Media Enquiries:
- Peter A. Mello
Managing Director & coCEO
(401) 443-5512 - Laura Duclos
Director of Creative Services
(401) 443-5551 - Ed Cabral
Director of Sponsorships and Corporate Relations
(401) 443-5546 - Nicole Nehiley
Community Relations Manager
(401) 443-5543
Email Newsletters
Press Release Archive: 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012
Latest Press Releases
December 3, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces the Cancelation of the Partial Lighting on Saturday, December 3, 2022
WaterFire Providence regretfully announces the cancelation of the Saturday, December 3 partial lighting in Waterplace Park due to inclement weather.
Read more »
November 30, 2022
Santa Claus Will Be Coming to WaterFire A Day Early Due to Inclement Weather
All Saturday Programming has been moved to Friday, December 2
Read more »
November 30, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces Three Partial WaterFire Lightings
A Holiday Celebration at WaterFire to conclude Three Nights of Lights on Saturday, December 3
Read more »
November 17, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces a Small Business Saturday ArtMart at the WaterFire Arts Center
A Holiday Marketplace Featuring 60+ Local Artists and Makers, Saturday, November 26
Read more »
November 15, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces A Holiday Celebration at WaterFire
A Holiday Lighting and Toy Drive Sponsored by Mutual of America Financial Group Benefiting Children’s Friend
Read more »
November 2, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces the 10th Annual Salute to Veterans Full Lighting of WaterFire on Saturday, November 5, 2022
Supported General Dynamics Electric Boat, Rhode Island Energy, The Providence VA Medical Center, and Starwood Energy Group
Read more »
Monday, October 17, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces a Full Lighting of WaterFire on Saturday, October 22, 2022
WaterFire Providence announces a full lighting of WaterFire on Saturday, October 22 supported by Brown University. The lighting will begin after sunset (5:54 p.m.) and the braziers will remain lit until 11:00 p.m. Food fairs, artists’ market vendors, and other onshore activations open at 5:00 p.m.
Read more »
Thursday, October 13, 2022
WaterFire Providence coCEOs receive the Environmental Merit Award from the U.S Environmental Protection Agency
Barnaby Evans and Peter A. Mello, coCEOs of WaterFire Providence, have been awarded the Environmental Merit Award from the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for their work in the redevelopment, restoration and programming off the WaterFire Arts Center and the organization’s programming for the large public art event downtown.
Read more »
October 13, 2022
Announcing the Opening of Tender Cargo, a month-long exhibition by Taleen Batalian, at the WaterFire Arts Center Gallery
The WaterFire Arts Center (WFAC), a multi-use arts venue, located at 475 Valley Street in Providence, RI, is pleased to announce Tender Cargo, a month-long exhibition by Taleen Batalian. On view in the WaterFire Arts Center gallery from Thursday, October 13 through Sunday, November 20, 2022. A public opening is scheduled for Thursday, October 13, from 6-8 pm.
Read more »
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces the 6th Annual FireBall Gala – Honoring Dr. Joseph A. Chazan – Co-produced in partnership with stay silent PVD
WaterFire Providence announces the 6th Annual FireBall Gala on Thursday, October 20, 2022 from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. This year’s gala honors Dr. Joseph A. Chazan, an extraordinary supporter of Rhode Island artists and arts organizations for the past 50 years. Co-produced by stay silent PVD, this year’s gala will be an immersive creative placemaking experience, with various art activations, live artmaking and performances by local artists with proceeds going toward the newly established WaterFire Arts Center Exhibition Fund and the WaterFire Accelerate professional development program for artists under 30.
Read more »
Wednesday, September 28, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces a Full Lighting of WaterFire On Saturday, October 1, 2022
WaterFire Providence announces a full lighting of WaterFire on Saturday, October 1. The lighting will begin after sunset (6:27 p.m.) and the braziers will remain lit until 11 p.m. Food fairs and artists’ market vendors open at 5:30 p.m.
Read more »
Monday, September 19, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces a Full Lighting of WaterFire On Saturday, September 24, 2022 – Celebrating Educational Excellence in RI with the Rhode Island Department of Education
WaterFire Providence announces a full lighting of WaterFire on Saturday, September 24 supported by Rhode Island Department of Education, XQ Institute, Fidelity Investments, and igus. The lighting will begin after sunset (6:39 PM) and the braziers will remain lit until midnight. Food fair and artists’ market vendors open at 5:30 pm.
Read more »
Tuesday, September 20, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces the 2022-2023 WaterFire Accelerate Cohort – Six new members to join the year-long professional development program for young artists under 30
WaterFire Providence announces the second cohort of WaterFire Accelerate, a professional development program for artists under 30. The second cohort includes six prolific young artists spanning a variety of mediums including painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, graphic design, rug-tufting, and video production. The new WaterFire Accelerate cohort embarks on their journey in September and will conclude their residency with a group exhibition in July of 2023, while engaging in monthly meetings, events, and site visits.
Read more »
Wednesday, August 31, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces a Partial Lighting of WaterFire On Saturday, September 3, 2022 – Supported by the Providence Tourism Council
WaterFire Providence announces a special Labor Day partial lighting in the basin of Waterplace Park on Saturday, September 3 supported by the Providence Tourism Council. Sunset is at 7:16 PM and the fires will be burning until 10:00 PM
Read more »
August 25, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces a Full Lighting of WaterFire On Saturday, August 27, 2022 – Clear Currents Community Paddling Night at WaterFire
WaterFire Providence announces a full lighting this Saturday, August 27 supported by Amica Insurance & BankNewport. The lighting will begin after sunset (7:27 PM) and the braziers will remain lit until midnight. Food fair and artists’ market vendors open at 6:30 pm. There will be performances by regional Morris Dancing groups on the Waterplace Basin Stage beginning at 4:15 PM.
Read more »
August 24, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces the Addition of Two Full Lightings & One Partial Lighting to the 2022 WaterFire Season In October
WaterFire Providence is pleased to announce the addition of two Full Lighting and one Partial Lighting of WaterFire to the 2022 WaterFire Season in October. On October 1, 2022, there will be a Full Lighting of WaterFire supported by YPO Gold New England; on October 7, 2022, there will be a Partial Lighting of WaterFire in Memorial Park supported by Rhode Island School of Design to welcome their new president Crystal Williams; on October 22, 2022, there will be a Full Lighting of WaterFire supported by Brown University celebrating 50 Years of Medicine at Brown.
Read more »
Wednesday, August 03, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces a Full Lighting of WaterFire On Saturday, August 13, 2022 – Celebrating Rhode Island’s Communities of Color with Papitto Opportunity Connection
WaterFire Providence announces a full lighting this Saturday, August 13 celebrating Rhode Island’s Communities of Color in partnership with Papitto Opportunity Connection. The lighting will begin shortly after 8:00 PM and the braziers will remain lit until midnight. Onshore programming will open at 6:00 PM.
Read more »
March 23, 2022
TroopTop Thursdays are back at the WaterFire Arts Center | Returning in April with a special networking event in partnership with Millennial Rhode Island
The WaterFire Arts Center (WFAC) is pleased to announce the return of TroopTop Thursdays in partnership with TroopPVD. Every third Thursday of the month from April to August visitors are invited to experience the current exhibit as the sun sets on the TroopTop Deck starting at 5:00 p.m and concluding at 9:00 p.m.
Read more »
Tuesday, July 26, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces a Full Lighting of WaterFire on Saturday, July 30 – Celebrating “C” is for Cure with RI Defeats Hep C
WaterFire Providence announces a full lighting this Saturday, July 30 in partnership with RI Defeats Hep C supported by Textron Charitable Trust, AbbVie, Chase Bank, Gilead, CSL Plasma, Walgreens, & University Gastroenterology. The lighting will begin at 8:06 PM and the braziers will remain lit until midnight. Onshore programming will open at 6:30 PM.
Read more »
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces a Partial WaterFire Lighting on Saturday, July 16 – Supported by the New England Bridge Conference
WaterFire Providence announces a partial WaterFire lighting in the basin of Waterplace Park on Saturday, July 16 supported by the New England Bridge Conference. The fires will be lit shortly after Sunset (8:18 p.m.) and the fires will remain lit until 10:00 p.m.
Read more »
Wednesday, June 22, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces a Full Lighting of WaterFire On Saturday, June 25, 2022 – Supported by Cox Business and Bank of America
WaterFire Providence announces a full lighting this Saturday, June 25 supported by Cox Business and Bank of America. The lighting will begin at 8:25 PM and the braziers will remain lit until midnight.
Read more »
Thursday, June 16, 2022
Cross Insurance to Join as a Sponsor of TroopTop Thursdays at WaterFire Arts Center – New Support for the Thursday Night Beer Garden Gatherings at the WaterFire Arts Center
The WaterFire Arts Center (WFAC) is pleased to announce the support of Cross Insurance as a season sponsor of TroopTop Thursdays. This is Cross Insurance’s second year in a row supporting programming at the WaterFire Arts Center. On every third Thursday of the month, guests are encouraged to check out our latest exhibition in the Visitor’s Center Gallery and then head up to the roof deck to enjoy beats and eats provided by Troop PVD from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. The event is rain-or-shine, (we’ll move inside if it rains), and guests can expect a rotating selection of local beer, wine, and spirits at the bar including choices from Revival Brewing Company , Anchor & Hope, The Industrious Spirits Company, Yacht Club Soda, and Granny Squibbs.
Read more »
June 16, 2022
Two weeks left to visit Envision Resilience: Designs for the Living with Rising Seas + New Work by Aymar Ccopacatty in the gallery at the WaterFire Arts Center
The Envision Resilience: Designs for the Living with Rising Seas exhibition, including new work by Aymar Ccopacatty is open in the WaterFire Arts Center (WFAC) gallery until Sunday, June 26, 2022. On Thursday, June 16, during extended hours, 5:00 – 9:00pm, the public are invited to the exhibition and TroopTop, an outdoor bar with WaterFire partners Troop PVD. Visitors are also encouraged to participate in Gallery Night Providence on Thursday, June 16. TroopTop at the WaterFire Arts Center is supported by Cross Insurance.
Read more »
Tuesday, June 14, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces the Extension of the 2022 WaterFire Accelerate Application – A professional development program for young creatives under the age of 30
WaterFire Providence is pleased to announce that the 2022 WaterFire Accelerate application deadline will be extended to Friday, July 1 at 5:00 PM EST. WaterFire’s Accelerate program is a year-long professional development program for emerging creatives under 30. The program is specifically designed to provide access to resources that will further the artistic careers and engage young artists who may not have had the opportunity to pursue a traditional arts education. Through a series of lectures, workshops, site visits, and discussions, professionals in the field share their experiences and learnings in open discussions where topics involving best practices, self-representation, marketing, accounting, taxes and technology are explored. Each cohort represents the Providence community and is diverse in both the makeup of participants and their art mediums.
Read more »
Monday, June 13, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces an Addition to the WaterFire Schedule – A Partial Lighting of WaterFire On Saturday, July 16
WaterFire Providence is pleased to announce the addition of a WaterFire lighting to the 2022 season schedule on Saturday, July 16. The July 16th lighting will be a partial lighting in the basin of Waterplace Park supported by the New England Bridge Conference. This additional lighting brings the running total to 7 full lightings and 7 partial lightings for the entire WaterFire season.
Read more »
June 8, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces a Partial Lighting on Friday, June 10.
WaterFire Providence announces a partial lighting in the basin of Waterplace Park on Friday, June 10. This lighting is supported by Rhode Island Day of Portugal and Brown University and will also act as the opening ceremony for Day of Portugal. Sunset is at 8:20 PM and the fires will be burning until 10:00 PM.
Read more »
June 8, 2022
WaterFire’s Access Boat Program Returns for 2022 WaterFire Season – Providing Safe Access to WaterFire Is Part of the Mission
WaterFire Providence is pleased to announce that our Access Boat Program will be running at all Full WaterFire Lightings in 2022. WaterFire’s commitment to include each and every visitor has resulted in WaterFire Access Boat: a water-taxi program that provides an unforgettable experience of the artwork for children and adults with disabilities to assure that they can join in the most popular arts event in the state and share the experience with their families and friends.
Read more »
Tuesday, May 31, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces a Full Lighting of WaterFire On Saturday, June 4, 2022 – Supported by the Rhode Island School of Design
WaterFire Providence announces a full lighting this Saturday, June 4 supported by the Rhode Island School of Design. The first lighting of the 2022 season is set to honor the Commencement of the class of 2022 and celebrate RISD’s Reunion Weekend. The lighting will begin at 8:16 PM and the braziers will remain lit until midnight.
Read more »
March 23, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces Strike the Match Fundraiser and Season Kick-Off Event in Waterplace Park | Plus a Special Early April Lighting Supported By The Gordon School
WaterFire Providence is pleased to announce that it will kick off its 2022 WaterFire event season with a special pre-season Basin Lighting supported by the Gordon School on Saturday, April 9, 2020, and our Strike the Match fundraiser and Basin Lighting on Wednesday, April 27, 2022.
Read more »
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces the 2022 Season
WaterFire Providence announces the 2022 WaterFire season which currently includes seven (7) full lightings and six (6) partial lightings. The season will kick-off with a partial lighting in Waterplace park on April 27th in coordination with the schedule release with the first full lighting to follow on Saturday, June 4th. The Gordon School supported a pre-season lighting in Waterplace Park on April 9th. From April to December, supporters can expect to see the return of the #Art4Impact series which aims to highlight community milestones and themes like Arts and Science, Community Heroes, and Arts and Health. Community favorite events like the WaterFire Holiday Celebration, the 10th Annual WaterFire Salute to Veterans, and the celebration of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities in Rhode Island will return in 2022 and bring our friends and neighbors together to learn from and celebrate each other.
Read more »
April 18, 2022
WaterFire 2022 Season Schedule Release Press Conference, “Strike The Match” Fundraiser, and Basin Lighting of WaterFire
Waterplace Park
WaterFire Providence will host a press conference on Wednesday, April 27th starting at 6:30 p.m. in Waterplace Park in Downtown Providence, RI to announce the 2022 WaterFire Season Schedule. In addition, there will be a “Strike The Match” fundraiser at Skyline at Waterplace as well as a basin lighting. The press conference will begin with a speaking portion from WaterFire Providence’s co-CEOs Peter A. Mello and Barnaby Evans, Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos, Mayor Jorge Elorza, City Council President John Igliozzi, Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor, Alexis Gorriaran, Board Chair of the Providence Tourism Council, and Charles Newton, Board Chair of WaterFire Providence.
Read more »
March 23, 2022
TroopTop Thursdays are back at the WaterFire Arts Center – Returning in April with a special networking event in partnership with Millennial Rhode Island
The WaterFire Arts Center (WFAC) is pleased to announce the return of TroopTop Thursdays in partnership with TroopPVD. Every third Thursday of the month from April to August visitors are invited to experience the current exhibit as the sun sets on the TroopTop Deck starting at 5:00 p.m and concluding at 9:00 p.m. The event is rain-or-shine, (we’ll move inside if it rains), and guests can expect a rotating selection of local beer, wine, and spirits at the bar as well as a new “Bacon & Booze Bar” and a “Gorilla Bar Menu” provided by Troop. Some vendors guests will be able to choose from include, Revival Brewing Company , Anchor & Hope, The Industrious Spirits Company, Yacht Club Soda, and Granny Squibbs.
Read more »
March 21, 2022
WaterFire Providence Announces New Leadership on Board of Directors
Charles Newton, partner with Newton & Newton LLC, was elected chair of the WaterFire Providence board of directors. Barbara Mullen, Ph.D., assistant superintendent of Student Services at Cambridge Public Schools, and outgoing board chair James Prescott were elected vice chairs. Michael Brostek, market vice president at Cox Media, was elected Secretary of the WaterFire Providence and Erica Guatieri, CPA has been re-elected treasurer.
Read more »
March 7, 2022
2022 Announcement From The WaterFire Arts Center And Gallery Night Providence: One Art Tour A Month Will Start In The Valley Neighborhood on ‘Third Thursday’ Evenings
The WaterFire Arts Center (WFAC) is pleased to announce its 2022 Gallery Night Providence (GNP) Membership and that it will be a stop for trolley tours that visit select galleries throughout the city on the third Thursday of every month from March through November. In addition, the WFAC will be a ‘starting’ point for one tour each month, visitors will be able to get on a guided trolley (and occasional walking) tour taking them from the WFAC to two to four other galleries and art spaces including those in the Valley neighborhood.
Read more »
March 3, 2022
Planet Earth, the Environment and Our Future
Exhibition Look at the Interconnected Nature of Our World Through Art and Science
Planet Earth, the Environment and Our Future, presented at the WaterFire Arts Center (WFAC), looks at the beauty and fragility of our world through an exhibition of art and science. The collection of works on view will explore the interconnected nature of our world and the call for action to take care of our planet — including art from several cultures, historical photographs, the latest imagery from NASA satellites, and works from contemporary artists inviting us to look anew.
Read more »
February 16, 2022
“Lots of little things add up” — A Month-Long Exhibition of Recent Prints and Their Processes from Overpass Projects at the WaterFire Arts Center Gallery
“Lots of little things add up” is a month-long exhibition of recent prints and their processes from Overpass Projects. On view in the WaterFire Arts Center gallery from Thursday, February 10 through Sunday, March 6, 2022. A public opening is scheduled for Thursday, February 17, from 6-9 pm.
Read more »
February 3, 2022
Final Weekend of The Seeing, a collection of film works scored by Daniel Bernard Roumain in partnership with FirstWorks in the gallery at the WaterFire Arts Center
“The Seeing”, a video exhibition featuring seven film works scored by Daniel Bernard Roumain is closing this weekend with the last day being, Sunday, February 6, 2022.
Read more »
