Ribbons of Light was originated by Barnaby Evans, artist and creator of WaterFire. His vision is that all who attend WaterFire will become active participants in the art installation by wearing a glowing blue necklace called a Ribbon of Light! Imagine thousands of people walking along the river banks, making blue waves in the night, creating a flowing, glowing, river of blue – an ever-changing kinetic sculpture and another layer of visual and poetic rhythm!
Ribbons of Light are given as a gift to those who make a contribution to support WaterFire. By wearing a Ribbon, people are contributing in two ways; giving their financial support to WaterFire to ensure that the fires will keep burning and celebrating their participation by becoming a part of the performance itself.
It is often assumed that WaterFire is funded and run by the city or the state. WaterFire Providence is a non-profit 501(c)3 funded mostly by private donations from the community. Loyal businesses continue to support us each season as sponsors, but every year there is a gap that threatens to sink our trusty, beloved old boats!
The average attendance at WaterFire is 20,000 people. If we could collect just $1 from each visitor, imagine how many fires we could add to our season!
WaterFire Providence is an independent 501 (c)(3) non-profit arts organization and all contributions are tax-deductible. WaterFire is made possible by the generosity of our donors and sponsors.
