Rhode Island artists, designers, chefs, businesspeople and others gathered in Olneyville Thursday night for the 17th annual Encore Awards, presented by the Arts and Business Council of Rhode Island, a nonprofit organization that promotes cultural and economic growth by linking the art and business sectors.
Honorees and guests - including special guest Ruth Reichl, editor in chief of Gourmet magazine - filled the spare, high-ceilinged rooms of The Plant, which used to be a power plant and is currently being converted to a mixed-use working and living space for artists.
Reichl, who lives in New York City, spoke about her love of Providence and the importance of artists colonies in her life, in honor of the upcoming opening of The Plant.
"I love Providence, love its fierce independence, love its support of the arts," Reichl said. "I will go literally anywhere to support these artists colonies."
Reichl has written several books and completed three - "Garlic & Sapphires," "Tender at the Bone" and "Comfort Me with Apples" - while residing at artists colonies.
"It's absolutely my idea of heaven," Reichl said. "They enlarge enormously the cultural life of the country."
At the awards ceremony, which took place in a tent between the complex's two main rooms, presenters and honorees cited such non-traditional presentations as essential to creative progress. Howie Sneider, who won the Individual Achievement in Visual Arts Award for his public artwork in the Steel Yard, said artistic innovation could help rejuvenate Providence.
"This has allowed us to take the creative risk of re-imagining our city," Sneider said. Erik Bright, co-winner of the Arts Advocate Award, said artists and the people who sponsor them could contribute to the beautification and sense of community in Providence.
"Public art allows people to take ownership of the space around them," Bright said.
For the awards, prominent Rhode Island interior designers and chefs teamed up to showcase their talent by transforming the space into what looked like a half-restaurant, half-living room, replete with cozy couches and stations serving tasting plates of gourmet food.
"This is a great event to show off creative, artistic food," said Nick Rabar, chef of Citron restaurant in Providence. He prepared a dish of purple potato gnocchi, made from scratch on site and served with smoked chicken and a goat cheese sauce. His station was bathed in warm yellow light and accented with sparkling tiles and tanks of live fish.
Johanne Killeen, co-owner of Al Forno restaurant in Providence, said she agreed to serve food at the awards because she thought supporting the arts was a "good cause." She served slices of veal polpettone, topped with pieces of marinated pear. The Al Forno station was fringed with plants and accented with calming hues of white and green.
Other stations took less traditional routes: Atomic Catering served deconstructed clam chowder against a sunny backdrop, a sandy floor and an eight-foot lifeguard chair complete with an actor dressed in red swimming shorts who smiled and waved at guests. Mediterraneo restaurant chose decorations emulating classical opulence, such as golden vases, mountains of fruit and an actor in toga and laurel wreath who reclined on a cushioned couch.
After the ceremony, guests milled freely through the complex, sampling the food and admiring the design. Jessica Wall '07, a public relations intern for the Arts and Business Council, said she was pleased with the turnout and thought everyone seemed to be having a good time.
"The goal was to see what the space between food and design looks like," Wall said. "It's encouraging to find a place for the arts in Providence outside of Brown."
