WaterFire Receives EPA Cleanup Grant for New Home

WaterFire would like to thank all of our guests who attended Monday’s joint press conference to announce our and the West Broadway Neighborhood Association’s 2013 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency brownfields cleanup grants. It was a great event and we were pleased to welcome special guests, board members, sponsors, and volunteers to our new home at 475 Valley Street.

WPRI was there to cover the event.

The entire Rhode Island Congressional Delegation was on hand along with EPA administrator Curt Spalding for the presentation of the big checks. After the checks were handed out the doors were opened and guests were welcomed into our new building by members of the Extraordinary Rendition Band and Big Nazo. Fertile Underground and Foremost Baking Company were on hand with Equal Exchange coffee and fresh-baked pastries. Guests could also sample some delicious specially made Rhode Island Coffee Milk ice cream from Rhode Ilin Ice Cream.

We were also fortunate to have Roger Desrosiers of the Poconocutt Nation at the event; Roger performed a smudging ceremony all around and inside of our new home and was offering blessings to guests before they entered the building. Smudging is a sacred smoke blessing that is a ceremony for cleansing and purification for the physical and spiritual bodies. Smudging calls on the spirits of sacred herbs and plants to drive away negative energies and to restore balance.

Fertile Underground serves up delicious iced coffee to eager guests

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.