This museum is part of the city’s esteemed School of Design. Having grown along with the school, it is now the state’s leading art institution, with more than 80,000 objects from around the globe. Its first public galleries were established in 1893, and it has undergone several expansions to accommodate its growing collection. ...more...

Founded in 1998 by Judy Goffman Cutler and Lawrence S. Cutler, the National Museum of American Illustration (NMAI) holds a collection of art focusing on the “Golden Age” of American Illustration.  The collection contains many pieces by such important illustrators of the early 20th century as Norman Rockwell, Howard Pyle, and N.C. Wyeth, but also has examples from all periods …more…

The seeds of the Newport Art Museum were planted in 1912 with the establishment of the Art Association of Newport by a small group of local cognoscenti interested in showing the works of local artists and developing an appreciation for the arts in Newport.  The Association’s first exhibition took place just a month after its founding, and featured works …more…

This company was founded in 1984 as Alias Stage by seven members of the graduating class of Trinity Rep Conservatory. Its first home was an abandoned mill in the Olneyville neighborhood. When a fire forced the theater from that space in 1989, it moved into a second former mill; four years later, Alias relocated to the Jewelry District in downtown …more…

Founded in 1963, this Tony Award winning regional theatre is famous for its thoughtful world premieres and bold interpretations of the classics. The theatre’s experimental roots, under the guidance of pioneering artistic directors like Adrian Hall and Anne Bogart, gave rise to some of the most talked about productions of the past thirty years, including controversial re-imaginings of such American stalwarts as West Side Story, Annie, and Our Town.Now Rhode …more…

(July 13-29, 2012) The Newport Music Festival turns the idea of the summer festival on its head by moving it from the sunny lawn to the great indoors. The massive 19th century mansions of Newport, Rhode Island, built as summer “cottages” for the rich and famous of the Gilded Age, serve as venues for the festival’s 60-odd concerts, held morning, noon, and night(and occasionally midnight) for a few weeks each July ...more...

Led by Artistic Director Andrew Clark—only the ensemble’s fourth in its nearly 40-year history—the Providence Singers consistently present the greater Rhode Island concert community with vibrant programming including choral classics from Bach, Handel, Orff, and Stravinsky, as well as works by late-20th century stalwarts Dave Brubeck, Philip Glass, Lou Harrison, and Steve Reich. ...more...

The Rhode Island Philharmonic presents an eight-concert Classical Series as well as four-concert Rush Hour Series on early Friday nights. In addition the ensemble hosts four open rehearsals throughout the season. The Rhode Island Philharmonic was founded in 1944 and since then has maintained high levels of artistic achievement and continues to pass the torch to future generations through its …more…

Opera Providence’s annual events include full opera productions, summer “Opera in the Park” productions, concerts of opera, classical music, and Broadway standards, and live performances of opera singers at dinner events and parties. The company performs at least once or twice a season at Blithewold, a historic mansion set on 33 acres of gardens in nearby Bristol, RI. ...more...

(August 3-5, 2012) The original Newport Festival was the place to be for jazz musicians in the latter half of the last century. The festival takes place over two-three days in August and continues to play host to some of the most influential and talented performers in the medium. ...more...

Festival Ballet Providence is a regional ballet company with a repertoire that includes classical, neoclassical and contemporary works. Each December, they perform Marius Petipa’s Nutcracker and they produce an annual season of four other shows which may include story ballets, Balanchine standards, and new works by resident and guest choreographers. ...more...

(September – October)

FirstWorks Festival Information

Public Transportation: Varies by venue
Handicapped Accessibility: Depends on venue
Performances/Programs: Programming includes dance, music, theater, and new media productions from around the world. Performance schedule varies
Ticket Prices: Ticket prices vary by performance and venue. Some student and senior discounts available
Membership: Memberships available from $50–$500.

The Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) occupies an historic theatre space in downtown Providence’s arts and entertainment district, known locally as the “Jewel of Weybosset Street”.  It opened as the Loew’s Movie Palace in 1928, an ornate theatre featuring a 28’ x 51’ movie screen, and a Robert Morton organ to accompany the original silent films.  The following decades saw …more…

This museum is part of the city’s esteemed School of Design. Having grown along with the school, it is now the state’s leading art institution, with more than 80,000 objects from around the globe. Its first public galleries were established in 1893, and it has undergone several expansions to accommodate its growing collection. ...more...

Founded in 1998 by Judy Goffman Cutler and Lawrence S. Cutler, the National Museum of American Illustration (NMAI) holds a collection of art focusing on the “Golden Age” of American Illustration.  The collection contains many pieces by such important illustrators of the early 20th century as Norman Rockwell, Howard Pyle, and N.C. Wyeth, but also has examples from all periods …more…

The seeds of the Newport Art Museum were planted in 1912 with the establishment of the Art Association of Newport by a small group of local cognoscenti interested in showing the works of local artists and developing an appreciation for the arts in Newport.  The Association’s first exhibition took place just a month after its founding, and featured works …more…

This company was founded in 1984 as Alias Stage by seven members of the graduating class of Trinity Rep Conservatory. Its first home was an abandoned mill in the Olneyville neighborhood. When a fire forced the theater from that space in 1989, it moved into a second former mill; four years later, Alias relocated to the Jewelry District in downtown …more…

Founded in 1963, this Tony Award winning regional theatre is famous for its thoughtful world premieres and bold interpretations of the classics. The theatre’s experimental roots, under the guidance of pioneering artistic directors like Adrian Hall and Anne Bogart, gave rise to some of the most talked about productions of the past thirty years, including controversial re-imaginings of such American stalwarts as West Side Story, Annie, and Our Town.Now Rhode …more…

(July 13-29, 2012) The Newport Music Festival turns the idea of the summer festival on its head by moving it from the sunny lawn to the great indoors. The massive 19th century mansions of Newport, Rhode Island, built as summer “cottages” for the rich and famous of the Gilded Age, serve as venues for the festival’s 60-odd concerts, held morning, noon, and night(and occasionally midnight) for a few weeks each July ...more...

Led by Artistic Director Andrew Clark—only the ensemble’s fourth in its nearly 40-year history—the Providence Singers consistently present the greater Rhode Island concert community with vibrant programming including choral classics from Bach, Handel, Orff, and Stravinsky, as well as works by late-20th century stalwarts Dave Brubeck, Philip Glass, Lou Harrison, and Steve Reich. ...more...

The Rhode Island Philharmonic presents an eight-concert Classical Series as well as four-concert Rush Hour Series on early Friday nights. In addition the ensemble hosts four open rehearsals throughout the season. The Rhode Island Philharmonic was founded in 1944 and since then has maintained high levels of artistic achievement and continues to pass the torch to future generations through its …more…

Opera Providence’s annual events include full opera productions, summer “Opera in the Park” productions, concerts of opera, classical music, and Broadway standards, and live performances of opera singers at dinner events and parties. The company performs at least once or twice a season at Blithewold, a historic mansion set on 33 acres of gardens in nearby Bristol, RI. ...more...

(August 3-5, 2012) The original Newport Festival was the place to be for jazz musicians in the latter half of the last century. The festival takes place over two-three days in August and continues to play host to some of the most influential and talented performers in the medium. ...more...

Festival Ballet Providence is a regional ballet company with a repertoire that includes classical, neoclassical and contemporary works. Each December, they perform Marius Petipa’s Nutcracker and they produce an annual season of four other shows which may include story ballets, Balanchine standards, and new works by resident and guest choreographers. ...more...

(September – October)

FirstWorks Festival Information

Public Transportation: Varies by venue
Handicapped Accessibility: Depends on venue
Performances/Programs: Programming includes dance, music, theater, and new media productions from around the world. Performance schedule varies
Ticket Prices: Ticket prices vary by performance and venue. Some student and senior discounts available
Membership: Memberships available from $50–$500.

The Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) occupies an historic theatre space in downtown Providence’s arts and entertainment district, known locally as the “Jewel of Weybosset Street”.  It opened as the Loew’s Movie Palace in 1928, an ornate theatre featuring a 28’ x 51’ movie screen, and a Robert Morton organ to accompany the original silent films.  The following decades saw …more…