WaterFire Providence is asking its supporters for help in an “unusual” way. The nonprofit organization was recently named one of 14 semifinalists in the ArtsFwd 2013 Business Unusual National Challenge, and it’s looking for online votes to help it come out on top. more

Fred Sullivan Jr. was recently awarded the Independent Reviewers of New England’s award for best actor in a drama. Sullivan received the award for his performance as Walter Burns in Trinity Repertory Company’s production of “His Girl Friday.” Since joining Trinity in 1984, Sullivan has acted in more than 100 productions as a resident acting-company member. He has directed two productions for Trinity and also teaches acting at the Rhode Island School of Design, The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre and Trinity. more

If you want to keep Shakespeare alive in Rhode Island, give a tax break to Hamlet – or more precisely, the actor who portrays him. more

Iconic toy- and game-maker Hasbro Inc. has formed a collaboration with World Trade Jewelers to create and distribute jewelry designs replicating some of Hasbro’s products. more

Game designers work on the art and programming code for their game during the 2013 Global Game Jam at New England Institute of Technology. The 48-hour, game-design event was held Jan. 25-27 at 317 jam sites in 60 countries and included tens of thousands of participants. NEIT had 54 contestants, including from left, Matthew Karn, NEIT graduate, Chase Hermanson, NEIT graduate, Rhode Island School of Design senior Chris Culbertson and Allisandra Briggs, RISD senior. more

The latest group of fledgling entrepreneurs from the Betaspring startup accelerator are scheduled to present their companies to a sold-out crowd of more than 300 investors, business leaders and other entrepreneurs Thursday night at the accelerator’s Chestnut Street headquarters. more

After a nationwide search, the Museum of Art at the Rhode Island School of Design has named Dominic Molon as the Richard Brown Baker Curator of Contemporary Art. more

DARTMOUTH – University of Massachusetts Dartmouth faculty members are among those within the school whose creative-economy projects will benefit from $259,300 in grants from the President’s Creative Economy Initiative Fund announced last month. more

I am writing this article to give the reader some investment advice. more

The Steel Yard in Providence is a unique combination of arts and technical training in welding, blacksmithing, jewelry and ceramics. Its new executive director, Helen Lang, stepped into the position in April, equipped with training in film and theater and extensive hands-on administrative and financial experience with nonprofits, as well as in the corporate world. As Lang puts down roots in Rhode Island and gets deeper into leading the Steel Yard, she’s sharing her vision on how to raise the Steel Yard’s community profile and maximize its potential as a catalyst for economic growth. more