Art and the City
Rhode Island boasts one of the highest concentrations of visual artists in the country. Providence streets, parks, and the RiverWalk are full of public sculpture; some of which make fabulous “outdoor rooms.” The stories of art, artists, the Providence Art Club, the Rhode Island School of Design, Gallery Night Providence, Waterfire and excellent urban design are inspirational.
The RISD Museum will be closed during the month of August. However, Providence is a gallery en plein air. Take a guided walking tour with the Rhode Island Historical Society’s SummerWalks program. Feast your eyes; fill your soul; enjoy one of the best art cities in the country!
When: Tuesdays and Fridays in August: August 3, 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, 27, 31
Time: 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Begin: John Brown House Museum, 52 Power Street
Cost: $10/person
Parking: John Brown House Museum Parking Lot at the corner of Benefit and Charlesfield Streets
Questions: Barbara Barnes, Tourism Services Manager
401-273-7507 x62 or bbarnes@rihs.org
12TH ANNUAL LABOR DAY OPEN HOUSE
WHEN: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
TIME: 9:30AM – 4:00PM
WHERE: Museum of Work & Culture, 42 South Main Street, Woonsocket
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Anne Conway, (401) 769-9675
Admission is free at the Museum and all its events today! This year, we celebrate the opening of the new exhibit “Going to Work: 20th Century Settlers in the Blackstone Valley.” Ethnic music and dance performances will enliven festivities outdoors, and Greg Rubano will present on baseball star Napoleon Lajoie in the ITU Hall. Museum volunteers will be on hand to assist visitors in perusing through the 71 archival binders on Catholic education and to accept donations of memorabilia on Catholic schools worldwide.
The “Going to Work: 20th Century Settlers in the Blackstone Valley” exhibit is a permanent addition to the Rhode Island Historical Society’s Museum of Work & Culture in Woonsocket. The exhibit shares the stories of immigration and migration experience to the Blackstone Valley in Rhode Island during the 20th century, and includes voices of the various ethnic groups that have called the area home, such Italians, Portuguese, Greeks, African-Americans, and Colombians. Come see the exhibit for the first time on its opening day and learn how the project was put together and how it will continue to grow as well.
To celebrate the exhibit’s official opening, please join us in welcoming the Greek Pride of Rhode Island Hellenic Dance Troupe from the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Pawtucket, the Rancho Danças e Cantares from the Clube Juventude Lusitana in Cumberland, and Dana Maguire, West African and Afro-Caribbean drummer, with guests Issa Coulibaly and Jesus Andujar. Performances will take place outdoors in River Island Park, with the Museum’s ITU Hall as a rain location. Please feel free to bring your own chairs.
Greg Rubano is an avid collector of baseball items. His collection is accompanied by a multitude of stories and songs celebrating the national pastime. His talk will focus on Woonsocket’s own Napoleon Lajoie, who was a pioneer of the American League and set several baseball records. Lajoie is sometimes called the American League’s first Superstar! The presentation will also include songs from that era of baseball interpreted by Jean O’Donnell. The homecoming of a native son and nationally beloved baseball star was the occasion for celebration in the city of Woonsocket. The presentation will reveal the impact of this Hall of Famer upon the game he so loved.
Many thanks to the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission and to the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations for their generous support.
TIMELINE for Labor Day Open House, 9:30am – 4:00pm
10:00am – Presentation by Greg Rubano -- Celebrating the Birthday of Rhode Island’s Greatest Baseball Star Napoleon Lajoie, ITU Hall
11:00am – Performance by the Greek Pride Dancers, River Island Park (rain location – ITU Hall)
12:00pm - Presentation by Greg Rubano -- Celebrating the Birthday of Rhode Island’s Greatest Baseball Star Napoleon Lajoie, ITU Hall
1:00pm – Performance by the Rancho Danças e Cantares, River Island Park (rain location – ITU Hall)
2:30pm – Performance by Dana Maguire, Issa Coulibaly and Jesus Andujar, River Island Park (rain locaton – ITU Hall)
Ongoing programs, exhibits and opportunities...
2010 RIHS Walking Tours
Let Rhode Island history MOVE you…
See Providence the way it was meant to be seen: On Foot! Learn over three centuries of history while taking in the beautiful surroundings of 18th and 19th century architecture, art installations and sculpture, gardens and riverfront activities, and the vibrant rhythm of our urban neighborhoods. See history in a different way, by experiencing it outdoors while learning the stories of those who lived, worked, and walked these streets before you.
Benefit Street: A Mile of History
Offered Tuesdays through Saturdays at 11:00am, and also per request
Created in the mid-18th century “for the benefit of all,” this colonial thoroughfare has led many lives. Once the linear town cemetery on a bluff high above the early settlement of Providence, by the nineteenth century, Benefit Street had become a fashionable area. In the 1950s, historic preservation efforts rescued the amazing collection of 18th and early 19th century wood frame houses that line the street. Frequently called a “museum mile,” in reality, Benefit Street is a vital urban neighborhood in a most historic city.
RiverWalk: Before the Fires are Lit
Offered on Saturday evenings of full WaterFire lightings, and also per request
Rivers have always shaped the city of Providence, and sometimes its people have had a hand in shaping the very same rivers. Today, smartly designed walkways, parks, and pedestrian bridges invite strolling, especially on summer evenings just before WaterFire begins. Beautiful sculpture and a mix of urban buildings of varied architectural styles provide the setting for stories of Providence’s fabled past and dynamic present.
In addition to our regularly scheduled walking tours, the following themed walks are available to conventions and special groups, or with advanced reservations:
Dining With History
Since the beginning, Providence has been a “food town.” Native Americans taught Roger Williams and his followers how to farm, hunt, and fish in this new terrain. From the first market places by the Providence River to the 19th century lunch cart diners downtown to the grandest gourmet dining experience in the city today, this walking tour serves up the delicious details of “dining with history.”
Literary Providence
The Life and Times of H.P. Lovecraft
The life and work of Providence’s best known fantasy and horror author provide the backdrop for this walking tour. Places Lovecraft knew and loved take center stage. A master of detailed description, Lovecraft’s words offer a most amazing historical and architectural tour.
Art and the City
Rhode Island boasts one of the highest concentrations of visual artists in the country.
The parks and streetscapes are filled with sculpture, and Providence is home to the internationally known Rhode Island School of Design as well as the 2nd oldest art club in the country. This walk highlights the creative side of Providence.
Sunrise on the RiverWalk
Conventioneers and early rising groups can begin the day with a sunrise walk on the Providence RiverWalk or along the Seekonk River at India Point Park. This walk offers a great chance to get some exercise before the work day starts and to see the play of early morning light on the city’s 18th and 19th century waterfront buildings.
(A minimum of 10 people is required for this walk.)
Women’s History Walk
The courage, spirit, and achievement of remarkable women are celebrated on this walk.
Educators, entrepreneurs, artists, and scientists have made heroic and lasting contributions to the Providence community. This tour celebrates the brains, beauty, talent, and wisdom of just a few.
Rhode Island Historical Society
188th Annual Report
New Beginnings: The 188th Annual Meeting
On Wednesday, November 4, 2009, the Rhode Island Historical Society held its 188th Annual Meeting to review the past year and celebrate our progress and achievements, while anticipating exciting new beginnings.
You can download a copy of the Annual Report as a PDF here.
New Online Feature:
Rhode Island History lesson plans!
Every issue of Rhode Island History contains articles about our state's past that inform us about often overlooked characters, places and movements from the past. These articles are written in a scholarly tone that might not immediately appeal to younger students; so, we thought that we'd create a new feature on our website to make these articles more appealing: on-line lesson plans related to the pieces.
These lesson plans are available for download from the Teacher Resources page.
For more information, please contact the Newell D. Goff Director of Education and Public Programming,
C. Morgan Grefe, Ph. D. at (401) 331-8575 x 53 or email mgrefe@rihs.org.
The Treasury of Life at the
Museum of Work & Culture
The Treasury of Life is a unique and innovative exhibit at the Museum of Work & Culture where families will be remembered. Individuals and families have a chance to purchase a box, similar to a bank safe deposit box, where important memorabilia can be stored. A plaque bearing your family name will be placed on the box to be viewed by the thousands of visitors who tour the Museum each year. A key will be presented to your family at a special dedication ceremony. 
Boxes are available in small, medium and large sizes for $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000 respectively; an installment payment plan is available.
The Treasury of Life is presented by Navigant Credit Union.
For more information about the Treasury of Life at the Museum of Work & Culture
please call Anne Conway or Ray Bacon at (401) 769-9675
The Museum of Work & Culture is at 42 South Main Street, Woonsocket, RI
Click here for directions to the museum.
John Brown House Museum Hours
Now through November 30:
Tuesdays through Fridays:
Tours begin at 1:30 pm and 3:00 pm
Saturdays:
Tours begin at 10:30 am,
12:00 noon, 1:30 pm and 3:00 pm
December 1 -19:
Fridays and Saturdays:
Tours begin at 10:30 am, 12:00 pm, 1:30 pm, and 3:00 pm
Closed December 21 through January 1, 2010
January 2 through March 31:
Fridays and Saturdays:
Tours begin 10:30 am, 12:00 noon, 1:30 pm and 3:00 pm
When was the last time you visited the John Brown House Museum? If you haven't seen the house recently, you're missing exciting changes and new displays! Come visit for a regularly scheduled tour or schedule a group or school tour by calling Dan Santos at (401) 273-7507 x60 or email dsantos@rihs.org.
Email Dan Santos or call (401) 273-7507 x 60 for information or to schedule a group tour.
Click here for more information about school tours of the John Brown House Museum
Click here for more information and directions to the John Brown House Museum