PROVIDENCE, RI

Scroll to learn more about Providence’s Arts For EveryBody project

Providence, RI

On July 27th, local artists-in-residence and community members of two Providence Housing Authority sites showcased their artistic work created over the course of an 18-month artist residency and celebrating community connection and healing through the arts. Led by artist Carolina Briones at Carroll Towers, residents unveiled a community mural installed in the building’s community center. The afternoon also included a domino competition and community brunch; live jazz, reggae and merengue performances; a performance by Teatro ECAS; resident-led art lessons and a gallery exhibit of community members’ work. In the evening, led by artist Vatic Kuumba at Chad Brown, residents premiered “Casa Futura,” a short stop motion film with multimedia performances created with residents commemorating their past, present, and future journeys. The evening was kicked off by community-led processions and also included resident performances and gallery showings, a community dinner, as well as bomba and plena music performances from the Puerto Rican Institute for the Arts (PRIIA).

The Providence project is a dynamic partnership between the Healthy Communities Office, Providence Housing Authority (PHA) and the Providence Department of Arts, Culture, and Tourism. The team has created artist residencies at PHA sites. As part of their residency, participating artists are engaging residents in arts activities and work alongside embedded community health workers (CHWs) to better understand the wellness goals of residents. CHWs will connect residents to available City/community resources, and the artists will co-create with residents and design a culminating artwork or performance at each site. The process is focusing on healing, social connectedness, self-discovery and home.

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Meet The Team

Joe Wilson Jr.

Director of Arts, Culture & Tourism
Joe Wilson, Jr. Director Arts Culture & Tourism, holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame, and an MFA in Acting from the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theatre training program. He has worked On and Off Broadway including (2000 Tony Award-nominated production of Jesus Christ Superstar). Joe served as Resident Acting Company and Artistic Staff at Trinity Repertory Company for 18 seasons and Founded of Trinity Rep’s Center for Activism and Performance.
Micah Salkind

Deputy Director of The City of Providence Department of Art, Culture & Tourism
Dr. Micah Salkind is the Deputy Director of The City of Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Humanities in the Department of American Studies at Brown University. He manages large grants and strategic artist initiatives for the City, collaborating with the Creative Capital’s largest non-profit cultural institutions cultural institutions and creatives. Salkind is the author of Do You Remember House? Chicago’s Queer of Color Undergrounds (Oxford University Press).
Sussy Santana

Project Lead
Sussy Santana is a poet, performer and cultural organizer. Her work includes using writing as a tool for healing. Santana has published four poetry books, she is the first Latina recipient of the McColl Johnson Fellowship in writing. Sussy’s work explores the immigrant experience, faith and ritual as survival tools. Her work engages the community in participatory performance. She has worked as a teaching artist and independent consultant for different organizations in Rhode Island.
Carolina Briones

Lead Artist - Carroll Tower
Carolina Bridges is an Ecuadorian visual artist and community leader with over twenty-five years of experience working with the Latino community in Providence. Briones is deeply inspired by nature and the cycle of life and has facilitated a vast variety of workshops with seniors of different abilities. She has served as the Latino Program Manager at the Providence Community Library for twenty-three years. Briones has received multiple recognitions for her contributions and dedication to the community.
Vatic Kayari Kummba

Lead Artist - Chad Brown
Vatic Kayari Kummba is a creative artist rooted in words and rhythm whose work is guided by antiracist and environmental justice principles. His work moves from slam poetry into theatre, playwriting, and screenwriting for film. As an artist facilitator, Kuumba worked with One Square World to implement transformation in city government, non-profits, and community organizations. Recipient of the New Genre Merit Fellowship (2018) and the Playwright Merit Fellowship (2017) awarded by Rhode Island State Council on the Arts.
Amanda DeGrace

Director of Strategy & Development, ProAidence Housing Authority.
Amanda DeGrace is the Director of Strategy & Development at the Providence Housing Authority. Prior to her work at the PHA, Amanda was the Director of Real Estate for the City of Providence and a Project Manager at Greystone Management Solutions. Amanda earned her M.S. in Urban Planning & Community Development from UMASS Boston and is part of Adjunct Faculty at College Unbound where she teaches courses in Change Studies and Affordable Housing.
Shey 'Rí Acu' Rivera Ríos

Interdisciplinary Artist and Cultural Worker
Shey 'Rí Acu' Rivera Ríos (they/them) is an interdisciplinary artist and cultural worker. They use performance, digital art, and installation to create digital and physical altars that interrupt colonial memory and become doors into decolonial futures. Rivera is founder of Studio Loba, a social practice and production lab that uses art and cultural practice for liberatory futures. Rivera was born and raised in Borikén/Puerto Rico and lives in Providence, RI -land of Narragansett and Wampanoag peoples. Sheyrivera.com | IG: @sheyriv @studio.loba_

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Blog

Feb 5, 2025

Art as Healing: Celebrating Community and Creativity in Providence

Feb 5, 2025

Providence celebrates the intersection of art and public health through collaborative projects like Tree of Life and Kasa Futura, showcasing how creativity fosters healing, community, and well-being for all.

Feb 5, 2025

Jul 27, 2024

Providence Housing Authority Shows Off Resident’s Art

Jul 27, 2024

ABC 6 Providence Now 7.27.24

The residents were assisted by local artists Vatic Kuumba and Carolina Briones, and the theme for each piece was “no place like home.” Organizers said the National Arts for EveryBody Campaign aims to show how arts participation is good for both physical and mental health.

Jul 27, 2024

Dec 11, 2023

Q & A with Sussy Santana

Dec 11, 2023

Ocean State Stories, 12.11.23

Sussy Santana discusses her work at the intersection of arts and public health, focusing on community healing through collective performance. Initiatives like "Todas las Fridas" involve community members responding to prompts, fostering healing through shared performances. As Health Literacy Project Manager at the Providence Healthy Communities Office, Sussy conducts interventions at health clinics, promoting health literacy and well-being. She also manages the One Nation/One Project Arts for Every Body initiative, exploring the connection between arts participation and community health. Sussy, a bilingual poet, emphasizes the importance of intentional cultural creation and reflects on her diverse artistic family background.

Dec 11, 2023