ready to
send her paintings off to Boston. |
Rikki says it’s truly
inspiring to see the deep connection between Inishowen
and Boston. She’s been amazed by the excitement among
the Boston Irish and Donegal diaspora there that
paintings from their homeland are making their way
across the Atlantic. “The HCA team has been incredibly
supportive and generous in making this exhibition
happen. The Lotvin Family Gallery are fully funding the
transportation to Boston of 37 of my paintings for the
exhibition and ensuring everything runs smoothly. I’m
truly grateful for their dedication and belief in my
art.”
Rikki’s work is inspired by the wild and breathtaking
landscapes and seascapes of Inishowen. As a landscape
painter and expressionist, she is drawn to what she
describes as the ‘raw beauty’ of this region.
Rikki's work was featured in Irish Wave 3 in Beijing in
2012 and she returned to China in 2023 for the St
Brigid’s Well Exhibition. She received the Tyrone
Guthrie Residency Award twice (2016) and the McKenna
Arts Award (2022) for her collaboration with Echo Echo
Dance Theatre. Selected for the Royal Hibernian Academy
Annual Show (2017), she gained recognition as a
landscape artist. In 2024, she was nominated for the
Richardson French Residency Award for the third time.
Sarah Alexander, Director of the Lotvin Family Gallery
at the HCA says they are honoured “to host the ethereal
and beautiful paintings of Rikki Van Den Berg in our
gallery. We’re excited to see her work displayed
alongside American artist Marcia Wise. The two artists
have a formed truly remarkable connection as they’ve
worked on the creation of this exhibit.”
Entry to view the exhibition is free. For more details
visit the HCA website at
www.hopartscenter.org or contact Rikki at
info@rikkivandenberg.com . |
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