NEW URBAN ARTS ENEWS
July 31, 2007

In this Issue:

Music and Poetry in the Park, this Saturday!

Bring blankets and chairs for this outdoor summer performance that celebrates the diverse voices of Providence. The event will be held Saturday, August 5th, at 5 pm at the Met: Peace Street Campus, 362 Dexter Street.

New Urban Arts will open up the stage for three dynamic Providence poets as part of the "Celebrate Providence!" performance series, sponsored by the City of Providence's Department of Art, Culture, and Tourism.

Enjoy original live music performed by "Alternate Ending," a 3-piece acoustic band formed at New Urban Arts this spring, featuring Adrienne Adeyemi, age 18, Kian Shenfield, 18, and Daniel Valmas, 17.

Listen to 3 recently graduated seniors, Titi Campbell, Sergio Cabrera, and Randell Dauda, perform a new collaborative poem about Providence. Also reading will be Enrique Cantor, 18, Elizabeth Keith, 16, John Nguon, 16, Shaonessy Santana, 15, and Mary Adewusi, 17.

Following the youth poets and performers will be:

• Nehassaiu deGannes, professional poet, playwright, and actor, has called Providence home for the past 12 years working at Trinity Rep, Perishable Theatre, Providence Black Rep, and The Gamm. Last winter, she premiered her one-woman show, Door of No Return. Her chapbook, Percussion, Salt & Honey, was awarded the Providence Athenaeum's Philbrick Poetry Prize. She is a graduate of the Brown University MFA program in Literary Arts / Creative Writing.

• Michael Gizzi is a nationally praised author of over 15 esteemed poetry collections and a twice recipient of the Gertrude Stein Award for Innovative Writing. He coordinates the Downcity Poetry Series at Tazza in Providence and has collaborated on several Kerouac-inspired projects with Clark Coolidge. "Cross James Joyce and Jack Nicholson in a high energy construct machine and you have Michael Gizzi's poems. He will tell you everything you knew was true but didn't have the guts to say," claims NY poet, Lisa Jarnot.

• Erica Carpenter is an accomplished poet and Rhode Island native who volunteers as an artist mentor at New Urban Arts. She is a graduate of the Brown University MFA program in Literary Arts / Creative Writing and recipient of a 2005 RISCA Fellowship. In literary circles, her work has been described as "a celebration of subtlety in an age of bluntness." She will read from her recent book, Perspective Would Have Us, published by Burning Deck Press.

The performances will cap off an all-day festival of art and entertainment hosted by the Greater Elmwood Neighborhood Services (11 - 5 pm). The "Celebrate Providence!" neighborhood programming series is presented and sponsored by the City of Providence, David N. Cicilline, Mayor, Department of Art, Culture, and Tourism, Department of Public Parks, in cooperation with the Department of Recreation.

See you there!

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A Call for Artist Mentors!

New Urban Arts is currently looking for artists to mentor youth next year
from October through May. Artist Mentors are college students, emerging artists, and professional artists volunteering 6-8 hours of time per week to work with 4-8 Providence High school students in our interdisciplinary art studio on Westminster Street, across from Classical and Central High schools.

This year, New Urban Arts is looking for artist mentors in the following disciplines: fashion design, printmaking, screenprinting, textiles, mixed media, sculpture, film/animation, graphic design, music, painting/drawing, poetry and photography. We are not limited to these media and are open to accommodate other media in our studio.

Artist mentors must commit two days a week during the after-school time, 3-5 or 5-7 pm, Monday thru Friday. All artist mentors participate in our yearlong professional development program (commitment: three hour meeting a month) and are required to attend two weekend retreats, in Fall and Winter. A small stipend is included with this position. Local college students who are work-study eligible are encouraged to apply.

Artist Mentors are nurturing, risk taking, resourceful, flexible under pressure, and committed to their work, their students, and the organization.

To apply, download an application online or visit our studio at 743 Westminster Street to find out more information about this opportunity to work with a nationally recognized community based arts organization for high school students and artists in Providence, Rhode Island.

APPLICATION DEADLINE:    SEPTEMBER   8,   2006

*****

2006 Art Party Photos now online

On Friday May 19, the studio was packed with a record turnout for New Urban Arts' end of year show. The event featured illustrations, screen prints, enlarged polaroid manipulations, pinhole photography, the release of FLIP (a youth led zine), a senior recognition ceremony, a typewriting installation, and the beloved fashion show. What a great night, thanks to all who contributed their creative energy!

To see photos of the event and examples of student work, click here.

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Check out our friends at Tiny Showcase.

Also, students and families at New Urban Arts are thankful for College Visions.

Special thanks to White Whale Web Services, designers of www.newurbanarts.org.

Thank you to Citizens Bank and NBC10 for naming us a Champion in Action!

Also, proudly supported by:

New Roots Providence at the Providence Plan
The Providence Shelter for Colored Children
The Dexter Commission
The Providence After-School Alliance
The City of Providence, Department of Art, Culture, and Tourism
The Honorable Mayor David N. Cicilline
Rhode Island State Council on the Arts
The Rhode Island Foundation

And many generous individuals like you.

Feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends. 

About New Urban Arts
New Urban Arts is a nationally recognized arts studio for high school students and emerging artists in Providence, Rhode Island.  Our mission is to build a vital learning community that empowers young people, developing creative practices they can sustain throughout their lives.  We serve 125 high school students and 15 emerging artists through after-school and summer programs each year.