WaterFire

[runawayjim]

I was under the impression that he was looking at it more of an artistic installation, while the city has kind of taken it over as an event, and he has become somewhat dissatisfied.

Then again, it's not something he can truly lay total claim to, fire and water and music have been mixed for centuries. Perhaps his installation might go, but maybe it's time for something new.

i've haerd he's quite snobbish about it... the fact remains it was a great artistic thing that turned into a great thing for teh city bringing people together downtown.

[Frankie811]

Then again, it's not something he can truly lay total claim to

Well yes, actually he can. He has a patent on Waterfire. If you remember Pawtucket tried to put on a similar event in Slater Park a few years ago and he stopped it. After people started whinning, he eventually gave in and allowed it.

[CtownMikey]

its ok.. we'll find a way to copy the basta*d if he takes it away from us

[Gusterfell]

Well yes, actually he can. He has a patent on Waterfire. If you remember Pawtucket tried to put on a similar event in Slater Park a few years ago and he stopped it. After people started whinning, he eventually gave in and allowed it.

If I remember correctly, didn't he want the first Waterfire to be a one-time event? I seem to remember the city wanting more and having to convince Evans to allow it.

However, I doubt simply relocating Waterfire from Providence to another city will prevent it from becoming an "event." These other cities are interested because of what they have seen here, and want to follow Providence's example, not necessarily the artist's vision.

[JJK5]

Well yes, actually he can. He has a patent on Waterfire. If you remember Pawtucket tried to put on a similar event in Slater Park a few years ago and he stopped it. After people started whinning, he eventually gave in and allowed it.

So did he set up this one too?

www.waterfireonthemile.com

[Frankie811]

So did he set up this one too?

www.waterfireonthemile.com

Yes, he did. I believe that was in Cinn, OH. Or Columbus. I can't remember.

[runawayjim]

If I remember correctly, didn't he want the first Waterfire to be a one-time event? I seem to remember the city wanting more and having to convince Evans to allow it.

However, I doubt simply relocating Waterfire from Providence to another city will prevent it from becoming an "event." These other cities are interested because of what they have seen here, and want to follow Providence's example, not necessarily the artist's vision.

that's why i can't stand some artists. they do something like waterfire as an art installation, but it turns into a community event like waterfire and they get all pissy about it because it takes away from the "art" of it. i'll tell you one thing... people don't go to waterfire to sit and watch fire and hear the strange music they play with it. they go because it gives them a reason to go downtown and be outside.

[Frankie811]

So did he set up this one too?

www.waterfireonthemile.com

http://davesbeer.com/2005/07/waterfire-on-...es-tonight.html

[runawayjim]

So did he set up this one too?

www.waterfireonthemile.com

yeah, check the site out...

looks like they don't have any new ones planned... and if you look at the event schedule, they postponed one for a football game!

[JJK5]

yeah, check the site out...

Woops, I checked the About page, didn't see the separate page about the Artist.

Going by some of the comments on the link Frankie posted, seems the general public didn't quite get what is was about. Hopefully they didn't abandon the idea, but surely they'd have a schedule posted by now?

[runawayjim]

Woops, I checked the About page, didn't see the separate page about the Artist.

Going by some of the comments on the link Frankie posted, seems the general public didn't quite get what is was about. Hopefully they didn't abandon the idea, but surely they'd have a schedule posted by now?

what is there to get? it's fire on water. honestly, it's really nothing special if you ask me. it's not some great amazing wonderful art installtion like barnaby pretends it is. it's a community gathering event. if you've never been to one, you look at the fire for about half an hour, talk to whoever your with, listen to the music and start walking around and eating and maybe ballroom dancing or listening to jazz... if you've been, you don't really stare at the fire because once you've seen one waterfire, you've seen them all.

[JJK5]

what is there to get? it's fire on water. honestly, it's really nothing special if you ask me. it's not some great amazing wonderful art installtion like barnaby pretends it is. it's a community gathering event. if you've never been to one, you look at the fire for about half an hour, talk to whoever your with, listen to the music and start walking around and eating and maybe ballroom dancing or listening to jazz... if you've been, you don't really stare at the fire because once you've seen one waterfire, you've seen them all.

Exactly. Someone posted that people at the other waterfire brought blankets and sat down as if there was some show to view or something. The fire isn't the event, it's people congregating and walking around town that is.

[runawayjim]

Exactly. Someone posted that people at the other waterfire brought blankets and sat down as if there was some show to view or something. The fire isn't the event, it's people congregating and walking around town that is.

people do that in providence too, the grass by the ampitheatre and by the citizen's tower parking lot. it's mostly people with kids that do that though.

[Cotuit]

I saw people in Memorial Square last time that had a whole set up and one of the picnic tables with a table cloth, grill, wine, food, the whole nine yards. People need to entertain themselves. What is really so entertaining about fireworks it's the same thing? Waterfire is the excuse to get out of the house, the entertainment is up to the individual.

[Frankie811]

The one thing about Waterfire that irratates me is that there is never a rain date for when it has to be canceled because of the weather, like it might be tomorrow. Why can't they announce Saturday or Sunday when a Friday lighting can't go on? And Sunday when it rains on Saturday!

[runawayjim]

The one thing about Waterfire that irratates me is that there is never a rain date for when it has to be canceled because of the weather, like it might be tomorrow. Why can't they announce Saturday or Sunday when a Friday lighting can't go on? And Sunday when it rains on Saturday!

they won't get the turnout on a sunday that they would on a saturday or even friday. so that explains a sunday raindate. it's also a lot easier to plan if you just cancel due to rain rather than re-schedule.

[Cotuit]

it's also a lot easier to plan if you just cancel due to rain rather than re-schedule.

Yes, it's hard to tell all those volunteers and all the various police details and vendors to block out two-days, just in case.

[magoldbe]

that's why i can't stand some artists. they do something like waterfire as an art installation, but it turns into a community event like waterfire and they get all pissy about it because it takes away from the "art" of it. i'll tell you one thing... people don't go to waterfire to sit and watch fire and hear the strange music they play with it. they go because it gives them a reason to go downtown and be outside.

Right Jimmy. Screw artists. Maybe we should hire accountants to figure out how to get people to stroll through waterplace park instead. We could call it WaterAudit.

Granted, waterfire as "art" is pretty lame and I agree it's silly for that barnaby guy to get all posessive about it seeing as how his installation is pretty much a no-brainer... but let's not forget that Providence is the Renaissance City and ain't nobody gonna buy a tax-stabilized condo in the westin unless they're sure this place is chockablock with kultchah... like waterfire... I guess.

[Cotuit]

Right Jimmy. Screw artists. Maybe we should hire accountants to figure out how to get people to stroll through waterplace park instead. We could call it WaterAudit.

I'd love to see a WaterAudit. Just how much does WaterFire receive for free? I know my employer pumps thousands of dollars a year into WaterFire and gets zero recognition, it all goes to Barnaby.

WaterFire has grown beyond Barnaby, I would hope he'd be proud of that.

[runawayjim]

Right Jimmy. Screw artists. Maybe we should hire accountants to figure out how to get people to stroll through waterplace park instead. We could call it WaterAudit.

Granted, waterfire as "art" is pretty lame and I agree it's silly for that barnaby guy to get all posessive about it seeing as how his installation is pretty much a no-brainer... but let's not forget that Providence is the Renaissance City and ain't nobody gonna buy a tax-stabilized condo in the westin unless they're sure this place is chockablock with kultchah... like waterfire... I guess.

you took what i said way out of context. i never said screw artists. i said that a lot of them get all pissy when their art is a public installation used as an event. the art is never really there to begin with except for maybe the first time people go to said event (in this case, it's waterfire). sculpture, painting, drawing, woodworking, architecture... the more traditional forms of art are different because it's not held as an event (although if they had a bi-weekly event centered around some sculpture, it probably wouldn't attract too many people because it doesn't create the ambiance that fire does).

things like waterfire are more like fireworks displays. it's more the event that draws people rather than the art (guys who create fireworks displays take it on as artists on many occasions).

[jencoleslaw]

i can't believe all this smack talk about Waterfire and its creator. I think it is a great asset to the city; i don't find it boring or banal and i think that Barnaby is one of the biggest supporters of Providence I know. Its not like he lives on the east side in some big house and only comes down to fraternize with "the common man" on waterfire days.

I'm surprised that all the urban planeteers are so down on it, when it is clearly a downtown, urban art installation that brings people (and their pocketbooks and wallets) to downtown on a semi regular basis in the summer. Do you think the GTech building will do that on a saturday night? Think 30K people will show up to gaze at 110 Westminster every saturday from Mid may to the end of september?

[Jenkins]

i can't believe all this smack talk about Waterfire and its creator. I think it is a great asset to the city; i don't find it boring or banal and i think that Barnaby is one of the biggest supporters of Providence I know. Its not like he lives on the east side in some big house and only comes down to fraternize with "the common man" on waterfire days.

I'm surprised that all the urban planeteers are so down on it, when it is clearly a downtown, urban art installation that brings people (and their pocketbooks and wallets) to downtown on a semi regular basis in the summer. Do you think the GTech building will do that on a saturday night? Think 30K people will show up to gaze at 110 Westminster every saturday from Mid may to the end of september?

Amen, 'slaw. Waterfire is the engine that drives Providence's tourist appeal at this point. They should put a plaque on the wall of city hall of Barnaby.

[runawayjim]

i can't believe all this smack talk about Waterfire and its creator. I think it is a great asset to the city; i don't find it boring or banal and i think that Barnaby is one of the biggest supporters of Providence I know. Its not like he lives on the east side in some big house and only comes down to fraternize with "the common man" on waterfire days.

I'm surprised that all the urban planeteers are so down on it, when it is clearly a downtown, urban art installation that brings people (and their pocketbooks and wallets) to downtown on a semi regular basis in the summer. Do you think the GTech building will do that on a saturday night? Think 30K people will show up to gaze at 110 Westminster every saturday from Mid may to the end of september?

i never said anything smack about waterfire or barnaby. i just don't think he needs to get all upset when his "artwork" was turned into a tourist event. fire and rivers are not seen by people as artwork, but rather ambiance. that's what waterfire does. the stuff planned along with it gives people something to do other than sit and stare at the river. it's not boring, but if there was nothing other than the river on fire, i don't think it'd attract nearly as many people (and certainly very few return visitors). i've been to many and i've enjoyed it every time. but that's because there's vendors and jazz and ballroom dancing and other stuff besides the pontoons on fire.

[eltron]

I would kill to see WaterAudit. KILL!

[urbie]

you took what i said way out of context. i never said screw artists. i said that a lot of them get all pissy when their art is a public installation used as an event. the art is never really there to begin with except for maybe the first time people go to said event (in this case, it's waterfire). sculpture, painting, drawing, woodworking, architecture... the more traditional forms of art are different because it's not held as an event (although if they had a bi-weekly event centered around some sculpture, it probably wouldn't attract too many people because it doesn't create the ambiance that fire does).

things like waterfire are more like fireworks displays. it's more the event that draws people rather than the art (guys who create fireworks displays take it on as artists on many occasions).

I'm not sure I understand the legal issue with WaterFire -- that is, what would be the artist's grounds for suing if someone else just started torching stacks of wood on barges?

That said, I see the appeal -- when we were in town last August, it seemed as though it was drawing a lot of people, not to stand around watching wood burn (especially on a muggy summer night), but to gather and socialize.

It's a little like the Cows On Parade thing they had in Chicago (not invented there, but they had a big display one year) and other cities -- a lot of people, including us, went into the city to look at the cows. In that case, I don't think there was any central authority getting paid for it -- different cows were sponsored by different companies -- nor was there any pretense of it being great art -- but it got people to come into town, anyway....

Urb