Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) :: Composer/Musician
Friday evening keynote address

Having carved a reputation for himself as an innovative composer, performer, violinist, and band leader, Haitian-American artist Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) melds his classical music roots with his own cultural references and vibrant musical imagination. From collaborations with Lady Gaga on American Idol, to being named "Top 40 Under 40" business people in Crain’s New York Business, to a spotlight as a "New Face of Classical Music" in Esquire, DBR is omnivorous. He has written music for film and television, regularly composes for orchestras and chamber music ensembles around the globe, and tours with his genre-jumping ensemble DBR & THE MISSION.  He has just released his second solo album Woodbox Beats & Balladry (Thirsty Ear Recordings).  For more information please visit www.dbrmusic.com.

Clay Rockefeller :: Artist + Co-Founder of The Steel Yard
Friday morning keynote address

Clay Rockefeller grew up near Portland, Maine and moved to Providence in 1998 to attend Brown University. While still pursuing a dual degree in American Civilization and Visual Art, Clay teamed up in 2001 with three other artists and began working on renovating the former Armington Sims steam engine factory into 39 live/work units to be marketed to working artists. Ten of these units were awarded HUD funds to help subsidize their sale prices and help assure their affordability into the future. In 2002, Clay co-founded the Steel Yard, a nonprofit organization created to serve as a catalyst in the creative, economic revitalization of the industrial valley district of Providence. Clay has served on the board of and as a consultant to a number of nonprofits, including English-for-Action, AS220, Olneyville Housing Corporation, the David Rockefeller Fund, and the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

Anna Schuleit :: Visual Artist
Thursday morning keynote address

Anna Schuleit studied painting while a student at Rhode Island School of Design and has been an artist-in-residence and guest lecturer at MIT, Smith, Brown, and Bowdoin. Anna has been the recipient of fellowships from The MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, Blue Mountain Center, and Bogliasco, as well as from the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies at Harvard. In 2006 she was named a MacArthur Fellow. A solo show of her paintings and works on paper was on view at Coleman Burke Gallery in New York last fall, and she is currently working on a large painting commission for the University Gallery at UMass Amherst and a set-design for Ivy Baldwin Dance in New York City. 

Elizabeth Streb :: Choreographer/Dancer
Saturday morning keynote address

Once called the Evel Knievel of dance, Elizabeth Streb's choreography intertwines the disciplines of dance, athletics, boxing, rodeo, the circus, and Hollywood stunt-work. Elizabeth was awarded in 1997 a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Award. She holds an MA in Humanities and Social Thought from New York University, a BS in Modern Dance from SUNY Brockport from which she has received an honorary doctorate of fine arts, and an honorary doctorate from Rhode Island College. In 2004, she was a Master Artist-in-Residence at Atlantic Center for the Arts. Elizabeth established S.L.A.M. (STREB Lab for Action Mechanics) in Brooklyn in 2003 . S.L.A.M.'s door is literally open for the community to come in and watch rehearsals, take classes, and learn to fly.

Explore some of Providence's most innovative organizations supporting visual artists, writers, musicians, performance artists, filmmakers, craftspeople, community activists, and more. This is a city where small is grand, alternative is the norm, and collaboration is key. Discover for yourself one of the most thriving arts scenes in the US. (click on the images to find out more about our local hosts)