50 Authentic American Experiences

Is Providence's WaterFire outdoor exhibit art or just decoration? We'll leave that question to the art scholars, but one thing's for sure: WaterFire is worth a look. Like other environmental art — Christo's "The Gates" in New York's Central Park, for example — WaterFire aims to get people to look differently at a familiar public space by transforming it in some unique way. In WaterFire's case, artist Barnaby Evans has created an installation of 100 bonfires that float on or down the Providence and Woonasquatucket rivers in downtown Providence. The flames are accompanied by ambient music, and the exhibition, which is lit several times a year, attracts thousands of viewers who stroll along the riverbanks and watch the fires flicker by.
Suggested donation: $5.