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.
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.
Dates & Locations
Wednesday Bachata Sessions - July 10, 17, 24, 31; Aug. 14, 21, 28; Sept. 4. | Broad Street Gateway Center • 1197 Broad Street, Providence, RI 02905. Hours: 6:30-7:30PM.
Thursdays July 25; Aug. 1, 8, 22, 29 | Drum Circles - Bring a drum or percussion instrument. | Broad Street Gateway Center, 1197 Broad St Providence, RI 02907. Hours: 6-7:30PM.
Thu. July 13 Teatro en El Verano (RAIN DATE: July 22) | ¡Alguien Más! bilingual performance of Geo. Bernard Shaw'sYou Never Can Tell | Roger Williams Park, Broad Street. Hours: 6:30-8PM.
Sat. July 27 | Lower Barrio Tour - Leaves from Roger Williams Park Broad Street entrance. Click here for details. Hours: 11AM-1PM.
Sat. Aug. 1 | Lower Barrio Tour - Leaves from Roger Williams Park Broad Street entrance. Click here for details. Hours: 5:30-7PM
Tues. Aug. 6 | Art Making on La Broa' | Broad Street Gateway Center • 1197 Broad Street, Providence, RI 02905. Hours: 5:30-7PM.
Thursdays July 25; Aug. 1, 8, 22, 29 | Drum Circles - Bring a drum or percussion instrument. | Broad Street Gateway Center, 1197 Broad St Providence, RI 02907. Hours: 6-7:30PM.
Thu. July 13 Teatro en El Verano (RAIN DATE: July 22) | ¡Alguien Más! bilingual performance of Geo. Bernard Shaw'sYou Never Can Tell | Roger Williams Park, Broad Street. Hours: 6:30-8PM.
Sat. July 27 | Lower Barrio Tour - Leaves from Roger Williams Park Broad Street entrance. Click here for details. Hours: 11AM-1PM.
Sat. Aug. 1 | Lower Barrio Tour - Leaves from Roger Williams Park Broad Street entrance. Click here for details. Hours: 5:30-7PM
Tues. Aug. 6 | Art Making on La Broa' | Broad Street Gateway Center • 1197 Broad Street, Providence, RI 02905. Hours: 5:30-7PM.
Thu. Aug. 8 | Noche de Bici' en La Calle Broa' - Meet at 5:30PM in the parking lot of Roger Williams Park Tennis Courts.
Sun. Aug. 11 | The Dominican Parade - Be "Dominican" for a day and join RILA staff and artists as we walk Broad Street. Hours: 10AM-12PM.
Sat. Aug. 12 | Upper Barrio Tours - Leaves from the Southside Cultural Center. Click here for details. Hours: 5:30-7PM.
Thur. Aug. 15 | Chimi Truck Barrio Tour - Leaves from Roger Williams Park, Broad Street entrance. Hours: 5:30-7PM.
Sat. Aug. 26 | Upper Barrio Tours - Leaves from the Southside Cultural Center. Click here for details. Hours: 5:30-7PM.
Wed. Aug. 28 | Fiesta del Barrio - Broad Street Gateway Center • 1197 Broad Street, Providence, RI 02905. Hours: 5:30-7PM.
Sun. Aug. 11 | The Dominican Parade - Be "Dominican" for a day and join RILA staff and artists as we walk Broad Street. Hours: 10AM-12PM.
Sat. Aug. 12 | Upper Barrio Tours - Leaves from the Southside Cultural Center. Click here for details. Hours: 5:30-7PM.
Thur. Aug. 15 | Chimi Truck Barrio Tour - Leaves from Roger Williams Park, Broad Street entrance. Hours: 5:30-7PM.
Sat. Aug. 26 | Upper Barrio Tours - Leaves from the Southside Cultural Center. Click here for details. Hours: 5:30-7PM.
Wed. Aug. 28 | Fiesta del Barrio - Broad Street Gateway Center • 1197 Broad Street, Providence, RI 02905. 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:
