Afternoon Tours + Activities: [ Friday 10/22 ]   [ Saturday 10/23 ]

Evening Events: [ Wednesday 10/20 ]   [ Thursday 10/21 ]   [ Friday 10/22 ]   [ Saturday 10/23 ]

Choose from an afternoon activity on Friday and Saturday, including tours, off-site conversations, and hands-on workshops. All are free unless otherwise noted.

Afternoon Tours + Activities :: Friday 10/22

Pawtucket Arts Tour: Pawtucket (Providence's neighboring city) has transformed itself from a tired industrial city into a vibrant community of independent artists, who will open their doors for the Pawtucket Arts Tour. Pawtucket's Mayor, James E. Doyle, and Economic and Cultural Development Officer Herb Weiss will kick off the tour at Slater Mill – birthplace of the American industrial revolution – and we will explore artist studios and creative spaces found within historic mill buildings and formerly vacant structures. Led by Herb Weiss, Economic + Cultural Affairs Officer, City of Pawtucket. Note: this tour will include a fair amount of walking.

Steel Yard Egg Drop: From the folks who created the Iron Chef weld-a-thon and Clay-Doh, we bring you the first-ever Steel Yard Egg Drop! The classic design competition will challenge participants to create a package that will keep an egg from breaking when dropped from a height of several stories. It’s a great opportunity to combine problem-solving skills with design thinking and hands-on experimentation. Each person will be given a supply of drinking straws, tape, and notebook paper to create parachutes, wings, crumple zones, roll cages and anything else you think will safely deliver your Humpty Dumpty to the concrete below. We’ll help you test your ideas, giving you time for the ever-critical last-minute design changes, and then we’ll load your final pieces all in a cherry picker for the big drop. There will be prizes! There will be cheers!! There may be omelets!!! Led by Dave Sharp, artist. Note: this tour is wheelchair accessible.

Community Arts Tour: The City of Providence is the setting for innovative community arts programs, several of which have received national recognition. Join us for a tour of creative, community arts programs, murals, and public projects taking place in the city’s unique neighborhoods. The tour will include a special youth led art-making workshop at New Urban Arts, as well as opportunities to meet and greet the artists who are building bridges between the arts and the local community. Led by Alyssa Holland Short, Executive Director, The Hive Archive. Note: this tour is wheelchair accessible

"Art + the City" Historic Walking Tour: This special tour, presented by the Rhode Island Historical Society, will focus on some of Providence's most enduring art institutions: Rhode Island School of Design and the RISD museum, the Providence Art Club, Trinity Repertory Company, Waterfire, the Public Sculpture Gardens, and Gallery Night. Learn about the history of the arts in Providence from Colonial times and how the arts drive today's local economy. Note: this tour will include a fair amount of walking. There is a fee of $15 for this tour.

Afternoon Tours + Activities :: Saturday 10/23

Alternative Spaces: The availability of unused industrial space and historic buildings has encouraged Providence’s artists and creative professionals to find alternative uses for unusual places. The tour will visit spaces in the city’s downtown and West Side – including the Box Office, Dirt Palace, and Cornish Associates' many alternative arts spaces in Downcity – to explore the ways in which industrial and historic buildings have been transformed into ecologically sensitive and artistically vibrant work spaces. The tour will include an interactive session with the internationally renowned Big Nazo Puppet Lab. Led by Anna Shea, director, Firehouse XIII. Note: this tour will include a fair amount of walking. *SOLD OUT*

Providence Open Studios: With more artists per capita than any city in the world, Providence has an abundance of artist studios – from individual painting studios to glass and printmaking collectives to industrial workshops. Led by Margie Butler, artist and consultant; and Peter Hocking, Rhode Island School of Design. Note: this tour will include a fair amount of walking.

Storytelling Workshop: Professional storyteller Valerie Tutson will lead a workshop on the art of the oral story. A graduate of Brown University, Valerie has been telling stories in schools, churches, libraries, festivals, and conferences since 1991. She draws her stories from around the world, with an emphasis on African traditions. Note: this activity is wheelchair accessible

East Bay Bike Eco-Tour: The East Bay Bike path is a 14.5 mile, 10-foot wide path that provides a safe place for unobstructed cycling on flat, easy terrain. Tour participants will enjoy the sights, sounds and smells as the path takes them by coves and marshes, over bridges, and through State Parks. A guide will let you know about the sites along the way, and attendees may choose to explore the path on their own or ride as a group. The tour will cover approximately 10 miles total. Led by Barry Schiller, East Bay Bike Coalition. Note: There is a fee of $25 for this tour, which includes bike and helmet rental.

Opening Night Party :: Wednesday, October 20

6:00pm - 8:00pm
Join us at The Peerless Building (Union Street, between Washington and Westminster), to connect with old friends and make new ones! Beer/wine and light hors d'ouevres will be served. The Peerless is a stunning 1890s building in the heart of downtown Providence, with a 12-story atrium and a rooftop deck with a view of the Providence skyline. Special thanks to Cornish Associates, Narragansett Brewery, and Narragansett Creamery for their sponsorship of this event.

Auction + Benefit Party :: Thursday, October 21

6:00pm - 7:30pm
Help the Alliance kick off its 20th anniversary with a benefit and auction party at Providence's Art Club (11 Thomas Street)! A silent and live auction will feature unique artwork and artful experiences. Tickets are $35 for conference attendees and $50 for the general public, and includes open bar and hors d'ouevres. [ more information ]

Evening Keynote + Dance Party :: Friday, October 22

6:30pm - 9:00pm
Join us for a dance party at one of Providence's coolest arts spaces. The party will include a keynote address and performance by composer and musician Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), food and drink, and DJ Micah Jackson. Our party's host is John Jacobson, of JTJ Investments, at the Eco-Arts Space – a gallery, office space, and event venue in Providence's Promenade District (28 Wolcott Street).

Closing Night Dinner Party :: Saturday, October 23

7:00pm - 10:00pm
Unwind with new and old friends, live music, food, and cocktails! Enjoy L'Apogee, at the top of the Biltmore Hotel, overlooking the city.