Beyond the Brush – Rebekah Cook’s Children & Adult Studio Gallery Opening 10/28/25 TUE 5-7:30PM

Ten artists, ranging from a Westerly High student and a CCRI student to a 63-year-old retiree, have all found a place at Rebekah Cook’s studio in Wakefield to express themselves through art. These talented artists get assistance through Perspectives, Trudeau or Fogarty Center. We hope you’ll enjoy their visions.

Shauna Corriea, 34, graduated from EWG High and lives with her parents in Exeter. She loves her art lessons with the amazing Rebekah Cook that started on FaceTime during Covid. She really likes Rebekah’s dog Rockwell. She frequently rides her tandem bicycle around South County. Shauna works at Pier Cleaners and gets help there and in the community from Perspectives agency.

Colton A. is a 17-year-old student at Westerly High School. Some of his favorite things to draw are power lines, cartoon people and animals. He’s been taking lessons with Rebekah for a year. He’s been exploring different jobs at Rios, Fresh Cup, McQuade’s and Ozzo.

Kara Allen, 24, is a Westerly native and graduate of Westerly High School and the Transition Academy. Kara’s love of the arts (painting, drawing, sculpting, music, dancing and performing) started at a young age. She started taking art lessons from Ms. Rebekah in 2021 while still in the Transition Academy. Her creativity and imagination are evident in all her artwork which consists mostly of characters and creatures from her imagination.

Andy Cote, 27, is from Wakefield. She’s studying for her associate’s degree at CCRI, and then plans to study Environmental Science at URI. She works part-time at Ocean State Job Lot. Andy, who has been taking art classes with Rebekah Cook since September 2022, draws much of her inspiration for my work from nature. She thanks the Fogarty Center for enabling her to take part in Rebekah Cook’s art classes, as well as cooking and yoga classes.

Katie Gardiner, 28, lives in Wakefield with her parents. She graduated from Bradley School and works at Marshalls. She’s on the South County Sting Ray team for Special Olympics, and competes in track and bowling. Painting is her favorite part of classes with Rebekah Cook.

Jonathan Garvey, 63, is a lifelong resident of South County. The South Kingstown High School graduate is now retired after 35 years as a dishwasher for South County Hospital. Jonathan has long enjoyed the arts. As a teen, he created remarkable clay works, including replicas of Star Wars’ Millennium Falcon and the Star Destroyer. He moved into painting in classes with artist Rebekah Cook. An avid theater lover, Jon is also a seasoned performer with G.E.A.R (Give Everyone A Role) Productions in Wakefield.

Julianna P., 24, is a graduate of South Kingstown high school. She loves to create in Rebecca‘s art studio, painting and making clay masterpieces. When not in the studio, Julianna likes to attend a day program, listen to music, bake, and spend time with her family and her friends.

Chris Stanton, 31, was born in Sugarland, Texas, then lived in North Carolina, then Georgia before moving with his parents and sister to RI in 2015. He started art classes while living in Georgia and now goes to Rebekah Cook’s studio. His artwork shows his keen interest in dinosaurs and dragons and especially in Disney— all the villains and the princesses. He loves to travel and, of course, has been to Disney World and Universal Studios.

Suzanne Wyss has lived in North Kingstown and South Kingstown and went to NKHS. She goes to Rebekah Cook’s art class on Thursdays and competes on the South County StingRays team for Special Olympics. She loves Taylor Swift, Daughtry, Nickelback, and her nails.

Beyond the Brush also features work by Masha Gentile.

Having found a wonderful accepting space to grow and express themselves through art, Rebekah Cook’s studio in Wakefield has proven to be a new art home for these fine artists. The Courthouse is excited to showcase their amazing talents. This will be their first gallery opening. It proudly runs on Tuesday, October 28, from 5pm to 7:30pm. Art will be available for sale and viewing. A special thanks to Anne Peters for putting this together for the artists and Rebekah.