WaterFire’s Accelerate Program Is Now Accepting Applications For Its 2022-23 Cohort

WaterFire // Accelerate

WaterFire’s Accelerate program is a year-long professional development program for emerging artists under 30. This program is specifically designed to provide access to resources that will further the artistic careers of participants. The Accelerate program engages 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, economics, and technology surrounding art are explored. Each cohort represents the Providence community and is diverse in both the makeup of participants and their art mediums. The new Accelerate cohort embarks on their journey in September and concludes their residency with a group exhibition in July of the following year. Each artist receives a $1,000 stipend, $500 at the beginning of the program, and $500 for the group exhibition. This stipend helps each artist produce new works during the program and aligns with our overall mission of supporting artists and recognizing the value of their craft. Aside from the group show, WaterFire provides various opportunities for Accelerate artists to showcase and sell their work throughout the duration of the program, such as the PVDFest Sims Avenue Block Party, WaterFire ArtMarts, and downtown lighting events and inclusion in merchandise at the WaterFire Arts Center store.

The 2021 cohort was the program’s pilot year and included 5 artists practicing in various mediums from oil painting to digital art. Guest lecturers included Dr. Joseph Chazan, a collector; Jordan Seaberry, an artist, and activist; Jeremy Schilling, a full-time artist, Harry Gould Harvey IV, and Brittni Harvey, young artists who founded Fall River MoCA , Erica Guatieri, CPA with more to follow before the graduation of the cohort.

2022 – 2023 Accelerate Selection Committee:

Lizzie Araujo-Haller, Director, Department of Art, Culture + Tourism
Michael Rose, Gallery Manager at the Providence Art Club
Judith Tolnick Champa, founder and president of the Providence Biennial for Contemporary Art
Peter Mello, Managing Director + coCEO of WaterFire Providence
Nicole Nehiley, Community Relations Manager at WaterFire Providence

APPLY NOW

The application is due Friday, July 1, 2022 at 5:00 PM EST.

Questions? Feel free to reach out to the Community Relations Manager, Nicole Nehiley at nicole@waterfire.org or (401) 443-5543.

The WaterFire Accelerate 2021-22 cohort and their work.

2021 – 2022 Accelerate Cohort

About the author

Tim Blankenship

Director of Special Projects at WaterFire | + posts by author

Tim Blankenship, newly appointed Director of Special Projects, is a 22-year veteran of WaterFire and a steadfast advocate for the organization’s mission to unite the community through shared artistic experiences. Having worked across multiple departments, including a decade in production and recent years with the creative services team, Tim brings unmatched institutional knowledge to his new role. He will focus on strengthening internal systems and supporting the creation of new visitor experiences at both the downtown installation and the WaterFire Arts Center.