New Public Art Installed at RIC
The Rhode Island State Council of the Arts (RISCA) commissioned artist Edwin “Ed” Andrews to create “Full Circle,” a public art piece, for Rhode Island College. It was installed in November 2025 on the south exterior wall of Craig-Lee Hall. It is one of seven public art pieces at RIC commissioned by RISCA.
The sculpture, which is made of aluminum, automotive paint and LED lighting, is 43 feet high and 13 feet wide. Andrews says his creation embodies the academic journey of students.
“The narrow form at the base represents a young mind entering an academic community,” he says. “With each phase, the sculpture expands as it encounters new ideas, disciplines and perspectives. The intersecting arcs of color on both sides symbolize profound philosophies and schools of thought. The uppermost circle represents a fully developed mind – a full circle equipped with a broader perspective and prepared to ascend toward a new future.”
A former art and design professor at Northeastern University, Andrews is known for producing sculptures that incorporate light and movement. He has exhibited nationally and received awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ford Foundation and regional and state art commissions.
From Jan. 20 to Feb. 6, his collection of metal wall sculptures will be on exhibit at RIC’s Bannister Gallery. Titled “Stratified Structures,” the show will feature free-standing and wall-mounted work, some cut out of brass.
RIC Professor of Art Natasha Seaman, who served on the RISCA panel that selected Andrews, says his art displays excellent craftsmanship.
“His choice of adorning a somewhat monotonous exterior wall, where his sculpture would be visible for everyone enroute from the art building to the quad, stood out for me,” she says. “I also liked his work’s high degree of craft, the effective use of color and materials and his concept. I knew it would be an artwork that our studio students could appreciate and learn from.”
RIC Professor of Art Bill Martin, who is curating Andrews’ Bannister exhibition, says his advanced sculpture students were thrilled to recently visit Andrews’ art space.
"I took my class to his studio in Glocester, where he has a CNC metal plasma cutter to create his pieces,” Martin says. “I’m trying to get more digital fabrication tools in our college studio, so it was nice for students to see how they’re being used.”
Andrews says it was energizing working with RIC students.
“I have always valued students who have established strong foundational skills and are beginning to explore their ideas and artistic voices,” he says.
Martin says he thinks “Full Circle” will become a landmark. “The lighting on the sculpture is nice to see at night, especially since we don’t have many lighted sculptures on campus.”
Lighting is only one among many types of source material Andrews employs.
“In the past I have incorporated water, wind, sound and kinetics as elements to create objects and visual systems that respond to and interact with the world around them,” he says.
Andrews earned his B.F.A. and M.F.A. in sculpture. His work is held in the collections of a wide range of public institutions, including libraries, a museum and Boston Children’s Hospital. Among his commissions is an installation at Boston’s Logan Airport, and he exhibits frequently at galleries and museums in Massachusetts.