The Power of Prints in Providence

Photography courtesy of Raynold Jacques Bidon.

Raynold Jacques Bidon looks at the drawers filled with wooden and metal letters in his Providence studio and sees endless possibilities.

Bidon, an offset and letterpress printer, uses his skills to create educational and inspirational artwork. “I believe in the power of printing to change just about anything,” says Bidon, who often goes by his middle name.

His art has been featured in exhibitions at Providence City Hall and Providence College, and several of his prints are in the RISD Museum’s permanent collection. Before opening his own studio last year, Bidon was a printing instructor at AS220; he still collaborates with the Providence nonprofit arts organization and resides in one of its live-work studios.

Photography courtesy of Raynold Jacques Bidon.

Print with quotes and images of notable figures in Black history are the first things one sees upon entering his Acorn Street workspace, Bidon Community Print and Design Studio.

“Nobody’s free until everybody’s free,” reads one attributed to civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer. Nearby hangs a print of an Octavia Butler quote: “The only lasting truth is change.” “Your silence will not protect you,” reads another, honoring writer Audre Lorde.

Bidon continues to teach classes from his new studio and works on projects with educators, including local Black studies scholar-activist Marco McWilliams. In addition, he offers his printing services to the community, making things like event programs, flyers and posters for businesses and individuals with his collection of equipment.

He was born in Haiti and as a child moved to the United States with his family; they  briefly lived in Brooklyn, New York, before settling in New Haven, Connecticut. He learned printing from his father, an author who made his own books. “He wrote them, and we printed them, if we wanted to eat,” says Bidon, who uses equipment passed down from his father.  

Photography courtesy of Raynold Jacques Bidon.

As a young adult, Bidon worked for a large commercial printing company in Connecticut. After many years there, he grew tired of the stress involved with corporate culture and eventually found his way to Providence and the opportunity at AS220.

Many of his artistic creations pop with layers of color, and he enjoys experimenting with printing on various textured materials.

Other works, including those from his George Stinney Project — displayed at the end of 2022 and early 2023 in Providence City Hall — use muted shades to achieve a vintage look. Stinney, a fourteen-year-old Black boy, was executed in the electric chair in 1944 after being accused of murdering two young girls in South Carolina. A judge vacated the case in 2014, saying Stinney had not received a fair trial. 

Photography courtesy of Raynold Jacques Bidon.

In Bidon’s view, bringing lesser known and unjust aspects of history to life through art offers opportunities for growth and learning.

“People ask me all the time why I do this work, and it’s because it’s necessary,” he says. “I think everybody should get the truth about their history. I’m saying, ‘let’s have the conversation.’ ” 3 Acorn St., Providence, 516-1157, jacquesoffset.com