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FOCUS ON PROVIDENCE, RI
n abundance of color. New voices. A feeling that anything’s possible. Fall migration is again transforming Providence. Just as songbirds head south for the winter, an influx of another species transpires each fall: Students return to school at the capital city’s five colleges and universities, reviving this urban habitat with their youthful energy. About 30,000+ college students help define the city’s lively atmosphere and vibrant arts and culture scene. The institutions they attend drive development of a new Knowledge District where jewelry factories once thrived. Providence brands itself the Creative Capital, acknowledging the strong bond between the arts, science and entrepreneurship. This city of rare historic architecture has become an exciting destination for contemporary art seekers. A city focused on its future is fertile ground for innovation, which can happen only with the removal of barriers to collaboration. Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA), partial funding for which comes from the NEA, acts imaginatively in collaboration with many others to strengthen art districts generally and art communities in detail. It provides grants and tax incentives to artists and entrepreneurs, initiating public arts projects statewide, always stimulating innovative educational opportunities for diverse participants. A philosophy of innovation is literally built into the design of Brown University’s Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts. From the outside, architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s fractured design resembles a sideways accordion. A sheer glass wall slices the structure down the middle, offsetting the floors by a half level and visually connecting rooms to one another. Look up and
Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts at Brown University. Photo: Warren Jagger Photography/www.jaggerfoto.com.
you may see dancers in a movement studio. Look down as students build sound circuits in a media lab. The Granoff’s transparent design encourages interdisciplinary collaboration between and among the arts, sciences, and humanities with four production studios, a professional recording studio, multimedia lab and a physical media lab. Open areas include informal “living rooms” on each floor to facilitate social exchanges leading to valuable learning opportunities. Special events are scheduled weekly at the Granoff, most open to the public. The building houses the 218-seat Martinos Auditorium and 35mm screening facility. The Cohen Gallery presents multi-departmental exhibitions and shows by visiting artists. Across town, the Galleries of Providence College open the academic year with exhibitions
Explore Open Studios of Rhode Island’s East Bay...
On the last Thursday night of every month from March thru November. September 27th October 25th November 29th www.artnightbristolwarren.org 28
ART NEW ENGLAND
September/October 2012
A NEW SERIES OF CONVERSATIONS about contemporary art and artists in Rhode Island
Watch on WSBE Rhode Island PBS September 5, 12, 19, 26 at 7:00 p.m.