NAPLES ART STUDIOS

Richard W. Rosen

In 2006, Richard W. Rosen founded what is known today as the Naples Art District.

Living in the Philadelphia area as a child, one of his favorite activities was visiting his grandparents in the city. These visits were a feast for the senses full of excitement, sounds and colors from the many cars, clanging trolleys and diverse people. Tall buildings, crowded train yards and long bridges crossing rivers further inspired Rosen.

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Entwined with the man-made systems was nature in the form of beautiful parks and gardens; his grandparents always had colorful flowers in the small garden in front of their row house. As Rosen matured, his appreciation grew for the complex relationship between the manmade and nature.
Artistically, Rosen finds inspiration in the works of Calder, Hofmann, Kandinsky and Miro. His artwork combines sculpture and painting and, in the case of wall pieces, woodworking as well. Rosen’s varied life experiences are reflected in this art. His travels, the people he’s met and world events help form the themes in his work. As we are all affected by our environment, Rosen’s hand-built clay and mixed media constructions are affected by his observations. His work evolves intuitively and is inspired by shapes, textures and colors in nature and in man-made forms. For instance, he finds organic and geometric abstract images in clouds, rocks, trees and city skylines. Dreamlike imaginary elements and exotic images also serve as inspiration for Rosen’s work. His desire to challenge shape is enhanced by a passion for color. Rosen wants his art to be stimulating as well as fun for the observer. Since the work is open to interpretation, viewers are encouraged to use their imagination while enjoying and contemplating it.

Prior to beginning a new work, Rosen uses a conceptual approach to visualize his ideas. The freedom to improvise and allow for the natural flow of ideas is essential. He is inspired by listening to a variety of music as he works in the studio. Hand-building clay allows him to create in a very natural, tactile way that is both calming and therapeutic. Found objects and free-hand techniques are used to create textures and shapes. After the piece has dried, it is bisque-fired; in his more recent series, Rosen has opted to complete the work at this step. In other series, he is known to follow the bisque-firing with the application of underglazes and glazes which are finely ground colored glass acting as the means to “paint” the clay with color. Then, most pieces are fired again using contemporary raku firing methods which add an element of surprise and spontaneity due to the unpredictable reactions of the clay and glazes. These reactions often result in dramatic cracking and brilliant colorful metallic effects. The raku firing process dates back to 16th century Japan when it was used to produce simple, yet refined, bowls for the Zen Buddhist tea ceremony; the raku symbol generally represents the concepts of enjoyment, happiness, pleasure and quiet. To finish the piece, Rosen utilizes acrylic paints, resins and a variety of mixed media.

Rosen’s work, which is collected internationally, is represented in the Naples Art District
at NAPLES ART STUDIOS.

See Richard's Work

JURIED ART SHOWS AND GALLERIES
2023 – NAPLES ART STUDIOS, Naples, FL
2022 – NAPLES ART STUDIOS, Naples, FL
2021 – Rosen Gallery & Studios, Naples, FL
2021 – Silver Eagle Gallery, Naples, FL
2021 – Casa | Art | Studio, Naples, FL
2017 – Sweet Art Gallery, Naples, FL
2014 – Houshang Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2014 – Naples (Baker) Museum of Art, Philharmonic Center for the Arts (Artis-Naples), Collector’s Corner Gallery, Naples, FL
2011 – Art Fusion Gallery, Miami Design District, Miami, FL
2011 – Art in the Park Juried Shows, Naples Art Institute

EDUCATOR
2011 – Present – NAPLES ART STUDIOS, “Clay Hand Building & Raku Firing Techniques”; “Taste of Raku”
2010 – 2014 – Center for the Arts of Marco Island, “Young Artist Academy”, “Taste of Raku” workshops
JUDGE
2017 – 2019 – Naples National Art Festival, Naples, FL
JUROR
2015 – ArtFest Fort Myers, Fort Myers, FL
2004 – 2021 – Naples Art Institute, Naples, FL
2007 – Collier County Government, Naples, FL

EDUCATION

B.A., Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS, AWARDS & WORKSHOPS
2018 – Marco Island Center For The Arts, “East Meets West”, Featured Artist, Marco Island, FL
2015 – BIG ARTS Phillips Gallery Exhibition, Florida Artist Group – Area VII, Featured Artist, Sanibel, FL
2014 – CAPA Art Forms – “Sculpture 2014”, Featured Artist, Naples, FL
2014 – Sweet Art Gallery, “Sculpted”, Featured Artist, Naples, FL
2014 – Alliance For The Arts, Fort Myers, FL, “FLAG 7 Exhibition”
(Florida Artist Group), Featured Artist
2013 – Naples (Baker) Museum of Art, “Incognito”, Naples, FL
2012 – Florida Gulf Coast University, Stoneware Sculpture Workshop Instructor
2011 – Cornell Museum of Art, Statewide Exhibition, Florida Artist
Group, Delray Beach, FL
2009 – Naples Art Institute, 30th Annual Naples National Art Festival, Best of Show (Judge – Richard Tooke formerly 35 years with Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York), Naples, FL
2008 – Boca Raton Museum of Art, Biennial Exhibition
2007 – BIG ARTS Founders Gallery Exhibition, Featured Artist, Sanibel, FL
2007 – Ringling School of Art & Design, Selby Gallery, Florida Artist
Group – Area III Juried Exhibition, Sarasota, FL
2007 – Museum of Arts & Sciences, 57th Florida Artist Group Exhibition, Best of Show (Juror – Renowned “American Arts Quarterly” Art Critic Donald Kuspit, “Kuspit is one of America’s most distinguished art critics” – Wikipedia), Daytona Beach, FL
2006 – Naples Art Institute, 45th Founders Juried Awards
Exhibition, Sculpture Honorable Mention, (Juror – Artist Faith Ringgold), Naples, FL
2006 – Naples (Baker) Museum of Art, 11th Annual Artists Studio Tour, Featured Artist, Naples, FL
2006 – Marco Island Center for the Arts 35th Annual National Juried Fine Art Festival, 1st Place, Marco Island, FL
2005 – Marco Island Center for the Arts, “Art A Fair” Juried Gallery Exhibit, 2nd Place, Marco Island, FL