Project Fund Awarded Projects

FY25, Cycle 1 Project Fund Grantees:

Community Music Works, September 2024. $4,000
Community MusicWorks (CMW) will produce Sounds of Place, a music performance project celebrating the opening of their new facility, designed to extend their engagement with questions about history, belonging, and power as they relate to music, community, and place. This project will bring together students, families, neighbors in the blocks surrounding their new building, and audiences citywide to create a culture of inclusion around their new facility.

The Dirt Palace, throughout 2024. $3,000
The Dirt Palace Storefront Window Gallery is an ongoing exhibition project in the Olneyville neighborhood of Providence. The monthly rotating street-side exhibitions are free and accessible to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and showcase artworks from a diverse group of local, national, and international artists as well as youth and local community groups.

DownCity Design, August 2024. $4,000
DownCity Design will offer an intensive 6-week summer art and design learning program for 52 Providence teens, hosted at Providence Career + Technical Academy (PCTA). The program will take place July 8 – August 16, 2024 and will result in the creation of four new youth-designed, youth-built service projects for public spaces and non-profit organizations.

Everett, September through December 2024. $4,000
Everett will produce Open Stage – a live night of performance and celebration of Providence’s talented artists. Open Stage will occur at Everett on the first Friday of each month from September through December 2024, each including a host, a headliner act and ten open performance slots.

Farm Fresh, July through October 2024. $3,000
Farm Fresh Rhode Island will host monthly culinary demonstrations along with other programming showcasing the rich cultural traditions of African immigrant groups in Providence at the Broad Street Farmers Market between July and October 2024.

Haus of Codec, May through December 2024. $2,000
Haus of Codec will host Outdoor and Indoor Artist Marketplaces and Community Fairs through the end of 2024 in order to bring the Rhode Island together to support our local artists, access community resources and support our local artist populations while bringing awareness and funding to Haus of Codec’s mission of ending youth homeless.

Jenna Benzinger, fiscally sponsored by the Wilbury Theatre Group. July 2024. $1,500
Benzinger will create and present Palindrome, a play where the movements and speech will be the same forward and backwards, though the intention/quality of movement will change. We will follow the merging of two lovers who are both
always wrong and both always right. Palindrome studies the intimacies of the different relationships that come and go in our lives and will be performed as part of the PVD Fringe Festival.

LitArts RI, November 2024. $3,000
LitArts RI will invite Providence writers to professionalize their practice at Building Your Creative Capital, an application support day in Fall 2024 at the LitArts RI Center in the Valley Arts District of Providence. From author headshots with a local photographer to professional feedback on artist statements, the event offers local creatives the chance to build a robust toolkit of materials to apply to their next grant, residency or fellowship opportunity.

Motif, July 2024. $2,000
Join Motif for the second annual Battle of the Bands, a celebration of musical talent from Rhode Island, both emerging and time-tested. The event will feature 15 musical acts who will compete to advance to the final round. Expect exceptional live music, delicious eats, and an all-around summertime bash (with kid’s activities as well) and vote for your favorites live.

MUSE Foundation, August 2024. $3,000
Join the MUSE Foundation for a memorable Emancipation Day Sunset Celebration on the scenic Michael S. VanLeesten Memorial Bridge. This unique event promises an evening filled with diverse entertainment, reflective of our rich cultural heritage.

Oasis International, August 2024. $3,000
Oasis International will produce the 31st Annual Summer Bash, an event where the African Community, friends, and associates from all spheres of life gather to celebrate African heritage, culture, and community spirit. The event will take place in August 2024 at Richardson Park in Providence.

Project 401, July and August 2024. $4,000
Project 401 will produce its annual Hip Hop summer jam series, an exciting and enriching youth dance program and vibrant outdoor park hip hop art Jams organized during the summer between July and August 2024. This initiative aims to provide free opportunities for local youth to engage in artistic expression, cultivate their talents, build self-confidence, and contribute to the cultural vibrancy of our community.

PRONK!, October 2024. $2,000
PRONK! (Providence HONK! Festival) 2024 will offer programming in Dexter Park, Hopkins Park, and I-195 District Park on Indigenous People’s Day, explicitly centering Indigenous heritage, culture, history and community while collaborating with local, national and international Indigenous artists, musicians and community organizers + their local + national + international community of PRONK/HONK musicians. They are honored to nurture + grow + strengthen this intention through years of transformation and change.

Providence Children’s Museum, June through December 2024. $2,000
Providence Children’s Museum’s Connections program will run for six months in 2024 to connect arts and humanities institutions across RI to young children, providing access to families who may otherwise not be able to experience them. This free program interprets the partners’ traditional programs in an age-appropriate way, introducing families to rich learning experiences regardless of age, background, or circumstance.

Providence Student Union, September through December 2024. $3,000
Providence Student Union (PSU)’s Art & Design task force will provide opportunities for Providence youth to explore different forms of art and design, express themselves creatively, and amplify their voices through artistic expression throughout the fall of 2024. This includes graphics and art projects in support of our campaigns, direct actions and political education.

Puerto Rican Professional Association, July 2024. $2,000
The Puerto Rican Bay Fest, taking place on July 21st, 2024, at India Point Park in Providence, Rhode Island, serves as a significant cultural event for the Puerto Rican community. Emphasizing heritage through music, artisans, food, and family-oriented entertainment, the festival encapsulates Puerto Rican tradition and identity. This gathering provides a vital space for cultural remembrance and community cohesion, contributing to the preservation and celebration of Puerto Rican heritage in Rhode Island.

PVD World Music, September 2024. $4,000
Back for its fifth year, Providence World Music’s Annual African Film and Arts Festival returns to Providence for five days from September 19 to 22, 2024, shining a spotlight on contemporary films and filmmakers from Africa and the African Diaspora. As with every year, the festival will showcase rarely seen films and highlight important indigenous music histories and traditions in locations around Providence in partnership with local champion organizations. It will also include traditional African music and dance performances and offer opportunities to learn more about the vibrant arts of the African continent.

Queer.Archive.Work., August through September 2024. $4,000
Queer/Trans Zine Fest (QTZ) is an annual zine fair held on unceded Narragansett land (Providence, RI) organized for and by queer and trans people. Our festival showcases the creations of queer and trans poets, cartoonists, independent publishers, and zine-makers. The fest will be hosted at the Binch Press/Queer.Archive.Work Studio and The Steel Yard from August 30th – September 1st 2024.

Revolve Dance Project, July 2024. $2,000
Revolve Dance Project will present two live performances at the RISD Auditorium in Providence. The program features five world premiere pieces combining a wide array of music and dance styles, created by professional composers and a roster of all-female choreographers including former NYC Ballet principal dancer and renowned choreographer Lauren Lovette. RDP will expand its Educational Outreach Program offering 20+ hours of music/dance classes to youth and presenting a live preview performance at Waterfire, where members of the community can experience excerpts of the program free of charge on the banks of the Providence River.

Ricky Katowicz, fiscally sponsored by the Wilbury Theatre Group, September 2024. $2,000
The Rainbow Beard Show will explore all things WASTE! We will meet a garbage collector, a farmer, and a handful of puppet friends. Together, we’ll play games, tell stories, and dance while we ask questions such as – What kinds of waste exist in our lives? How do we manage it? And, if we are always where we’re meant to be, can anything ever be a waste of time?

RI Latino Arts, June through December 2024. $2,000
RI Latino Arts will program and open of La Galería del Barrio, RILA’s urban art gallery located inside the Southside Cultural Center with monthly Artists MeetUps scheduled for the 3rd Thursday of each month.

RI Women’s Choreography Project, September 2024. $4,000
The Rhode Island Women’s Choreography Project (RIWCP) will produce its annual public dance performance as a platform for emerging choreographers (female-identifying and non-binary) to present new work. RIWCP provides the choreographers with rehearsal space and dancers during a 3-week residency and welcomes artists from RI and beyond to participate.

The Steel Yard, September 2024. $4,000
The Steel Yard & Smiths for the Promotion of Accessibility, Representation and Community (SPARC) of the Society of Inclusive Blacksmiths, will host the region’s first Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Metalsmith’s Weekend at The Steel Yard, September 20th-22nd, 2024. The weekend will be filled with programming, including public demonstrations, educational opportunities, gallery exhibition, artist talks, and a metals market.

Teatro ECAS, September 2024. $4,000
Teatro ECAS will present Las Cosas Extraordinarias (Every Brilliant Thing) September 12-22, 2024, with four performances in Spanish and four performances in English.

Trade Pop-Up, July through December 2024. $3,000
Trade Pop-up will host ongoing programming from July 2024 until December 2024. All programming will be held at 34 Governor St. Providence, RI 02906 and is free and open to the public and free for the event host/ curator/ artist to use.

Two Character Play, fiscally sponsored by Reverie Theatre Group, August 2024. $2,000
A small group of local artists are independently producing The Two Character Play by Tennessee Williams in Providence in order to engage in conversations around mental health and associated stigmas, and to promote community organizers who help folks with mental illness. All proceeds generated will be forwarded to local organizations serving Providence communities, and the project will not only engage community members artistically but also connect people with organizations doing work directly related to the themes of the play.

WBNA, July through September 2024. $3,000
The WBNA will present eight performances at Dexter Training Ground Park between July and September. They will coincide with the Armory Farmers Market that takes place every Thursday at this park from June through the end of October. Performers will be Rhode Island-based artists who represent
a variety of musical styles, genres, and cultures.

Wilbury Theatre Group, July 2024. $3,000
The Wilbury Theatre Group will present FRINGEPVD: The 2024 Providence Fringe Festival July 14 -27, featuring hundreds of performance artists from around the world in over a dozen venues throughout the Valley and Olneyville neighborhoods.

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FY24, Cycle 2 Project Fund Grantees:

Abenda Sohn, fiscally sponsored by WaterFire. January 2024. $4,000
Sohn will present a photography exhibit at the WaterFire Arts Center focusing on a body of artworks that serves as a catalyst for discourse, igniting introspection among all Liberians and diasporic Liberians regarding migration, memory, loss, heritage, and the intricate nuances of Liberian and Liberian-American identity.

AS220, June 2024. $4,000
AS220 will support their winter and spring exhibits in the Aborn Gallery.

Bidon Community Print Design Studio, fiscally sponsored by AS220, February 2024. $3,000
Bidon will continue to provide a local space where learning and collaboration can bridge the gap between the arts, education, and all undervalued communities.

Cultural Society, May 2024. $2,000
Cultural Society will produce their annual AAPI Heritage Month Celebration with Historical Poster Art & Portraits.

Elizabeth Jweinat with New Urban Arts, May 2024. $2,000.00
Elizabeth Jweinat will create a “NUA Mural Group,” teaching young artists how to pursue large scale paintings and other public art projects.

Manton Avenue Project, Spring 2024. $2,000
Manton Avenue Project will produce their Spring Play-It-Again and Playmaking Playwriting Programs Play Festivals with students from D’Abate Elementary School.

Motion State Arts, February – March 2024, $3,000
Motion State Arts will produce the 2024 Motion State Dance Festival at The Wilbury Theater Group.

Outspoken, fiscally sponsored by Tell Your Truth, February 2024. $2,500
Outspoken will produce a Black History Month show called “A Verbal Revolution” at the Southside Cultural Center.

Partnership for Providence Parks, Winter/Spring 2024. $4,000
Partnership for Providence Parks will promote their ArtCart! at the Providence Rec Centers and use it to support community members creating their own proposals and projects that promote arts and healing.

Providence Children’s Film Festival, February 2024. $4,000
Providence Children’s Film Festival will produce their annual festival of movies for young people across Providence.

Providence Drum Troupe, June 2024. $3,000
Providence Drum Troupe will activate the Innovation Park area on Tuesday evenings from 6-8pm in May and June of 2024 with “Sunset Celebrations with Providence Drum Troupe.”

Providence Poetry Slam, fiscally sponsored by AS220, summer 2024. $4,000
Providence Poetry Slam will commemorate their 30th anniversary by building a team of five young writers between the ages of 14-18 to represent Providence at Brave New Voices in Washington, DC in the future.

Providence Student Union, June 30, 2024. $4,000
Providence Student Union will support the leaders of their Youth-led Art & Design Task Force with professional development.

ShePVD, fiscally sponsored by the Wilbury Theatre Group, March 8, 2024. $2,000
ShePVD will produce a showcase of woman-identifying performers in a variety of artistic disciplines at AS220 to coincide with Women’s History Month.

What Fray Was Here?: Social Justice Shakespeare, fiscally sponsored by Reverie Theatre Group, June 2024. $2,000.00
What Fray Was Here?: Social Justice Shakespeare will complete and perform “I’m At Your Window,” an original work that sets Shakespeare’s rhymes to the rhythms of Hip Hop, against the backdrop of America’s racial reckoning, ignited by George Floyd’s murder.