The Rhode Island Historical Society invites the public to view its latest temporary exhibit, The Girl of My Dreams, Sylvia: A 19th Century Life from artist Stacy Morrison now on display in the RIHS’s museum at the John Brown House.
The exhibit features the contents from a small 19th-century trunk discarded on a New York City street Morrison encountered twenty years ago that once belonged to Sylvia DeWolf Ostrander (1841-1925), a member of the prominent DeWolf family. Inspired by the remnants of her life left behind, Morrison has been on a quest to reimagine Sylvia’s life through photography, painting and textiles that blur the past and present. The result is a microhistory that brings to life a Victorian woman’s forgotten story.
The Girl of My Dreams, now open at the John Brown House located at 52 Power Street in Providence, will be open through August 2025. General admission costs $10 per person and is free for RIHS members, other discounts are available.
The Museum is open Tuesday-Friday from 1-4pm and Saturdays 10am-4pm. Museum tickets are available here.
Stacy Renee Morrison is a visual artist who often forgets what century she is in. In her blurriness between the 19th century and 21st century she finds herself haunted by women who lived their lives well before her own and creates visual biographies of them. When she is fully present in the 21st century Stacy teaches in the MFA Visual Narrative, BFA Photography and Video, and Humanities and Sciences Departments at School of Visual Arts in New York City. She never misses an opportunity to dress up as a 19th century woman. To learn more about Stacy Renee Morrison, please visit her website.