The Future of WaterFire (Our Giving Tuesday Story)
We need your help to continue creating during challenging times!
WaterFire Providence is back after the most challenging time in our organization’s history. This 2021 season brought our community together again to witness the world renowned art experience unique to our region. By lighting the first fires in 18 months this past September we signaled to Providence that we are ready to guide our community to economic recovery in a safe and intentional manner.
Our recovery is slow and we are still feeling the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic every day, both as a result of the gravity of the impact it had on our organizational budget and the fact that the pandemic is still far from over. WaterFire is committed to being a part of the solution and has partnered with the Rhode Island Department of Health to deliver safety messaging to all who attend.
Our partnership with RIDOH allowed us to facilitate the distribution of 154 vaccine doses, hundreds of tests, and thousands of protective face masks across 5 events this season. This partnership has presented an opportunity for us to do our part in actively ending the pandemic.
Despite the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our organization, we never once stopped delivering the programming vital to our mission. The productions, exhibitions, installations and artist vendor markets have totaled over 300 since March of 2020.
We need your support today to allow us to continue to create and present safe, live, in-person art experiences.
2021 WaterFire Lighting Season
- We started off our 2021 season with a COVID Heroes fire in which we celebrated the front line workers who worked tirelessly to keep our community safe
- The community helped us Celebrate Educational Excellence in Rhode Island with a lighting dedicated to teachers and students in partnership with Rhode Island Department of Education
- We honored 50 years of women at Providence college with Then. Now. Next: 50 Years of Women at Providence College
- A partnership with BIPOC Arts, Technology and Business at Brown University celebrated the many cultures and ethnicities of the region through a showcase of traditional performances
- Our community joined us in thanking our veterans at the 9thth annual WaterFire Salute to Veterans
- . We will conclude our season with a Holiday Basin Lighting on December 4th
2021 WaterFire Arts Center recap
- We kicked off our exhibition series with “Private Visions, Public Ideals – The Legacy of Howard Ben Tré”, a retrospective of Howard Ben Tré sculptures
- In March we installed “Down to Earth: Robert Rohm Sculpture, 1963-2013”, an exhibition exploring the life works of Rhode Island sculptor Robert Rohm
- EYE TO EYE Photographs and Projects by Mary Beth Meehan exhibition and ANNYE RAYE PITTS: WITNESS an installation by Mary Beth Meehan and Jonathan Pitts-Wiley
- Chazan! Unfiltered, featuring original artwork by Rhode Island based artist Erminio Pinque from the collaborative graphic novel that tells the story of the incredible life of Dr. Joseph Chazan
- Welcome to the Anti-Robot Club, an installation by emerging artist Spocka Summa
- #ArtonTap on Troop Top Thursdays
- ArtMart, a series of outdoor, pop up markets that features the work of WaterFire’s New Flame and other artists.
As we prepare for 2022 we are hopeful that we will be able to hold our first full lighting season since 2019. Our 2022 exhibition series at the Art Center will feature the paintings and mixed media works of Jordan Seaberry and will include a showing of the Accelerate Artist inaugural cohort’s works completed during their residency at WaterFire.
Our ability to produce high level programming both downtown and at the WFAC depends on your support. Please make a donation this Giving Tuesday by donating to the WaterFire Future Fund. All funds go toward the retention of vital staff who bring these experiences from dream to reality.
Thank you!
