As any successful businessperson will tell you, networking will get you everywhere. PVD Lady Project founders Julie Sygiel (of lingerie company Sexy Period), Folu Akinkuotu and Sierra Barter (of event design company Clementine Lime) envisioned an “old boy’s club” for women, where the city’s driven divas could come together to share ideas and connect with like-minded ladies over a glass of champagne.
Boutique owner and fashion designer Karen Beebe
The project’s second event took place on April 26 at Bravo Brasserie and featured three-minute talks by three amazing women, followed by a Q&A session. First up was the ever-stylish Karen Beebe, fashion designer and owner of Downcity’s Queen of Hearts and Modern Love. Next in line was Martha Sheridan, who – in addition to knowing how to rock a “fierce” polka-dotted blazer – is the president and CEO of the Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau. Last, but not least, was Hannah Mellion, food system activator at Farm Fresh RI.
Karen Beebe and Hannah Mellion
The take-away message was clear: work hard, earn your stripes, make good connections and never burn your bridges. The evening was capped off by a musical performance by the Sugar Honey Iced Tea. All ticket proceeds were donated to the Sojourner House. More
If you haven’t heard of her, you soon will. One of the hottest photographers on the scene is Corey Grayhorse, who in addition to shooting for us, captures not so everyday people in studio and on location, in her signature fantastical style. Last night she hosted Cocktails and Cupcakes, an event in which Grayhorse aficionados could enjoy being painted by makeup artists Jessica Berndt and Kate Richard, styled by Lizzy Colley and photographed by Ms. Grayhorse herself. The makeup was wild, the jewelry was large… The Cupcakerie’s cupcakes were delish. And yes, the cocktails were flowing freely. More
Who can forget all the buzz last summer regarding a movie being filmed in our area starring powerhouse celebrities Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton and Tilda Swinton? The time has finally come to see our beloved state and its beautiful scenery up on the big screen in acclaimed director Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom. The film is set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965 and tells the story of two 12-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact and run away together in the wilderness. You may have heard rumors of Bruce Willis and Bill Murray spottings at Tiverton’s Standish Boatyard. (The boatyard was just one of the many staging areas for the film.) The Hollywood stars were said to have been very friendly and down to earth. Be sure to look for the much-anticipated motion picture, set to premiere as the opening film of the 2012 Cannes Film Festival on May 16. It’s scheduled for an American release on May 25. More
Did you know that May is National Bike Month? Whether you commute to work or school on your bike, or ride for distance and endurance, you should know the basics of bike maintenance: how to lube a chain, fix a flat tire and make other minor adjustments. Cranston REI is offering a free Bike Maintenance Basics class on Tuesday, May 22 from 6:30 to 7:30pm. It is open to all, but space is limited, so call ahead to reserve your place. 22 Chapel View Boulevard, Cranston. 275-5250, rei. com/cranston. (For more information about National Bike Month events in Rhode Island, go to ribike.org.)
Rhode Runner has moved to a bigger space and is now located at 657 North Main Street in Providence. The store is hosting yoga classes in its new community room on Mondays and Fridays from 5:30pm to 6:30pm. Improve your flexibility for running – or just in general – with instructor Jenn Vargas, who teaches poses focused mainly on stretching. The cost is $6/class or $20/ month. Reserve your spot by leaving a comment on Rhode Runner’s Facebook wall, calling the store or stopping by. 831-6346, rhoderunner.com. More
Jennfier Luxmoore of Sin Desserts – sort of like Providence’s version of Charm City Cakes from Food Network fame – has won our hearts over the years by making creative, delicious sweets like oatmeal cream pies with maple buttercream and bacon or chili pepper peanut butter cookies – and then periodically surprising us with a tray of them at our office. However, up until now, her business was almost exclusively special order out of her kitchen space on Allens Avenue. Well, she’s finally opened a proper retail/ café space on the street level of the Conley’s Wharf building (200 Allens Ave.) where she’ll be open daily selling more than just the custom cakes on which she made her reputation. The new café features coffee, cupcakes and “cupcake shots” (mini-cupcakes), bacon and cheddar scones and more. More
As a conspicuously tattooed gal, I feel qualified to make this assertion: most moderately to heavily tattooed individuals are loyal to one shop. For all extensive purposes, “moderately” will describe those who can no longer count their tattoos and “heavily” shall describe all whom appear to disappear when placed in front of a graffiti laden wall. (I don’t yet vanish – at least I don’t think I do – but I have long since lost count.)
And yes, while I’m loyal to one PVD shop in particular, I have much respect for many of my friends that tattoo at shops throughout the city. You can meet some of the cool cats under whose skilled - and steady - hands I placed my trusting, (then) bare skin next weekend at the Rhode Island Tattoo Convention. It’s a three-day affair, running Friday April 27 to Sunday April 29.
I’ll see you there. You may or may not “see” me, however. That all depends on which wall I’ll be standing by.
Who: Debralee Elizabeth Marianna Iacobucci (aka DEMI)
What: Conceptual artist, painter and illustrator
When: 6pm, Tuesday March 20
Where: Pawtucket Armory, Exchange Street, Pawtucket
Why: This creative spirit isn’t afraid to be “appropriately inappropriate”
As I climbed the spiral stairs to Deb’s new studio space (which is housed inside a turret – or small tower – at the Pawtucket Armory building), I was met by a cool breeze on my face and the sound of global music infused with laughter. She greeted me at the top, barefoot, in flowing white pants, a fitted tank and one long feather earring. Her smile was huge… and contagious. Months of labor had culminated in this event: her DEMI Artistic Studios reveal party.
A small crowd of invited guests nibbled on appetizers and sipped champagne atop the roof, on to which her studio doors open. Although it was only the first day of spring, the sun shone bright and warm: The combination of the unseasonable weather and the breathtaking studio space was intoxicating. Breezy curtains flitted this way and that, tossed by gentle wind; white lights warmed the painted brick; the incandescent sunshine soon transformed to an ambient sunset.
When Deb took possession of the space in December, the turret was drab and unfinished — worlds away from its chic reincarnation. It’s her second studio, as the first is in her home. “My home studio is much more private,” she explained, as she climbed a tall ladder leading to the tower’s upper roof. I followed. “The turret is a public space for exposure, portfolio meetings and entertaining.” After taking in the view with a few other brave souls, we made our way back down.
Once we completed our (near) death-defying descent, we took time to peruse through myriad paintings and illustrations that were displayed in an antique trunk. “There’s a delicate line between illustration and fine … More
These days if you've got a fun, cool or creative idea, but don't have the funds to make it happen, Kickstarter is the way to go. The crowd funding platform allows artists and entrepreneurs with big ideas and small bank accounts to bundle lots of small pledges into one fundraising goal to get the seed money needed for their projects. It's simple: tell people about your project, set a goal, offer incentives, and if you hit that goal the money's yours.
Several local projects have already come to fruition after being Kickstarted, including Gallery Z's ArtMobile, the fourth annual Providence Honk Festival, designer Nicole Lebreux's debut fashion show at StyleWeek Providence, Fertile Underground Grocery, the Providence Juice Company truck, and the queer art publication Headmaster. It seems, however, that we're approaching Kickstarter overload, as now every hairbrained scheme, stoner fantasy, fever dream and daft impulse is panhandling for your hard-earned dollars, its creator offering to personally deliver your screen-printed, individually numbered gatefold vinyl album on rollerskates or give you a Fair Trade, organic lapdance if you'll just cough up, like, $40.
So how do we separate the wheat from the chaff, other than with my new Kickstarter project to separate wheat from chaff? ($100 gets you a pound of wheat and a handwritten thank-you note!) Well, perhaps it's invevitable that a glut of low-quality imitators and bottom-feeders would dilute the pool of funding and make it that much harder for the worthwhile projects to really stand out, but at least in this case we can trust the free market to prevail. Good projects will attract donations, and bad projects will... well, apparently they'll attract donations too. But hey, if you want to bestow your largesse on a copper vase, shrieking musical instruments for an opera about fairies, science fiction novels with low self-expectations, or tracksuits inspired by a dream that Missy Elliott was president of the United … More
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go out on a date with one of the editors of your favorite magazine? Well, unfortunately the editors at Cat Fancy are currently spoken for, but one of our editors is available — and for a good cause, too. Tonight you can stop by McFadden's at 7:30 to meet the lovely and talented Erin Swanson, chat with her, maybe offer to buy her a drink, and then get into a bidding war with that meathead down the other end of the bar as you both vie for her affections by donating money to charity. Yes, Erin, ever the good sport, has agreed to auction herself off to help Children's Wishes raise money to make sick children's dreams come true as part of the organization's third annual Dream Date Auction. Tickets are only $10, and you get the chance to bid on Erin, as well as a number of other sassy ladies and dapper gentlemen. Last year's auction raised over $7000 to fulfill the wishes of deserving children. And maybe you'll get to fulfill your wish of dating a sexy magazine editor. Oh, all that hot talk about dangling participles and assonance... More
Red Sox Nation, it’s time we have a talk. This isn’t going to be easy, because I come to you not as one of your own, but as The Enemy: a Yankees fan, a loyal subject of the “Evil Empire.” But see, that’s part of the problem. I’m not The Enemy. I’m just a baseball fan. It’s only when you insist on viewing baseball as a cataclysmic battle between two diametrically opposed forces that I become “The Enemy.” And that, my Dustin Pedroia-loving friends is precisely the point. (For the record, I quite like Dustin Pedroia and have nothing but respect for him. Ditto for former closer Jonathan Papelbon, Trot Nixon, Gator and any number of Red Sox gamers throughout the years. That being said, Youk is kind of a douche.) A lot of you take this just a bit too seriously. It’s time to grow up and learn to enjoy baseball for the game that it is.
As I write this, your beloved Sawks are dead last in the AL East, having just been thumped 18-3 by the Texas Rangers – and at home, no less. Boston’s 4-7 start, following on the heels of last September’s epic collapse, has again turned Red Sox Nation into a circular firing squad. There’s so much finger pointing, gnashing of teeth and throwing of tantrums that the casual observer could be forgiven for thinking something important was actually at stake. The airwaves of WEEI are brimming over with hysterical emotion as caller after caller throws in his two cents worth of outrage and armchair coaching. Doomsday has been predicted, the honor and integrity of the ownership have been questioned, and first-year manager Bobby Valentine has been called a “cockaroach” (sic). It’s only April.
Part of the problem is that Red Sox Nation spent generations as a downtrodden baseball backwater, a land of disappointment, broken dreams and epic collapses where defeat was constantly being snatched from the jaws of victory. Those days are over, but … More
The 4th Annual SENE Film, Music and Arts Festival kicked off last night at the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center in Pawtucket. Our assistant editor, Erin Swanson, was there as artists, filmmakers, actors and musicians mixed and mingled, enjoying complimentary beer and wine, live music and film screenings. Highlights included harp music by Sarah Ann McGinnis and the documentary Sweetlife, which told the story of three college students who founded Sweetgreen, an organic salad and frozen yogurt company, right from their dorm room. If that weren't impressive enough, they went on to organize Sweetlife Food & Music Festival, the largest of its kind on the East Coast. Bonnaroo, watch out. Sweetlife 2012 will feature Zola Jesus, Delta Spirit, The Shins and Kid Cudi (amongst many others). Check out the trailer here:
Imagine our surprise when these sweet cupcakes arrived at our office this morning. Clearly, someone at the newly renamed Big Blue Bug Solutions, formerly New England Pest Control, knows that the best way to get our attention is with food. It seems like the name change was inevitable, given the fact that their mascot, the famed "big blue bug" Nibbles Woodaway, is one of the best-known and most iconic corporate symbols in New England. We wish them luck with the name change, and thanks for the sweet treat (from the also iconic Wrights Dairy Farm, no less). More
This week, Roger Williams Park Zoo debuted a new program: animal feedings. Small groups can actually go inside the giraffe paddock to get up close and personal with the Zoo’s three giraffes: Sukari, Amber and Jaffa Prince. Our executive editor, Julie Tremaine, was the first non-employee to try out the program (and to get drooled on by a giraffe). More
Who: Bianca Jones-Pearson
What: Artist, designer and creator of Trashy Bow Couture
When: 5:30pm, Sunday March 25
Where: Weirdgirl Creations, Barrington
Why: The girl can work wonders with “trash”
Her motto is “Your Trash: Reworked, Reused, Restyled, Recycled.” Her email signature reads: “$tay Tra$hy.” Bianca Jones-Pearson, however, is anything but trashy. In fact, she is adorable, stylish, creative and hard-working. She’s also incredibly adept at transforming everyday refuse into remarkable (and often prodigious) hair bows and accessories. It’s pure fantasy. Sign me up.
I met with the young designer at Weirdgirl Creations, the pottery studio that her mother has owned for over 30 years. When Bianca’s not working with customers, she’s toiling away in the back room. “I’ve been drawing and sculpting since I was a kid,” she says. “I guess the art gene runs in the family.” One look at her, and I instantly felt as if I’d fallen into Alice’s looking glass.
Bianca has been making bows for two years now. In her early compositions, the materials (such as newspaper, plastics and cans) were easily identifiable. Believing that “there’s always room for improvement,” she began constructing them to appear less crafty and more high-end. A skilled ceramics artist, it seems natural that the bows would evolve to sculptural works.
Her sustainable designs have graced several catwalks thus far, and she’s only just begun. In preparation for the annual Catwalk to Campground fundraiser fashion show, the earth-friendly fashionista is currently constructing a newspaper couture piece that’s more boa than bow. Bianca, who attends art school in Providence, is also now working with plant materials.
There are a few designs that she keeps in regular production. Among them are “I Heart the Paper Boy” (newspaper), “Big … More
Giada DeLaurentiis came to town on Friday, March 30, and, for a huge fan like me, it was better than Christmas. She was signing copies and promoting her new cookbook, Weeknights With Giada, at Dave's Marketplace in The Crossing at Smithfield. The book signing took place at 4pm, and I had initially (and very naively) planned to arrive at 3:30. Luckily, I was informed that previous celebrity chef book signings at Dave's (which have included Mario Batali) had fans lining up at 8am, so if I had any intentions of getting a signed copy, I had better get there early. By the time I arrived at 2pm, the line was indeed significantly long. The very first group of women in line informed me that they been there since (sure enough) 8am.
In all the excitement of seeing Giada, I realized I had forgotten to bring a lunch to eat while I waited in line for two-plus hours and ... panic ensued. Well, I was glad I forgot, because Dave's makes an entire event out of these book signings. They try and make the long wait as enjoyable as possible for those standing in line, and enjoyable it was. Samples were passed out to everyone waiting in line, which included (my favorite) cheese from Narragansett Creamery, Butternut Squash & Cheese Ravioli, and these scrumptious little salmon cakes. Needless to say, I certainly had my fill of yummy passed appetizers. A raffle was drawn for Dave's gift cards. Time went by pretty quickly as I chatted with my fellow Giada loving comrades and wondered if every car that drove past me was her.
Finally, she arrived. Although I swore to myself I was not going to freak out and sweat profusely like my mother did the day she met Kevin Bacon on the Today Show, I totally had the same reaction. The line flew by as we entered the store, and soon enough, there I was standing right in front of her. As she signed my copy of her book, I muttered, "Eh, eh, I love you! Eh, eh, my whole family loves you!" to which she replied, "I hope you enjoy the book." From the … More
There really is no better way to get into the spirit of spring then by enjoying a day at Hope Artiste Village for Craftopia. A twice annual day of art, craft, food and fun, Craftopia is a popular event, produced by Rhody Craft 100 – a seasonal shop selling locally handmade goods. The shop also serves as a networking outlet for many local artists. Craftopia showcases the unique work of over 70 independent artisans. The items featured range from repurposed clothing, stitched handbags and one-of-a-kind jewelry to fine arts and even bath and body products. As you peruse the large variety of unique displays, you can grab a bite to eat at the food trucks outside or a coffee inside to help make your shopping day that much more enjoyable. Providence Monthly proudly sponsors Craftopia, which will be held on April 28 from 10am to 4pm at Hope Artiste Village. Free parking available. More
Have your ever wondered what happens to a book after it falls out of routine circulation? In some cases it might find its tattered old cover and yellowing pages listed for a buck outside of some nostalgic old second-hand bookstore. Then again it could find itself in a Farenheit 451 bungle and disappear entirely. But if it’s lucky, it may find a prosperous second life at the Reanimation Library, a small, independent library based out of (where else?) Brooklyn. At the Reanimation Library, books are transformed into valuable visual resources for any and all sort of anthropological or artistic pursuit, from gathering research for that long-ignored historical novel, to finding inspiration for the final strokes of brilliance over that incomplete canvas.
Lucky for you, during the months of March and April, 186 Carpenter (located at, you guessed it, 186 Carpenter Street on Providence’s West Side) will be hosting a branch of the Library in Residence, where you can sign up for classes offering guidance on using the collection to create personal encyclopedias, reclaim and reinvent discarded images as captivating new fictions, create bound journals and more. Check it out for a completely fresh take on the library. More
On the 24th of this month, Rhode Island Republicans go to the polls for primary day. In a long and often surprising election season, one thing we can count on is that the Rhode Island votes won’t matter. This is not a knock on the party, but a simple statement of fact. Romney will likely take the primary in a walk, Obama is a lock to win our deep blue state in the general, and no candidate much cares about our paltry delegate count anyway. So go ahead and vote your conscience, Republicans, because it’s pretty much all you’ve got.
This election, like all, will illustrate so much of what’s wrong with our democratic process: the pandering hysteria of campaign rhetoric, the divisiveness of wedge issues and party politics, the corrupting influence of money, the apathy of voters. The general election will bring the usual cries about the need for campaign finance reform and the abolishment of the electoral college, but let’s not overlook what the primaries teach us about the corruption, perversion, inefficiency and futility of our electoral process.
As I write this, Mitt Romney has just handily won the Illinois primary. While the overwhelming odds still point to him earning the nomination, the how and when of that are increasingly hard to answer. Challengers Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich recognize that they can’t overtake the former governor in the delegate count, and instead are campaigning to deny him the 1144 votes needed to secure victory, forcing a brokered convention. This long, slow, often surprising battle for the soul of the Republican Party has become the story of the 2012 election thus far, but it has unfortunately eclipsed the lesson to be learned about the innate ridiculousness of this entire process.
The march to the nomination is an unnecessarily complex and convoluted obstacle course of primaries, caucuses, delegate apportionments, media markets, election laws, balloting, political climates. That chaos all but … More
If there are two words that describe Foxy Shazam, they’re ridiculously awesome - because the six piece indie/glam/pop/rock band’s show last night at The Met was equal parts both of those things. The band isn’t that well known yet (and the crowd was smaller than it should have been) and the single that’s on the radio right now, “I Like It,” is fun, but not exactly indicative of what they’re about. I was expecting a catchy, tongue-in-cheek rock show: and at its core, Foxy Shazam provided that, but there was so much more. The band’s sound is something like an unholy brew of Spinal Tap and Hedwig and the Angry Inch with hints of Queen and The Darkness. Their look is completely over the top in a really good way: skin-tight pleather, denim jackets with gold lace, rhinestone-studded leather, Freddie Mercury moustaches. But what sealed the deal on this being one of this year’s best concerts to date was their commitment on-stage acrobatics. Lead singer Eric Sean Nally tumblesaulted across stage mid-lyric, smoked five cigarettes at once throughout a song, jumped on guitarist Loren Turner’s shoulders in the middle of a solo. Keyboardist Sky White alternately played with his hands and feet, and used the audience as a stand. Backup vocalist Alex Nauth completely stole the show during the band’s finale with his flying rock squats that he pulled off while playing the trumpet. Nally described the band best in one of his hilarious non-sequiters: “If Foxy Shazam were an animal at the zoo, we’d be the one who would bite your head off WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT.” More
Who: Jason Mayoh
What: Artist, filmmaker, horror enthusiast
When: 3pm, Saturday March 3
Where: His house, XXX Street, Providence
Why: The man shares my love for the late Rocky Point Park
Jason drew this entire comic book in 24 hours
The darkened room smells of incense and creativity. Jason and his friend Christian White are holed up inside on a sunny Saturday afternoon, drinking beer and working away on various endeavors. A jack of many trades, Jason is constantly juggling projects. Luckily, he’s very organized. And he’s got the labeled file folders to prove it.
Jason created this comic book in elementary school
“There’s a 24-hour comic draw tonight,” he says. “You literally draw for 24 hours straight.” He’s tired, though, and so he debates over whether or not to go. It’s no wonder he’s exhausted. Jason has been shuttling himself back and forth to Boston, where he’s storyboarding an ABC pilot. He storyboarded Ben Affleck’s The Town, and has worked on several other film sets, too.
Those movie sets were the perfect place for him to show his artwork around. Jason also busied himself back then by collecting and amassing Rocky Point memorabilia. “Online urban exploration sites showed what the park had turned into. I couldn’t believe it,” he says. “So, I tried to come up with Tales of the Crypt type comics… history meets urban legend.”
I first held a copy of Tales of Rocky Point Park – Issue 1 in my hot little hands back in 2007, while eating breakfast at the Liberty Elm Diner. It was the first in Jason’s trio of horror comic books, which chronicled the history of and rumors surrounding the now-defunct (and supposedly haunted) amusement park.
Apparently, not all rides buried in the “ride graveyard” remained six feet under like they were supposed to. By the time the three individual issues were bound together … More