https://callboxchronicles.cargo.site Call Box Chronicles Wed, 17 May 2023 15:06:59 +0000 https://callboxchronicles.cargo.site en https://callboxchronicles.cargo.site/Homepage Wed, 17 May 2023 15:06:59 +0000 Call Box Chronicles https://callboxchronicles.cargo.site/Homepage CALL BOX CHRONICLES&nbsp; English&nbsp; ︎︎︎ &nbsp;Español Call Box Chronicles is a community-powered public installation series that seeks to illuminate the underground, forgotten, and deliberately-obscured histories of Providence, Rhode Island. This project specifically seeks to preserve and memorialize the African diasporic presence in Providence by shedding light on the defunct institutions&nbsp;that once served as a backdrop for the everyday lives of the Black Americans, Africans, Afro-Caribbeans, and Afro-Latinos who have shaped (and continue to shape) the cultural landscape of this city. In a city like ours, where a multiplicity of histories and competing interests occupy the same tight geographic area, the built environment is in a state of constant flux. Once a business or cultural landmark is demolished or closes its doors in the name of “revitalization” (i.e. gentrification), we oftentimes develop a collective amnesia about the beloved places that will eventually become obscured by the sands of time–even if they occupied sites that are mere steps away from where we spend our day-to-day lives. But what if we could have a say in what places deserve to be memorialized--and how? The first phase of this project will be establishing a series of prototype installations at a limited number of pilot sites. <img width="999" height="1539" width_o="999" height_o="1539" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5804e02290397309475875638f503d35720a86db4567f93b692958e6dba3f39f/GradStudioII_firebox-renderingblank.png" data-mid="179759879" border="0" data-scale="48" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/999/i/5804e02290397309475875638f503d35720a86db4567f93b692958e6dba3f39f/GradStudioII_firebox-renderingblank.png" /> These dioramas, directly inspired by the historic Gamewell fire call boxes still present on our city streets, are the throughline of the series. They are intended to serve as a vessel for the vision of a selected artist specifically chosen to represent each site. PILOT SITES ︎Click on the titles below to learn more about our current sites of interest. The accompanying volume icon signifies the amount of information currently available on each page. <img width="600" height="424" width_o="600" height_o="424" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/835097a5049d7b9560b64288d857d0767bfab75ca69870d59bee62def36205fa/celebrityclub2.jpg" data-mid="179613026" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/600/i/835097a5049d7b9560b64288d857d0767bfab75ca69870d59bee62def36205fa/celebrityclub2.jpg" /> 01&nbsp; Celebrity Club 1949-1960s <img width="100" height="100" width_o="100" height_o="100" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/908441a6813c366f7e380f7614af96f506fdf7efd0da6fbdf6296d96500cce58/GradStudioII_Final_VolumeIcon-Black-Mid.png" data-mid="179313167" border="0" data-scale="18" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/100/i/908441a6813c366f7e380f7614af96f506fdf7efd0da6fbdf6296d96500cce58/GradStudioII_Final_VolumeIcon-Black-Mid.png" /> The Celebrity Club was a renowned jazz venue during the 1950s that challenged racial boundaries and fostered a vibrant community of jazz enthusiasts, hosting legendary performers and local talent alike.&nbsp; <img width="1024" height="681" width_o="1024" height_o="681" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/798ad48c67932eb2136718f4ffc49c499313546fa8c145d92330522210ee1d52/blackrep2.jpg" data-mid="179748165" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/798ad48c67932eb2136718f4ffc49c499313546fa8c145d92330522210ee1d52/blackrep2.jpg" /> 02&nbsp; The Black Repertory Company 1991-2009 <img width="100" height="100" width_o="100" height_o="100" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/908441a6813c366f7e380f7614af96f506fdf7efd0da6fbdf6296d96500cce58/GradStudioII_Final_VolumeIcon-Black-Mid.png" data-mid="179313167" border="0" data-scale="18" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/100/i/908441a6813c366f7e380f7614af96f506fdf7efd0da6fbdf6296d96500cce58/GradStudioII_Final_VolumeIcon-Black-Mid.png" /> The Providence Black Repertory Company (Black Rep) was an arts non-profit that celebrated the African Diaspora and communities of color through acclaimed theatrical productions, educational programs, collaborations with local institutions, and community engagement initiatives before closing in 2009. <img width="1443" height="1082" width_o="1443" height_o="1082" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/65f3826296d4114563f374201eb3ba91a06fe6113f39cd4a080762fdd263bc3c/rootscafe1-crop.png" data-mid="179613370" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/65f3826296d4114563f374201eb3ba91a06fe6113f39cd4a080762fdd263bc3c/rootscafe1-crop.png" /> 03Roots Café 2009-2013 <img width="100" height="100" width_o="100" height_o="100" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/908441a6813c366f7e380f7614af96f506fdf7efd0da6fbdf6296d96500cce58/GradStudioII_Final_VolumeIcon-Black-Mid.png" data-mid="179313167" border="0" data-scale="18" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/100/i/908441a6813c366f7e380f7614af96f506fdf7efd0da6fbdf6296d96500cce58/GradStudioII_Final_VolumeIcon-Black-Mid.png" /> Roots Café was a popular community-oriented venue known for its vibrant atmosphere and support of local artists and musicians. Taking the place of Black Rep in its Westminster location, it served as a gathering place for diverse cultural events, including live music performances, open mic nights, poetry readings, and art exhibitions. <img width="2048" height="1148" width_o="2048" height_o="1148" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bd735aacad6205825646fc17e9bde1e6ac2e4a6d957d1c205d59d099ada095bd/aurora2.jpg" data-mid="179748347" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bd735aacad6205825646fc17e9bde1e6ac2e4a6d957d1c205d59d099ada095bd/aurora2.jpg" /> 04 Aurora 2013-2017 <img width="100" height="100" width_o="100" height_o="100" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8d84c8c10f4a708ce17d315a02dec737d0a0f6f391048a4ebb8aa763ec0a674c/GradStudioII_Final_VolumeIcon-Black-Min.png" data-mid="179313168" border="0" data-scale="18" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/100/i/8d84c8c10f4a708ce17d315a02dec737d0a0f6f391048a4ebb8aa763ec0a674c/GradStudioII_Final_VolumeIcon-Black-Min.png" /> Aurora was a mixed-use creative space situated in downtown Providence, taking over the former location of Roots Café. It aimed to maintain a tradition of community engagement and offered diverse programming that reflected the broad artistic interests of the city. LEAVE YOUR MARK ︎The second phase of this project is a collaborative, crowd-sourced map of beloved businesses and landmarks that no longer exist. Though this map is primarily intended to inform the next series of installations, it will also serve as a sort living documentation of the rapidly gentrifying changing cityscape. Using the widget below, you can add new sites of interest, as well as leave comments and upload multimedia content to sites that other users have already created. ︎︎︎ back to homepage