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Announcing the 2019 #Art4Impact Series and WaterFire Season Schedule

To celebrate 25 years of transforming a place and building community in Providence, RI, WaterFire Providence announces its inaugural #Art4Impact series of events.

The #Art4Impact series will include three themed series of WaterFire lightings and events with each series highlighting community milestones, challenges or issues that WaterFire has been helping celebrate or raise awareness of with community partners over its first 24 years.

“Most people think of WaterFire as a beautiful event that transforms downtown Providence and brings together tens of thousands of people to experience art together; however, WaterFire is that but much more,” said Peter A. Mello, managing director, and coCEO. “WaterFire’s economic, cultural and community impacts are all critically important to Rhode Island and the #Art4Impact series will help us tell the stories that will give people a better understanding of the power of art in transforming and building our community.”

In addition to the #Art4Impact series, WaterFire will start the 2019 season with a basin lighting on Thursday, May 23 for the National Association of State Treasurers Treasury Management Training Symposium and the first full lighting of the season will be Saturday, June 22 sponsored in part by Cox Business and the generous support of Textron Charitable Trust. At the time of this announcement, there will be eight full lightings and one basin lighting in 2019 with more lightings added as funding becomes available. For more information about sponsoring WaterFire, please contact Ed Cabral, manager of sponsorship and corporate relations at [email protected] or 401.443.5546.

The 2019 #Art4Impact series will include the following themes and lightings:

Summer of Science Series

Arts and Health Series

Community Heroes Series

  • September 28 – Celebrating Educational Excellence in Rhode Island sponsored in part by Fidelity Investments in partnership with the RI Department of Education in conjunction with the Big Bang Science Fair
  • October 5 – Honoring Healthcare Workers in conjunction with Gloria Gemma’s Flames of Hope: A Celebration of Life™.
  • November 2 – WaterFire Salute to Veterans sponsored in part by National Grid.

“WaterFire’s mission is to inspire the entire community and bring us all together in celebration, joy, and respect,” said Barnaby Evans, executive artistic director, and coCEO. “For our civil society to flourish in this divisive time of digital isolation and politically fomented distrust we must affirmatively gather together to acknowledge and honor our commitment to each other. In this way, art can assure the success of the entire community.”

During the 2019 season, many of the #Art4Impact series of lightings will also include programming in the WaterFire Arts Center. Please check the WaterFire website for details and updates.

WaterFire Providence’s 2019 Season is sponsored in part by the Providence Tourism Council, Bank of America, Tufts Health Plan, Amica Insurance, IGT and the generous support of Textron Charitable Trust. The 2019 Media Sponsors include Cox Media, Cumulus Media: News Talk 630 AM & 99.7 FM WPRO and Talk & Business 790 AM, iHeartRadio, The Providence Journal, Rhode Island Monthly Communications, Inc., and WPRI 12 & FOX Providence & The Rhode Show. The 2019 WaterFire Season is supported by the Rhode Island State Council of the Arts, the Rhode Island General Assembly and Governor Gina Raimondo, the City of Providence and Mayor Jorge Elorza, and Narragansett Bay Commission.

Check out our 2019 WaterFire Season Schedule page for a complete event listing,  updated event information, and breaking news.

About the author

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I've worked at WaterFire Providence since 2003. For the first 9 years of my career, I worked in the Production Shop learning all of the details that go into the physical production of the event. In 2012 transitioned to the role of managing WaterFire's social media and web presence. I now head up WaterFire Providence's digital projects including, web, social, databases, and our physical IT infrastructure.

4 thoughts on “Announcing the 2019 #Art4Impact Series and WaterFire Season Schedule”

  1. Hi!
    I have volunteered in the past at Waterfire. In the past few years I have been busy taking care of sick relatives. My two sisters died in 2016 and my mom just passed away recently.
    I am now considering volunteering again. I will keep an eye out for opportunities to volunteer this year.
    I have been going to Waterfire since it began. I really enjoy it!
    Thank you for all your hard work!
    God bless you!

  2. Hi,
    I sent in,an application to be an Artist Vendor for one of the waterfire events. I make ocean inspired artwork. I was wondering if you can send me in the right direction to see the status of my application. I have not received and emails, thank you for your time
    Mary Beth

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