WaterFire’s Guide to Visiting Providence

Alexie Rudman

Alexie is a multimedia artist who draws inspiration from the human form and her background in marine conservation to create figurative works and marine-inspired pieces. Having grown up surfing, scuba diving, and wading through tide pools on Rhode Island’s rocky shore, her affinity for the ocean and all the creatures that call it home is longstanding. She pays homage to the sea through her Japanese gyotaku fish prints, created from fish and squid she catches locally – primarily sustainable stocks with healthy populations that are under-appreciated by seafood consumers. Her figurative drawings and paintings are inspired by the classic arts, which, through frequent visits to museums and her grandparents’ fascination with the Renaissance period, have always been a part of her life. The highlight of her art journey has been meeting and connecting with the welcoming community of creatives in Southeastern New England, a community that continues to enrich her life and this city..

(@bare_and_brine)
etsy.com/shop/BareAndBrine

Anne Manera

My work explores colors, shapes, textures and contrasts which represent this ever changing world in which we live. As an Artist, my goal is to convey a message from my heart and soul in a subtle manner, allowing the viewer to interpret the artwork on a personal level. As colors emerge, morphing into shapes and forms, the view is left with an insight into how beauty truly exists in the eye of the beholder. Each piece I create is representative of my past, present and future while simultaneously striving to engage the viewer..

(@anne.manera)
annemanera.com

Anthem Seven Keith

Anthem Keith is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist specializing in fiber and visual arts born in Boston, Massachusetts. His work explores themes surrounding grief, self-expression, queer joy, and interpersonal relationships. Throughout his work, he finds a way of expressing vulnerability and pushing boundaries. With a unique lens as a transgender man, Anthem aims to highlight visibility and acceptance in any space his art is shown.

(@ruleofsevens)
anthemkeith.pixieset.com/seventhstudios

Ariel Tavares

​ Ariel Tavares is a multi-hyphenate storyteller who flirts shamelessly with different mediums. She is a poet, writer, photographer, host, model, creative director, graphic designer, and a visual artist. Her works aims to make people feel seen, feel less alone, and feel beautiful. She aims to capture the beauty of everyday life, mining magic from the mundane.

(@ariellingmyname)
arieltavares.com

Benjamin Giguere

I have been teaching and creating glass work for 25 years. I have always admired the extreme opposites glass has to offer in its physical states from hot to cold. Sharp to soft. Fragile yet durable. The conversation I have with the glass during the process of making an object plays on this idea of controlled chaos. I am classically trained in form. For over a decade I created clear forms and honed in on the quality of craftsmanship. This allowed me to have a controlled (canvas) in form and allow the chaos of color to consume the piece. It is that in between both dualities that I feel balanced.

(@gatherglass)
gatherglass.com

Carey Good

Carey received a BFA in Photography with a minor in Printmaking from the Savannah College of Art & Design in 2013. Since then she has been a darkroom and printmaking educator, collaborator, and publisher showing work nationally and abroad. She currently works out of her home studio in Providence, RI exploring emotional landscapes through various mediums.

(@careygood)
careygood.com

Caterina Maina

Caterina Maina is a visual artist specializing in large-format photography and environmental portraiture. Her work delves into issues we face on both individual and societal levels. Her passion for community and storytelling is evident in her artistic career. She has exhibited work throughout Rhode Island, Boston, Worcester, NYC, and Maryland. She is a part of the Waterfire Accelerate 2024 – 2025 Cohort.

(@4x5junkie)
caterinamainaphotography.com

Charlie Corley

As a metal fabricator, I’ve always been enamored by cut-offs, the repetitious pieces that come from production builds. When standing at the saw all day making the same cut over and over again, I’ll take these pieces and stack them in different patterns to keep myself sane. This lot is a particular pile that I’ve been fantasizing about turning into different figures, these are those little fantasies.

(@corleymetalworks)

Chris Podzon

Hi my name is Christian Podzon, I am a photographer based in Rhode Island. I’ve been doing photography for over seven years! For over a year I have contributed to WaterFire, alongside doing multiple photography jobs, and events in Rhode Island.

(@chris_podzon)
sites.google.com/view/christianpodzon/home

Dorian Epps

Dorian Epps was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, and has always loved sports, community, and the arts. In 2017 he moved to Providence to attend Rhode Island School of Design where he graduated in 2021 with a BFA in Industrial Design.
Today his work is centered around the importance of sustainability, collaboration, and boundless exploration through creative means. As storytellers and artists, it is our responsibility to find ways to pass on the stories of our individual and shared experiences. A way that Dorian currently strives to achieve this is through apparel, accessories, and textile manipulation.

(@dorianepps_)

Emily Gray

Emily Gray (she/her) is a Providence-based artist practicing in painting, printmaking, sculpture, and performance art. She explores ideas of heritage and gender as well as spirituality and our relationships with the natural world. In her current role as the Executive Assistant at WaterFire Providence, Emily focuses on community arts programming, WaterFire Arts Center’s gallery + exhibitions, and all things arts administration. Emily finds immense joy in making, talking, learning, and thinking about art.

(@emilysweb.jpg)

Harry Cassell

Harry Cassell is a multimedia artist based in Providence, Rhode Island. Her work revolves around material culture and languages, primarily how a craftsperson’s experience with one material affects their treatment of other materials. She graduated from Rhode Island School of Design in 2019 with a BFA in Furniture Design. Since graduating, she has been exploring metal working, printmaking, and ceramics. Harry has just completed a two year residency at The Steel Yard where she developed methods for painting with glazes. The narratives in her current work are inspired by the geological processes that form ceramic materials.

(@sassafrassell)
harrycassell.com

Janelle Castillo

Janelle Castillo, initially explored painting in high school before refining her drawing skills at the Rhode Island School of Design. Graduating with a degree in Industrial Design, Janelle embraced investigative design, finding joy in capturing her surroundings with precision using a ballpoint pen. As a graphic designer for WaterFire Providence, she draws inspiration from the passion that fuels her colleagues. Fueled by a commitment to justice and fairness, Janelle aspires to bring her artful precision to the field of law, leveraging her experiences to advocate for others facing challenges. In law school, she aims to gain the knowledge and tools needed to navigate legal complexities, contributing to a fair and equitable legal system. Explore more of Janelle’s designs on Redbubble at www.redbubble.com/people/justSticker1999.

Jeremy Schilling

Jeremy Schilling has been an independent artist since 2016 working in a range of mediums from charcoal and graphite, watercolor, to oil paint. Maintaining an ambitious exhibition schedule, you can find his work as part of the selection at juried fine art festivals across several states including Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey. Schilling’s oil paintings are created on hand prepared masonite panels as well as hand stretched canvas. His work is very textural, exploring paint applications with brush, palette knife, and rubber tools mixing representational realism with impressionism and abstraction. Schilling’s primary series of oil paintings focuses on astronauts, specifically the space suit and how it acts as a barrier between someone as well as the environment that they are in. In addition to this series he have several other series exploring landscape, floral still life, and the human figure. Schilling grew up in Connecticut where he was trained as a landscape painter before attending the Rhode Island School of Design, where he studied Illustration..

(@jeremyschil)
jeremyschilling.com

Joanna Booth

Joanna Booth (she/ they) is a multi-media printmaker and textile artist from Philadelphia, PA. Currently based in Providence, her work explores themes of home, social narrative, memory and identity. She received her BFA in Studio Art and Black Studies from Amherst College (‘19) and completed a MFA in Printmaking at the Rhode Island School of Design (‘24).

(@joannaboothart)
joannabooth.squarespace.com

Kit Grindeland

Kit Grindeland (they/he) is a self taught ceramicist who is a ’24-’25 Ceramics Resident at the Steel Yard. Their work is primarily pit-fired with play between functional and sculptural pieces often exploring magical realism and the transient nature of clay.

(@goblinhands)
kitgrindeland.com

Kyle Machado

My drawings are part of an ongoing series for metaphorical/personal thoughts that are cataloged, in the moment, thanks to the convenience of sketchbooks. The books allow me to freely work not only in-studio but also outside, on airplanes, beaches, museums and wild train rides. These pieces are from books with quality paper that allowed me the freedom to mix all mediums with a Ballpoint Pen. They are proof of resilience while being inspired by weird dreams, surrealism, and a bit of humor!

(@kmach88)
behance.net/kylemachado88

Larisa Martino

I create art to define my feelings and emotions, to express my inner views and sensuality. The subjects of my paintings are usually women and abstracts. My muse is an imagination that relies on collected images and real observation. I begin my creation by submerging myself in trance, clearing daily worries from my mind. With swooshing circular motions that render the curves of a woman, violin, fluid shapes, floral petal, a glass of wine, I follow with pen and brush the footprints of my daydreaming.
My artistic influences include Gustav Klimt, vintage and modern fashion sketches, and Art Nouveau. I rejoice in blending diverse textures, materials, and techniques, which result in mixed-media creations. In my work, you will discover playful lines of ink, deliciously textured acrylics, peek-a-boo fabrics, and unexpected red wine stains.
Show options…

(@larisadesigns)
Larisa-Designs.com

Laura J Michaud

Photography helps me see the world in a more meaningful way, capturing moments that might otherwise slip by. Inspired by everyday beauty, my work blends Rhode Island’s coastal energy with Utah’s wide-open landscapes. I hope my photos encourage people to pause, look closer, and connect with the world around us. This collection is a journey through places I love, sharing moments that highlight the beauty and variety in our surroundings.

(@ljmphoto.art)
ljmphoto.art

Lindsay Weitzman

Lindsay Weitzman is an interdisciplinary artist based in Providence, Rhode Island. She received her BFA from Boston University. She has participated in residencies at the The Steel Yard (2022), Vermont Studio Center (2016, 2017) and the Arquetopia Foundation (2017, 2020). Her work has been exhibited throughout the US and in Japan, most recently at The Steel Yard Yard Work exhibition at the WaterFire Arts Center. She has taught both adult and youth printmaking and ceramics workshops at AS220 Industries and The Steel Yard here in PVD.

(@linds_see_)
lindsayweitzman.com

Lizzy Sour

Elizabeth Jweinat, aka Lizzy Sour, is a Providence-born artist with Jordanian roots, whose work transforms public spaces into vibrant, abstract canvases. Her distinctive style, developed from a lifelong love of freehand drawing, blends shape, color, and typography into a unique visual language. A RISD graduate, community organizer, and mentor, Lizzy is dedicated to supporting marginalized artists and fostering creative expression in the next generation. Through her murals, sculptures, and diverse artistic mediums, she weaves together her Middle Eastern heritage and the dynamic spirit of her city.

(@lizzysour)
lizzysour.com

Marsena Dufresne

A self-taught printmaker and mixed media artist, Marsena employs the historical techniques of block printing, cyanotype, collage, and (her great grandmother’s specialty) embroidery. She loves the slow, tactile nature of these methods, and although she is drawn to the vintage styles associated with them, her own subject matter always touches on the unexpected, strange, and unsettling. In this way, Marsena subverts the traditional and connects it to a modern sensibility. It is in this place of tension, between the traditional and the modern, that the best conversations are evoked, and she feels a certain satisfaction knowing her fundamentalist great grandmother, who exclusively embroidered Bible verses, would be horrified to cast her eyes upon Marsena’s portfolio of amputations, witches, and strange creatures.

(@UncouthCurations)

Michael Hayes

Hello, my name is Michael Hayes. I am a photographer from Providence, Rhode Island. I currently practice digital photography with a focus on street and automotive. Through my work, I aim to share my passion for both photography and the automotive world.

(@hazey_media)
hazeymedia.myportfolio.com

Rachel Turner

Rachel Turner is an educator and photographer from Providence, Rhode Island, whose work captures the beauty of everyday moments through both film and digital photography. For Rachel, photography is a way to slow down and connect with her surroundings, allowing her to see the world with fresh eyes. Inspired by her hometown of Providence and her travels, she uses her lens to tell stories that evoke a sense of place and emotion.

(@rachelturner2)
rachelgturner.com

Rafael Medina

Rafael Medina is a Dominican-American street photographer from Providence, Rhode Island. He’s been documenting the city since 2017 and has found a deep Love and appreciation for it through his photographic journey. Rafael has displayed his work in multiple galleries and spaces in Rhode Island and released his self published photobook titled ‘Dear PVD’, a photographic Love letter to Providence.

(@rafeakspvd)
rafeaks.com

Sara Breslin

Sara Breslin has made a name for herself as a Symbolist Figure Artist with her colorful, feminine work informed by the late 19th-century Art Nouveau style and the early 20th-century Surrealism movement. She obtained her BFA in 2014 from the University of Rhode Island, having majored in Fine Arts, and has continued her studio practice in Rhode Island ever since. Breslin’s watercolor and mixed media paintings meld reality and fantasy to create empowering images of the Divine Feminine. These images employ strong narrative concepts, incorporating elements from nature, ancient symbols, and dynamic colors to breathe life into her mesmerizing figures.

(@sarabreslin)
sarabreslin.com

Sara Inácio

Sara Inácio is a Brazilian artist based in Providence, RI. They received a BFA in printmaking and public engagement from Maine College of Art in 2017, and recently completed their MFA in Printmaking at Rhode Island School of Design. Making work directly based on their surroundings, Sara is especially interested in their non-human neighbors, those who adapt and thrive in spite of the human-built environment and societal structures that push against their existence. They work in various forms of print, from mezzotint to prints made directly from roadkill remains, zines, paper sculptures, installations and sometimes set up wildlife cameras just to peek into the everyday lives of their neighborhood rats and birds.

(@sarainacioart)
sarainacio.com

Sissy Rosso

Sissy Rosso is a Dominican-American mixed media artist based in Providence, Rhode Island. Specializing in collage, printmaking, and painting, their work delves into themes of space, memory, and identity. As a chosen archivist of their family, Sissy reimagines personal and collective histories, often drawing inspiration from family stories and archival materials. Their current projects explore the complexities of home, belonging, and cultural heritage, aiming to mend fragmented narratives and foster healing through assemblage. Sissy has exhibited at the Black Biennial at the RISD Museum and is a participant in the 2024-2025 WaterFire Accelerate program.

(@sissysoll)
sissyrosso.com

Suzanne M Burns

The pictures I am currently showing reflecting the challenges I have been experiencing with Cerebral Palsy, Asthma and now recently discovering my new challenge with Epilepsy. Some of the raw pictures I have on file reflect the different seizures I have while shooting. I enjoy trying to tell the story of what is going on even though I may not be able to speak. Nothing should stop any one from doing anything they want to do if they put their mind to it.

Sydney Darrow

Sydney Darrow is a Rhode Island based artist that creates both representational realism and abstract art and specializes in a combination of the two styles referred to as “magical realism.” This set of 12 paintings is the second installment of Sydney’s Food Skull Series, and is titled ‘Skull Salad’.

(@sydneydarrowart)
sydneydarrowart.org

Vessna Scheff

My name is Vessna Scheff, and I am a producer of marks and sounds. Through music and watercolors, I tell stories of incredible resourcefulness, strategy, technique, beauty, community, liberation, and love. Celebrating the unsung histories- personally and socially- is at the core of my family story and artistic practice. My work plays with intervals and conversations; in relationships of mark to mark, note to note, tone to texture, breath to brush, and color to sound.

(@vessnascheff)
https://www.vessnascheff.com