This year marks the 375th anniversary of Roger Williams' founding of Providence, and the city is looking to its residents to make the celebration special. The celebration aims to "recapture a sense of pride in this city and not dwell in the negative," said Jennifer Smith, site manager for Roger Williams National Park.
Due to Providence's $110 million budget deficit, Smith said there are no city funds allocated to the celebration. Unlike the 350th anniversary — for which organizers created a host of events including performances by Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra — this celebration will take advantage of already planned events.
Organizers will work to incorporate existing events that fall under the celebrations' theme and market them as part of the festivities. Events will be part of a "branded marketing effort to build pride in the capital city," said Lynne McCormack, director of art, culture and tourism for the city.
The celebration will be led by a coalition of city officials, the Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Roger Williams National Memorial, Providence Monthly and the CW television network.
Andy Cutler, an entrepreneur and self-described "Providence immigrant" involved with the coalition, spearheaded the initial planning for the celebration and helped to come up with its four key themes — freedom, hope, ingenuity and roots. Providence is remarkable for its ability to do "the most with the least," he said.
During one of the events planned for the celebration — a Roger Williams-themed canoeing event hosted by the Rhode Island Blueways Alliance — participants can trace Williams' journey into Providence. Providence Monthly will publish an official guidebook for the celebration in its June issue that will include historical and contemporary essays, said John Taraborelli, special projects manager for the magazine.
Students will also be involved in planning events. A public art class at the Rhode Island School of Design will hold an installation at the Roger Williams Memorial in the spring. The Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, located in Brown's Manning Hall, will hold an exhibit about Roger Williams this fall and students in AMCV 1550: "Methods in Public Humanities" will conduct semester-long projects geared toward the fall celebration, Smith said.
The memorial is also offering four $2,500 grants for groups to host arts and culture events in the months from May to October as part of the celebration. The memorial is targeting smaller-scale groups that have operating budgets of less than $75,000 per year.
Organizers hope these grants, which were made possible by the Rhode Island Foundation, will allow the celebration to incorporate more arts events and include organizations that promote diversity.
Kaitlynne Ward GS, an intern at the memorial, urged student groups to get involved with the celebration. "It is an opportunity to turn outward and engage in local history and engage the community more broadly," she said.
The celebration is "intended to be a morale booster," Smith added. "There are a lot of things to be celebrated, with a little pride and a lot of fun."
