WaterFire is a sculpture by Barnaby Evans presented on the rivers of downtown Providence, RI . It was first created by Evans in 1994 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of First Night Providence, and has since become a free public art installation.
8-547: WaterFire evenings consist of eighty-six burning braziers (each with approximately 33 pieces of wood); some float just above the surface of the rivers that flow through Waterplace Park (the Woonasquatucket River ) and the middle of downtown Providence (the Moshassuck and Providence rivers; others are mounted on the piers of former bridges.) Average attendance is 40,000 a night, ranging from 10,000 to 100,000. WaterFire
16-427: Is connected to 3/4 mile of cobblestone-paved pedestrian walkways along the waterfront known as Riverwalk. Venice -styled Pedestrian bridges cross the river. Most of Riverwalk is below street level and automotive traffic. Waterplace Park and Riverwalk jointly host the city's popular summertime WaterFire events, a series of bonfires lit on the river accompanied by classical and world music. The City Center of Providence
24-437: Is held May through November, with lightings typically on Saturday evenings once or twice a month. The rivers are tidal, so events are normally scheduled to take place when sunset coincides with an incoming high tide. WaterFire Providence is the independent 501(C)(3) non-profit arts organization responsible for presenting WaterFire. WaterFire Providence consists of about 15 staff members and relies heavily upon volunteers for
32-509: The International Sculpture Conference. Through the support of volunteers, WaterFire returned as a seasonal event. WaterFire gained regional attention and a coordinated effort to fund the project began. In 1997, WaterFire expanded to 42 braziers, and had an estimated attendance of 350,000 people over the entire season. Evans received The Renaissance Award for his effort to revitalize downtown Providence, and WaterFire became
40-541: The causes and effects of the event's broadening reputation, Rome and Singapore have been overseas scenes, joining others in different U.S. cities, of Evans-created programs that were rooted in WaterFire. Waterplace Park Waterplace Park is an urban park situated along the Woonasquatucket River in downtown Providence , Rhode Island at the original site of the Great Salt Cove . Finished in 1994, Waterplace Park
48-484: The production of WaterFire. On a given night, up to 160 volunteers assist with production. Evans created the first WaterFire, named First Fire on New Year's Eve 1994 as part of the tenth annual of First Night Providence. First Fire consisted of 11 braziers on steel tripods stretching from WaterPlace Basin to Steeple Street. In June 1996, Barnaby created Second Fire for the Convergence Art Festival and
56-574: The symbol of the city's renaissance. For the 1998 installation, WaterFire expanded to include 81 fires, with extensions up the Moshassuck River and into the basin at Waterplace Park . WaterFire now enjoys national and international renown, thanks in part to exposure on the part of PBS, of the Washington Post , and much earlier of a Style piece in The New York Times . Likely as among both
64-549: Was once covered by water, known as Great Salt Cove. Beginning in 1856, the Cove was gradually filled in and transformed into a smaller circular body of water. By 1900, the entire area had been converted into land. Downtown Providence experienced a decline due to economic conditions, but the River Relocation Project in the 1980s and 1990s aimed to revitalize the city. This project celebrated the city's waterway history and included
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