- Visual Art
Matthew “Matthias” Barros
A born-and-raised Rhode Islander, Matthew “Matthias” Barros was well-known within the Foxpoint community not only for his visual arts contributions, but for his incredible “extrovertism” which earned him an “Avant-garde” status. Barros was the child of artists; his father plucked the guitar and his mother passed down her water colors. While he is well known for his modern art tendencies, hosting “The Fun of Oil Painting with Matt Barros,” (which broadcasted on local Providence television), he also studied traditional techniques under the master painter, Jose Cabral Martin of Lisbon, Portugal for 10 years. After years of military service, he returned to his local Cape Verdean community as a cultural activist and established an art gallery in Fox Point. As one of the founders and artistic directors of the Afro-Arts Center in Providence, Matthew has received several accolades for his adventurous activism, including: Cape Verdean Artist of the Year (1987) and was inducted into the Fox Point Hall of Fame. Further, he is a member of the Black Heritage Society of Rhode Island and Cape Verdean Artist League of RI & MA and has publications in African Contemporary Artist Catalog, Paris, France and Historical Guide to Cape Verdean Island.
He is survived by his grandchildren who plan to erect a gallery in his honor in the historic Cape Verdean neighborhood, Mt. Hope.
Digital Archive
Photograph of the painter Mathew Barros at his home in Providence, winter 2004.
Source: Underground Rhode Island Digital Archives
Photograph2004
Image Source (Top): - Underground Rhode Island Digital Archives - 2004