A couple of days ago we had the idea to combine everyone's excitement over Valentine's Day with our excitement over today's real occasion, season 2 of House of Cards.
Of course, we wanted to share the love with everyone via Facebook and Twitter.
Lo and behold, when February 14 finally comes around, what do we find on Buzzfeed?
Coincidence? Possibly. Mutual love of a critically adored show? Obviously. Flattered? Definitely. We're not implying anything here about who did what first and where what inspiration came from – all we're going to ask is, Buzzfeed, will you be our Valentine? More
Once again our January issue reveals our "10 to Watch," our annual list of the movers, shakers and innovators we think you need to know about for the coming year. Our "10 to Watch for 2012" hits newsstands this week, and these are the people we've selected. Pick up your free copy this week (or check back to this site) and read all about them. And now, without further adieu...
Development/Health Care
Wendy Lawton
Research Development Director, Lifespan
Communications/Business
Alec Beckett
Creative Partner, Nail
Finance
Andy Posner
Co-Founder and Director, Capital Good Fund
Community Development
Henrietta White Holder
Founder, Higher Ground International and Broken Pieces International
Art and Business
Joanna Levitt
Director of Commercial Leasing and Marketing, Cornish Associates and In Downcity
Community Service
Kobi Dennis
Founder, Project Night Vision
Global health/Social enterprise
Meg Wirth
Founder, Maternova
Government/Environment
Sheila Dormody
Director of Sustainability, City of Providence
Media/Politics
Ted Nesi
Digital Reporter, WPRI
Activism
Mike McCarthy
Student/freelance animator/member of Occupy Providence More
Who: Tom West
What: Artist & Providence Artist Campaign (PAC) Founder
When: 7pm, Tuesday August 7
Where: Dusk, 301 Harris Ave, Providence
Why: He’s running for artist… and that’s reason enough
Every Tuesday night at 8pm, an assemblage of creative minds flock to a badass little bar down by the tracks: Dusk functions as headquarters to the Providence Artist Campaign (PAC). The concept was developed two years ago by Tom West, the likable ball of energy who’s running for artist… or asshole, depending upon which sticker you look at first.
The campaign started when West forced one of his friends to run against him in an attempt to have some fun while calling attention to the arts community. Tom came with so much heat – stickers, flyers, posters, shirts – he ended up running unopposed, and seized the (totally fake) title of Providence Artist.
I spot Tom setting up his oversized boards on the sidewalk out front. He uses his head-in-hole paintings (a medium he says “never gets utilized smartly”) to tackle heavy topical issues such as teen pregnancy, race relations and politics. “The public then engages your art and subject matter,” he says. “It’s a beautiful thing.”
“I set these up at last year’s Foo Fest [at AS220],” Tom notes, nodding towards his tongue-in-cheek characterization of President Bush. “Kids always end up sticking their faces through this hole,” he says with a laugh. “I can tell which parents are cool and which ones aren’t based on how they react.”
One thing that’s unequivocally cool is the way in which the campaign has grown. “Over the past year, I realized the concept had real legs as an artistic community builder,” Tom says. “Artists will be running for Providence Artist 2012, replicating the approach of the average campaigning politician.” Well, sort of.
Artist … More
“Downtown Providence is the center of the state. There are great restaurants, bars and entertainment just steps from my door. I can easily walk to catch a bus, train, rental car or taxi to take me anywhere I want to go.” -Gray Jones
“The noise at night doesn’t bother me – I knew what I was getting into. I like the convenience of things being in walking distance. The beggars, although sad, can be really annoying. This time of year isn’t so bad, but during spring/summer you get asked for money, smokes or ‘gas money’ at every block. More entertainment venues would be nice. (I don’t count bars/restaurants in this category.) Another grocery store option would be nice.” -Kevin Bowden
“My favorite thing about living Downtown is its compactness, walkability and access to public transpor- tation. Within a few blocks are some of my favorite restaurants, unique and interesting shops and boutiques, my dentist, barber, dry cleaner and bank, and great events at AS220, PPAC, RISD and the Conven- tion Center. From Downtown I can jump on a RIPTA bus to get virtually anywhere in the state or take the commuter rail or Amtrak to Boston in about an hour, or New York in three. My biggest concern is the over-abundance of surface parking lots that make the city less vibrant and dynamic. If we could replace those underutilized lots with additional residential and mixed-use towers, downtown Providence could really flourish from increased urban residential density.” -Brian Hull
I’m just going to be honest here: I did not want to go up Mount Washington on a rickety old train. But given that my options were either driving, which any local will tell you to rent a car to do to avoid the significant wear and tear to your own vehicle, or hiking, which, just, no, a train it was. And so I found myself on a chilly, sunny fall day, standing at the platform, gazing up a cool 6,000 vertical feet.
The Mount Washington Cog Railway is an institution in the White Mountains. It’s been ferrying passengers up the East Coast’s highest peak since 1852. Thankfully, we’d be going up in a biodiesel engine installed in 2008, and not the original coal-burning train.
I wouldn’t say that I’m afraid of heights. I have distinct memories of my 10-year-old self on the Observation Deck of the World Trade Center in New York, pressing my forehead against the windows to get a better perspective on the 110 stories below. I’m just, to put it mildly, an accident waiting to happen. I fall out of chairs when I’m sitting still. I once fell out the front door of a bar that I wasn’t even leaving. So tell me I’m going up a single track up the side of a huge mountain, and all I see is possibilities for my imminent doom.
But, as a great poet once said, “a promise made is a debt unpaid,” and I had been promising my mother that I would ride the Cog Railway with her for juuuuust about two decades. So I got on the train. In the front row. And you know what? I’m really glad I did. The view was gorgeous, and we had the best possible vantage point for photography. It’s just one more time that I conquered my (considerable) fear and came out happier on the other side.
I expected the hour up to be difficult, but considering that the conductor sat outside the train on the front platform, I probably could have guessed that the trip would be easy and painless. We waved at hikers heading up to the … More
WEST SIDE
1. Providence College.
2. Henry Barnard School.
3. Camille’s.
4. Westminster Street.
5. Justine’s, Providence’s only currently operating speakeasy.
6. The Cranston Street Armory, which once housed the National Guard, but is now vacant save when it’s used for party space. The two movies that used the Armory are Outside Providence and Underdog.
7. The Wedding Cake House, which is actually the Kendrick-Prentice-Tirocchi House.
8. Antonelli’s Poultry on the Hill. Owner Chris Morris had his eye on the giant cock for years and finally bought it when the liquor store went out of business.
9. Broad Street. There’s a group of Latin American food trucks that do a booming business after dark there.
10. Johnson & Wales (Harborside Campus, to be exact).
DOWNTOWN
11. The Knowledge District.
12. The Providence Children’s Museum.
13. Public Kitchen and Bar, housed in the Renaissance Providence Hotel, which was constructed in the 1920s as a Masonic Temple.
14. Local 121, in AS220’s Mercantile Block on Washington Street. The basement held a speakeasy during Prohibition, which is why their downstairs live music space is called The Speakeasy.
15. Grant’s Block, at the corner of Union and Westminster, which is also the summer home of Movies on the Block and hosts Food Truck Tuesdays year-round.
16. The Superman Building.
17. General Ambrose Burnside, whose statue sits in Burnside Park next to Kennedy Plaza. In addition to running successful campaigns in North Carolina and Tennessee during the Civil War, he was also an industrialist and a U.S. Congressman.
18. Union Station was the original home of Providence’s train station.
19. The Independence Trail, Providence’s answer to Boston’s Freedom Trail.
20. The trolley, which is what the tunnel was originally built for.
EAST SIDE
21. Governor Stephen Hopkins House.
22. The Providence Athenaeum, where literary giants like Poe, Thoreau … More
This September will be the official mark the onslaught of autumn; with leaves and student bodies falling back to Providence. With these new changes, prospective Providence residents in the form of opportunistic professionals and those emigrating from nearby states on business ventures follow. In the wake of these droves, the Downtown Providence Living Tour offers those eager to join the mini-metropolis we love so dearly a tour of available luxury apartments, condos and microlofts in just one day's time. On September 21st, from 11am to 5pm, the tour will bring patrons by the 903, Arcade Providence, AS220, Avalon at Center Place, Regency Plaza, The Promenade, Providence G, The Residences, Waterplace and Westminister Lofts while stopping by shops boutiques and everything in between! The path may be traveled by complimentary shuttle service, bike or foot and guests are encouraged to go by their own pace in order to get the most authentic experience of what it means to embrace downtown living. All guests must visit AS220 at 115 Empire St. in order to register before they can begin the tour. Purchase your ticket in advance online. More
Yes, Fabulocity is the name of a local high-end consignment store chock-full of super stylish finds, but it's also a word I'd use to describe the way I felt while purchasing an Oscar De La Renta jacket for just $60. We enjoyed letting owner (and talented jewelry designer) Lisa Baillargeon pick out the perfect pieces for us, as well as giving us some great styling tips on how to rock that hot vintage frock. A shop owner and stylist in one? I'm hopping on that train to cute town, for sure.
From Hale Bob peacock pattern shawls (fellow PM staffer Erin was all over the pink one) to sexy Halston dresses, we found great pieces that would work for both the employee lounge and the cocktail lounge. Be sure to bring your favorite bottle of wine to your own personal shopping session: the vintage Louis Vuitton bags and Trina Turk dresses seem to call your name louder with each sip. Call Lisa at 231-5900 to set up your appointment. More
If you’re a fashionista, get ready to explore new styles. Tziporah Salamon, a New York fashion icon, will be making her way to the RISD auditorium on October 3 (7-9pm) for a special presentation full of fashion-fun . Hosted by Wayland Square’s Clad in boutique, Ms. Salamon’s “The Fabric of My Life: A Sartorial Autobiography” will touch upon her life history and reveal stories of all kinds. You will learn about her birth to Holocaust survivors, and even about current successes like her appearance in Australian Vogue. What’s unique is that every story will be expressed through style and wardrobe, where Tziporah will be using her extraordinary, vintage pieces to inspire her audience. If the presentation isn’t enough to satisfy your hunger for all things vogue, you can visit Clad in boutique the following afternoon (1-3pm) to get up close and personal with Tziporah. Here she will show attendees the steps in making an unforgettable, self-expressing outfit that will surely turn heads. And to top it off, you can enter to win your own studio portrait and a $200 Clad in gift card if you show up in your inspired attire. $25 event donation optional. RISD: 7 Canal Walk, Providence River Greenway, Providence. Clad in boutique: 32 Friendship St., Westerly. More
The staff in our office has always been largely female (roughly a 3:1 ratio) and while that has mostly been for the good, we always knew it might come back to haunt us one day. That day has come. Shine America, the production company behind critically acclaimed scripted shows (The Office, Ugly Betty), reality TV hits (The Biggest Loser, Nashville Star) and, well, other things (MTV's Date My Mom, that short-lived American Gladiators reboot), is now looking to the biggest little for its latest reality TV inspiration. They're currently seeking male business owners for what is sure to be the thinking guido's answer to Jersey Shore: the soon-to-be-a-pop-culture-phenomenon Rhode Island Boys. According to the casting call, Shine America "has a fascination with Rhode Island's small businesses," and they're looking for male-owned businesses with predominantly male employees — which means our moment in the harsh, unflattering spotlight of reality TV will have to wait. However, we promise the fine folks at Shine America that if they'll reconsider maybe doing Rhode Island Boys and Girls, we'll deliver all the cussing, petty infighting, drunken tantrums, on-camera meltdowns and delusions of self-importance they could ever possibly hope for. In the meantime, if you think your business fits the bill, contact LDI Casting for more details. More
The first EatDrinkRI Festival kicks off April 19-21, showcasing the best and brightest of the local culinary scene. The Sunday morning Grand Brunch features some of the area's best chefs, including James Mark from north, Jonathan Cambra from Tiverton's Boat House and Melissa Denmark and Danielle Lowe from Ellie's Bakery. Here, they share the recipe for their blue cheese and walnut scone.
1. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or fork work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture appears sandy and the pieces of butter are slightly smaller than a pea.
2. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix in the blue cheese and walnuts.
3. Slowly add the heavy cream. Fold everything together until the ingredients are almost fully combined. Be careful not to over mix, as this is what causes tough and chewy scones.
4. Remove the mixture from the bowl and place on a floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle (about 10” x 20”). Fold the left side into the center, and then fold the right side on top, like folding a letter to fit in an envelope. This is called a tri-fold.
5. Roll the folded dough out again to the same size rectangle and repeat the folding two more times. This technique is what creates flaky layers.
6. Once you have done three tri-folds, roll the dough to the same size rectangle and place onto a sheet pan and put in the freezer for 1 hour.
7. Once the dough is very cold and stiff, you can cut the scones into desired shapes. Use a knife to cut scones into squares or triangles, or use a circle cutter to make round scones.
8. Place onto a parchment lined sheet pan. Brush each scone with egg wash and a small pinch of sea salt. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.
This scone from Ellie's Bakery, will be served at the EatDrinkRI Festival's Grand Brunch at the on Sunday, April 21. More
While cities like Los Angeles, New York and Chicago continue basking in their comedy glory, Providence maintains an uneasy state of comedy caught somewhere between floundering and underappreciated. But with the help of AS220, local comedian Randy Bush seeks to push PVD into the national spotlight, by creating a monthly comedy series known as Lulz!
“I was asked by AS220 to do [a comedy series] because I performed at Foo Fest last year and there was much success with the little 40-minute set I curated,” says Bush. In addition to performing at Foo Fest, Bush’s relationship with AS220 extends to “opening for bands, doing storytelling nights and variety shows.” Quite simply, Bush brings the comedy while AS220 brings the opportunity, and together they form an entertainment powerhouse ready to raise PVD’s comedic standards.
“I hope to achieve a true alternative comedy scene here in Providence,” says Bush, arguing that the city pales in comparison to the aforementioned big three (LA, NYC, Chicago). “Also I love the whole legacy that comedians like Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, Louis CK and (even) Sarah Silverman have given us. Providence is interesting enough to also have [an alternative] scene but no one is really doing it. That’s where I hope to change that.”
Currently the monthly series features local comedians coming from Providence and Boston, so as to showcase the talent tied to the region. With time, though, Bush seeks to expand the bubble to include “more people from all over the country,” even some “internet famous comedians as well.” Bush jokingly adds, “Because I’m hosting, and I’m obsessed with internet and nerd culture, there will be lots of that.”
True to his alternative focus, though, Bush, an openly gay comedian, wants to tilt the monthly series away from the mainstream comedy tendency to be “so ‘bro’ heavy,” … More
Red Sox Nation, it’s time we have a talk. This isn’t going to be easy, because I come to you not as one of your own, but as The Enemy: a Yankees fan, a loyal subject of the “Evil Empire.” But see, that’s part of the problem. I’m not The Enemy. I’m just a baseball fan. It’s only when you insist on viewing baseball as a cataclysmic battle between two diametrically opposed forces that I become “The Enemy.” And that, my Dustin Pedroia-loving friends is precisely the point. (For the record, I quite like Dustin Pedroia and have nothing but respect for him. Ditto for former closer Jonathan Papelbon, Trot Nixon, Gator and any number of Red Sox gamers throughout the years. That being said, Youk is kind of a douche.) A lot of you take this just a bit too seriously. It’s time to grow up and learn to enjoy baseball for the game that it is.
As I write this, your beloved Sawks are dead last in the AL East, having just been thumped 18-3 by the Texas Rangers – and at home, no less. Boston’s 4-7 start, following on the heels of last September’s epic collapse, has again turned Red Sox Nation into a circular firing squad. There’s so much finger pointing, gnashing of teeth and throwing of tantrums that the casual observer could be forgiven for thinking something important was actually at stake. The airwaves of WEEI are brimming over with hysterical emotion as caller after caller throws in his two cents worth of outrage and armchair coaching. Doomsday has been predicted, the honor and integrity of the ownership have been questioned, and first-year manager Bobby Valentine has been called a “cockaroach” (sic). It’s only April.
Part of the problem is that Red Sox Nation spent generations as a downtrodden baseball backwater, a land of disappointment, broken dreams and epic collapses where defeat was constantly being snatched from the jaws of victory. Those days are over, but … More
You've spent your entire zoo-visiting life being told not to feed the animals, but finally your days has come. Beginning April 1, Roger Williams Park Zoo will host group feeding sessions, in which visitors will have the chance for an up-close encounter will giraffes, penguins and seals. There will only be a handful (cue rim shot) of spots available for these feedings, and tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis. The first giraffe feeding is at 2pm on April 1, with penguin and seal feedings to begin later in the spring at 11am. They will take place daily until Labor Day, and on weekends in October. We know some of you out there are probably really excited about this, but please don't shove any little kids to the ground in your scramble to get one of those tickets. More
We were proud to support the Providence Community Library through the money raised at our annual 10 to Watch Party. With the help of the community we were able to donate $3000 to neighborhood libraries. Thanks to everyone involved! More
Have your ever wondered what happens to a book after it falls out of routine circulation? In some cases it might find its tattered old cover and yellowing pages listed for a buck outside of some nostalgic old second-hand bookstore. Then again it could find itself in a Farenheit 451 bungle and disappear entirely. But if it’s lucky, it may find a prosperous second life at the Reanimation Library, a small, independent library based out of (where else?) Brooklyn. At the Reanimation Library, books are transformed into valuable visual resources for any and all sort of anthropological or artistic pursuit, from gathering research for that long-ignored historical novel, to finding inspiration for the final strokes of brilliance over that incomplete canvas.
Lucky for you, during the months of March and April, 186 Carpenter (located at, you guessed it, 186 Carpenter Street on Providence’s West Side) will be hosting a branch of the Library in Residence, where you can sign up for classes offering guidance on using the collection to create personal encyclopedias, reclaim and reinvent discarded images as captivating new fictions, create bound journals and more. Check it out for a completely fresh take on the library. More
There really is no better way to get into the spirit of spring then by enjoying a day at Hope Artiste Village for Craftopia. A twice annual day of art, craft, food and fun, Craftopia is a popular event, produced by Rhody Craft 100 – a seasonal shop selling locally handmade goods. The shop also serves as a networking outlet for many local artists. Craftopia showcases the unique work of over 70 independent artisans. The items featured range from repurposed clothing, stitched handbags and one-of-a-kind jewelry to fine arts and even bath and body products. As you peruse the large variety of unique displays, you can grab a bite to eat at the food trucks outside or a coffee inside to help make your shopping day that much more enjoyable. Providence Monthly proudly sponsors Craftopia, which will be held on April 28 from 10am to 4pm at Hope Artiste Village. Free parking available. More
These days if you've got a fun, cool or creative idea, but don't have the funds to make it happen, Kickstarter is the way to go. The crowd funding platform allows artists and entrepreneurs with big ideas and small bank accounts to bundle lots of small pledges into one fundraising goal to get the seed money needed for their projects. It's simple: tell people about your project, set a goal, offer incentives, and if you hit that goal the money's yours.
Several local projects have already come to fruition after being Kickstarted, including Gallery Z's ArtMobile, the fourth annual Providence Honk Festival, designer Nicole Lebreux's debut fashion show at StyleWeek Providence, Fertile Underground Grocery, the Providence Juice Company truck, and the queer art publication Headmaster. It seems, however, that we're approaching Kickstarter overload, as now every hairbrained scheme, stoner fantasy, fever dream and daft impulse is panhandling for your hard-earned dollars, its creator offering to personally deliver your screen-printed, individually numbered gatefold vinyl album on rollerskates or give you a Fair Trade, organic lapdance if you'll just cough up, like, $40.
So how do we separate the wheat from the chaff, other than with my new Kickstarter project to separate wheat from chaff? ($100 gets you a pound of wheat and a handwritten thank-you note!) Well, perhaps it's invevitable that a glut of low-quality imitators and bottom-feeders would dilute the pool of funding and make it that much harder for the worthwhile projects to really stand out, but at least in this case we can trust the free market to prevail. Good projects will attract donations, and bad projects will... well, apparently they'll attract donations too. But hey, if you want to bestow your largesse on a copper vase, shrieking musical instruments for an opera about fairies, science fiction novels with low self-expectations, or tracksuits inspired by a dream that Missy Elliott was president of the United … More
Now that it’s safe to put the shovel and snowmelt into storage, fill up your gas tank and hit the road for a day trip. Check out this infographic for our top picks of nearby attractions.
It’s 11pm and I’m shivering in a cemetery in the woods of New Hampshire, trying to coax information from the spirit realm out of a creepy-looking wooden idol. The icy wind is whipping through the trees and the noises coming out of the darkness seem like ghosties just out of reach. What the hell am I doing here? I think to myself. And why didn’t I bring gloves?
What I’m doing is investigating the paranormal at the Mount Washington Hotel, a notoriously haunted location. I’m one of a group of weekend ghost hunting warriors who are all on a Strange Escape together. Some of us have been on one of Amy Bruni’s investigations before. The Kindred Spirits and Ghost Hunters star hosts paranormal trips to notoriously haunted locations all over the country. For this weekend, people have brought along their own equipment to record EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomena, ghostly recorded communications), and other above-my-pay-grade tools like K-II meters, EMF detectors and spirit boxes. The pros say spirit boxes aren’t totally reliable, but they do add to the spookiness factor - which at the moment, in this cemetery, is high.
I’ve dabbled in the paranormal before - I once went on a ghost hunt at the Sprague Mansion - but I wouldn’t say I’m a total believer. If anything, since that other hunt produced no credible evidence of the supernatural, I arrived this weekend feeling skeptical. The other escapees seem to be fully expecting (and very excited) to experience ghosts and get face time with some of their favorite celebrity paranormal investigators. (Those are a real thing. Just trust me on this.) Still, I’m open to the possibilities of the weekend. I guess you could call me para-curious.
The investigators with me at the Crawford Family Cemetery - as in Crawford Notch, one of the earliest settlers of the White Mountains - are Dana Matthews and Greg Newkirk from Planet Weird, who specialize in haunted … More