In July & August of 2023 South Providence residents will come together to enjoy family-friendly arts programming. Three bilingual artists will be offering hands-on art making projects for families, including creating collages, zines making, hand painting, and color-art sketches. RILA's Bachata instructor, Brandon Contreras, will invite everyone — adults and young people — to learn some dance moves. We'll also bring back La Noche de Bici and our Drumming Circle and for the first time since 2019, Teatro en El Verano will be part of our Museo programming.
Bachata Sessions | Every Wednesday | 6:30pm
Café Recuerdos | July 19 | 5:30pm
Artist Talk
July 25 | 5pm
Museo del Barrio Make Art & Music | 5:30pm
Drum Circle | July 25 | 5:30
Bring a drum or percussion instrument
Bike Night on Broad Street |
July 26 | 5:30pm
Annual Fiesta del Barrio | July 27 | 5:30pm
Barrio Tours | Chimi Truck Night on Aug. 31 + a Tour & Bachata on Sept. 6 • Tours start at 5:30pm
Museo del Barrio | PVD
El Museo del Barrio project is Providence's Latino Museum Without Walls and it entails bringing to life public spaces and empty lots with Latino-infused performance art (latin percussion, dance, teatro); creating sidewalk murals and public art along the Broad Street corridor; and offering community-led Barrio Tours. It is so called because it brings people together in a natural environment (and not indoors), to relive its history, listen to and tell stories, and to create and enjoy public art that reflects this busy Latino neighborhood and the history that it holds.
Broad Street, also known by some locals as La Calle Broa’, is the heart of South Providence. Since the 1950s, the neighborhood has served as the center of Hispanic commerce, activism, and Latin cultural expression in the City of Providence. It is representative of significant social movements that reflect the history of Latinos in Providence — from the establishment of Fefa’s Market in the early 1960s to the designated birth place of the Latino Political Movements of the 1970s and 1980s.
Broad Street, also known by some locals as La Calle Broa’, is the heart of South Providence. Since the 1950s, the neighborhood has served as the center of Hispanic commerce, activism, and Latin cultural expression in the City of Providence. It is representative of significant social movements that reflect the history of Latinos in Providence — from the establishment of Fefa’s Market in the early 1960s to the designated birth place of the Latino Political Movements of the 1970s and 1980s.
Who is leading this project?
El Museo del Barrio highlights local Latino artists, those who now live in South Providence, were born, raised and are life-long residents of the Broad Street neighborhood. We hope it creates discussion to bring some kind of balance where newcomers enrich neighborhoods like Broad Street, while long-time residents speak up and fight to maintain the area’s culture.
Tamara Díaz, a local artist and muralist worked with René in 2020 to create a sidewalk mural in front of Carolina's Family Restaurant, located on the corner of Oxford and Broad Streets. (2020)
René Gómez, Artist-in-Residence with RILA, is leading the creation of public art on Broad Street. René has painted two electrical boxes on Broad Street with scenes depicting the Dominican influence on Broad Street, and in 2023, he will be creating a sidewalk mural in front of Ada's Creations located on 1137 Broad Street. (2021-2024)
Alberto Genao,is capturing life on Broad Street and will create a video documentary depicting stories about the lives of people and businesses on Broad Street. The first was released in 2022 and it focuses on the emergence of Dominican-owned food trucks called Chimi Trucks. A video shot & produced in 2023, and released in 2024 will feature places of significance to Latinos on Broad Street. (2021-2024)
Laura Tamayo is RILA's Summer Community Outreach Assistant and will stay connected with businesses owners and residents of the Broad Street neighborhood to ensure the success of the project. (2023)
The Barrio Tours is an initiative led by Marta V. Martínez, a Community Oral Historian. The bilingual tours will take visitors to Broad Street to experience community art projects, as well as the authentic food, music, festivals and rich cultural history often overlooked in this Latino-urban neighborhood. (Ongoing)
René Gómez, Artist-in-Residence with RILA, is leading the creation of public art on Broad Street. René has painted two electrical boxes on Broad Street with scenes depicting the Dominican influence on Broad Street, and in 2023, he will be creating a sidewalk mural in front of Ada's Creations located on 1137 Broad Street. (2021-2024)
Alberto Genao,is capturing life on Broad Street and will create a video documentary depicting stories about the lives of people and businesses on Broad Street. The first was released in 2022 and it focuses on the emergence of Dominican-owned food trucks called Chimi Trucks. A video shot & produced in 2023, and released in 2024 will feature places of significance to Latinos on Broad Street. (2021-2024)
Laura Tamayo is RILA's Summer Community Outreach Assistant and will stay connected with businesses owners and residents of the Broad Street neighborhood to ensure the success of the project. (2023)
The Barrio Tours is an initiative led by Marta V. Martínez, a Community Oral Historian. The bilingual tours will take visitors to Broad Street to experience community art projects, as well as the authentic food, music, festivals and rich cultural history often overlooked in this Latino-urban neighborhood. (Ongoing)
Dates & Locations
Wednesday Bachata Sessions - July 12 & 26; Aug. 9, 16, 23 & 30; Sept. 6. Broad Street Gateway Center • 1197 Broad Street, Providence, RI 02905. Hours: 6:30-7:30PM.
Thu. July 13 Teatro en El Verano (RAIN DATE: July 15) | La Luz Verde bilingual performance of F.Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby - Roger Williams Park, Broad Street. Hours: 6:30-8PM.
Wed. July 19 Café Recuerdos - Broad Street Gateway Center • 1197 Broad Street, Providence, RI 02905. Hours: 5:30-7:00PM.
Thur. July 20 | Barrio Tour - Leaves from Roger Williams Park Broad Street entrance. Click here for details. Hours: 5:30-7PM.
Tues. July 25 | Drum Circle - Bring a drum or percussion instrument. Mills Coffee parking lot • 1058 Broad Street, Providence, RI 02907. Hours: 5:30-6:30PM.
Tues. July 25 | Artists Talk with René Gómez - Meet at 5pm at the Juán Pablo Duarte electric box next to the I-95 overpass. We will walk from there toward the Art Making Activities at the Mills Coffee parking lot • 1058 Broad Street, Providence, RI 02907. Hours: 5:30-7PM.
Wed. July 26 | Noche de Bici' en La Calle Broa' - Meet at 5:30PM in the parking lot of Roger Williams Park Tennis Courts.
Thur. July 27 | Fiesta del Barrio - Daboll and Public Streets, Providence, RI 02907. Hour: 5:30PM.
Sun. Aug. 13 | The Dominican Parade - Be "Dominican" for a day and join RILA staff and artists as we walk Broad Street. Hours: 10AM-12PM.
Thur. Aug. 17 | The Power of Zines - Make a Zine with Genesis Barrera • Broad Street Gateway Center • 1197 Broad Street, Providence, RI 02905. Hours: 5:30-7:00PM.
Thur. Aug. 31 | Chimi Truck Barrio Tour - Leaves from Roger Williams Park, Broad Street entrance. Hours: 5:30-7PM.
Thu. July 13 Teatro en El Verano (RAIN DATE: July 15) | La Luz Verde bilingual performance of F.Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby - Roger Williams Park, Broad Street. Hours: 6:30-8PM.
Wed. July 19 Café Recuerdos - Broad Street Gateway Center • 1197 Broad Street, Providence, RI 02905. Hours: 5:30-7:00PM.
Thur. July 20 | Barrio Tour - Leaves from Roger Williams Park Broad Street entrance. Click here for details. Hours: 5:30-7PM.
Tues. July 25 | Drum Circle - Bring a drum or percussion instrument. Mills Coffee parking lot • 1058 Broad Street, Providence, RI 02907. Hours: 5:30-6:30PM.
Tues. July 25 | Artists Talk with René Gómez - Meet at 5pm at the Juán Pablo Duarte electric box next to the I-95 overpass. We will walk from there toward the Art Making Activities at the Mills Coffee parking lot • 1058 Broad Street, Providence, RI 02907. Hours: 5:30-7PM.
Wed. July 26 | Noche de Bici' en La Calle Broa' - Meet at 5:30PM in the parking lot of Roger Williams Park Tennis Courts.
Thur. July 27 | Fiesta del Barrio - Daboll and Public Streets, Providence, RI 02907. Hour: 5:30PM.
Sun. Aug. 13 | The Dominican Parade - Be "Dominican" for a day and join RILA staff and artists as we walk Broad Street. Hours: 10AM-12PM.
Thur. Aug. 17 | The Power of Zines - Make a Zine with Genesis Barrera • Broad Street Gateway Center • 1197 Broad Street, Providence, RI 02905. Hours: 5:30-7:00PM.
Thur. Aug. 31 | Chimi Truck Barrio Tour - Leaves from Roger Williams Park, Broad Street entrance. Hours: 5:30-7PM.
RILA's Museo del Barrio is made possible with partial support from these funders:
Summer & Fall of 2021 In October, RILA artist-in-residence, Rene Gómez painted portraits on two Cajas de La Broa' (electrical boxes) located at the gateway to Broad Street and near the original site of Fefa's Market in Upper Broad Street. Later, he will also transform a section of the neighborhood into the Broad Street Walk of Fame.
On Sunday, August 1 & 9, 2021, Marta V. Martínez was joined by Doña Fefa Rosario (portrayed by a local actress) to lead participants on a Barrio Tour of Broad Street. Together they talked about the transformation of La Broa' since the 1960s. During the tour, participants experienced Broad Street through the eyes of local artists as they share music, spoken word and performance art.
On Sunday, August 2, 2020 a group of Rhode Island residents joined Rhode Island Latino Arts and artist, Tamara Díaz at an all-day community painting day. The sidewalk in front of Carolina's Family Restaurant, a popular eatery on Broad Street, was transformed to this beautifully-colored piece of art.
On the Ontario Street side of Broad Street, Pop Artists Rene Gómez and Jason Hernández, with help from Spray Paint Artist, Pablo Youngs, created street art using images of COVID-19 with messages to passersby on how to stay safe and healthy.
Land Acknowledgement | La Broa' • Broad Street
We respect and acknowledge the fear by residents of Broad Street that projects like ours will wipe out (or White out) neighborhoods like South Providence. There has been great interest by City officials to bring change to Broad Street, and we encourage local advocates and officials to pursue policies that encourage investment while promoting the ability of existing residents to stay and benefit from revitalization.
We also respect that Broad Street is made up of a mosaic of people and cultures that include those from the Continent of Africa, Southeast Asia, and diverse South American and Caribbean countries. Additionally, we acknowledge and celebrate the history of the Jewish, Irish, Scottish, and African-American communities that have made Broad Street what it is today.
El Museo del Barrio is a neighborhood Museum Without Walls. It is a place where Latino culture in Providence can be experienced through food, music, and the every-day lives of the people who live in the Broad Street neighborhood.
Imagine a Broad Street | La Broa' where families in the neighborhood can participate in Latin dance, listen to music and make art together. Imagine that these art forms can be offered by people who live in the neighborhood.
Imagine a place where we can gather and listen to the stories of Providence's Latino and immigrant communities first hand — stories of dreams, hope and resilience.
A place where residents can share photographs, record personal stories and participate in intergenerational conversations.
Through El Museo del Barrio RI, we hope to educate and inspire young people to become informed, engaged and motivated leaders who are emboldened to promote social justice in our communities, and to respect elders as they learn from the past.
Imagine a Broad Street | La Broa' where families in the neighborhood can participate in Latin dance, listen to music and make art together. Imagine that these art forms can be offered by people who live in the neighborhood.
Imagine a place where we can gather and listen to the stories of Providence's Latino and immigrant communities first hand — stories of dreams, hope and resilience.
A place where residents can share photographs, record personal stories and participate in intergenerational conversations.
Through El Museo del Barrio RI, we hope to educate and inspire young people to become informed, engaged and motivated leaders who are emboldened to promote social justice in our communities, and to respect elders as they learn from the past.
In the summer of 2021, four students from RISD and Brown University joined Marta V. Martínez in walking Broad Street to speak with residents about what kind of art they would like to see happen in their neighborhood. The above prototype served as a hands-on way to allow people to "place art" in locations where they would like to experience it.
Click 👉🏽
RILA's Museo del Barrio is made possible with support in part by these funders:
