Launch at Gail Cahalan Gallery, situated at Providence Piers, is a program designed by Andrea Valentini, to bridge RISD students and recent graduates with the local community as an initial public viewing. Named specifically for its port side location, Launch features the work of RISD students from all disciplines of fine art and design and is intended to transition senior and post-graduate student work from campus to community. A percentage of sales from the gallery will be donated toward a RISD scholarship fund for Rhode Island high school students.


about Gail Cahalan

Gail and her husband Dr. Patrick Conley, have generously donated the gallery space to Launch at GCG, helping to insure its long term success as the commercial real estate market in Providence continues to be more and more cost prohibitive for artistic venues.

Andrea Valentini is a renowned Rhode Island-based artist/designer of sculptural furniture, textiles, bags, jewelry and lighting. Her work highlights the transformation of industrial related materials into sensual functional objects. Collections are sold at exclusive retail stores and galleries such as the MOMA Design Store; Takashimaya both in New York City; Bloomingdales, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts; and the RISD Museum Store, Providence. Her work has appeared in galleries and museums in the US, Europe, and Asia.

Andrea received both Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Interior Architecture degrees from the Rhode Island School of Design. She is a state appointed official of the Rhode Island State Council for the Arts and is a member of the International Design Network Foundation. In 2003, she was chosen by the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum for their Triennial "Inside Design Now” and was nominated for best product design of her Coosh Egg Chair in 2003 by Cooper- Hewitt.