FirstWorks, city of Providence, to host International Arts Festival

EARTH HARP founder William Close is shown playing the instrument - billed as the world's largest stringed instrument. Close will play the Earth Harp at the International Arts Festival in June in downtown Providence.
EARTH HARP founder William Close is shown playing the instrument - billed as the world's largest stringed instrument. Close will play the Earth Harp at the International Arts Festival in June in downtown Providence.

PROVIDENCE – The Providence International Arts Festival will take place June 11 to 14 downtown, featuring music, arts, sculpture, food and more.
“This festival will be a way to connect the world-class talent we have here in Providence with artists and performers from around the world,” Mayor Jorge O. Elorza said in a statement. “We are excited to welcome visitors to the city to explore all that we have to offer and look forward to partnering with so many great organizations and artists.”
The city is teaming up with the nonprofit FirstWorks on the event.
The festival will be centralized around areas that unify the downtown into an arts corridor – Providence City Hall, FirstWorks on the plaza, Empire Street and Washington Street.
“This festival will be a spectacular convergence of art and music, transformation and ideas,” said Kathleen Pletcher, executive artistic director of FirstWorks.
On June 13, FirstWorks on the Plaza programming will feature Earth Harp, billed as the largest stringed instrument on the planet.
Musical performers include the “undisputed Queen of African Music” singer Angélique Kidjo and Oumou Sangaré of Mali. Sangaré will perform with Mali native and Providence resident Sidy Maiga, a drummer, at the Alex and Ani City Center (the Providence Rink) stage.
Public art transformations will happen throughout the city, spearheaded by The Avenue Concept, a lead festival creative partner, which will create ephemeral art on public walls during the festival. In addition, the Avenue Concept is supporting the creation of small-scale 2-D and 3-D art installations along Washington Street and is partnering with the Dean Hotel to create a skate park and sculpture lounge, featuring local DJs and food on the parking lot between Washington and Fountain Streets.
The festival is funded with lead support from an Our Town grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, GTECH and the Rhode Island Foundation. Alex and Ani LLC, Coastway Bank, Narragansett Beer, Textron Inc., University Orthopedics and the Providence Tourism Council are providing additional support.
A full schedule of artists and happenings will be released in early May. Information can be found at www.first-works.org beginning April 1.

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