Rice Polak Gallery Presents Second Exhibition of Summer 2026
The Rice Polak Gallery is excited to announce our second exhibition of the 2026 season. We will be presenting three one person exhibitions, featuring the work of Nick Patten, Sean Thomas & Michael R. Mills.
The show previews on – Thursday July 16th and runs through Wednesday July 29th. The Opening Reception is on Friday July 17th beginning at 7pm. We’d love to see you at the gallery.
“What I have always wanted to do in my paintings is create images of spaces that are timeless yet isolate the moment and heighten the visual impact made upon me at the time. These rooms that I was exploring are over 200 years old, but I know the look of them has changed depending on who lived there. That focus is where I found the freedom to use my vision and pursue the images to suit my aesthetic.
As I did for my show in 2024 I focused on one historic home in Provincetown.
This house was built in 1789 for a Provincetown Sea captain. The present owner has honored the history, leaving intact the vintage wallpaper and the original flooring. Many doors have distressed paint and walls that seem to breathe.
From the antiques to the patina of aged surfaces combined with the outer Cape light falling through the windows I had everything I could have hoped for in subject matter. I was swept up in the idea of age, the stories and what had taken place there over so many years. Remnants from lives lived is what I see in empty rooms. That is probably why I don’t include people. People bring a narrative and I don’t try to create narratives…I want what’s beyond narrative and resides in the place itself.
The paintings I’ve made of this house have been most challenging in ways that I hadn’t anticipated. I’ve drifted into a new palette and I believe a deeper understanding of painting light…my true passion”.
Oil painter, Sean Thomas’ works are his response to the relationship between the artificial and natural environment. Drawing from subject matter such as industrial complexes and expressways he utilizes paint to shift the various tensions that exist within these commonplace environments in order to distort their context. Considerations are made in the design, layering, and mark making to manipulate the perception of how our manufactured surroundings and natural phenomena coexist. Sean filters the engineered precision of straight lines and repetition through atmosphere, time, and decay to construct a newly edited balance. Sean graduated from RISD and is the recipient of the RISCA Fellowship for painting.
“This series of paintings is derived from references of the built environment. I see a direct correlation between engineered landscapes and the manipulation of the painting surface; creating a vocabulary of layered material, atmosphere, and time.”
Michael R. Mills is a self-taught representational artist residing on Cape Cod. His focus is on beautifully composed still life paintings characterized by balanced compositions and refined brushwork which reflects his fascination for design and craftsmanship. His paintings often feature a variety of natural objects like fruit and flowers that playfully utilize the contrast of light and shadows to create drama and interest.
“These still life paintings grew out of a desire to slow down and find comfort in observing the quiet beauty of everyday objects.Through close attention to light, color, and composition, I aim to transform familiar scenes into something reflective and nostalgic. These paintings are an invitation to slow down, look more carefully, and find moments of calm within an increasingly fast and distracted world.”
The gallery is now open daily, Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings, online and of course by appointment. Please visit our website where you now purchase artwork directly online. And if you are in town this Friday please stop by the gallery and experience this wonderful show in person.
Marla
Please email or give me a call at 508-487-1052 with any questions or inquiries.