Paintings by James Kubiatowicz, including the The Exit, above, are part of an exhibit at the Providence Art Club.

The term “wearable art” may be of fairly recent vintage, but the sartorial insight behind it — that clothing can embody cultural traditions and ideals just as easily as paintings and sculptures — isn’t particularly new. A case in point is the Japanese kimono, a kind of wearable mural that can reflect everything from the changing seasons to the wearer’s social standing and marital status.

Through the end of the month, the Bannister Gallery at Rhode Island College is exhibiting about a dozen of these colorful and culture-rich garments, including several wedding kimonos (generally the most elaborate type). The show, which is titled simply “The Kimono,” is drawn from the collection of Hiromi Mikki Lima, president of the Providence-based Japan Language and Culture Center.

Though Lima’s collection focuses mainly on contemporary examples, the differences between newer and older kimonos probably won’t be visible to most viewers. That’s because kimonos, which date as far back as far the fifth century A.D., haven’t changed much over the past few centuries. In fact, the kimono as it exists today — a loose T-shaped robe that wraps around the body and is tied with a wide cloth belt, known as an obi — is largely a creation of Japan’s Edo period (1603-1857), the same era that produced the great ukiyo-e prints of Hokusai and Hiroshige. In that sense, the kimono is similar to the Western tuxedo — a fashion icon that is worn mainly for special occasions and, perhaps for that reason, rarely changes in appearance.

By contrast, the colors, scenes and patterns that adorn kimonos change constantly. One of the show’s most striking entries, for example, is a silk bridal kimono that was first dyed in vivid shades of red, white and green, then embroidered with shimmering array of good-luck symbols, including birds, fans and flowers. (Clearly, this kimono was made for a bride who wanted to get noticed.)

Other examples are only slightly less flamboyant. A bright red kimono is decorated with white cranes and chrysanthemums (both traditional symbols of good luck and long life). Another kimono sports a pattern of pale pink flowers highlighted by patches of silvery metallic thread.

A kimono-style man’s robe, on the other hand, is a study in sartorial simplicity. Made from cotton rather than silk and intended to be worn around the house rather than for a special occasion, it features a simple (yet lovely) pattern of white blocks outlined against a deep blue background.

“The Kimono” continues through Jan. 31 at the Bannister Gallery, located on the first floor of Roberts Hall, Rhode Island College, 600 Mt. Pleasant Ave. in Providence. Hours: Mon., Wed. and Fri. 11-5 and Thurs. noon-9. Contact: (401) 456-9765 or www.ric.edu/bannister.

New members show

January, of course, is a time for fresh starts and new beginnings. At the Providence Art Club, it’s also the time when new members get a chance to strut their stuff.

Then again, new to the Art Club doesn’t necessarily mean new to the local art scene. Many readers, I suspect, will be familiar with the work of Barrington artist Penelope Manzella, whose dreamy, surrealist-tinged paintings of local mill and factory buildings have been widely exhibited in recent years. The two paintings she’s contributed to the Art Club’s current “New Year, New Members” show are typical of her work, which blends a keen eye for architectural detail with an equally keen sense of artistic whimsy.

In Rainy Day at Brayton Point, Manzella turns Fall River’s most famous — and notorious — power plant into an industrial fortress, complete with menacing-looking towers and battlements. Another painting, Epitaph for Silver Spring, commemorates the former Silver Spring Bleaching and Dyeing Co. complex on Charles Street. The multi-building site was demolished several years ago to make way for a Home Depot.

Another veteran of the local gallery scene is photographer Reenie Barrow. At a time when many photographers have gone digital, Barrow still makes luscious black-and-white prints the old-fashioned way. The results, including an unusual still life with roses, mushrooms and what appears to be a hunk of ancient Greek statuary (Apulae de Apollo), may make you yearn for the days before digital cameras.

One artist who could use more exposure is James Kubiatowicz.

Kubiatowicz, who moved to Providence from Minnesota a couple of years ago, has a sharp eye for poses and gestures, as well as a breezy, light-filled painting style that at times recalls the great French Impressionist painter Edouard Manet. The combination gives his paintings of people eating out (Last Seating), dressing up (The Exit) and even making pizza (The Works) a kind of quiet visual poetry.

“New Year, New Members” ends tomorrow at the Providence Art Club’s Dodge House Gallery, 11 Thomas St. Hours: Mon.-Fri. noon-5 and Sat.-Sun. 2-4. Contact: (401) 331-1114 or www.providenceartclub.org.

bvansicl@projo.com