
Barnaby Evans opens ribbon-cutting speaking program.
At the end of my tour of the WaterFire Arts Center on Sunday (“WaterFire’s crib opens today,”), Waterfire creator Barnaby Evans told me to look out for “a surprise” at the next day’s ribbon-cutting. Well, I have it on video. They did not cut the ribbon, they immolated the ribbon. Fortunately, since things didn’t quite get out of hand, there was no need for “water” to douse the “fire” – get it? … WaterFire!!!
Seriously, it was a great event heralding a great new facility not just for WaterFire Providence but for the community. So here are a few photo and video reminiscences. The second “ribbon-cutting” video suggests how edgy (my dear and normally potty-mouth-averse mother-in-law, Agnes Somlo, used an edgier word) the ribbon-de-fé threatened to become.
But hey! L’art pour l’art, n’est-ce pas? Anything for art’s sake! And I caught Rose Weaver spinning her WaterFire anthem (to the tune of “Summertime”) to open the speaking program. I wish I’d taped the whole thing.
The photos and videos below are shown in the order they were taken. Enjoy.


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About David Brussat
This blog was begun in 2009 as a feature of the Providence Journal, where I was on the editorial board and wrote a weekly column of architecture criticism for three decades. Architecture Here and There fights the style wars for classical architecture and against modern architecture, no holds barred.
History Press asked me to write and in August 2017 published my first book, "Lost Providence." I am now writing my second book.
My freelance writing on architecture and other topics addresses issues of design and culture locally and globally.
I am a member of the board of the New England chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, which bestowed an Arthur Ross Award on me in 2002.
I work from Providence, R.I., where I live with my wife Victoria, my son Billy and our cat Gato.
If you would like to employ my writing and editing to improve your work, please email me at my consultancy, dbrussat@gmail.com, or call 401.351.0457.
Testimonial: "Your work is so wonderful - you now enter my mind and write what I
would have written."
- Nikos Salingaros, mathematician at the University of Texas, architectural theorist and author of many books.
Me! ME! You me in the video (as well as Friedrich St. Florian and other minor luminaries….)!
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