PROJECT FUND AWARDED PROJECTS
FY26, Cycle 1 Project Fund Grantees:
BalletRI, December 2025 $2,000
Ballet RI’s The Nutcracker: Discover Dance is the organization’s largest running and most impactful community engagement programming. Produced alongside public Nutcracker performances, the productions bring over 4000 underserved youth, mostly from Title 1 Schools, to the Nutcracker annually at little to no cost, removing barriers to access that have long prohibited a large portion of our community from experiencing the magic of live performance art.
Choreography Project, July – August 2025 $3,000
The Choreography Project (CP, previously the Rhode Island Women’s Choreography Project) has a core
mission to nurture, elevate, and empower artists of marginalized gender identities. CP seeks to address the gender imbalance in the dance industry by providing professional opportunities and support to rising female and nonbinary choreographers. Each year’s cohort presents their final work to the Rhode Island community at our annual public performance series in Providence.
Community Music Works, September – October 2025 $2,000
Community MusicWorks seeks support for the Dexter Street Festival, a season-opening event on September 20, 2025 that will continue Community MusicWorks’ exploration of the sounds and people of the neighborhood in our continued effort to link neighbors and community members to the Community MusicWorks Center. This project will bring together students, families, neighbors in the blocks surrounding our new building, and audiences citywide to create a culture of inclusion around our new facility.
Dailen Williams (Third Space Fiscal), July – August 2025 $4,000
Dailen Williams of Club:Club seeks to host a series of conversations on music and performance related
topics with various local and regionally close artists and researchers. At their conclusion each evening
these panels will evolve into live performances
Dennis Legget (MUSE Foundation Fiscal), July – August 2025 $2,000
“Blooming Through Concrete” is a transformative event hosted at East 33 that celebrates growth,
resilience, and the ability to overcome adversity. This gathering honors the journey of individuals and communities who, through dedication and perseverance, rise above challenges to bloom despite life’s obstacles. The event creates a dynamic fusion of art, collaboration, and connection, fostering an environment that nurtures both personal growth and a strong sense of community spirit.
Dirt Palace, July – December 2025 $2,000
The Dirt Palace Storefront Window Gallery is an ongoing public art exhibition project in the Olneyville neighborhood of Providence, at the busy intersection of Manton Avenue and Olneyville Square. Visible from the street 24/7, this project will showcase the art installations from 4 local artists July – December of 2025. Corresponding Artist interviews will be featured on the Dirt Palace blog
Dominique Sindayiganza (International House Fiscal), September – October 2025 $4,000
HOMECOMING! is a research project and photo series focusing on people from the African Diaspora living in Providence. Over the course of 3 years I’ve invited myself into the homes of strangers to document who we are and how we live. I’m inviting everybody in Providence to a photo exhibit at the International House of Rhode Island where we will celebrate the diversity, resiliency and hospitality of the people who opened their home to me.
East 33 (MUSE Foundation Fiscal), July – January 2025 $2,000
“Shea Butter for the Soul” is a monthly gathering at East 33 in East Providence, offering Black women a safe space for community, healing, and discussion on topics like racial trauma, workplace dynamics, and mental wellness. In partnership with Ancha Santana, LMHC, this program provides facilitated workshops and discussions designed to empower Black women through mindfulness, creative expression, and community building, addressing the unique challenges of navigating contemporary society. We aim to create restorative space for Black women to connect, share experiences, and develop strategies for thriving.
Everett, September – December 2025 $3,000
Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism will support Everett’s 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 2024 through December 2025, each including a host, a headliner act and ten open performance slots.
Farm Fresh, October 2025 $2,000
Farm Fresh Rhode Island’s will host three cultural events featuring African cooking demonstrations and
live musical performances at the Broad Street Farmers Market at the Algonquin House in South
Providence. Taking place between July and October, these free events will celebrate African culinary and artistic traditions while fostering community engagement and supporting local food producers
FirstWorks, September – November 2025 $2,000
In the Fall of 2025, FirstWorks will present the Silkroad Ensemble’s “American Railroad,” a musical
journey of reclamation that seeks to amplify the unheard voices of the immigrant laborers who built the Transcontinental Railroad. A live performance on November 9, at the Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, will be enhanced by free and enriching community engagements, followed by an educational matinee
performance for students throughout Rhode Island. Gifted tickets to community organizations and affinity groups will create accessible programming and an entry point to the arts.
Guatemalan Center of New England, August – September 2025 $4,000
The festival Guatemala is known for its family-friendly atmosphere, offering a variety of activities and entertainment that celebrates Guatemala’s traditions, making it a beloved event for both locals and visitors.
Haus of Codec, July – December 2025 $4,000
Haus of Codec hosts Artist Marketplaces and Community Fairs at low to no-cost for local artists to sell and showcase their work. These marketplaces also serve as community resource spaces; bringing
awareness and funding to Haus of Codec’s mission to end transitional aged homelessness.
Haus of Glitter (AS220 fiscal), September – November 2025 $2,000
Dance for the Diaspora (D4D PVD) 2025 is a diasporic community festival celebrating Black, African, and Afro-Diasporic heritage through dance, music, art and culture. Taking place in Fall 2025 at 195 District Park in Providence, this multigenerational and interdisciplinary festival features free performances, workshops, and large-scale public gatherings, fostering cultural preservation, artistic innovation, and collective movement-building. With expanded multi-track programming, D4D 2025 will engage artists, preservationists, and audiences from Providence and beyond, positioning the city as a hub for Afrodiasporic arts, cultural tourism, and artistic excellence.
Hope Scholars PVD, July 2025 $3,000
Where music meets philanthropy at ‘One Night Only’. Experience live Tiny Desk-esque performances
and poetry by talented artists accompanied by a dynamic live band headlined by Jon Hope, all in support of raising awareness and community connections for Hope Scholars Initiative and their programming to empower Providence’s urban youth through educational opportunities in the arts.
LitArtsRI, December 2025 $4,000
LitArts RI will empower Providence writers with the tools they need to craft a successful book pitch
through a hands-on training led by industry professionals, one-on-one consultations with local authors, and an opportunity to submit their pitch for in-the-moment feedback from literary agents, with ongoing manuscript support through our fall writing workshop and writing groups. Writers will come out of the Manuscript to Market program series with a compelling pitch, the confidence to sell their book, and additional opportunities for manuscript feedback and access to publishing resources. Planned for Fall 2025, the program will impact Providence’s literary economy by increasing the number of local writers entering the publishing market.
MUSE Foundation, July – September 2025 $3,000
The MUSE Foundation of Rhode Island / Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Bridge Free Sunset Concert (RIBPM Edition) honors the legacy of Michael S. Van Leesten by celebrating Black philanthropy, culture, and community impact through live music, storytelling, and artistic expression. Set against the Providence skyline and river, this free event fosters inclusivity, cultural equity, and community connection, aligning with the city’s commitment to transformation and empowerment.
Music One Productions, August 2025 $2,000
On Sunday Aug 3rd at Roger Williams Park-Temple to Music from noon to dusk, we will commemorate the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. This celebration will feature live music, dance, spoken word performances, and vendors, all infused with the richness of our proud African American culture. Set in a festival ambiance and open to the public at no cost, the event aims to unite the community and underscore the strength derived from our diversity.
Nos Cultura, August 2025 $2,000
Love Cabo Verde is a cultural celebration dedicated to promoting and preserving Cape Verdean
heritage through music, dance, food, and storytelling. This event will bring together the community to
showcase the rich traditions of Cape Verde while fostering cross-cultural appreciation. The event will feature live performances, traditional cuisine, and interactive experiences that highlight the beauty and vibrancy of Cape Verdean culture
Oasis International, August 2025 $3,000
The 32nd African Summer Bash is an event where the African Community, friends, and associates from
all spheres of life gather to celebrate African heritage, culture, and community spirit.
Providence Preservation Society, July – December 2025 $3,000
PPS will support a one-year arts/culture fellowship commencing in June 2025 for two Providence-based artists, designers or creatives working on multidisciplinary projects related to community heritage, preservation, and place. The fellowship synthesizes research-based creative practice, community collaboration, and preservation or documentation techniques with the aim of producing new interpretations of underexplored places.
PVD World Music, September 2025 $4,000
The 6th Annual African Film and Art Festival returns to Providence for five days from September 17 to
21, 2025, shining a spotlight on contemporary films and filmmakers from Africa and the African Diaspora. As with every year, the festival will showcase new and classic rarely-seen films by African and Africa Diaspora filmmakers. The Festival will also include traditional African music and dance performances and offer opportunities to learn more about the vibrant arts of the African continent through Panel discussion with African Filmmakers and artists
Quisqueya In Action, August 2025 $3,000
2025 Dominican Parade and Festival.
RAMP, July 2025 $2,000
Accessibility Is Beautiful is an annual event celebrating diversity and inclusion in the disabilities
community, featuring food, a marketplace of businesses owned by disabled people, accessible tours of
the Steel Yard, local entertainment, artists, and more.
Ryan Dean (AS220 Fiscal), July – December 2025 $2,000
What message do you want turned into a poster? Every week from July 1 to December 31, we will
letterpress print at least one new broadside based on the messages that are most important to the
people of Providence. We will give these posters out for FREE, to be picked up in Providence, seven
days a week.
Trinity Square Together, August 2025 $3,000
The 2025 TST Annual Block Party will be held on August 9th, from 11 am to 4 pm in the Trinity Square
Neighborhood of Providence at Southside Cultural Center and Central Street. This community
celebration will feature performances by emerging youth artists across various art forms including dance, string instruments, hip hop, theater, comedy, and more. With an anticipated 400-600 attendees, the event will also include art stations, food vendors, a kids’ play space, and local community booths. The grant will fund stipends for youth performers and artists, supporting their creative expression and fostering local talent.
Wilbury Theater Group, July 2025 $3,000
Now in its 12th year, FRINGEPVD: The Providence Fringe Festival is to be presented by The Wilbury
Theatre Group July 13-26, 2025, featuring hundreds of performance artists from around the world in over a dozen venues throughout the Valley and Olneyville neighborhoods.
FY25, Cycle 2 Project Fund Grantees:
Andrew Grover (PPS fiscal), January – June 2025. $4,000
Artist Andrew Grover and Historian Traci Picard will host public sessions to gather histories and pictures of Providence area residents’ experiences with multi-family living, from the last century up to present. As part of the session, participants will get to build their own LEGO mini Providence multi-family! What do we love about these houses? What don’t we love? What are their places in the future of Providence?
AS220, January – June 2025. $2,000
AS220’s Aborn Gallery is a year-round exhibition space in downtown Providence curated to showcase work from Rhode Island artists engaging with critical social issues relevant to – and urgent in – our communities. The Aborn Gallery is a space derived from AS220’s Racial Justice Initiative and is free and accessible to the public Thursday and Friday 1pm to 6pm, and Saturday from 12pm to 5pm, or by appointment.
Eli Kauffman (Providence Bicycle Collective fiscal), January – June 2025. $2,600
This project is a fine arts exhibition featuring work by multiple queer artists, to be displayed publicly for a Rhode Island audience. The primary paintings for the show will be made by Providence-based artist Eli Kauffman, but with funding, this show will be able to include Boston-based artist J Rowen O’Dwyer, who has never shown in the Providence area. The exhibition will take place in the summer of 2025, as the venue Machines with Magnets.
Elvira Orozco (FirstWorks fiscal), April 2025. $4,000.
Now or Never Presents: What is your Providence Story? Participants are invited to reflect on and express their personal “Providence story” through various artistic mediums, sharing their past, present, and future visions of the city. Whether expressing current feelings or imagining Providence’s future, the goal is to learn and connect through art. This experience is especially for those who don’t consider themselves artistic, providing a welcoming space to explore creativity. We aim to launch the project in March or April in conjunction with the 301 Harris Award.
FirstWorks, March 3-7 2025. $3,000
FirstWorks will engage native-Egyptian performer, TEDx speaker, and seasoned educator, Karim Nagi, in a week-long residency featuring his stereotype breaking ARABIQA program from March 3-7, 2025. With the goal of engaging the Providence community, the residency will include a live pay-what-you-choose public performance at the Providence Public Library and highly engaging in-school music and dance workshops for students in Providence and across the state.
Gallery Night, March – June 2025. $4,000
Gallery Night Providence proposes to pilot a tour leaving from and returning to The Gateway Center at Roger Williams Park – twice during the 2025 season. The proposed tours would serve as a two way gateway to Providence’s vibrant arts scene – introducing audiences to the cultural offerings on the Broad Street Corridor and offering easy access to galleries and public art downtown and/or in the Valley neighborhood for those in the surrounding neighborhoods.
GRID Gallery, January – June 2025. $3,000
Breaking Barriers: A Guide to Navigating the Art Market for Queer BIPOC Photographers and Their Allies. This three month lecture series will be hosted by GRID Gallery every 3rd Thursday of the month with guest speakers from QTBIPOC industry leaders and photographers.
Hil Holder (Trade Pop-Up fiscal), January 2025. $3,000
This is a live hip hop show with local artists and DJ’s. Aiming for January for a show and the location is to be determined.
Juneteenth, June 22, 2025. $3,000
Join us on Sunday, June 22, 2025, for the 7th Annual Juneteenth RI Festival for some exceptionally great R&B music, diverse ethnic foods, dancing and fun as Rhode Island celebrates the commemoration of the emancipation of Slavery in America.
Manton Avenue Project, January – June 2025. $3,000
The Manton Avenue Project will present original plays by young people in April and June 2025.
Motion State Arts, February 27 – March 1. $3,000
The fifth annual Motion State Dance Festival, February 27–March 1, 2025, at The Wilbury Theatre Group, is an annual movement-based performance festival designed to introduce Rhode Island audiences to the cutting edge of contemporary dance. The festival features three nights of live performance and dance films, exposing audiences to the diversity of who makes dance and the types of dance being made today, while bringing local and national artists together to share their boundary-pushing creative explorations.
ODD-KIN (Dirt Palace fiscal), January – June 2025. $3,000
The upcoming Curator-in-Dialogue series at ODD-KIN in April will feature Chicago-based curator Jamillah James, offering a public talk open to the community. In addition, James will engage with three local artists through studio visits, selected by a jury. This event aims to foster meaningful dialogue between artists and curators, enriching the local art scene.
Persephone Allen (OpenDoors fiscal), Spring 2025. $4,000
GO HEAD AND FIX YOU A PLATE is an immersive and interactive installation by multidisciplinary artist Jazzmen Lee-Johnson that brings together large-scale prints, textiles, and music to explore the intertwined legacies of enslavement and ongoing impacts of mass incarceration, curb culture, and gun violence, which disproportionately impact Black communities in the United States. The installation offers a space for community connection, advocacy, and action, evoking Black matriarchal home spaces where Black families gather to mourn, organize, celebrate and support one another. This exhibition builds on Lee-Johnson’s archival research, personal experience, and ongoing Contraband series, and will be presented for the first time in Providence in Spring 2025 with public and community programming offered in partnership with local organizations including OpenDoors.
Providence Children’s Film Festival, February 14 – 23, 2025. $4,000
Providence Children’s Film Festival’s February 2025 festival includes approximately 35 free film screenings of national and international short and feature length animated, documentary, experimental and live action films, “Reel Connection” post-film talks, a screening of short films created by youth ages 6-17, and drop-in animation workshops. The 16th annual Festival will take place during public school vacation week, February 14-23, 2025 and venues include Hope High School, the Wheeler School, and the Mount Pleasant and South Providence branches of the Community Libraries of Providence, as well as some new locations we are working on.
Providence Public Library, June 12, 2025. $3,000
The Teen Creative Fellowship Artist Showcase (working title) will take place on Filipino Independence Day, June 12, 2025 in the Updike Room on Floor 3 of Providence Public Library. The paintings in this gallery exhibit will explore the preservation of Filipino history and mythology through a queer/trans lens. The artist hopes to create a space for community building, and to create imagery that will celebrate the rich culture of the Philippines.
Reverie Theatre Group, June 12 -15, 2025. $3,000
Reverie Theatre Group will produce the world premiere of Resident Playwright Brysen Boyd’s play SUITE MEETING at the Mathewson Street Church (Bill Hutchinson Theater) Thursday, June 12 – Sunday, June 15, 2025. Reverie has been developing the play with Boyd over the past two years and is thrilled to have the opportunity to debut the final version in the heart of Providence.
RI Black Firm Festival, April 10 – 14, 2025. $3,000
Now celebrating its 8th year, the Rhode Island Black Film Festival has expanded its reach as the Ocean State’s only film festival focused on storytelling about the historical and cultural contributions of African-Americans and people of African descent. Scheduled for Thursday, April 10 through April 14, 2025, we will screen feature, short and documentary films submitted selected through the FilmFreeway film submission process and invited to screen at the Festival.
RI Black Storytellers, January 17-26, 2025. $4,000
With this Project Fund grant the 27th annual FUNDA Fest will include high quality video broadcast, the fastest growing sector of FUNDA Fest attendees.
Ruby Lopez (AS220 fiscal), March 7 – 8, 2025. $4,000
AS220 Youth’s Fashion & Design Crew will be hosting a Youth Fashion Weekend on March 7+8 to raise funds and gather clothing donations for Rhode Island shelters. Youth members will create original, upcycled designs to raise awareness around sustainability, waste in the fashion industry, and to give back to those in the community facing housing insecurity.
Southside Cultural Center of RI, January – March 2025. $4,000
SCCRI will host monthly free performance events to bring more arts to the community. In January to March, we will activate our indoor space by hosting community creative showcases led by a visual or performance artist every month. From April to June, we will have concerts from local bands outdoors on our lawn.
Studio Playground, April 30 – May 3, 2025. $4,000
This project will establish a performing arts program for Wanskuck Library in partnership with Studio Playground and the Community Libraries of Providence (CLPVD). Using criteria for multicultural children’s literature, Studio Playground teaching artists will collaborate with the resident children’s librarian to select a developmentally appropriate book, which students will adapt into a physical theater production. The project will engage multiple teachers and professional theater artists to implement the rehearsal process, design costumes, props, and set pieces, and produce a series of performances on April 30, May 1, May 2 and May 3, 2025.
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.