Gail F. Whitsitt-Lynch

Gail F. Whitsitt-Lynch, 68, passed away Saturday, September 2, 2017 at Philip Hulitar Hospice and Palliative Care Center. She is survived by her husband, Frank Whitsitt-Lynch, two sons, Jesse Whitsitt- Lynch of East Providence, Crandon Whitsitt-Lynch of Pawtucket, and one brother, R. Craig Whitsitt. Born in Yonkers, NY, she was the daughter of Robert C. and Althine F. (Crandon) Whitsitt. She was an alumni of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and received an advanced degree from Rhode Island College. Gail was an award-winning professional artist working in diverse media including stone, wood, and ink, and a tireless and innovative art educator for students of all ages. Her public art installations include pieces at Roger Williams Park, Hasbro Children’s Hospital, and Saint Sebastian’s Parish in Providence. Prominent themes of her work included capturing the dynamic forms of nature-in-motion, exploring the presentation of abstract concepts through concrete shapes and images, and expressing universal human experiences. Gail taught sculpture and other courses at RISD for many years, and later served as an administrator of RISD’s pre-college and summer programs. She believed that the only real impediments to a person exploring their artistic talents were a lack of access and guidance, and consequently throughout her professional career she also taught as an artist-in-residence at several local public schools and community centers, inviting students of all ages and backgrounds to express themselves through sculpture and other media. In addition to introducing young people to art, helping elderly dementia and Alzheimer’s patients with art therapy was a particular passion. Gail sought to instill values of diversity, intellectual curiosity, and social justice in her children and championed these values tirelessly in her work and life. She was well-known among the friends of her children as a person whose door was always open and home always welcoming. She was an avid martial artist, a science fiction fan, and a music-lover of many genres. Her calling hours will be held on Saturday September 9, 2017 from 12-2PM followed by a funeral service at 2PM in the PERRY-McSTAY FUNERAL HOME 2555 Pawtucket Avenue, East Providence. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Gail’s memory may be made to AS220, donations in memory of Gail will support young artists to utilize resources in AS220’s Printshop, Media Arts and Fab Lab to further develop their practice. https://as220.org/gail/