WaterFire Arts Center

08/27/2024

Join us this Thursday for the LAST TroopTop of 2024! 🌇 Don't miss Thursday, 8/29 at + for an unforgettable night filled with art, drinks, and community!

⏰ From 5-9 pm, meet us on the rooftop!

🩰 Performance by Ballet Folklorico Grupo Misol-Ha, a community group of the Onlyville Neighborhood Association

🎧 Music by Luis Gilberto, !

🍸🥂 Drinks benefiting

🖼️ Closing reception for NetWorks Rhode Island and the Chazan Collection: A Half-Century of RI Artistic Patronage exhibition! Only a few days left to visit!

🍿 Snacks from

💐 Bouquet making with our friends from

is proudly supported by .insurance, , and .

Thank you for hanging out with us on the rooftop this summer!

08/24/2024

BIG INK is headed to Providence this weekend for a relief printmaking workshop of epic proportions ! Participating artists have been working for months carving large woodblocks that they’ll be printing at the WaterFire Arts Center on a custom-built giant printing press.

Led by Lyell Castonguay each artist will have multiple impressions of their design printed. It’ll be a weekend of knowledge-sharing and collaboration!

Visitors are welcome to observe the printing from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm both Saturday and Sunday.

Explore our incredible exhibition too! NetWorks Rhode Island and the Chazan Collection: A Half-Century of RI Patronage, a large-scale exhibition featuring over 100 artists. Last day is Sunday, September 1 so don’t miss out!!!

08/22/2024

Meet 10 artists who are a part of two consecutive conversations >>> Thursday, August 22 from 6-7pm and 7:30-8:30pm! 🖼️ 🗣️

8/22 Artists >>>

6-7pm | Moderated by Emily Gray (.jpg)
Art as Memory
· Tracy Mahaffey
· Deborah Baronas
· Ruth Dealy
· Bob Dilworth
· Jane Masters

7:30-8:30pm | Moderated by Candita Clayton ()
Environment and Change
· Saberah Malik
· Paula Martiesian
· Agustin Patiño
· Jerold Ehrlich
· Allison Newsome

We can’t wait to see you! ☺️

08/22/2024

Join us for a rooftop celebration tonight, Thursday, August 22, at ! With contributions from , , and , it's set to be a spectacular evening filled with art.⁠
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⏰ Swing by the deck from 5 to 9 PM!⁠
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🎸 Enjoy the incredible acoustic vibes of Emily Harrison ()!⁠
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🍸🐶 Indulge in refreshing beverages that support the Potter League for Animals! ()!⁠
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🍿🍫 Treat yourself to tasty bites from UNFI Cafe PVD ()!⁠
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TroopTop Thursdays are made possible by the generous support of .insurance, , and .⁠
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Get involved at the WFAC! We’re excited to see you there! 😎

08/07/2024

📚 Join us for Silent Book Club at the WaterFire Arts Center THIS Saturday, August 10, from 12 to 2 pm! 📚

x team up for !

All readers are welcome! Have a book you’ve been meaning to read? Have you been wanting to check out the show? Now is your CHANCE! Grab a book and stop by to get the unique experience of reading while being surrounded by some amazing art🎨🖼️

📕 Shop a curated collection of at the store at the , open year-round ✨Wednesday - Sunday 10am - 5pm + Thursday nights until 9 pm✨
🧃 Grab a refreshing drink from our cooler store!

🔗in bio!

08/06/2024

08/06/2024

Join us with our partners at Symposium Books ( ) as Professor Tripp Evans ( ) of Wheaton College MA discusses his book, The Importance of Being Furnished: Four Bachelors at Home - THIS THURSDAY AT 6:30 p.m. 📚✨

This book is an exploration of masculinity in the home, and its cultural significance through time. Exploring the lives of four bachelor designers, The Importance of Being Furnished: Four Bachelors at Home invites readers into the private worlds they created. Spanning the Gilded to the Jazz Age, these fascinating interiors not only reflect the intimate lives of their owners – men whose personal stories have, until now, remained in the shadows – but they serve as monuments to the Q***r shaping of the American home as we know it today. 📖🏠

WaterFire is pleased to partner with Symposium Books to host and co-curate this series of public dialogues that are presented for free and are open to all. 🔥

07/31/2024

Join us this Thursday in PVD! 🌇 Don't miss Thursday, 8/1 at + for an unforgettable night!⁠
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⏰ From 5-9 pm, meet us on the rooftop!⁠
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🎧 Music by Luis Gilberto, a community member of Teatro Ecas!⁠
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🍸🥂 Drinks benefiting ⁠
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🖼️ On 7/11, check out the NetWorks Rhode Island and the Chazan Collection: A Half-Century of RI Artistic Patronage exhibition!⁠
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🍿 Snacks from ⁠
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📒 Booking by ⁠
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is proudly supported by .insurance, , and .

07/25/2024

‼️No TroopTop tonight, but we can’t wait to see you next week with and ‼️ 🥂

07/18/2024

We’re beyond thrilled to see this exhibition come to life and have the community join together through art. ♥️

All are welcome to the opening reception tonight, 6-8pm, OF … NetWorks Rhode Island () and the Chazan Collection: A Half-Century of RI Patronage.

100+ artists
200+ artworks
1 arts champion !!


Rhode Island is an incredible place with INCREDIBLE artists with UNBEATABLE heart.

07/09/2024

All readers welcome. 📚 Get yourself some silent reading time (☀️outside or inside amongst the art!* 🖼️) this Saturday, July 13 from Noon to 2pm.

We’ll prompt reading to start for an hour/hour and a half ... then reflection and sharing for those who want to get out some of their recent read deets with a neighbor!

x teaming up for !!

DYK?!
1️⃣ 📕 You can shop a curated collection of at the store open year-round Wed-Sun, 10-5 and Thurs, 10-9?!
2️⃣ 🧃 You can grab a refreshing bevy in our little cooler store?


*We’ll let the weather sway us! 😉

07/07/2024

06/28/2024

This July 4th, we won’t be on the rooftop, but come join us downtown for a full WaterFire lighting! 🪔🌅From sunset to 11 pm, experience the beauty of three illuminated rivers alongside onshore vendors starting at 6:30 pm! 🛍️

Join us on July 11 & 18 for TroopTop! 🎧Music, 🍺 drinks, 🍿 snacks from , and art exhibitions are sure to make these 2️⃣ nights unforgettable! Bring your friends and your best dancing 👟! More info coming soon about performers for each date, so be sure to follow us here, !

06/28/2024

📢 Due to the installation of the hottest show of the Summer, Networks RI, the gallery will be CLOSED from MONDAY JULY 1ST to THURSDAY JULY 11TH. 🚷

Our store will remain open during this time but closed on Thursday July 4th 🎆. Stop in and check out some of our coolest new WaterFire merchandise, unique art pieces and fan favorite books. The store is open Wednesday - Sunday 10 am - 5 pm, and Thursday nights until 9 pm. 🌙

Our online store is open 24/7 🕰️, so make sure to check it out and get the items shipped right to you! Use code thankyou to get 🔟% off of your purchase. Link in bio!

06/25/2024

☀️ Nothing says summer quite like rooftop nights! 🌇 Spend this Thursday 6/27 with + !

🌙 We’ll be on the rooftop until 9 p.m.
🎧 DJ Nick Bishop ()
🍹🍺 Sips supporting
🖌️ Final week of the .accelerate 2023-24 cohort’s exhibition in the gallery
🍿 from
📒

is proudly supported by .insurance, , and .

Be there, or be 🟩! We can’t wait to see you!

06/19/2024

The WaterFire Arts Center including our gallery, the WaterFire Store, and the WaterFire Providence offices will be closed on Wednesday, June 19th in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. We will re-open on Thursday, June 20 with our normal Thursday schedule of 10:00 am - 9:00 pm.

Make sure to join us Thursday evening starting at 5:00 pm for TroopTop, Club Sol Artist Networking Night, and Gallery Night Providence.

06/16/2024

this past Sunday the .accelerate artists gathered for a panel discussion about their artwork and their experiences working together as a cohort over the past year(ish!)

The conversation was guided by .accelerate 2021-22 cohort member

We’re open today for a visit until 5pm.

See artwork by this talented group in person! .brown .jpg .dolfo .better

Mix and mingle with the artists this Thursday night, 5-9pm for and Club Sol, a summer solstice artist networking night coordinated by

Interested in being in the next cohort?!?! Apply today >> follow .accelerate for info.

06/14/2024

🔥 Kick off your summer with >> June 20! 🌆. Step onto the rooftop deck with to enjoy a specialty drink while also supporting ’s .accelerate artist program! Explore the astounding When I Get Home exhibition by the .accelerate 2024 cohort in the gallery all night!

The place will be poppin’ to celebrate the summer solstice! 🌕 .accelerate artist presents Club Sol, a creative take on an artist’s networking night rooted in genuine connection and celebration.

💫 We’re soaking in the longest day of the year until 9 pm, so mark your calendars for a stellar night in PVD!

🎤 Beats by DJ Sissy () and DJ TIMMIA (.mmia)

🍹Join us in supporting the .accelerate program at , serving aspiring young artists with a passion for the arts, community, and change.

🥂 is proudly supported by .insurance, , and plus booking thanks to .

Don’t miss this incredible night of art and community – see you there!

Club Sol flyer by
Follow .accelerate and RSVP to Club Sol✨

06/14/2024

Last night kicked off a summer of events ! Folx gathered on the roof deck to have a chill night of great drinks ✨✨, music, and spending time with friends.

Our friends at the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council () brought great energy to the evening! 🐟 💦 also made a guest appearance at her first-ever TroopTop. Brookie is a model created by WRWC staff and volunteers to show the different body parts of trouts that live in local rivers including the Woonasquatucket (aka the woony!). Yay environmental education!!

DJ Olive Girl () created great vibes with two sets throughout the evening while the sun set.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the first TroopTop of the year a great one! See ya’ll next week! We’re spotlighting our .Accelerate Artist program so come out to support!

06/13/2024

Over 100 artists with over 200 artworks will grace the hall of the July and August 2024. ▶️▶️▶️ NetWorks Rhode Island and the Chazan Collection: A Half-Century of RI Patronage is an exhibition that celebrates a dynamic community of innovative artists living and working in Rhode Island and their champion, Joseph A. Chazan M.D.

“The WaterFire Arts Center is the ideal site for an exhibition that’s all about the excellence of Rhode Island artists. WaterFire has hosted the NetWorks archive (networksri.org) for several years, and WaterFire creator Barnaby Evans is himself a NetWorks artist. This large exhibition will provide even greater exposure to the extraordinary richness of the visual arts in Rhode Island. This was my motivation for creating NetWorks Rhode Island.” Joseph A. Chazan M.D., Founder of NetWorks Rhode Island

“These artists create fascinating, powerful, and compelling art to grace our lives. We are tremendously excited to be presenting such a broad and varied exhibition of brilliant art for the public to enjoy and discover,” says Barnaby Evans, Executive Artistic Director of WaterFire. “We built the WaterFire Arts Center precisely to be a venue for this sort of exciting show. Come be astounded by the brilliance of our artists.”

06/13/2024

Our large-scale summer exhibition is almost here! NetWorks Rhode Island and the Chazan Collection: A Half-Century of RI Patronage will take over the ’s 15,000 square foot Main Hall and gallery spaces.

We’re celebrating with an Opening Reception that all are invited to on Thursday, July 18 from 6-8pm.

The exhibition will be open from Thursday, July 11 through Sunday, September 1.



Visitors are invited to Artists in Conversation nights on Thursdays throughout the month, , our summer time rooftop bar with , as well as the 11th Providence Fringe Festival () presented by Wilbury Theatre Group () happening throughout the neighborhood from Sunday, July 14 to Saturday, July 27. Mark your calendars for on the third Thursdays of the month, July 18 and August 15 when the WFAC and other art spaces throughout the city are open late and trolley tours are available. Also! There will be a Closing Gathering on Thursday, August 29 from 6-8pm.

06/12/2024

☀️Set a reminder! ⏰ This time tomorrow is THE after work spot for art + a rooftop cocktail 🌇🍹🌅😎on the with

Ignite your summer with the 1st of the summer! Join and on the rooftop deck to enjoy a specialty drink while also supporting the outstanding work by our friends at the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council >> . 💧🐟🦆🛶☀️

🌖 We’re extending the festivities until 9 pm...

🖼️ Explore the current exhibition in the gallery, When I Get Home, by the .accelerate 2023-24 cohort!

🎧Then head up to the rooftop and enjoy the sounds of DJ Olive Girl’s ()

& Pop some 🍿popcorn and sample some samples by our neighbors

🎨 🫂 is proudly supported by .insurance, , and . Special thanks to for booking and organizing!

06/07/2024

The gallery is OPEN! Come experience the .accelerate exhibition | 10-5 today (Friyay!) + 10-5 Sat & Sun too!⁠
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Looking back at last week’s opening reception of When I Get Home, so many folx came out to support these incredible artists and celebrate their success. ⁠
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Congratulations Sydney, Leiyana, Emily, Kannetha, Andrea and Adolfo!⁠
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Visit throughout the month to experience their work +⁠
🗓️ Mark your calendars for the special events throughout the month including...⁠
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🔅 This Sunday! 6/9 | Artist Panel ⁠
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🔅 Thurs. 6/13 @5-9pm | TroopTop *rooftop bar with *⁠
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🔅 Thurs. 6/20⁠
🔅TroopTop *rooftop bar with * @5-9pm ⁠
🔅Artist Networking Night, Club Sol, a Summer
Solstice Celebration ⁠hosted by
@5-9pm ⁠
🔅 trolley leaves the WFAC
@6:30pm⁠
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🔅 Sat. 6/22 @12-2pm | Mindfulness in Creativity Workshop with ⁠
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🔅 Thurs. 6/27 ⁠
🔅TroopTop *rooftop bar with * @5-9pm⁠
🔅Paint Night Workshop led by
@6:30-8:30pm ⁠
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🔅 Thurs. 6/29 @2-4pm | Cigar Box Altar Workshop with .jpg ⁠⁠
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Photographs from opening night by Janelle and Laura

06/06/2024

TroopTop Thursdays! Our summer time rooftop bar with is back!⁠
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Thanks to community support from Brady Sullivan Properties and the US Rubber Lofts (), Cross Insurance (.insurance), and Boston Document Systems () for helping us provide art experiences and live music for folks this summer. ⁠
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Summer Thursdays find us in the gallery and on the rooftop havin’ a good ole time from 5-9pm - thanks also to the support of for programming each night!⁠
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TroopTop is rain-or-shine (we’ll move inside the Main Hall if it rains)! Enjoy snacks by our neighbors and a rotating selection of local craft beer, wine, and spirits at the bar. 🍺🍷🍹We’ve partnered up with other nonprofits to feature different folks each night PLUS they’ll receive a portion of the profits from Troop’s special cocktail!⁠
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*🌆*Starting June 13 & going through August 29*🌇* ⁠
*We’ll be skipping over two Thursdays - so no TroopTop on July 4 - but hey join us down at a full lighting of !! 🔥 and no TroopTop on July 25 for a private event.⁠
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>>>swipe to check out our June TroopTop lineup! >>>⁠
✨️June 13 | DJ Olive Girl () | Featured NP Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council () | .accelerate in the gallery!⁠
✨️ June 20 | DJ Sissy () + DJ TIMMIA (.mmia) | Featured NP Us! () helping to support programs like .accelerate | Artists Networking Night too hosted by | Also it’s !⁠
✨️ June 27 | DJ Nick Bishop () | Featured NP RI Latino Arts ()

05/24/2024

This is the LAST chance to view the exhibition, Sculpting Silent Narratives: My Love Letters by Janice Lardey () at the WaterFire Arts Center () before it ends this Sunday, May 26!⁠
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Featured in the gallery are a collection of West African style textiles, designed with the goal to tell the stories of women while focusing on identity, belonging and culture. The artist, Janice Lardey, gives insight into her process: “Through each brushstroke and designed textile piece, I embark on a journey of self-reclamation, striving to contribute to the conversations of challenging prevailing narratives about gender roles and societal expectations in our contemporary world.”⁠
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WFAC store + gallery HOURS:⁠
Wed-Sun 10am-5pm, Thurs 10am-9pm

05/23/2024

Artist Talk with Janice Lardey for Sculpting Silent Narratives at the WaterFire Arts Center

05/21/2024

💥Pop Up💥TONIGHT!! New welded metal sculptures from the Spring 2024 Metal Lab cohort will be on display tonight, Tuesday, May 21 from 5:30-7pm inside the Main Hall . The Metal Labs program is a collaboration between the Boys and Girls Club of Providence () the Princes 2 Kings teen program, the Steel Yard () and the One Gun Gone () project. Metal Labs is supported by the Rhode Foundation (). This program is created and led by artist and advocate, Scott Lapham ().

All are invited to celebrate the work of the Metal Lab students combining art and activism.

In Metal Lab, students are taught to weld, by the Steel Yard staff, with the MIG welder, plasma torch, and oxy-acetylene torch. Students are also taught to use angle grinders and the horizontal band saw. Students work in teams and are gifted a disarmed fire arm that they then weld into a sculpture that communicates their feelings on gun violence.

In addition to the new Metal Labs works, there will be works from the Spring 2023 Metal Lab cohort and other past One Gun Gone works that were previously on display as part of the May 2023 One Gun Gone exhibition Merge, in the gallery .

The pop up is free and open to all. Appetizers made by teens in the Southside Chefs program at the Boys and Girls Club of Providence!!

05/20/2024

🗓️Add this Thursday (5/23) at 6pm to your calendar and join us after work for an artist talk. 💞 Janice Lardey () will be in conversation with fellow artist and educator Heather McMordie () exploring this month’s exhibition , Sculpting Silent Narratives: My Love Letters.⁠
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“This is a pivotal moment where I’m growing personally and artistically by collaborating with these women in my family and pushing my creative boundaries” shares Janice in her exhibition statement. “This phase represents a blend of self-reflection, expanding and staying true to the themes that matter most to me.”⁠
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Photograph of the work titled, Untitled S: Sis Abi, 2024.⁠
Photograph by ⁠
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This project was made possible in part through support from the Interlace Grant Fund, a regranting partner of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.⁠
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