I was gifted open studio time by my daughter and don't have the heart to tell her how her intention…read morefor a good experience was NOT achieved. The owner was inflexible and argumentative. She threw out my work which was handbuilt tiles (which takes time to dry evenly) despite being labeled, a follow up letter about this and therefore not ready to be bisqued. Not a feel good experience for me and nothing to show for my efforts. Stick to the wheel here.

Ellen is a wonderful teacher, as are all of them at Mudstone. The community is open and welcoming.read more

While in town this weekend, our friends took us to see A Christmas Carmella at the Academy Players…read more It's a small venue but has comfortable seating, a concession stand, easy access to bathrooms, and a great view of the stage from wherever you choose to sit. Parking was easy though I did feel like the area could use more signage directing you where to go once parked. There are a few doors and it was a bit unclear which we should use. The play itself was hysterical. Being from out of town, there were a few references we didn't "get" but it was engaging, had plenty of moments of laughter, and kept us on our toes. My favorite characters were the grandmother and the guy who walked through as Tiny Tim playing the ukelele. Such great acting! Thanks for the fun night out.

I'm new to the Academy Players family, and I don't know why it has taken me so long to join! I…read morerecently auditioned for an upcoming concert production of the musical Ragtime, and got cast in my dream role of Evelyn Nesbit, the "girl on the red velvet swing" (WHEE). Even though we only just started rehearsals, I feel so at home with everyone at this wonderful theatre company. Rita, the artistic director, is absolutely brilliant and such a pleasure to work with! It's amazing to see someone who puts such genuine thought, care, and joy into all the productions and into making each member of the cast, crew, and creative team feel like their contributions to the overall project are appreciated and needed. They pack their season with lots of great shows for literally every niche and age group, and the tickets are reasonably priced. It's also a hop, skip, and jump away from Providence, so if you ever want to get out of the city to see some amazing theatre, you should check out Academy Players!

These people love children and it definitely shows! We attended a Girl Scout event here and my…read moredaughter loved it! I hope they do more events next year.

The empowerment factory is a wonderful place to learn about health and wellness. The teachers and…read morepresenters are top notch and the environment is delightful. Check out the health and wellness monthly talks coming this winter

The Main Street Association of East Greenwich is a 501c3 non profit group in East Greenwich. They…read moreare the ones responsible for a variety of the "go-to" events in East Greenwich including the annual 'Summer Movie', the annual Hill and Harbour Turkey Trot 5k, and Chalk the Block. You'll also find them at the Main Street Strolls, helping out at Summers End and doing other beatification projects. A great group of people that really puts a lot of time and effort into putting on a variety of great events in East Greenwich.

Hamilton House is an adult learning community for those over 55. There are a large number of…read moreexcellent opportunities for learning and sharing, including language classes, lectures on art and history, painting classes, dining with peers, special dinners and many, many other activities.

Knock your socks off Musicians from all over the USA, Canada & Europe. BYOB & FOOD. Great Website!…read more Amazing prices, easy pay. Small venue seats about 100 but the party can spill out to the patio & sidewalk. Nice ride into the country. Very earthy caring people creating a calm and joyful experience. Offering so much more in such a unique way!! Hurry before someone spoils it all for the rest of us and the rules change.. SUPPORT THE ARTS AND THE TIVERTON POLICE :) THANK YOU all at Sandywoods Arts & Music Center!!

We went to hear Brooks Williams at Sandywoods last night and were very pleased with both the venue…read moreand the artist. Sandywoods is a planned residential arts and agriculture community that opened in Tiverton, RI in 2010. They offer live affordable concerts year round and are a BYOB and BYOF venue. They have tables for eight, but can seat up to 150 people with one of the best acoustical systems in a beautiful room. Our tickets were $12 and today's 8 hour Folk Festival is "pay what you can". They offer monthly Contra Dancing, open mic night, classes, etc. Brook Williams was great - reminded us of a musician we heard at The Narrows for three times the price. Our only regret was waiting so long to go here!

We knew we were going to be in the area around the time of WaterFire so we made sure to find a…read moreplace to stay and spend the night here. We had never been to anything like this or even really heard that much about it so we were interested to see what it was. WaterFire started about 30 years ago as an art installation that was meant to bring more people to the area and it definitely works. They light the braziers along the rivers, pipe beautiful music through the air and have volunteers on boats going from spot to spot, tending the flames and refilling the wood. There are tons of people there. Just walking and enjoying being outside and being together. The vibe is so relaxed and so peaceful but yet busy and exciting at the same time. It's kind of hard to describe unless you see it for yourself. We headed out around dusk when there was still light in the sky and it was a little chilly but I soon forgot about that. Words can't really express how you're just sort of drawn into the piece and beauty of this whole thing. I feel like this review can't even do it justice. We walked around for over an hour but our dog did start to get cold even though we had her in her jacket, so we headed back to where we were staying for a little while. Once it was dark and we were all warmed up, we headed out again because it was just so enjoyable to be there that we really wanted to come back. The second time we wandered through the street fair area and looked at some of the tables and street vendors. I got a really cool ring that was made out of a an old ornate spoon. There were also food vendors but everything was pretty busy so we ended up getting food on the way back to our hotel. There were families and groups of friends and couples, all just soaking in the magic and ambiance and ultimately we drifted back towards the water again because that is where the real magic is. We sat for a long time watching people float by in gondolas and watching the volunteers slowly push the boats through the canals, adding wood to the flames causing them to rise up. Everyone was friendly and in a good mood and strangers were chatting with each other. There was a real sense of community and peace. This was honestly one of the most romantic evenings I've had with my husband in a long time as well. We nuzzled noses and shared a few kisses to the music and the flame. If you are anywhere near Providence during WaterFire, don't even think about it just go. It's totally free! You don't need tickets or even to plan really. You can just enjoy the fire light and the music and being together in a beautiful place. It's absolutely unforgettable.

Last night, the Waterfire theme was Clear Currents. A yearly event that brings kayak enthusiasts…read moreto the river and basin with brightly lit paper fish figures. One of the Chinese dragon boats from the Pawtucket Dragon Races made an appearance as well. The event was very well attended, with many areas of the Riverwalk at capacity during peak times. Foot traffic jams made it difficult to navigate freely around the basin area. Lots of vendors and food trucks located around the RISD campus gave the event an even more festive flair. A great way to bring downtown Providence alive !

The service requested here was great a Cultural Placemaking bringing all different cultures…read moretogether. It was free of value for all different cultures to all enjoy festivities together in a peaceful atmosphere.

Variety of learning and cultural options A positive…read morecommunity influence Carries the torch for its crafts I take an extra measure of pride in Providence because the city is able to boast a feature as culturally relevant, vibrant, inclusive, educational, past-respecting yet forward-thinking, and contributory as The Steel Yard. Imagine, if you will, a light saber. Now shrink it, focus it, and make it a precision handheld device. Congratulations - in your mind's eye, you're now wielding a plasma cutter, which is a real tool you can learn to use and put to effective metal-working use after a workshop here - I did just that during a Weekend Welding Workshop and it was tough to wipe the grin off my face for quite a long time. While that might make for some of the coolest visual imagery to describe, the fact that metal grinders, MiG welders, age-old anvils, fine-gauge jewelry-making tools, ceramic works, and myriad other tools of the trade are waiting to be discovered and shared here is a great impetus to get people excited about the art and science of metal-working. The Yard recognized that and has worked hard over the years to forge the foundation, expand the awareness base, and reach out to the community - all experience levels, age ranges, and walks of life. The events here are a super draw for my family and me. The Halloween Iron Pour. The Ultimate Chef competition. The Steel Yard Cruise Night Car Show. I hear there have also been weddings here...which goes to show you don't need to be actively working metal to enjoy the Yard. That said, seeing some of the custom-chopped and augmented vehicles done on-site doesn't hurt one's appetite to grab some leathers and a visor, and get working. I received a request for donation to the Yard's efforts at the end of 2012 that moved to me action in a way that words hadn't called me to in some time. That was refreshing and invigorating; it was merely (at its essence) a request for support. And support we should. The Steel Yard is an anchor helping to revitalize an area of the city that needs it with its facility location; revitalizing a city that can use those services with its good public works, as with its creation of beautiful and utilitarian benches, garbage cans, and bike racks seen around town; revitalizing people's skill sets by providing constructive classes in a variety of disciplines at fair tuition costs, for multiple age groups; and mostly, revitalizing metal-working as a discipline that is useful, positive, artistic, and tending away from defunct and back toward common. For all of that, The Steel Yard deserves our support in keeping alive The Spark. Get involved and be about it - highest recommendation.