Op-Ed: We Started The Fire

Buddy Cianci, John Lombardi, David Cicilline

Angel Taveras, Jorge Elorza, Brett Smiley.

Claiborne Pell, Jack Reed, John Chafee,

Lincoln Chafee, Sheldon Whitehouse

PPAC, Trinity, AS220, Children’s Museum,

The Athenaeum, RISD Museum, New Urban Arts

The Art Club, Roger Williams Park Zoo, and WaterFire

We started the fire

And, since it’s been burning, the City’s been surging

We started the fire

But after 30 years a-fire, things have gotten dire!

– With profound apologies to Billy Joel!

WaterFire – the brainchild of Barnaby Evans, a Brown student artist from California and Hawaii – made its official debut as part of First Night in 1994. There was a very quiet rehearsal where people wandering nearby were treated to an eerie silence broken by muted sounds of tribal-like music emanating from speakers hidden under the bridges along the river, piercing the quiet night. It was a unique artistic experience that engaged every sense and has since left people speechless and awestruck. It is a giant artistic exhibit that uses the city as its canvas.

WaterFire has brought a unique sparkle to Providence along with international acclaim and more importantly, it’s a major economic generator. It has been credited with its pivotal role in Providence’s revitalization and is a symbol of the city’s renaissance. Since its inception, WaterFire has brought more than 15 million visitors who have spent over a billion dollars in the city.

There is a magic to WaterFire as it approaches its 500th lighting. Supported by a full-time staff of 25, a part-time staff of 45, and over 150 extremely dedicated and loyal volunteers, they keep the 100 braziers burning. The problem is that it’s a free, public event that’s expensive to produce.

In the early days support mostly came from a few corporations and a lot of generous Providence residents who were excited to be a part of this phenomenon that was bringing national and international recognition to the city. Today, WaterFire is funded by the city, the state, corporations, foundations, and generous donors, but things are very tight. Between reduced support from major supporters and then COVID, lightings have been reduced and the ending time has been moved back to 11pm. Attendance, however, still remains very strong and even appears to be growing!

Needless to say, we’ve all gotten a little concerned. Now, don’t start cutting down your pine trees – as they use reclaimed softwood to keep the braziers burning – but your financial support is needed. If WaterFire were to burn out, the loss to the city would be incalculable. Now is the time to thank them all for the incredible effort they all make to ensure this unique undertaking survives.

As we enter the holiday season of good cheer and giving, and the end of the tax year, we want to encourage everyone to show their appreciation for all of our great nonprofits and helping those in need. They all need your support, and this year we especially urge you to add WaterFire to your giving list. We started the fires … and we must keep them burning! Visit WaterFire.org to learn how you can donate.