For one day only, Rhode Island Humanities takes 50 years of humanities out of the box in a rare and exciting display of culture, history, and visions of civic life. Dive into Rhode Island’s complex politics and unique history at a mini film festival. Explore an exhibition of vivid posters for public events that shaped and inspired communities. Express your hopes and dreams at the communal activity. Create connections in the film and digital portrait studio. Celebrate 50 years of humanities and culture at 50Fest. Complimentary coffee, boba tea, and water. Register.
FREE and open to the public.
Saturday, October 7 @ 12:00 – 5:00PM
WaterFire Arts Center
475 Valley St, Providence
Poster Exhibition
Over our 50-year history, event posters created by RI Humanities grantees have called you to listen to a lecture, come to an exhibition, see a performance, watch a film, participate in a community activity, and experience the public humanities. They have invited you to open your mind.
We have pulled 69 posters from our vast archive that cover a range of topics central to the Ocean State, including our relationships to land and sea, immigration and industrialization, identity, race, and cultural heritage and preservation.
Read about all the posters on display, and the projects they advertise, here: https://rihumanities.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/50Fest_Posters.pdf
On view: 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Film Screenings
50Fest will screen four films that explore Rhode Island’s civic life. The Emmy Award-winning Buddy (Cherry Arnold, 2005, 86 minutes), about the complex legacy of former Providence Mayor Vincent “Buddy” Cianci, Jr., will open the mini film festival at 12:00 PM. Because it is also the 50th anniversary of hip hop this year, Almost Dope: Hip Hop in Rhode Island (Ana González and Jeff Matteis, 2017, 82 minutes) will close out the day. The film explores how the state’s hip hop artists have been agents of community empowerment for decades.
- 12:00 pm: “Buddy,” directed by Cherry Arnold, 86 minutes, 2005.
- 1:30 pm: “Watershed,” directed by Howard Foster, 21 minutes, 1983.
- 3:00 pm: “Sachuest Point,” directed by Lee O. Gardner, Peter O’Neill, and Ruth Whitman, 29 minutes, 1977.
- 3:35 pm: “Almost Dope: Hip Hip in Rhode Island.” directed by Ana González and Jeff Matteis, 82 minutes, 2017.
Read about the films being screened here: https://rihumanities.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/50Fest_Films.pdf
“Leavings,” a Communal Activity
In an invitation to community participation–a key component of civic health–past Council honorees, public humanities practitioners, and multi-media artists Becci Davis and Holly Ewald will lead guests in the communal activity “Leavings.” You won’t want to miss this collaborative, multi-sensory exploration of memory and resonance across generations.
“LEAVINGS”: 2:30 – 3:00 PM
Portrait by Andre Gatlin.
Portrait Studio: Future 50
When planning 50Fest, we didn’t want to only focus on our past 50 years in Rhode Island, but also to look ahead into the next 50. From 3:00 to 5:00 PM only, portrait photographer Jonathan Pitts-Wiley invites you to contemplate your hopes for our collective future. The medium-format photographs he creates will be viewable after the event at rihumanities.org and on our social media. Limited slots available. First come, first served.
Portrait Studio: 3:00 – 5:00 PM
FREE and open to the public.
Saturday, October 7 @ 12:00 – 5:00PM
WaterFire Arts Center
475 Valley St, Providence
If you have a business, and are interested in supporting RI Humanities’ 50th year, visit our Sponsorship page to learn more about how partnering with RI Humanities may benefit you and your business.
