The first time Erin Carolan met Lisa Gourley was at the Living Room in 1997. “She was there with three or four cameras,” Carolan remembers. “I thought it was so cool to see a female photographer elbow in — and watch guys get out of her way so she could get the shot. My favorite […]
Andrea Smith founded Help the Homeless RI in 2015, and it became a 501(c)3 in 2016. Smith runs the all-volunteer agency that feeds people in three different communities and works diligently with a local case manager and outreach workers to secure housing, funds and items for those in need. Through donations and fundraisers, they continue […]
“Betsy is wonderful,” says The Avenue Concept’s sculpture program manager Brian Dowling. “She is the general manager at The Avenue Concept, but somehow that title doesn’t encapsulate all that she does. If our organization were a ship traveling on an adventurous journey, Betsy would be the navigator, keeping us on a steady course as the […]
Kristen Adamo was named the new president of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau (PWCVB) in April, but she’s been making strides in PVD long time before that. A native Rhode Islander, Kristen went to Bayview highschool in Riverside, but left the state to double major in journalism and political science at Ohio Wesleyan […]
Cheylsea Federle loves smashing sexual shame. She’s excited about challenging sexual misinformation — and wants you to be, too. As the education and training coordinator for the Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health (CSPH), Federle is an integral part of carrying out the Pawtucket-based non-profit’s core mission of advancing culturally inclusive, medically accurate and pleasure-informed […]
The George Wiley Center was founded in 1981 by anti-poverty activist Henry Shelton. It opened as a grassroots organization with the mission of being actively committed to local community organizing for the purpose of creating social and economic justice through changes in public policy. Shelton ran the organization until his retirement in 2016, when he […]
Jonny Skye runs the Skye Gallery on Broadway in PVD. She came to RI in ‘87 from Oregon at the tender age of 17 with no money, and she didn’t know a soul. “I had a cup of coffee [at the Exchange] when it was a little place across the street. People used to literally […]
By his own admission, Steve Ahlquist, the former owner of Atomic Comics & Video, has “always been a writer.” He got his start in comic books and loves that they can communicate “ridiculous, beautiful new ideas.” After struggling to find a “home for his writing,” Steve went on to pen the Oz Squad series and […]
Chrissy Stewart has her finger on the pulse of the PVD art scene. She is a booking agent that is also involved with the new Goodwill Engine Co. venue (formerly Firehouse 13). She is an acoustic performer and entrepreneur and founder of PVDLive, which showcases aspects of Providence’s inspiring arts and entertainment scene. “Chrissy is […]
Ken Panciera met Peter Mello when he began volunteering for WaterFire in 2015. Mello is the managing director and WaterFire’s “Money Man,” creating sponsorship opportunities with some of the largest companies in the state including Amica, Cox Communication and National Grid. We asked him to tell us about Mello’s contributions to WaterFire and the community. […]