A series of virtual interactive presentations and events to take place April 17 – May 8
Beginning April 17 and continuing through May 8, Providence Public Library (PPL) presents Adaptive Practices: Six Artists Redefine Isolation and Distraction — a series of virtual interactive presentations and events developed by the Library’s Creative Fellows in response to the widespread expressions of anxiety about living with unrelenting uncertainty, fluctuating productivity, and debilitating isolation during the pandemic.
“As we considered how PPL might re-imagine our spring cultural programming to both reflect and work within the perimeters of this new reality, we inventoried the assets we already have and thought about how best to share them. Among PPL’s great resources is our cadre of Creative Fellows, six artists and creators who have each worked on a long-term, original project within our Special Collections, generating new meanings for these collections and bringing them to new audiences. We realized that these artists and creators are not only comfortable with uncertainty, but often seek it,” said Christina Bevilacqua, PPL’s Programs & Exhibitions Director. “Given that artistic endeavor often encompasses venturing into the unknown, enduring “fallow” periods of reflection and synthesis in which no immediate “product” results, and working in solitude when research or experimentation is necessary, we asked our Fellows to share their work and practices with us in a way that would allow us to see and maybe even experience how they navigate and negotiate these conditions of uncertainty and unfamiliarity.”
Offered will be varied presentations by Laura Brown-Lavoie, Becci Davis, Kelly Eriksen, Keri King, Walker Mettling, and Micah Salkind that focus on these themes within their creative processes. “We can’t change what’s happening in this period of instability, but maybe with the help of some creative practitioners, we can gain new ways to respond to its challenges,” notes Bevilacqua. “We’re so grateful to our Fellows for their generosity, curiosity, engagement, and humor. We hope that their presentations give participants new possibilities for connection, reflection, reframing, distraction, concentration, reassurance, repose, change of pace, change of perspective, enjoyment, anticipation, and calm – in whatever combination is right for each person.”
Presentations Schedule:
(See full descriptions and registration information at https://www.provlib.org/programs-exhibitions/programs/adaptive_practices/)
Programs are free and open to all, registration required for most programs.
APRIL 17 & APRIL 24 — BECCI DAVIS: AN ODE TO HOME
Feeling fed up with home, now that every single activity takes place there? Join Becci Davis for a workshop on rethinking your relationship to home, and where to look for the clues.
APRIL 20 – APRIL 26, APRIL 27 — MICAH SALKIND: HOLD THE PORTAL OPEN
Can’t stop anxiously checking your phone for news updates? Sign up for Micah Salkind’s week of daily audio mix releases, and tune intently into a curated sonic experience instead as you take a walk each day (even if it’s back and forth in your kitchen).
APRIL 22 – APRIL 29 — LAURA BROWN-LAVOIE: LISTEN FOR IT
Can’t hear yourself think because the people you live with never go to school or work anymore? Get Laura Brown-Lavoie’s nightly prompt for an intentional silence to balance connectivity with receptivity.
APRIL 29, MAY 1 — WALKER METTLING: A DURATIONAL & ISOLATIONAL BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONAL
Has time seemed to lose all meaning? Walker Mettling is fighting back; he’s staying awake for a 24-hour marathon drawing session on his 40th birthday, stop in to watch and then join a Show & Tell/Q&A a few days later.
MAY 1, MAY 8 — KELLY ERIKSEN: HOW PEOPLE TALK/A COMPOSITION OF CONVERSATIONS
Does everything feel monotonous now that there’s nothing tangible to look forward to? Let Kelly Eriksen introduce you to the mysterious powers of repetition, and what is revealed after you’ve lost count of how many times you’ve said or heard the same thing.
MAY 2, MAY 4, MAY 6 — KERI KING: DOCUMENTATION OF AN EVOLVING TAP DANCE RITUAL
Are business closures keeping you from your favorite leisure activities? Keri King’s tap dance classes were canceled, and she can’t tap at home out of courtesy to her neighbors, sign up to find out how she’s transformed a familiar ritual to make it fresh and generative.
PPL’s programming & exhibitions feature special and historical collections, impactful cultural and educational programs, and engaging community experiences and events.