NOMO - post afro-beat dance explosion (featuring members of His Name Is Alive)! From Ann Arbor, MI.

Thursday, July 28 · 4:30pm - 7:00pm
Burnside Park - Kennedy Plaza
2 Kennedy Plaza
Providence, RI

The Burnside Park Beer Garden Music Series takes place by the fountain in the park and runs every Thursday from July to August. Beer garden is open from 4:30 - 7pm with music from 5:30 - 6:30pm. Trinity Beer, De Las Olas Tacos, and Jake’s Sweet Meat BBQ on site!

FREE, all ages
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NEXT WEEK: August 4th, DELICATE STEVE, frantic electronics give way to easygoing riffs; NJ (Luaka Bop)

Families bring a blanket and enjoy different weekly storytellers under the trees near the fountain in Burnside Park in downtown Providence. Kidoinfo will feature at least one story each Thursday morning from a local Rhode Island author or illustrator (see list below).

Kidoinfo Providence Storytime
Burnside Park, Downtown Providence
Thursdays, July – August
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

SUMMER SCHEDULE

July 7th: Season Kickoff!

Illustrator Jen Corace reads her 5 Fave children’s books. Kidoinfo’s Anisa Raoof and author/illustrator Alison Paul read Jen Corace’s books and some new faves. Featured book: This Plus That, and sneak peak of Gibbous Mooney (not out yet!)

After Storytime: Lawn games and bubbles, and a special Burnside Park themed craft!

July 14th: Alison Paul will do and old-time radio foley show of Sunday Love along with read her book, The Crow plus share some related activities.
After Storytime: Lawn games and bubbles!

July 21: Featured storyteller: Len Cabral
After Storytime: Walking tour from Burnside Park to Roger Williams National Memorial Park with Ranger. Crafts in Roger Williams Park, followed by sprinkler time on the lawn!

July 28: Big Nazo Interactive Storytelling
After Storytime: Big Nazo Lab in Burnside Park!

August 4th: Featured storyteller: Keith Munslow
After Storytime: Providence Children’s Museum in Burnside Park!

August 11: Author and illustrator Grace Lin will read her favorite stories.
After Storytime: Art Garden with Andrew Oesch

August 18: Featured storyteller: Valerie Tutson
After Storytime: Walking tour from Burnside Park to Roger Williams National Memorial Park. Crafts in Roger Williams Park, followed by sprinkler time on the lawn!

August 25: Raindate/TBA

MORE FUN

• Weekly book swap. Donate a new or gently used book and pick out a “new to you” book from the “Leave a Book, Take a Book” bin!
• Stay after Storytime and take part in special activities, games, walking tours and more! Different schedule each week.

Location: Under the trees near the fountain in Burnside Park, Kennedy Plaza (Map it)
Rain/Heat location: Roots Café, Westminster Street, Providence, RI (Map it)
Parking: Metered street parking. Park in the mall parking lot. $1 for up to 3 hours. Or check RIPTA.com for schedules.
Call 401-331-5544 ext 5
Ages: All ages
Cost: Free event

Story hours are a great way to discover new books with your child. Oftentimes kids love to hear their favorites over and over. Find them at the local library. When we want to a buy a copy for our own personal collection, we love to support local bookstores.

Here’s a list of some of our favorites:

Books on the Square: 471 Angell Street, Providence, RI 02906
Barrington Books – 184 County Rd. Barrington, RI, 02806
Myopic Books – 5 South Angell Street, Providence, RI 02906
Symposium Books – 240 Westminster Street, Providence
Special Deal: Books on the Square will provide a 10% discount on EVERY book in the store during July & August if you mention Kidoinfo Providence Storytime!

Find details and full summer program listing at visit the Greater Kennedy Plaza website.

When: 2nd Thursday of each month through September 2011, noon—1 PM
Where: Westminster Street steps of the Arcade, 130 Westminster Street

Discover how Roger Williams’ legacy is still visible in downtown Providence today! To celebrate Providence’s 375th birthday, join The Providence Foundation and The Rhode Island Historical Society for FREE downtown lunchtime walking tours on the second Thursday of each month through September 8th. Wear comfortable walking shoes, and be ready to learn! Topics relate to the official Providence 375 themes:

July 14: FREEDOM
Roger Williams’ search for freedom, including visits to war memorials and the First Baptist Church.

August 11: ROOTS
Providence’s industrial and ethnic roots, ranging from the Irish Famine Memorial to the Roots Cafe.

September 8: INGENUITY
Creative Providence, from AS220’s properties to the RISD Library and the adaptive re-use of downtown department stores.

Reservations are not required, and tours will take place rain or shine. For more information, visit: www.providencedowntown.com or www.rihs.org. For a calendar of other Providence 375 events, visit www.providence375.com.

Hot air balloon floats above Tape Art mural at dawn  - a wondrous sight inside of a rare occurrence!

Hot air balloonist Zachary Weindel floats alongside the Biltmore this morning

In less than 8 hours the 14,000 plus square foot Providence 375 Tape Art Installation that took over three weeks to create will be removed in the exciting spectacle of the closing celebration.

To document this large work of art from it’s best vantage point - directly above - hot air balloonist Zachary Weindel launched a single person hot air balloon in the rink at dawn this morning to shoot photographs of the Tape Art installation from on high - a wondrous sight inside of a rare occurrence. The tethered balloon flight was aided by a crew that included the Tape Artists and our interns. The self-described Aeronaut (or a “pilot of aerostatic crafts”) is also a balloon builder who has built an experimental ultra-light hot air balloon system. We spoke with Zachary before the launch.

What interested you in a flight from the site of the Tape Art installation in Kennedy Plaza?

Aside from helping document a fellow artist’s work which was my initial reason, Providence and Roger Williams are both close to my heart. Flying in Providence is something I have thought about since the Providence balloon festival in the 80s. What better a time to fly than to celebrate 375 years of Providence? Hope Roots Freedom Ingenuity.

Why is Roger Williams close to your heart?

Roger Williams was a real diplomat, that is the most important thing society needs to be good at if we wish to maintain liberty.

How did you get involved with hot air balloons?

I have a natural desire to fly, many airplane pilots in my family. One of those airplane pilots started out as a balloon pilot and he has been a mentor through my teens and a role model through my life. He made it accessible to me and became my pilot instructor, and after some years of training, I am a pilot.

What has been your most memorable flight?

All of my first flights and fast flights! They all blend together, but my first solo was definitely memorable. There was a small amount of ground fog, first touch and go landing my instructor hopped out unexpectedly and with his weight subtracted from the balloon I took off again in surprise I think my words were “that’s so not cool” but in actuality it was totally awesome!  It was a great flight and a perfect day for a solo.

What do you do when you are not flying hot air balloons?

Thinking about flying, working or spending time with my bird companion. I experiment with aerodynamics, design, invent and in general strive for efficiency.   

What is the one question you wish we asked but didn’t?

Are you a local Rhode Islander, are you excited for Rhode Island’s future?  Yes, proud local. So excited!

Weindel photographs from above the Tape Art mural at 5:42 am

For more views of the launch check our Facebook Page.  The Tape Art Providence 375 Installation will be deconstructed by the public later today at the Tape Art Installation Closing Celebration, which starts at 4:30 pm in the rink.

Join us for the closing celebration of the Tape Art installation and a fun participatory installation removal!

Thursday, June 30th 4:30-7pm
Bank of America City Center
Free and open to the public!

photo by Michael Townsend / Tape Art

Catch your one chance to view the completed mural, and help to bring the installation full-circle by working together to lift up all the tape for a fun documentary project.

• The whole family can enjoy musical performances by the Extraordinary Rendition Band - raucous musical joy in marching band format! And AS220 ZuKrewe!
• View the mural and have great food atop the Julian’s Omnibus!
• Sample refreshing Trinity Beer in the family-friendly Beer Garden!

Providence’s 375th Celebration is the inspiration for an amazing 14,000 sq. ft. temporary tape drawing at the Bank of America City Center during June. Tape Art, by artists Michael Townsend, Pamela Baron, and Colin Bliss, is creating a unique large-scale temporary art installation in the entire Bank of America City Center as part of the Celebrate Providence 375 Years city-wide activities. Using colored Drawing Tape as the primary medium, the mural is rooted in Roger Williams’ arrival to RI and explores his legacy through the themes of Roots, Hope, Ingenuity, and Freedom.

View the live stream of the mural in progress at kennedyplaza.org, and RSVP on Facebook!

The Beer Garden kicks off with a special performance by Extraordinary Rendition Band on June 30th at the Bank of America Skating Center. This will celebrate the closing of the Providence 375 Tape Art installation and will also feature a performance by As220’s ZuKrewe, food by Julian’s Omnibus, and drinks from Trinity Beer! Join in the action of helping to take apart the giant drawing at this fun party!

The traditional Burnside Park Beer Garden Music Series will be by the fountain in the park and will run every Thursday from July to August. Beer garden is open from 4:30 - 7pm with music from 5:30 - 6:30pm. Enjoy lawn games, Trinity Beer, and Mama Kim’s Korean BBQ!

June 30th – Extraordinary Rendition Band, raucous musical joy in brilliant marching band form.

July 7 – Tig & Bean, dirty pretty interpretation of folk and blues; Sponsored by Citizens Bank.

July 14 – Javelin, scrappy dance electro hip hop; Brooklyn via Providence (Luaka Bop, Thrill  Jockey)

July 21 – The Jes Powers Project Presents: Chanteuse, amazing female vocalists.

July 28 – Nomo (members His Name Is Alive), post-afrobeat dance explosion; Ann Arbor, MI

August 4 – Delicate Steve, frantic electronics give way to easygoing riffs; NJ (Luaka Bop)

August 11 – Joe Fletcher & The Wrong Reasons, Americana roots; Providence

August 18 – Boo City, R&B soul; Providence

August 25 – AS220 Criss Cross Orchestra, polyrhythmic world music beats directed by Obuamah Laud Addy.

Artists Inspire Companion Events Throughout June

Tape Art is a collaborative art medium started in Providence over twenty years ago. This method of drawing uses low-adhesive Drawing Tapes to create large temporary drawings on any surface; the world is a blank canvas.

The artists behind the Providence 375 Tape Art Installation soon to fill the skating rink - Michael Townsend, Pamela Baron and Colin Bliss - also create community art & education projects and stop motion animation films. Their short films will be the centerpiece of the upcoming Film Night with AS220 Youth and the Rhode Island Museum of Science and Art (RIMOSA) this Tuesday, June 14th in the Bank of America City Center tunnel, which will showcase some very diverse stop animation films alongside the in-progress Providence 375 Tape Art Installation (also now known as the Mega Mural). While each explores the magic the stop motion (more…)

Tape Art, by artist Michael Townsend, Pamela Baron, and Colin Bliss, will create a unique large-scale temporary art installation in the entire Bank of America City Center as part of the Celebrate Providence 375 Years city-wide activities. Using only Drawing Tape, this 14,000 square foot drawing will officially kick-off June 13th and take approximately three weeks to take form by the artists, culminating in a party on June 30th where attendees can remove the drawing by working together to lift up all the tape.

The concept for the large Tape Art drawing in Greater Kennedy Plaza will be rooted in the arrival of Roger Williams to Rhode Island. The drawing will depict Roger William’s arrival and impact and expand to 14,000 square feet - exploring his legacy through the themes of Hope, Freedom, Roots and Ingenuity. “We are thrilled to have such a large surface to draw on,” said artist Michael Townsend. “And through this work, we hope to help share the city’s incredible history, lore and ideals with all.”

TAPE ART EVENTS IN JUNE

JUNE 13th – MONDAY: INSTALLATION OFFICIAL START!

JUNE 14th – TUESDAY: FILM NIGHT with AS220 YOUTH, RIMOSA and TAPE ART.

5:30-6:00 pm-Make a Thaumatrope (animation) with RIMOSA!

6:00-7:30 pm-Watch fun stop motion animation films in the tunnel, made by Tape Art, RIMOSA, AS220 Youth + other Providence Youth Collaborative (PYAC) members!

JUNE 16th – THURSDAY: 4:00-6:00 pm - CHAT WITH THE ARTISTS! Come down to the rink and talk with the artists while they work!

JUNE 23rd – THURSDAY: YOUTH ART WORKSHOPS! Free and open to the first 25 participants aged 12-18.

3:30-4:30 pm - TAPE ART WORKSHOP. Make a temporary mural with artist Mike Townsend! 4:30 - 5:30 pm - RIMOSA ANIMATION WORKSHOP. Make your own stop motion animation film!

5:30-7:30 pm -PANEL DISCUSSION on public and temporary art (RESCHEDULED FROM JUNE 9TH DUE TO WEATHER) with Elizabeth Keithline, Director Project Grants For Organizations / Public Art, RISCA; Bert Crenca, AS220; Noah Fischer, RISD; Michael Townsend, Tape Art; and moderated by Stephanie Fortunato, Special Projects Manager for Providence Dept. of Art, Culture + Tourism. Light refreshments and a musical performance by TRUA kick off the evening. And then at 6pm we will dive into questions like: What is the value of temporary public art work vs. “permanent” public art work? How can the ephemeral have a powerful impact on a community? Why does public art matter?

JUNE 30th – THURSDAY: 4:30-7:30 pm - INSTALLATION CLOSING CELEBRATION and SEASON KICKOFF! Join us for the closing celebration of the art installation and fun participatory installation removal! Featuring musical performances by Extraordinary Rendition Band and AS220 ZuKrewe, food by Julian’s Omnibus, and Trinity Beer!

Check out our events on our facebook page!

Property and business owners from the area along the proposed route are invited to come informally discuss concerns about the Core Connector project and learn more about what the Transit 2020 group is doing to make streetcars a reality in Providence.

The “Streetcar Social” takes place tonight, May 31st, from 5:00 to 7:00pm, at Local 121 (121 Washington Street, Providence RI 02903)! Light passed appetizers and cash bar. Brief presentation at 5:30pm.

Questions? Call Martina Haggerty at 401-351-4300 (extension 528).
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PROVIDENCE’S STREETCAR INITIATIVE, VISIT
www.ProvidenceCoreConnector.com