Photographer: Leiyana Simone
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Ariel Tavares believes in the power of prayer, the power of words, the power of people, the power of imagination, and the power of a lil sweet treat after a meal.
Born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island, she was sustained by a big family of cousins & pots of Cape Verdean dishes handmade by a line of heavy-handed, love-filled immigrant matriarchs who shaped her work ethic, commitment to community, and love for yellow porches. Ariel is a multimedia artist and performer who uses a range of mediums, including poetry, photography, collaging, crafting, event curation & digital art. Her work explores the question of "What If?" a question that drives her artistic practice, sometimes outfit choices, and most importantly, her spirituality, which is the source of her inspiration. For Ariel, art & creativity are a means of personal and collective liberation. Ariel is a past alum of the 2024 Graduate Hotel Sweet Dreams Society Residency, where her Garden of Dreams Exhibition received an official citation from the State of Rhode Island. She completed the Creative Reuse Center of RI’s Barbara Grandis Artist Residency, the 2025-2026 Waterfire Accelerate Program and recently won the Motif 2025 Spoken Word: Free Verse Poet Award. |