A museum is supposed to be quiet. It’s common to hear people say, “Shhh,” to hush any noise that might disturb visitors perusing artwork — such as paintings and sculptures — in a moment of internal peace and quiet. Of course, modern-day vibes are constantly shifting these old-school habits.

Take the Warren Town Hall, for instance, which recently opened an art exhibit to the public. Not only is the exhibit free — since the building is a public space — but it also breaks from the traditional way of viewing art.

This is a town hall. Meetings are taking place, people are coming in to ask questions or request documents, and employees are going about their daily tasks. It’s an entirely new way to experience art — amidst the hustle and bustle, the noise and shuffle of the building’s daily happenings. 

During a walk-through of the exhibit with Elizabeth O’Connell, a member of the Warren Arts and Cultural Commission, the meeting room was filled with loud voices talking in jolly tones about town business. “And that’s Brian Sullivan, our town manager right there coming out of the meeting. I have to say that he has been such an inspiration to us,” O’Connell said, pointing him out from the crowd of people shuffling out of the room. 

This is the very room where it all began, and its walls are now covered in the art that the town cried out for during that initial meeting, when the idea of bringing art to the Warren Town Hall was first discussed. O’Connell recalled, “We had a meeting with the artists in Warren and just asked them, ‘What would you like to see?,’ and they said what they wanted was some recognition from the town.”

A spiral of occurrences emanated from that moment. Then, Town Planner Bob Rulli helped to begin the Warren Arts and Culture Commission and arranged for an empty storefront on Child Street to be used to display art. O’Connell said, “It later moved to Federal Hill Pizza, on Main Street, who hosted three more ‘window shopping’ exhibits over another year, and then when that was no longer available, it was suggested to make a permanent art gallery at the Warren Town Hall.”

After acknowledging the time and effort spent on the project of making the art exhibit possible at the Warren Town Hall, she added exuberantly, “It's been an exciting year.” 

A walk through 

The art exhibit on the second floor begins at the top of the staircase, with a rather unique display curated by Michael Marino — a lifelong Warren resident. His artwork consists of a collection of various antiques he has gathered throughout the years. Marino spoke about why he enjoys having his art on display and being present when people come to see it, saying, “I get emotional about it, sometimes.” 

He went on to share a story about one of his displays. He recollected, “One gentleman saw an old toaster in one of my displays and he asked me, ‘You know what I thought of when I saw that toaster?’ ” He told Marino that he thought about being dropped off at his grandparents’ house on Saturdays, and they had that same toaster — it just brought all those memories back for him. Marino shared, “I love it when people bring that kind of memory to my attention.” 

His work is displayed here through the summer, along with other pieces from various artists. And as it spans through July 4 (Independence Day), his piece is fittingly titled “Congratulations, USA.” 

His art is one of two three-dimensional pieces selected to be part of the first series in the rotating art exhibit. To find the second, visitors must turn the corner and pass the check-in counter, where there might be a line of people waiting to be served on town business (on any given day). Directly across from the check-in window is a wall featuring art from more Warren residents (submissions were limited to artists who live in or have a studio in Warren). 

“Anything goes, you know, as long as you are an artist residing in or have a studio in Warren, you could submit any type of art — from glass, sculptures, textiles, anything art-related,” O’Connell said. “But most of the pieces that were submitted were two-dimensional, except for Michael’s piece and this sculpture,” she added, pointing to a unique sculpture at the end of the hallway created by local artist Mark Wholey — titled “Within and Without.” 

Shaded in a deep blue, the sculpture appears to be a woman with one heart carved out of her chest and another heart — shaded in gold — sitting atop her head like a helium balloon, beckoning her upward. 

Turn right, and in the very room where this art exhibit was first conceived, the meeting room walls are adorned with more works from local artists in Warren. The noise level in the room depends on the day's business, but the art exhibit remains open to the public through September 2025, when a new collection will take its place — continuing this new approach to showcasing art in free, open spaces that belong to the community.