The WaterFire Arts Center (WFAC), the multi-use arts venue on Valley St in PVD, is hosting a month-long group exhibition by Steel Yard metal artists titled GRIT & POLISH, highlighting the stories, skills, and artistry that shape our shared creative landscape. A public opening was held on January 9, and an artist talk on January 16. “WaterFire is pleased to host this extraordinary and impressive exhibition by artists from The Steel Yard’s residency program,” says Barnaby Evans, founder and artistic director of WaterFire. “The artists’ work interacts beautifully together, with elegant, graceful, exquisite works offset wonderfully by more robust structures of great mass and dynamism. Every piece is original, strong, and worth your attention.”
The nine residents, who come from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, weave many personal narratives through the storied community space with multimedia explorations in ceramics, jewelry, and metals. Traé Brooks, Brittany Dias, Katie Han, Nyala Honda, Dana Heng, Anne Irving, Prinshu Gautam, Kit Grindeland, and Alex Tum invite you into their journeys in progress as beginning, returning, year-long, and short-term residents- embracing what it means to be refined and unfinished. The Steel Yard is a non-profit industrial art center and non-traditional craft school that offers educational programs in blacksmithing, welding, jewelry, foundry, and ceramics. Outside of the classroom, artists can access the studios through open studio hours, rentals, and the residency programs. Residencies support emerging and mid-career artists, providing full access to studios and equipment, with paid fellowships and other professional development opportunities. In addition to studio access, The Steel Yard fabricates functional, design-driven public art installed throughout Southeastern New England, through its Public Projects department.
You’ve surely seen the decorative bike racks, trash cans, benches, and fences found at businesses and along main streets from Western Massachusetts to Block Island, with custom metal sculptures installed along waterways, parks, schools, and public spaces across the region. Check them out at thesteelyard.org.
“This will be the first group exhibition for our year-long cohort, and they’re looking forward to inviting the community to see where the residency has taken their practices so far,” says MJ Sanqui, residency coordinator for The Steel Yard. “Each resident is bringing their own unique experiences with their mediums, and they’re all working quite cross-disciplinarily. GRIT & POLISH is a chance for them to show the expansiveness of the work that gets made at the Yard.” Director of WaterFire Creative Services Laura Duclos says WaterFire Providence’s mission is to creatively transform the urban experience and foster meaningful community engagement. “GRIT & POLISH highlights the incredible works of artists who are creating right here in the Valley neighborhood in Providence, alongside the Woonasquatucket River at The Steel Yard. Partnering with a fellow arts nonprofit allows us to expand the network of creative voices and give visitors a deeper sense of place — connecting them to the rich stories, skills, and artistry that shape our community.”
Stay tuned for their upcoming Anne Frank exhibit, Annelies, this spring. GRIT & POLISH runs through February 9, with a crossover exhibit you’ll also want to see, coming to the WFAC the first week of February. To give careful consideration to each piece, you’ll want to allow about 40 minutes of reflection time. For more information about this particular exhibition, visit waterfire.org/events/grit-polish. •
Photo by Alison O’Donnell
