⚜ AUGUST 2026 NEWSLETTER ⚜ |
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| | | | Folk+drone Sunday Aug. 30 7:30. Living room. Flyer by Jeremy Ferris |
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No one’s coming to save us - Residency season 2027. Election day 2026 is Nov 3rd and pretty much everything is at stake and also what it will take to change course goes miles beyond the horizon of electoral politics. Yes the arts sector has been decimated, but also everything has been decimated: Happy Birthday USA! For this residency season we are encouraging artists to apply whose starting point is “yes, this is an absolutely a low point in America, particularly in the arts, and everyone is exhausted, but I’m figuring out a way to attempt to create in this time, that is responsive to this moment.” Maybe you are opening new metaphoric portals, or maybe you have an idea to literally run through a house slamming doors. Who knows, but your project is “in it” with all of the chronic chaos that 2026 has to offer. This does not mean that what you’re working on has to be “social practice” or “political art”, but we’re hoping to have a season of working with artists who are managing being in this moment in interesting ways. “Interesting” might often be a polite way of saying fucked up, but a little bit beautiful.
Are you eyeballs deep in a project that strategizes new economic models? Writing poems about the emotional stress of “losing” in any variety of ways? Doing data visualization about profit distributions of data mining? Collaborating with a scientist to humanize our understanding of the effects of global warming? Logging the pitches of various dog-whistles? Viciously satirizing wellness industry profiteering and health care dysfunction? Come hang out and work in a Victorian Mansion run by feminists before feminists are all loaded onto a barge going nowhere. Do we have answers: no. Do we have everything that you’ll need to be fully supported wrestling in the existential chasm: probably also no, but you’ll be housed and depending on what residency model you opt for maybe even fed. There are no fees for the residency or to apply, so all you have to lose is the time that you take to explain yourself, and our hope is that maybe that explaining will be helpful anyway in some way. Non-artists collaborating with artists are welcome to be part of a duo. Full description of what’s involved is on our website.
The Wedding Cake House offers short term, project based residencies with a focus on mid-career artists. This coming season we are taking applications for the full suit of our residency offerings. We are no longer limiting applications geographically to artists who live in New England, however preference will be given to artists from New England and Rhode Island in particular. We are not accepting International applications this year and are generally more interested in working with artists from 2nd cities than Metropolitan art-hubs. Info Here |
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| | Save the date for Jan 8th |
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PROJECT GRANTS DUE - September 13th |
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| | PROJECT GRANT APPLICATIONS OPEN!! Interlace Project Grants provide Providence-based artists with $6000 to support local, artist-driven projects. Due September 13th! More info on how to apply -
INFO TO APPLY HERE |
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| | EMERGENCY GRANTS are due the 7th of every month and are intended to respond to various emergency needs such as eviction, utility shut-off, healthcare expenses, phone or internet service interruption, and more. Interlace Emergency Grants are open to all self-identifying Providence area visual artists. |
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| | Also - if you are able to donate to the Emergency Grant Fund - please do - all funds go directly to artists. To donate to the fund, click below! |
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| | | | | | July/Aug Installation: Kendel Joseph |
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The image that I painted is of a masquerade from my families home island of St Kitts and Nevis, joined by a peacock and surrounded by sea glass which you can find washed up on its beaches. This piece is a call from a city kid with roots that extend to far flung places and tropical climates like many people living in Providence as well as the start of a new artistic direction in my art practices evolution. The masquerade is a traditional outfit and performance art. During the islands Christmas carnivals, which marks the start of that season, the masquerade perform traditional dances linked back to african war dances, fertility dances and the waltz. In these outfits, which represent the peacock, is a living depiction of the island and my own rich cultural heritage and background.
Check out this video, "saint kitts and nevis masquerade" https://share.google/MABdRo1plfgbWTI4R |
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| | | | | July/August Word Shelter artist: Grace Talusan |
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Grace Talusan teaches writing at Brown University and is on the board of the National Book Critics Circle. She is the author of memoir, The Body Papers, which won the Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing and the Massachusetts Book Award in Nonfiction. Her writing has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Fulbright, US Artists, the Brother Thomas Fund, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council with residencies at MASS MoCA, Vermont Studio Center, and Hedgebrook. She was born in the Philippines and lives outside of Boston. |
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Q (John-Francis Quiñonez) |
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| Howdy Dirt-Court,
The time has come! It has been a beautiful and filthy three years as a Resident at the Dirt Palace, and an equally special time in Providence for the last 7, but my time here is done! I am packing up my loose wires and oil stick nubs and moving to Kingston, NY August 31st!
My time at the Palace has fully reconnected me to my visual arts practice and given me the resource of piecing back together my life in a wholly new, and more expansive way. I expect I will always feel indebted to that ~ certainly grateful, daily.
Truth be told, my last days here are going fast, and the weight of emotionally processing all of this change is more than I can really unpack here so let me turn your attention to some FINAL HAPPENINGS:
* I have a show up at World’s Fair Gallery with some Mixed Media Paintings until August 29th! There is only one more morning of Gallery Hours on Friday the 28th from 10 to 2. Hope to See you There!
* In the spirit of wanting to leave things a little sweeter, I've pieced together some shows with friends old & new to fundraise for the exceptional efforts of AMOR Network , and the facilities (gear & rent security) of LOST BAG.
SO MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR AUG 27TH, 28TH, AND 29TH for what could only be referred to as a...
◇◇◇ B I G S W E E T ◇◇◇
☆ August 27th at @riffraffpvd > Doors 630, Free & Fundraising for AMOR ☆ K. CZAP, ☆ ZOOEY KIM CONNER, ☆ CHARLOTTE ABOTSI, ☆ S. TOURJEE, ☆ MICHAELIS LEE
♧ August 28th at Lost Bag > Doors 630, $10-20 NOTAFLOF, Fundraising for LB ♧ NOVA ONE (solo) ♧ EDT ♧ WOOLL ♧ JIMMY FAY ♧ MAX KNOUSE ♧ CLAIRE OZMUN
♤ August 29th at Lost Bag (MATINEE) > Doors 130, $10-20 NOTAFLOF, Fundraising for AMOR ♤ LIGHTS OUT! ♤ HABITAT ♤ BEDSPRING
♤ BLOOD CHIMERAS
♤ August 29th at @worldsfairgallery GALLERY SHOW CLOSING > Open Gallery at 6
~ Readings from: Q (ME), ELLEN Z., and B. DANG
As always,
Thank you,
and Stay Sweet!
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Iris Wright
Late summer greetings!
I’ve been feeling wonder and gratitude in my first months at Dirt Palace ♡
I write with a chance to see me in person: The Lemonade Stand, a FREE music festival at 195 District Park this Saturday, August 29th, 1pm-9pm. I'll be vending with embroidered patches, knit ball earrings, screen printed shirts (if I've succeeded at screen printing this month), risograph zines (if it's not too windy), and on-demand western haikus! Come say hi and enjoy the live music.
Not in Providence? I'll be in these places on these dates with my artist's books and zines: 🕮 Portland, MN for the New England Art Book Fair: Sept 4-5
🕮 Chicago, IL for the Chicago Zine Fest: Oct 10
🕮 Boston, MA for the Boston Art Book Fair: Nov 13-14 (Feeling like a professional book artist with all these fairs ☺)
PLUS: Do you want to make paper with me? I'm teaching a pulp painting class at the Fuller Craft Museum on November 15th. Spaces are limited, so register asap. ☞
Final update: After an alleged 10+ year slumber, the letterpress at Dirt Palace now runs! You can expect see some prints on my instagram in the coming weeks. ❧
That's all for this digest!
Be well, Iris
P.S. next digest spoiler: one of my favorite artworks I've made will be exhibited this coming October, and you'll never guess which RI museum it will be in 👁
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| | I regret to inform that Screenwriting did not go as planned within these last two months (if at all). I struggle to make the words up to describe the disappointment but I shouldn’t be surprised by the turnout as a returning student burnt out. The 2026 bingo card is unfortunately not going how I’d prefer in my favor thus far is as much emotion I care to currently give it. I did manage to keep my sanity levels up enough to go see Ariana Grande! That’s probably the highlight of my year. I wish for that to not be the only highlight, but I’m learning the hard way that only time will tell. In all, I’ll be paying my dues so that maybe I’ll find an anchor in trying again.
Much Love and Thank you for reading |
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Ziggy Smith
hey yall! summers been long and arduous, but im learning that might just be being human right now. i’ve been doing workshops throughout the season, learning to make grillz. my hands really like the slowness. i think my brain is catching up to the slowness too. having fun. here’s one i broke after the picture :) |
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Natalie Robertson
Howdy, The accordion choir was supposed to play a show August 30th to support our friend (& member) on tour, then in true Providence fashion, like three venues dropped, so I said hey, why not here. I am hosting my first show at DP this upcoming Sunday evening, August 30th, in the living room! I am the asshole who is playing in two sets at a show I’m facilitating, but it’s a living room show with my friends. It’s different! Acoustic drone folk improvisations, american primitivist guitar stylings, & beautifully sung banjo & guitar tunes from New Bedford. Music starts at 7:30.
The accordion choir is playing at Machines With Magnets on September 26th with Dirt Palace’s own Reba Mitchell (House Red) and FRMoCA’s Harry Gould Harvey IV. Haela Ravenna Hunt-Hendrix (Liturgy) is headlining with an intimate solo performance. I basically just ripped off the description from the eventbrite in case you people don’t read. I’m stoked ALTER curated such a bill. It’ll be a good time! Buy your tickets now
In other news, I’ve been gaining skills this summer! I’m a month into an apprenticeship in locksmithing. Understanding mechanical systems that rely upon math and careful measurement but also just vibes, some willingness to RTFM, creative problem solving in how to approach various materials, the history of metal manufacturing, the beautiful architecture Providence has to offer, and the landscape within about an hour radius… It's all so good for me. I really feel motivated by my job and am learning skills relevant to my artistic goals.
I took the workforce welding training at The Steel Yard earlier this month! We were working with salvaged material from the crane on the sunken barge that pirate guy ditched in the Providence River almost a decade back. The DEM removed the massive hazardous object earlier this year, and I had a really great time beng part of the group working together to design and fabricate a sign out of the crane to designate the publicly accessible waterfront as part of the Public Street Waterfront Access Project. I hope the project brings awareness and remediation of pollution in the Port of Providence. May public art and community investment provide a slap to the face of environmental racism
Be well, friends 
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Laid down a patio & then laid down to sleep. Brick by brick with the 21 minute version of space is the place as the soundtrack. That reminds me have you read Face Is The Place yet in the daily duck’s favorite Substack? |
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If you’ve gotten this far down the digest, you must really be really dedicated. It’s possible you had to open the email in a separate browser just to get past the clipped part - well the rewards are great - Against all sense, Pippi decided to change her secret burner account (originally created to document all things crying) into a RECTRIX instagram account. All things RECTRIX here @hys_tearia Why start the instagram hell-scape now after being a project for almost 20 years? Good question! RECTRIX does have some things on the horizon.... However, this may be a flash in the pan like the 2018 facebook profile that lasted 6 months to book the RECTRIX/House Red West Coast tour of 2018. To be seen! |
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It’s also that time to year for this year’s birthday print (circa March) to be available to “the general public”….. This is a yearly project - If you send me something in the mail (a letter, drawing, postcard, print, message in a bottle, etc) I will send you this year’s print for free - Just make sure to include your mailing address. Mail to Pippi Z 14 Olneyville Square Providence RI 02909
Still have some copies of previous year’s prints. If you’d like one from a previous year you must send something separately for each you desire. Clearly mark with either the words "SMOKE SNAKE" for 2025, “SLEEPLESS NIGHTS” for 2024, “BURN” for 2023 or “TIME” for 2022.
HARPY will be playing the Scurvy Dog Parking lot show Sept 6th |
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