Rose Weaver Launches BlackArtists/RI Initiative

Rose Weaver Launches BlackArtists/RI Initiative

Acclaimed actress Rose Weaver has officially launched her innovative directory of black artists in Rhode Island, the "BlackArtists/RI Initiative."

The venture is designed to bring online visibility, accessibility, and financial opportunity to black performing artists in Rhode Island. 

 “Black performing artists have a lot to contribute to the Rhode Island economy, and it’s time that we plan, organize, influence, and impact our state at scale," said Weaver, President and CEO of Waterspill Junction, Inc. 

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Phase one of the initiative is an interactive online directory that lists over 140 local artists. The directory will expand in the months to come, to allow artists to add calendar events and sell tickets online. 

SEE DIRECTORY HERE

Phase two of the BlackArtists/RI initiative consists of the first-ever multi-day, BlackArtists/RI Festival as well as professional development training.

Weaver's Team

Weaver conceived of the initiative shortly before her 70th birthday in 2019, enlisting Ray Nunez of the Nunez Company to design and create a PDF version of the directory.

Arnell Milhouse, CEO of CareerDevs and BlackLivesBiz, then spoke with Weaver about the potential to create an online version of the directory and launch Rose Weaver’s BlackArtists/RI Festival as part of the initiative.

Currently, Weaver is in the process of forming the Board of Directors for the initiative to be chaired by Milhouse and is in discussions with the City of Providence, Arts Culture and Tourism department, the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, PVDFest, FirstWorks and other organizations on ways to partner around this exciting opportunity for Rhode Island, Providence and Black Artists.

“The directory and Rose Weaver’s BlackArtists/RI initiative is long overdue,” said Ricardo Pitts-Wiley of Mixed Magic Theatre. “I hope that it will not only show how many Black artists live and work in the state but also demonstrates what a vital role these artists play in creating Rhode Island’s cultural tapestry.”