Mayor David N. Cicilline, the Department of Art, Culture + Tourism, Lynne McCormack, Director, and the Department of Public Parks, Robert F. McMahon, Superintendent, are pleased to announce the Celebrate Providence! 2008 Neighborhood Performing Arts Initiative. This program brings music, dance and theatre into neighborhood parks throughout the city. All events are free and open to the public.

This week's events
Friends Of Elmhurst End Of Summer Festival With Big Nazo & Napua O Polynesia Dancers , August 21, 6pm, Fargnoli Park

JUMP! Dance Company, August 22, 12pm, Steps Of City Hall

Greater Elmwood/West Elmwood Community Festival, August 23, 3pm - 7pm, Knight Memorial Library, 275 Elmwood Avenue

Friends Of Elmhurst Present The Gnomes, August 28, 6pm, Fargnoli Park

For more information about all of the events please click here.

August 21, 5:30pm - 7pm, American Locomotive Works, 555 Valley Street, Free And Open To The Public. American Locomotive Works (ALCO) will close out their summer concert series with Watermelon Slim, the Blues album and Blues band of the year winner at the 2008 Blues Music Awards.

This event coincides with the grand opening of the Everyman restaurant and will also feature performances by the Rhode Island Professional Firefighters Fife & Drum, Joe Auger, The Waylanders and many more. For more information please click here.

August 21, 5pm - 9pm, Art Bus Departs From Citizens Plaza, Free And Open To The Public. A fun-filled cultural extravaganza. Twenty-one galleries, museums, and historic sites; eight convenient parking lots; live music; refreshments; art buses; celebrity guides and it's all free! For more information please click here.

August 23, 7:33pm, Sponsored By Picerne Realty and Textron. WaterFire Providence, the award-winning sculpture by Barnaby Evans, installed on the three rivers of downtown Providence, has been praised by Rhode Island residents and international visitors alike as a powerful work of art and a moving symbol of Providence's renaissance. For more information please click here.

RiverWalk: Providence Walking Tour
Evenings Of Full WaterFire Lightings, 5:30pm, Departs From John Brown House Museum, 52 Power Street, Tickets Are $10. This walk shares the stories of the Providence waterfront and its early development while introducing the phenomenon known as WaterFire. For more information please click here.

August 21, 6:30pm, Lawn Of John Brown House Museum, 52 Power Street, Tickets Are $8 For Adults, Free For RIHS Members And Children Under 12. The Rhode Island Historical Society will close out its Concerts Under The Elms outdoor summer concert series with the Driftwoods, a Beach Boys tribute band. Bring chairs and blankets to spread out on the grass and enjoy a picnic dinner during the concert. Sandwiches, salads, and light snacks from Eastside Marketplace, as well as a variety of beverages, can be conveniently purchased onsite. For more information please click here.

August 23, 7:30pm & 10pm, Perishable Theatre, 95 Empire Street, Tickets Are $20. Providence-based burlesque troupe BellaMinx Burly-Q presents Rock the Boat!, a full-scale variety show chock full of performers from all around New England. BellaMinx is quickly making a name for themselves across RI with their high-quality displays of quick-witted satire and seduction - don't miss out on the fun! For more information please click here.

August 23, 11am, John Brown House Museum, 52 Power Street, Tickets Are $12. The RI Historical Society will celebrate the life and works of Providence native and author Howard Phillips Lovecraft to mark the anniversary of his birth. The walking tour route is based on Lovecraft's "Providence Stories," which were written between 1924 and 1935. Some excerpts from his tales will be read and details of Lovecraft's life will be discussed. For more information please click here.

Greater Kennedy Plaza is being transformed into a lively public square, rich with activity. The area includes Burnside Park, Kennedy Plaza, the Skating Center and Biltmore Park. Stay tuned here each week to find out what's going on!

Week of August 21-27

Thursday, August 21, Market Bazaar Thursday Check out lovely antiques, art and more. Join us each week this summer as Market Thursday grows!

Friday, August 22, 11am - 2pm, Farmer's Market
Shop for tasty harvests from RI farms here along the sidewalk at Burnside Park. Choose from a selection of foods fresh from the fields and meet the people who grow your meal!
Friday, August 22, 7pm Doors, Skating Center, Providence Roller Derby The Old Money Honeys vs. The Sakonnet River Roller Rats presented by Providence Roller Derby. For more information please click here.

Saturday, August 23, 4pm - 8pm, Burnside Park, R&B Heritage Festival Presented by Rhode Island Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society with free performances featuring a variety of R& B styles as well as spoken word.

Sunday, August 22, 2pm - 8pm, Burnside Park, Rhythm & Soul Sunday Chill with friends at the weekly gathering inside Burnside Park to celebrate culture, community and the city. Featuring music DJ's with the AfroSonic Collective and resident drummers as presented by The Black Repertory Company.

Tuesday, August 26, 11am - 3:30pm, Public Square Tuesday Come on down to find out what volunteer opportunities local non-profit agencies have to offer and grab a Del's lemonade while you're there! This week: American Friends Service Committee, Blackstone Valley Community Action Program, Center for Preventive Medicine, Department of Public Works, and Green Party of RI.

Wednesday, August 27, 5pm - 6pm, Community Stage Performance
The Great Lakes Region Cultural Dancers featuring Rwandan and Congolese youth singers and dancers. Bring some snacks and relax!

For more information on all the great things going on in Kennedy Plaza please click here.

The Art Of Living With Parkinson

August 22, 5:30pm, TSETSE Gallery, 101 Orange Street, Tickets Are $15. This event will feature appetizers, wine and entertainment along with some very strikingly unique art! This is an exciting opportunity to enjoy art works expressing feelings, thoughts, life views and experiences related to the Parkinson community. 100% of gross proceeds go directly to the American Parkinson Disease Association. For more information please call 401-453-3337.

Savor Providence: A Benefit For Trinity Rep

August 23, 12pm - 4pm, Various Locations Downtown, Tickets Are $37 For 10 Tastes. A new twist on the usual "taste" event will take place in Providence this summer on Saturday, August 23rd from 12-4pm. For just $37, you will receive a book of 10 Tastes to redeem at participating restaurants in Providence. No tents, no standing in lines - with our handy restaurant map, Savor Providence will lead people right to the doorsteps of many of the hottest restaurants in and around the city. For more information please click here.

Providence Latin American Film Festival Fundraiser

September 17, 6pm - 8pm, Conleys Wharf, 200 Allens Avenue, 4th Floor, Tickets Are $60. Get a taste of hot, cool and hip wines from all over South America. The wine expert for the evening is Michael Green from Gourmet Magazine and the appetizers will be prepared by David Reynoso from Al Forno Resturant. For more information please call 401-383-3688.

Call To Galleries And Fine Art Stores. The City of Providence's Department of Art, Culture + Tourism is in the process of revamping their web site. One of the key new features is the addition of an interactive Gallery/Fine Art guide. If you have a gallery, fine art store, art supply store, etc that is not currently listed on their web site, please click here to email Michael Christofaro with the name, location, contact info, brief description and high resolution photograph (300dpi) of your business.

Craftland 2008 Call For Artists. The Craftland 2008 application is now available online and they are hoping you and/or your crafty friends will apply! Craftland is a holiday craft show in a unique consignment store format in downtown Providence. Craftland 2008 will be open seven days a week, from December 5-24th. For more information and to download an application please click here.

Call To Artists: Fine Furnishings Show. Artists working in all media are invited to apply to exhibit and sell their work at the 2008 Fine Furnishings & Fine Craft Shows taking place at the RI Convention Center on October 24 - 26. A small selection of booths is still available, including the popular and affordable half booth size. Applications to exhibit can be downloaded by clicking here.

RISCA Call For Art. The Rhode Island State Council On the Arts is pleased to announce a new call for public art for all visual artists at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in downtown Providence. The deadline for entries is September 26. Interested parties may learn more about the project by clicking here and scrolling down to Dunkin Donuts Center.

Call To Artists For Knight Gallery Exhibition. The object of this event is to display good quality, low cost art to the public by a variety of artists. The dimensions of each entry MUST add up to 100 inches total. The deadline for entries is August 25. For more information please click here.

PPSRI Walking Tour Leaders Needed. The Providence Preservation Society is looking for individuals interested in leading walking tours for elementary and middle school students. Upon completing a 2.5 day training provided by PPS, docents are asked to make a one-year commitment to the program. This year's training will take place September 23-25 and will concentrate on the College Hill and Fox Point neighborhoods. For more information please contact Kathleen McAreavey at 401-831-440 X 103 or click here.

RI Civic Chorale and Orchestra Auditions, September 3 @ 7:30pm & September 6 @ 10:30am, Rhode Island College, Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts, Room 198. All those interested in singing with this critically acclaimed chorus are encouraged to contact the RI Civic Chorale and Orchestra either via phone at 521-5670 or via email at info@ricco.org.

Open Call To Child Actors. Trinity Repertory Company will be holding an open call for child actors on Saturday, September 27, from 9am to 1pm at Cardi's Furniture Superstore (Route 1A, South Attleboro, MA) for its 32nd annual production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, directed by Liesl Tommy. Children ages 8-12 are welcome to audition, although children who turn 13 before December 31, 2008, are not eligible. No appointment is necessary for the auditions but you must click here to download an audition packet.

All Children's Theatre Fall Class Enrollment. The classes, which are open to all children from the ages of 2-14 are mainly held at ACT's performance venue at the Vartan Gregorian Elementary School on the East Side of Providence. Acting classes introduce children to the world of theatre. Classes bring out a student's creativity, self confidence and increase their reading and public speaking skills. For more information please click here.

RISD Museum Seeks Visitor Services Manager. Part of the job description includes promoting and ensuring positive visitor and program experiences by coordinating front desk activities, supporting efforts to improve visitor access and recommending and implementing enhancements and/or changes based on feedback. For a full list of qualifications, a detailed job description and to submit a resume and cover letter, please click here. No phone calls please.

RISD Fall Continuing Education Classes. RISD offers a rich variety of classes, lectures, workshops, gallery talks and other events designed to engage young artists and adults. For more information please click here.