Grant Will Fund Large Sculpture on Vacant City Parcel

EAT PROVIDENCE—The East Providence Arts Council is among the organizations that will share $500,000 in grants from the Rhode Island Foundation. The Centennial Community Grants program is just one in a series of activities to mark the Foundation’s 100th anniversary this year.

“Our work would not be possible but for the visionaries who came before us, the donors who generously invest in Rhode Island and the community leaders who convert the resources into action,” said Neil Steinberg, president and CEO of the Foundation.

The East Providence Arts Council, in partnership with the city of East Providence and the Steel Yard, received $15,000 to create and install a permanent, large-scale sculpture on a vacant city-owned property at the corner of Warren Avenue and Waterfront Drive at the foot of the East Bay Bike Path bridge over the Seekonk River.

"This city-owned parcel, though undevelopable, is important because it knits together many areas of our community," said Rick Lawson, the Council's chairman. "An iconic sculpture on this site will help to strengthen the arts community in East Providence and will serve as an important milestone in our initiative to create an Arts and Entertainment District in East Providence."

Other local grant recipients include the town of Barrington, which received $6,611 to install a deer fence and community bulletin board at the Barrington Community Garden. The deer fence will negate the need for individual fencing around gardeners’ plots and protect a newly created common area. The weatherproof bulletin board will serve as a central hub for important communications regarding the community garden.

“The Barrington Community Garden is a vibrant community asset where Barrington residents grow food, learn practical gardening skills and interact with other gardeners of all ages, ethnicities and incomes,” said Barrington Town Manager Peter A. DeAngelis. “This grant will help us continue to build community in Barrington through a shared sense of purpose.”

Old Slater Mill Association in Pawtucket received $11,370 for its Slater Mill’s Light Up to Unite / Slater Mill Aviva la Unidad project, a public art and poetry initiative using historic mills as a canvas to draw attention to the diverse cultural heritage of Pawtucket and Central Falls.

“Ours is a multi-cultural valley linked by the Blackstone River, where the rich heritages of Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe and North America have converged to create a colorfully-integrated landscape,” said Old Slater Mill Association Executive Director Lori Urso.

The projects are among 43 that received funding from the Foundation. All the work that is being funded is expected to be completed before the end of the year. The maximum grant was $15,000.

“We are celebrating our Centennial by funding projects that will bring life to every one of Rhode Island's remarkable cities and towns. Communities will blossom and grow stronger as this works rolls out,” said Jessica David, the Foundation’s senior vice president of strategy and community investments.

Founded on June 13, 1916, with a $10,000 gift from industrialist Jesse Metcalf, the Foundation’s assets have grown to nearly $800 million. Over the past five years, the Foundation has awarded more than $165 million in grants.

The center piece of the centennial celebration is a $10 million campaign to restore Roger Williams Park. The work will include improvements to the park’s entrances, new signage, expanded walkways and bicycle paths and repairs to the Museum of Natural History, the Bandstand, the Casino and the Temple to Music.

The Foundation has already raised $5 million. The support includes $1.5 million from the Foundation itself as well as a $1.15 million gift from The Champlin Foundations to restore the historic Bandstand and Museum. In addition, more than four dozen other donors have contributed to the campaign.

The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. In 2015, the Foundation awarded $41.5 million in grants to organizations addressing the state’s most pressing issues and needs of diverse communities. Through leadership, fundraising and grantmaking activities, often in partnership with individuals and organizations, the Foundation is helping Rhode Island reach its true potential. For more information, visit rifoundation.org.