Category Archives for Leisure

City Serves Art a La Carte

Published in Senior Digest on September 2006

Shortly before the final set by the legendary Bob Dylan, Pawtucket Arts Festival organizers and volunteers took their assigned positions at the front entrance of McCoy Stadium to pass out schedules to the thousands of people who attended the kick-off concert.

The much-anticipated arts festival – the city’s eighth annual showcase of visual and performing arts, interactive workshops, music, theater, and dance performances gets into full swing on Sept. 8 with a gala from 6-9 p.m. at the historic Pawtucket Armory.

The main course at the gala will be clam cakes and chowder.  There sill be a variety of appetizers and desserts from more than 50 restaurants, and entertainment will include well-known Ocean State comedian Charlie Hall and Irish musicians the Gnomes.  Admission is $6 for seniors. General admission is $10, and there is no charge for children less than age 6.

A block from the festival gala, Pawtucket YMCA staffers will be conducting their Annual Family Fun Night, starting at 6:30 p.m. in the parking lot across from City Hall off Roosvelt Avenue.  The event is designed for young children. Activities will include face painting, arts and crafts, a rock-climbing wall and a 25-foot inflatable obstacle course. At 8:30 p.m., attendees can even sit back and watch a special showing of a Disney movie at the Veterans Memorial Amphitheater adjacent to City Hall.

Also on Sept. 8, the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative and Rhode Island Commercial Industrial Realty sponsored Pawtucket Open Studios starts. The event is a self-guided tour throughout artistic studios which will be open from  6-9 p.m. on the initial day.  The event continues on Sept. 9 and 1 from 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. This year, artists will open more than 50 studios in 11 mills and commercial buildings to display and sell one-of-a-kind art work.  Mays showing the studios available at the Visitors Center, 175 Main St. daily from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.

On Sept. 9, the 7th Annual Rhode Island Dragon Boat Race & Taiwan Day Festival will be held at the School Street pier. Rowing teams from across the country will race up and down the Blackstone River in 45-foot Dragon Boats, vying for cash prizes throughout this all-day event.

Throughout the day, people can enjoy an array of musical and dance programs under a big tent, including the Chang Sisters’ Saxophone Quartet and the Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village Dance Group.

The first full week of the festival concludes on Sept. 10 with the Slater Mill Family Fun Fest. The event at the Slater Mill Historic Site, 67 Roosevelt Ave., is scheduled from noon-4 p.m.

People will find arts and crafts, hands-on activities from children, face painting, a rock-climbing wall, a 25-foot inflatable obstacle course and free samples at the MIX 98.5 ice cream truck. In addition, attendees can listen to musical performances by the Slippery Sneakers Zydeco Band and Amy Famiglietti, watch performances by the All-Children’s Theater and the Providence Circus School or enjoy a sand castle demonstration featuring Sandtasia.

Just down the street from the fun fest, the Downtown Music Fest at the Veterans Memorial Amphitheater will run from 1-7 p.m., featuring Minor Swing, Steve Caddick & the Flying Elbows and the Soul Ambition Band.

Also on Sept. 10, the Fusionworks Dance Company will perform at 4:00 p.m. at the Pawtucket Armory. The exciting troupe will stage a modern dance performance.

In another Sept. 10 event, winners of a City in Focus Photo Contest will receive awards during a ceremony from 2-4 p.m. at the Visitor Center. Sponsored by the city and Camera Werks of Hope Street in Providence, the theme of the contest is historic places in Pawtucket.  Mayor James E. Doyle will announce the winners.

On Sept. 16 and 17, travel to the city’s Daggett Farm at Slater Memorial Park to attend the Stone Soup Folk and Arts Fest, which will fill the festival’s final weekend with music, cultural performances, artist booths and  raku rodeo pottery demonstrations that will showcase some of the finest artisans in the country.

From 10 a.m.-5 p.m., visitors can brose and shop at more than 50 one-of-a-kind art vendor booths from noon to 5:00 p.m., music lovers can experience a variety of performances, including Aztec Two-Step, Tim Grimm, Jose Gonzalez and Criollo Clasico, Gandalf Murphy & the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Viva Quetzal and Joanne Lurgio and the Homegrown String Band.

On Sept. 16 at 5:30 p.m., the Pawtucket Teachers’ Alliance will present the Rhode Island Philharmonic Pops in the Park Concert. Conductor Francisco Noya will lead the orchestra. Opening for the philharmonic will be the Street Corner Serenade at 4:30 p.m. The rain date is Sept. 17 at the same times.

The arts festival will be packed with a variety of other events, including the six-night Mirror Image Film Festival at the Visitors Center theater. There will be a free night at the Gamm Theatre, Exchange Street, on Sept. 13 at 7 p.m.  The event will involve script reading.

Arts Festival Is a Cultural Boon

Published in Senior Digest on September 2005

Only a few thousand people came into the city to attend its first arts festival. But attendance at the multi-day event has grown steadily over the last six years.  Festival organizers estimated that last year’s Pawtucket Arts Festival drew 35,000 people.

Richard Goldstein, an aide to Mayor James E. Doyle, stated that the first festival held in 1999, drew 35 people to the library. We had so many pizzas left, we wouldn’t let people leave the building without taking a pizza home with them,” he chuckled.

How things have changed, said Goldstein, as he reflected on the growth of the festival gala. “Last year, we had 30 times the number that attended the first year’s gala,” he said.

The upcoming gala, scheduled for Sept. 9 from 6 to 9:00 p.m. at the historic Pawtucket Armory, 172 Exchange St., is expected to draw a very large crowd, too, says Goldstein. At the kick-off event, more than 80 restaurants or stores will provide food and drink to feed the large numbers expected to dine and listen to the Rhode Island Firefighters Pipers & Drums and the Louisiana-based Nathan Williams and the Zydeco Cha Chas.  There is a $5 admission to help defray some of the costs of the $ 103,000 arts festival.

The start of the festival dates to January 1999, when newlyweds Kristine and state Rep. Peter Kilmartin were taking a leisurely drive through Slater Park. Kristine, a Smithfield native, had only lived in Pawtucket for a few months, and she asked her new husband why the city didn’t take advantage of its open space. She wondered why the city couldn’t organize an event such as the Scituate Arts Festival in the 209-acre Slater Park.

The Kilmartins turned to Mayor Doyle with the idea of creating an arts festival, and the rest is now city lore. The Kilmartins never imagined the idea would evolve into three weeks of artistic and musical events that would gain statewide and international attention.

Dragon boat races

In 2000, the dragon boat races and Taiwan Day Festival drew a crowd of 2,000 people to the School Street Pier to watch six teams race in 38-foot boats.  Four years later, over 15,000 spectators watched 30 teams compete, says Bob Billington, who heads the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council.

Billington expects the widely poplar event scheduled from 9:00 a,m. to 8:00 p.m. on Sept. 10 to draw more than 20,000.

“Those attending this year’s races will be able to watch the Ten Drum Art Percussion Group performed and learn about Chinese crafts, music and dance,” he said. At the end of the day, the winning boat takes home a $ 2,000 grand prize.

“The Rhode Island dragon boat races continues to grow each year because the even has remained faithful to showcasing traditional Chinese culture, an it’s free,” says Billington.

Head Downtown

On Sept. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., people are invited downtown where art lovers can check out the city’s growing art scene by taking a self-guided tour with maps available at the Visitor Center at 175 Main St. Stops include galleries, the Gamm and Mixed Magic theaters, the Fusion Works Dance Co. at the Pawtucket Armory, artist studios and local businesses.

On the same day from noon to 5:00 p.m., the Slater Park Family Funfest will offer an array of children’s activities, says Jeanne Zavada, who oversees the Slater Mill Historic Site.

“It’s important to introduce kids to the wide range of arts,” says Zavada and that’s what will take place at the historic site, 67 Roosevelt Ave. Works created by high school students in the “Youth Arts Exhibit” will be on display ad artisans will demonstrate crafts such as jewelry and ceramic making and weave

In addition, members of the All-Children’s Theater will perform “When Elephants Fly.” and the Providence Circus School will offer a workshop.

Music Art in Slater Park

From 10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 17 and 18 at Daggett Farm in Slater Park, a first-class lineup of musicians playing folk and world music will fill the air. Performers will include Aztec Two-Step, Dan Pelletier, Carlos deleon and the Mystic Jammers.  Also 38 artists will offer their one of a kind art work for sale during this weekend.

When looking at the jam-packed three-week schedule of the 2005 Pawtucket Arts Festival, Mayor Doyle considers the “icing on the cake” to be the return of the Pawtucket Teachers’ Alliance Pops in the Park event with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, which is scheduled for Sept. 24. The rain date is Sept. 25.

The Street Corner Serenade opens the widely anticipated concert at 4:00 p.m.  At 5:30 p.m., resident conductor Francisco Noya will lead the Rhode Island Philharmonic’s last concert of the Summer Pops Series.  Fireworks will begin at the conclusion of the musical program.  Bring lawn chairs and blankets.

“The Pawtucket Teachers’ Alliance again comes to the plate with its generous sponsorship and its continued support of the arts programming in Pawtucket,” Doyle said.

“Its sponsorship of this event  brings this cultural icon of Rhode Island right into the heart of Slater Park, giving any Pawtucket resident the opportunity to experience a high-caliber event at no cost,” he added.

Throughout the three weeks of the 2005 Pawtucket Arts Festival, other events will include Mirror Image’s six-night film festival, the announcement of winners of the 2005 Camera Werks photo contest, a furniture exhibit organized by Rhode Island School of Design’s Catalyst Arts, tango lessons and an open house at Providence Tango, script readings at the Visitor Center and exhibits and galleries managed by the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative, Slater Mill and the Water Color Society.

City Comes Alive with Art

Published in Senior Digest in September 2004

Almost six years ago, newly weds Peter and Kristine Kilmartin took a drive through Slater Park. Kristine, a Smithfield native, asked her new husband why the city did not take more advantage of its largest park. “Why couldn’t the city do something like the Scituate Arts Festival in this beautiful park,” she quizzed Peter, a state representative.

This simple question would ultimately lead to the creation of Pawtucket’s annual arts festival, which has become the largest city sponsored event in the 209-acre park at other city sites.

The Kilmartins turned to Mayor James E. Doyle with their idea of creating an arts festival and received his blessings. Pawtucket’s annual festival was born in 1999, with Peter and Kristine being appointed honorary chairs.

Initially tied to Providence’s Convergence in 1999, festival organizers consisted of Pawtucket officials, artists and civic leaders, who spun off from Convergence in 2002 and created an arts festival Pawtucket style. Since its inception, the Pawtucket Arts Festival has offered a citywide showcase of visual and performing arts, interactive workshops, music, theatre and dance performances.

Through the strong support of the local business community, the art festival’s budget has grown steadily in six years, usually set at $20,000 in 1999 to a sky-rocking budget of $105,000. 

More than 230 businesses located in Pawtucket and surrounding communities have donated over $70,000 including almost $200,000 of in-kind donations, making this year’s festival the biggest ever. In addition, more than 55 local restaurants will provide donations of food and drink for the opening gala.

Festival organizers say that attendance to the Pawtucket’s Arts Festival has grown, too, over the last five years.  In 1999, the festival drew just over a few thousand people.  Last year, an estimated 30,000 people traveled to Pawtucket to attend one of the festival’s many events.

The 1999 opening gala attracted about 35 people to the Pawtucket Public Library. In a recent meeting of festival organizers, Rick Goldstein, a mayoral aide recalled, “We had more food than people.” Last year, more than 1,000 people attended the opening gala at the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center, 175 Main St.

Crowds at the dragon boat races held at the School Street pier, have steadily increased over the years, too, from 2,000 at the first races to more than 15,000 last year.

Another big draw last year was the Rhode Island Philharmonic concern in Slater Park. Sponsored by the Pawtucket Teachers’ Alliance, the performance attracted more than 6,000 people.

This year’s festival is scheduled from Sept. 1-26, and events will be held at sites such as the Visitor Center, Slater Mill, Veterans Memorial Amphitheater, Slater Park and School Street Pier.

Although considered an official city event, the festival’s executive planning committee has reached out to the artist community for assistance to developing the artistic and musical programming for the three-week event. “We continue to grow the tradition of having the Pawtucket Arts Festival involve our artists,” says Patricia Zacks, who chairs the Slater Park Fall Fest and services as President of the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative.

“This year we saw a record number of artists wanting to get involved,” she said, noting that her program committee was artist driven. Nine artists, some of whom are members of the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative, sit on the festival’s 14-person executive program committee.

According to Zack’s festival attendees will enjoy quality artistic and musical events provided by many local artisans. With the exception of the opening gala buffet and the Mirror Image Film Festival, all events, which will be of interest to people of all ages, are free.

The jam-packed schedule includes a variety of music, including the Rhode Island Philharmonic pops concern, Patty Larkin and other well-recognized folk singers, the 18-piece SOS Big Band, the Narragansett Bay Chorus, Cape Verdean musician Jao Cerilo, the Rockin’ Soul Horns, Rhode Island’s hottest rhythm and blues band and Latin-American inspired poetry and music by Aurea.

Four art exhibits will be held at the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative Gally, the Rhode Island Watercolor Society Gallery and the two Slater Mill galleries.  There will be a retrospective show, featuring 30 bronze sculptures of Jack Gresko, trolley tours of dozens of artist studios, a free performance of “Enemy of the People” courtesy of the Sandra Feinstein Gamm Theatre, the All-Children’s Theatre production of “The Legend of Juan Bobo,” Arts Fest 2004 – an arts and craft show – and an opportunity to meet filmmakers during the six-night Mirror Image Film Festival.

Another event is Slater Mill’s Ethnic and Heritage Festival, which will feature Revels’ Circle Song. The touring ensemble will present “An American Journey,” using song, dance and story to tell about the early century voyages that brought immigrants from Ireland, Italy, and Eastern Europe to this country.

One of the signature events of the festival are the dragon boat races, scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 11th at the School Street Pier. “This year we received larger and wider boats,” boast’s Bob Billington, president of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, the Pawtucket-based nonprofit tourism organization that oversees the races and the related cultural artistic and musical events. “Nobody has this type of boat in New England,” Billington claims.

Billington says with the phenomenal growth of the festival and closer ties with the government of Taiwan forged by Congressman Patrick Kennedy, this year’s festival will have even more Taiwanese and cultural  events. Added events include an exhibit 30 of the best photographs taken by Taiwanese amateur photographers of different scenes of the country.  G-TECH will host six deaf artists, who will exhibit their work and technique during the races, and a Taiwanese kite master will fly a 1,000-foot kite over the site.

As to non-Taiwanese activities, Billington notes that Pawtucket wood sculptor Billy Rebele will carve an eagle out of a log with his  chain saw, and artist Chris Kane will again organize a metal pour at the pier.

Mayor James E. Doyle said the pops concert scheduled for Sept. 18 from 4 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. is another anchor event of the festival. A $15,000 donation from the Pawtucket Teachers’ Alliance and sponsorships from 46 local businesses enabled the city to bring the prestigious Rhode Island orchestra back to Slater Park, the mayor said.

“Teachers residing throughout Pawtucket and in surrounding communities are strongly committed to building a better cultural community and a place to live,” says Mary Ann Kaveny, president of the Pawtucket Teachers’ Alliance. “Programs such as the pops program are important life experiences that young students should have the opportunity to see and hear,” she added.

Kaveny says that the concert is a great venue for grandparents to bring their children and grandchildren. “We believe that this is the best family-oriented event that is held annually in the city,” she said.

City Councilor Don Grebien, who co-chairs the executive planning committee with his wife Laureen, sees the upcoming festival as a vehicle to bring the city’s growing artistic, blue collar and ethnic communities together.

“The President Arts Festival ties in well with the city’s efforts to create an artist friendly city, Grebien says, making Pawtucket a regional destination site.