- [Narrator] This program is made possible through funding from Rhode Island PBS, and in part through the generosity of the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority.

(dramatic music) - [Barnaby] I was thinking about how you could take the river and transform it into a surface for art, because at night it was just this dark place.

(dramatic music continues) - [Kristen] Barnaby actually approached First Night with this installation idea of fires on the river, and we said, "Let's do it."

- [Barnaby's Friend] I was down here with him when he first did WaterFire, and we were breaking the ice on this river.

- [Buddy] New Year's Eve, 1994, and I was putting the finishing touches all alone on my inauguration speech, and Barnaby reminded me, he came in, he said, "You was supposed to light the fire."

(dramatic music continues) He had it look a little strange, being out there in that basin lighting a fire in the middle of winter, I mean New Year's Eve.

- [Barnaby] I knew WaterFire would work even before I did it, the question was whether we should be doing it for 30 years.

(dramatic music continues) (fire crackling) (dramatic music) - [Narrator] Each year, some 1 million people stroll the river banks of WaterFire, drawn by the primal lure of light, warmth, and sound, held by a sense of hypnotic peace, calm, and connection.

(dramatic music continues) - [Marie] Both the juxtaposition of the water and the fire right next to each other is very reflective.

It makes you think, but also seeing all the different people watching and entranced by the fire, entranced by the water is really beautiful.

- [Narrator] In fact, many of the onlookers here now cannot remember Providence without WaterFire.

(dramatic music continues) This combination of public art installation, urban festival, and civic ritual has become synonymous with the city's revitalization.

Barring a serious weather event, WaterFire takes place roughly twice a month, spring through fall, on the three rivers downtown.

It's estimated that more than 23 million visitors from around the world have come to this half mile stretch, becoming actors in a layered sensory art experience.

(dramatic music continues) - [Barnaby] I do think WaterFire has managed to combine most of the elements that I've explored in the different things I've done in the arts.

Everything from architecture to building to gardens to building furniture.

It's been a palette, and an opportunity where we can do both social justice work, urban revitalization work, and the arts and bring it all together - [Narrator] Some 30 years after its creation, some say WaterFire is Providence and Providence is WaterFire, which begs the question, what would the capital city look like without the nighttime event that makes it a global destination?

- [Kristen] We hang our hat on WaterFire.

We call ourselves the creative capital, and there's no better example of that kind of creative energy than WaterFire, so that makes it really important.

- [Narrator] Rhode Island creatives and economists alike say it is too big to fail, that WaterFire simply must survive, come hell or high water, and in 2020, hell came in the form of a pandemic.

(dramatic music continues) - [Peter] It was pretty dark in the beginning.

We make all of our money by bringing large crowds together, right?

To experience the art, so with government mandated crowd size limitations and everything that came up during the pandemic, we were shut down.

(dramatic music continues) - [Kristen] It was a little scary that WaterFire and a lot of other things might not survive.

I actually went to our hoteliers, and I said, you know, "You are my top priority.

What are some of the other things that are important for me to invest as much energy as I can in," and to a person they said, "Please help WaterFire."

- [Barnaby] The whole artwork is really about inviting the general public to come together and be the stars in the show and interact with each other, find people they don't know.

This is not recommended behavior in the middle of a pandemic, so we really had an existential moment there where, as everyone else did, we had to pivot.

- [Narrator] To keep the team together and cover expenses, WaterFire Co-CEO Peter Mellow tapped federal grant programs to create revenue streams.

Staff went on work share and turned their attention away from the three rivers in downtown Providence.

At a time when many arts organizations shut down, Evans and his team were able to present nearly 300 live COVID-safe art experiences at its headquarters a few miles away from the rivers.

- Luckily had the WaterFire Art Center, so we were able to kind of assemble everybody there and pivot and reassign people to be able to shift their focus, shift our resources to continue to produce art, often outside during those dark days.

(person singing) - [Barnaby] We made theater out of the pandemic requirements.

We worked with Wilbury and did a whole piece of interactive theater around parts of Providence all outdoors.

- [Narrator] Rhode Islanders hunkered down at home were able to experience productions online, including a solemn nightly ritual called Beacon of Hope.

Live streamed 24/7, Evans lit luminaria lanterns for every Rhode Islander lost to COVID.

- [Barnaby] WaterFire is very much a civic ritual about renewing the city.

It's about ones in the darkened city, the city lights are off and a group of citizens comes forth out of the dark, and they build a fire so that you can see your whole city and your whole community in a new light.

(soft music) Every night I would go forth and light, you know, sometimes 26 candles, sometimes, when we were lucky, seven or eight candles, and we would add them to a growing field of luminaria in the WaterFire Art Center.

(dramatic music) - You wanna light that one, touch that one.

- [Narrator] By September of '21, and for the first time in 21 months, the fires gradually begin to reappear, and volunteers trickle back to the rivers in a celebration to honor first responders.

The crowds are smaller, but will eventually return to pre-pandemic levels.

- A little tough after COVID.

When COVID hit, our volunteer pool dropped quite a bit because people were still a little hesitant to come out and be in large groups.

- [Narrator] For those who did gather again to watch flame and warmth and wonder reanimate the city, these lightings were particularly poignant.

- [Kristen] When we were first coming out of COVID, those WaterFires were very meaningful.

All the way back to September 11th, and the WaterFire was a communal experience, so WaterFire is so of the moment.

(dramatic music continues) - [Barnaby] I think one of the things that was quite interesting is when we came back to light fires, the incredible enthusiasm of the local community about, "Oh my goodness, we haven't been out, we haven't seen people."

(dramatic music continues) "We're so pleased to be here once again, gathered by the river."

It was a sense of continuity with the life before that triggered a lot of societal changes, and it made us realize that WaterFire is more important than ever, that we need to get together in the street and connect with people.

(soft music) - [Narrator] As Providence emerged from the cloud of COVID, residents saw braziers once again filled with pine logs dotting the rivers.

It seemed all the city's creatures waited for the return of the magic of night and flame.

- Because we were able to bring WaterFire back, we were able to see signs of recovery.

(upbeat music) When WaterFire is on, the city is vibrant, the city is alive.

(upbeat music continues) - This energy is contagious, and it spreads to every bar, to every restaurant, to every table, to every person, you know, who comes down.

Even people who don't know about WaterFire on a night that they're coming here, walk in and ask right away, "What's going on?"

(upbeat music continues) They can feel it in the city, they can feel it in the air that there's a life and excitement and anticipation.

- [Narrator] What once had the feel of a unique local festival has become a global tourist attraction and the Ocean State's signature event.

(soft music) - It's a tourist attraction that not only brings people from out of state, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, but as far away as California because it's a true experience.

- [Narrator] Through motion and mystery, WaterFire envelops participants in a sensory experience of darkness and light, warmth, scent, and sound.

The primitive set in the modern seems to slow time and connects thousands of strangers.

- I'm just like in a trance watching them on the boats, like spinning the fire and lighting it.

I just feel the community here.

- I like this, I like those culture shows.

I like those, I love those.

It's kind of Dance of Flames.

At Brazil, we have similar spectacles just like that.

It's called Festa Junina.

(upbeat music) - WaterFire's our Providence's mini little Super Bowl that we have every few weeks during the summertime.

- [Peter] We have the good fortune of having this large public event that has high visibility, creates tremendous economic impact for the state, $114 million a year.

It supports 1,294 jobs in the community as a result of the visitors coming to WaterFire.

- Hello, how are ya?

All right, where you headed?

- All the restaurants are full to capacity, five o'clock, seven o'clock, nine o'clock seatings.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] Flaming braziers mounted on the remains of decking that once covered these rivers offer one of WaterFire's few stationary sites.

They seem to encourage reflection by casting their own on the black water below.

(upbeat music continues) In contrast with the hypnotic calm of the artwork, the restaurants surrounding it buzz with energy.

- WaterFire has brought in a lot of people to this town that never been to Providence.

(upbeat music continues) - Getting ready, very busy.

It's a great time, and prepare some broccoli and cheese bites, and just getting ready.

About 5:30 we get busy, and it's crazy busy.

(upbeat music continues) - The preparation starts the day the schedule comes out, the phone is ringing, we become like TicketMaster for those people that want to get the tables outside as early as possible.

- [Narrator] But many visitors skip tab and tip and choose instead the romance of a gondola ride, a picnic on a riverbank, or a stroll under chandeliers hanging from stone arches.

They may find unique gifts at merchandise tents or inspiration for their own works of art.

(dramatic music) One of the wonders of WaterFire is that it was created to be and remains a free event.

- This work of art is something that people come from around the world to see, and there's a sense of pride I think with that, and there's also, it's an awful lot of fun to be, you know, if you're in a tug of war and your hands are on the rope, it doesn't matter whether you're at the front with Barnaby or the back with us, you know, blowing out the candles at 11 o'clock.

We're all feeling on that rope, and we get that great sense of energy from it.

- Do not craft the brazier itself.

- [Narrator] On that rope with Barnaby are the teammates he often credits for WaterFire's survival, the thousands of volunteers who embody the artist's intention.

(dramatic music) - The metaphor here is the fires burn bright, and they burn low, and then outta the corner of your eye coming down the dark river, the boat appears full of people from your community and each of them are adding their effort and their contribution to making the city burn bright.

(dramatic music continues) - The volunteers at WaterFire are, they're everyone.

So they come from all walks of life, they come from not only Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, but they are the pulse of WaterFire as to what we have to get done.

- Without our volunteers, we literally like would not have an event at all, so they are here from the start of the morning, getting the wood into the boat.

They come in in the morning to help build the braziers.

They're here in the evening feeding the fires.

(fire crackling) (upbeat music) - So you didn't get name merch?

We are here, and then walk all the way down, you can either go Memorial Boulevard to the doll area.

Hold on, hi.

Name please.

- Emilio.

- A lot of people don't realize that all the folks on the boats are volunteers.

- Well guys, welcome to the first non rainy WaterFire of the year!

Yay!

- [P.K.]

There's a tight clique with our volunteers.

We'll do this lighting tonight, they'll be off the river, the volunteers on the boats, they'll probably come off quarter of one, one o'clock.

Where are they?

They're not done for the night.

Boom, over to the local watering hole to talk about the night.

- And I've made great friendships that have grown over the years.

We've had gatherings outside of WaterFire.

(dramatic drum music) (people vocalizing) - You get pride when you're driving the boat, you turn the corner, you see all the kids cheering to you, waving, stuff like that.

You light the fire.

It's special to be part of something in Providence that everyone knows about, and you're part of it.

(people cheering) - It's a race out here, look at it.

We've got five kayaks chasing.

You're putting your money on the green one.

I've got two bits on the red one.

All right, anybody else wanna anchor it up?

The reason I have fun is because I enjoy interacting with people.

I was out there at eight o'clock in the morning putting those nice big pieces of wood out, right?

We were doing it!

I tend to wanna just interact a lot, and it should be an amusing evening, should be a fun evening.

- Thank ya!

- Thank you.

- Have a nice evening.

- Can we go fishing?

- No fishing allowed.

(dramatic music) - [Narrator] Volunteer fire tenders navigate the rivers from sunset to midnight, refilling braziers with carefully arranged firewood.

(dramatic music continues) At a full lighting, some 33 pieces of firewood are placed into each of more than 80 braziers.

That sort of precision is built into the design and timing of every single element of Evans' installation.

- Here you actually see all the faces that are going by you.

You see how many people you're impacting.

(fire crackling) - They look great, look at your fires that you lit.

- Beautiful.

(dramatic music continues) - [Narrator] Gliding through the night at the center of a living work of art, fire tenders share a unique communion with the audience and the elements.

- It's exciting, it's fast paced so we have to like get the wood on there really fast as the boat is moving, there's a lot of heat coming off of the fire, there's sparks flying.

(dramatic music continues) (fire crackling) (violin music) - [Peter] We've had rain, we've had windy nights, we've had interesting nights, but none of them have ever really stopped us because the artwork that we're a part of is so important to all of us and important to everybody in Rhode Island.

- Gary St. Laurent, one of the volunteer coordinators came up to me and said, "What are you doing for the Christmas fire?"

I said, "I'm not gonna be in a boat in the middle of winter."

He goes, "What if we dress you in red instead of black?"

I said, "What do you have in mind-?

Oh, I get it."

- [Attendee] Hi Santa!

- Merry Christmas!

- [Attendees] Merry Christmas!

- Merry Christmas.

(people cheering) Thanks for coming, ho, ho, ho ho.

It's awesome to have a line of kids to come and see Santa Claus during a unique event like WaterFire, so it's pretty good.

I'll never be a mall Santa, but I'll always be a WaterFire Santa.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas.

(dramatic music) - [Barnaby] The volunteers are a really important part of WaterFire, and it wasn't something I fully realized at first.

I created WaterFire for the first time, artists are pretty good about helping other artists on their projects, was me and my friends did it.

But pretty quickly people contacted us just on their own and saying they wanted to help.

But I should have had a sense of this capacity for volunteers to come forth.

- [Narrator] When the concept of WaterFire was still just a spark, Evans questioned whether his vision could inspire sustained community support.

A west coast transplant, trained as a scientist at Brown University, he cautiously approached WaterFire's development as an experiment.

- That's a little high, but I'd like to see it under load.

That's not- - [Cameraman] It's sinking!

(water splashing) - [Barnaby] That's why we test 'em.

- [Narrator] Recalling childhood campfires, the artist wondered if his idea of flaming braziers suspended over water might compel people to gather around the fire at the new, but empty, Waterplace Park.

- Once it opened, there was really no reason to go downtown and look at a river.

As well designed as the park was, you still had to program it.

- We all kind of sat around and said, "Well it would be really nice to, you know, make a fire.

You know, it'd be nice to make a fire on the river."

Barnaby says, "Yeah, I'd like to do that."

You know, and then how do you do that?

And you know, do you float them?

You know, you work out the problems.

We were young.

- Then Barnaby Evans came into my office, and you know, he got a beard and all, and he said he wanted to light the rivers on fire, and I thought he was some kind of nut.

- He was able to, my God, convince the city.

Well, Buddy was the right person, okay?

Buddy loved Providence, and he saw possibilities where other people obviously could not because there was nothing happening.

(dramatic music) - [Narrator] Waterplace Park was part of a massive project to uncover concrete decking that covered the rivers downtown and reroute them to restore water as the center of a city in decline.

Could the riverfront once again become the communal meeting place it had been long before Roger Williams founded Providence?

- [Barnaby] The indigenous people used to gather specifically on the Woonasquatucket as a place where all the tribes came together because it was a communal hunting ground, and a resource, and a place for gathering.

- [Joe] What was the lifeblood of ancient civilizations in this region was covered up by concrete, steel and asphalt, and so in uncovering that river, that began, you know, that period of us being known as the Renaissance City, - When I saw that no one was coming down to the park, that's when I said, gee, let's see if art can motivate people to not only gather together, but actually to see the city in a new light and make it representative of a new emergence of a renaissance in the city of Providence, and that worked.

- [Narrator] First Fire was designed as a one-time installation in 1994.

The city requested Evans to recreate it for an international art conference in '96.

Community-wide enthusiasm and many supporters then convinced him to continue the experiment long-term and on a bigger scale.

- We told him all the reasons why we thought that this would be wonderful for the city, and he felt that it was much too expensive to do on a permanent basis.

- [Barnaby] She felt that the city needed it as a longer term transformation, as an opportunity to change its reputation, and I was saying, well you know, I've done this on my dime and with my friends and no one's getting paid, but if we were gonna do it on a regular basis years out, we couldn't borrow the boats, we'd have to buy the boats, we'd have to invest in all of this, and she said, "The community will support that," and she was right.

- [Narrator] And so it was that a modest installation mounted by Evans and a group of friends became an independent nonprofit arts organization and earned a reputation as a premier nighttime event.

(soft music) - I think Barnaby was drawing, and WaterFire draws on some pretty timeless things, water and fire for an example.

But I think when you look at the detail, the music, the infrastructure, the culture, the volunteers, when you look at all of that, there's no way any of us could have imagined, and including Barnaby I would guess, could have imagined it to achieve the scale that it's achieved and the worldwide recognition that it's achieved.

(upbeat music) - WaterFire study, 9/22, Thursday, two days before the event, this is our weekly meeting before an event.

- [Narrator] The logistics of throwing a party for up to 100,000 guests roughly every two weeks requires an army trained to maintain precision, patience, and a sense of humor.

(people singing) - Now, we just set up the Risby Greeter Station so that people can be like, "Oh, what is this?"

And we can be like, "WaterFire," and they go, "Ah!"

- [Narrator] WaterFire may look like it appears and disappears as if someone waves a wand over downtown Providence, but behind the scenes, the crew deals with the complexities of tides, weather, and human behavior.

Case in point, one beautiful fall day carefully plotted to the minute.

It's a night honoring Rhode Island educators that suddenly goes off script.

(soft music) A hushed crowd waits expectantly at dusk, honored guests stand by with torches in hand, and the sense of anticipation is palpable.

- I'm so excited about the walk tonight.

I'm so grateful that we're honoring Rhode Island educators this evening.

- Hold your torches up high!

Way up high!

(people cheering) (dramatic music) - WaterFire.

(dramatic music continues) (people chattering) - It's about 20 minutes to lighting, we have a situation in the basin.

- [Ed] What's going on right now?

It just was blowing my mind, and we've never seen this before.

I'm not sure what was happening, what was gonna happen next.

(dramatic music continues) - So about five to 10 minutes before we were actually gonna send the boats up and light WaterFire, we had this individual in the basin that decided to make a show for himself.

- I heard someone jumped in, and they're knocking things over.

- [P.K.]

He came down, he hopped over a bridge onto one of the abutments.

(people chattering) - We were watching this whole thing play out, and then the guy starts swimming to one of the braziers.

The crowd is wondering what the hell is going on?

Is it a part of the show?

And we were just watching and just astounded by the whole turn of events.

- [P.K.]

Someone crowd wise called 911, that call went to the police boat.

- This police boat just goes flying up the river.

- [P.K.]

They came up so fast it created a wake, so it was tipping over braziers, so everything that was about to lit was falling over.

- It was just kind of a mess, and of course you don't know what's going on.

- [P.K.]

When he jumps back in, he goes right for the braziers.

He's tired, he starts grabbing the braziers, knocking over brazier after brazier after brazier.

The most difficult part about that was, who am I talking to on the other end?

I can't talk to five of my team members.

- Meanwhile, we hear all these people just clapping when they finally had apprehended this guy who was kind of causing chaos.

(people clapping) - My name's Levi.

I'm a production manager at WaterFire.

This is my assistant manager, Angel, just give you a quick safety speech.

So we're gonna light the torches.

You want to hold that 90 degree angle?

- Two minutes guys, two minutes!

- I'm gonna lead you.

- Okay.

- We got it, we got you.

- We've never done this before, so.

- We got you.

- You gonna stay here, and let it light off both of you guys, okay?

- [Attendee] Sounds good.

- Lighting now.

Gimme like 10 seconds, but you should be good to come in.

(people cheering) (upbeat drum music) - Follow me.

- [Narrator] Crisis resolved, and the lighting ceremony finally begins.

(upbeat marching band music) Upriver, as dusk deepens, more teachers proudly carry torches through cheering crowds.

They assume their places along the river as the music of WaterFire fills the air, and the hypnotic river rituals begin.

(operatic music playing) - And that first note goes off at sunset before, actually before WaterFire, but the soundtrack starts playing.

(operatic music continues) Many of us always, even though we've been doing this for, I've been doing it for 12 years, get goosebumps.

It's like showtime, and it never, never gets tired.

(operatic music continues) - [William] Basically all the cables and speakers are connected to here.

It's about 40 speakers, about two miles of cable roughly, and then the river's controlled in sections, and so basically throughout the night I make little adjustments.

(dramatic music) - Well the music, music is a very interesting thing psychologically.

So if you think about a film, the music is a very important part of the film, and what we're hoping to do with WaterFire is present music that people have not heard before.

(upbeat music) - The music is what really, one of the most popular things.

We get the most letters or the most comments about the music of WaterFire, people love it.

- The music coming from around the world, I would also add that it is mirroring some of the performance and performers.

The diversity, the variety of people from all over the world coming and performing at WaterFire.

(upbeat music continues) - This is a semi-religious experience.

It really is.

It's a semi-religious experience for people.

It's really deeply emotional for them.

♪ In time ♪ ♪ We're all free ♪ - [Barnaby] We want it to be a fresh experience for them, but we also want the music to be wildly ranging all over the globe, so there's music from every culture, every continent, the languages are from all over the world, and that's representative of the many, many people who've come to Providence to make it the city that it is.

♪ Even in the mines ♪ ♪ Even in the mines that still ♪ - [Gary] I think that's some of the best parts of the event too is hearing music from Korea all the way from like South America and everywhere in between.

It's a really cool mix.

- I like that it comes from multiple cultures, and I think it speaks to the cultural diversity of the city.

It's a beautiful experience and I'm glad we came.

- [William] People often come up and say, "I recognize something from my country."

It'll be Armenia or you know, somewhere in Africa or South America or whatever.

You know, it means something to them that they can identify with a piece of music, but also that other people are enjoying their music.

- This is a wonderful piece.

An Armenian piece.

(soft music) Beautiful piece to end the night.

(people cheering) - [Narrator] Another way Evans adds changing dimensions to the WaterFire experience is to invite independent performers and artists to share their talents.

(dramatic music) Some, like the popular fire spinner Spogga, return to perform at WaterFire year after year.

- [Peter] Each one of those fire spinners brings a certain personality to the experience and especially during the lighting ceremony when they receive the flame in the basin, and it's a real popular part of WaterFire (drumming music) - [Barnaby] Responsibility of an artist is to immerse themselves in many different experiences and perspectives of different people and different cultures.

- He has maintained a passion, almost a boyish love of participating with people in the creation of art, and that's, to me, his magical combination.

It's always bringing people together in the artistic endeavor.

- [Bob] As you go along the river, it's in the way you would walk through a great museum.

There's different galleries, there's impressionists, there's, you know, there's realism, there's all of these different displays of art, and I think that what those artists bring to it is this sense that there's so much that it's just, there's a lot of eye candy appeal to it, but then as you stand and stare and watch and you begin to get engaged by these other artists, it's amazing.

The river disappears, the flames sort of fade behind you, and you're totally locked on what they're doing, and then you turn back around and the river reengages you.

(soft music) I think that all of those other artists add so much to it.

They are like the other masterpieces hanging on the wall of a museum.

You're seeing other brilliance, you're seeing other great works of art, and you are experiencing that.

That's why you don't want to just go see the Mona Lisa.

You want to go to the Louvre.

You want to walk through those corridors, and get a sense of all of the rest of it.

(soft music continues) (upbeat music) - [Narrator] Many people are often surprised to learn WaterFire now has homes in two Providence neighborhoods, Downtown and the Valley District.

Both sites are devoted to the belief that art has the power to fuel urban renewal and restore social connection.

The Valley is a neighborhood in the northwestern part of Providence.

Here, Evans and his team have converted a former Brownsfield site into a theater, gallery, education center, and epic party space.

- [Peter] In 2017 we really transformed as an organization 'cause we diversified our mission and our revenue streams with the addition of the WaterFire Art Center.

- And I was glad to say that WaterFire coming to us to look at this building and this facility initially to store their boats and whatnot, and then transforming into an art center was brilliant.

(upbeat music continues) - [Laura] People are familiar with WaterFire, so they see WaterFire Art Center and they're like, okay, I feel comfortable like going to WaterFire, I like going to WaterFire, but maybe they wouldn't necessarily go into a gallery, but it gets them inside our doors, and it gets them like, you know, engaging with us in a different way, if they're able then to see something that they wouldn't necessarily see.

(upbeat music continues) - [Narrator] This is also WaterFire headquarters, a 37,000 square foot warehouse with a 40 foot ceiling.

The massive dimensions make it the only art center in the state that can host large installations, and the old US Rubber manufacturing space transforms with each exhibition, performance, and gala event.

- They come in the space and they say, wow, I mean the rawness of the building, you know, just that alone having the aesthetic to make it anything that you really want it to be.

- [Niki] I think this building works as a beacon for the arts.

There's so much that goes on in this building.

(upbeat music continues) - [Kristen] WaterFire Art Center, first of all, is part of a whole movement in that neighborhood.

You also have this really cool development going on in what they call the Valley, whether it's industrial spirits or farm fresh, so it's very much of that redevelopment project so that makes it very exciting, but it's also an arts incubator.

- When we come back up, we're gonna be slowly turning ourselves towards facing this center area right here.

- Wilbury's our new neighbor, so they're like literally right below us right here.

♪ You know who you are ♪ ♪ Opening the door for a lady ♪ ♪ Making bolognese from your dead mother's recipe ♪ - This space has amazing opportunities, and I know many of them have occurred and there've been wonderful things, but you know, it just ignites the possibility of more.

- My name is Daniel Bernard Roumain, DBR.

Welcome to your WaterFire Arts Center.

(audience cheering and clapping) And this is "The Telling," and we are are FirstWorks, right?

(operatic singing) - It's amazing that Barnaby and the organization took a building that was really just falling apart and turned it into what it is today, and that went beyond the mission of WaterFire.

- [Narrator] Today, the focus is shifting to the future.

The center is an incubator for artists, young creatives hoping to forge careers in the arts.

(soft music) - Super excited to have y'all part of this program.

Second cohort, first cohort was awesome.

- So WaterFire Accelerate is a professional development cohort program for artists under 30, so utilizing our resources through our connections with WaterFire, we kind of help artists, emerging artists in the community find pathways to, you know, excel in their careers.

- So I'm just really excited to like finally have like a community of other people that do similar things to what I do.

- Programs like this that allow like-minded creative individuals to get together and kind of feed off of each other energetically, artistically, are so rare and so needed.

- During the year, they come to the Waterfront Art Center for monthly meetings.

We introduce them to artists who have been successful in their careers.

We introduce 'em to collectors like Dr. Joe Chazen.

(soft music continues) (people chattering) - Roses!

(people continue chattering) - [Grechel] This is their culmination exhibition.

Six interdisciplined artists.

It's called "If These Walls Could Talk."

It is a very diverse and very fluid exhibition with many different, like I said, disciplines, so we have painters, film photographers, we have print makers, jewelry makers.

- It was an exhilarating experience honestly because before coming into this program, I really wanted to connect with a sense of community.

- 1, 2, 3.

Come on.

- Providing opportunity for young artists is the way we create continuity to what we've built here in Providence in terms of the role of art and culture.

- Using WaterFire's influence in the community to help these young people, if they're in Accelerate, to develop as young artists, or in the art lab to really prepare themselves for life after high school, so using WaterFire's position in the community, it's influenced the community in a positive way like this is very exciting.

- The WaterFire is one of a number of great programs and resources in the community.

It's pretty incredible.

It started with a few fires in the water, and now this building is beyond belief.

(soft music continues) (people chattering) - [Narrator] From the Valley to Downtown, WaterFire continues a tradition of celebrating community partnerships, environmental efforts, health initiatives, and more.

- Every WaterFire has a little bit different a theme, so if you came to every WaterFire, and you walked the streets to see what was going on, it'd be different.

(upbeat jazzy music) - [Narrator] The most emotion filled WaterFire theme night of the year takes some three months to plan, includes the largest torch procession, and happens every November.

(dramatic solemn music) - [Barnaby] This particular lighting tonight, our Salute to the Veterans is really close to my heart.

I've lost my father and all his brothers, and they were all veterans, and my friends who came back from Vietnam were not treated fairly.

We started this lighting specifically because sometimes the vets just aren't properly appreciated for what they do.

- First, on behalf of WaterFire, the VA, everyone thank you for your service, thank you for participating in the WaterFire Salute to Veterans.

This is your night folks, so first I want to thank you personally.

(audience clapping) - [George] I was very honored that they mentioned that I would be in this WaterFire event and having to hold a torch.

Been thinking a lot about it, it's in my mind when I have something like this that you have to go do.

It kind of got you a little on the nervous side, but you know that it's for a good cause.

- [Narrator] George Silva is a reminder of a great and vanishing generation.

The North Kingstown resident is the only World War II veteran among nearly 100 vets at tonight's Salute to Veterans.

- The time of the war, in 1943, I was enlisted into the Navy at 17, and I served on merchant vessels the first year in the Atlantic, guarding these ships with the merchant vessels as gun crew.

We did a lot of arming over on different parts of the land and stuff, and was fortunate we didn't get hit with any submarines, but in the pond wars, vessels did.

(dramatic music) - [Peter] He plays bugle for us for a lot of our Veterans Day ceremonies.

He embodies that veteran ethos that we have to serve, and he continues at 98 years old to still serve the North Kingstown community and our VFW Post.

(bell ringing) - [David] So when I originally talked to him, I said, "George, you know, have you ever done WaterFire?"

And he says, "No, it's kind of late at night, and I can't really drive at night and everything else," and I said, "George, well you know what?

Here's your opportunity.

We're gonna take you up there, and we're gonna give you a-" "Ooh, I'm so excited.

I'm really looking forward to it and meeting everybody."

- [Narrator] Just before the procession, the honorees get to know each other, and George is a popular participant.

- [Attendee] Can I ask a personal question?

- What's that?

- How old are you?

- [George] 98.

I'm looking for a wife.

(people laughing) - [Attendee] Oh, there we go.

- Hey about that?

- [Attendee] Y'all are playing matchmaker, here we go.

- Nice to meet you.

- World War II?

You're older than me then.

- How about that?

- You're the only one that's older than me here.

I'm 93.

Just keep that torch up like this so that you're not hitting the one in front of you, and you're not getting in your face.

- George, this is my first WaterFire.

I'm really looking forward to being here.

It's quite an honor.

- I'm pleased and I'm looking forward myself.

- [Veteran] Absolutely, and it's terrific that you're here as a World War II veteran.

- Thank you.

- [Veteran] It's wonderful.

- And the same with you.

- Just don't catch me on fire.

- Oh, six feet apart, I shouldn't.

- Yeah, yeah.

You'll be fine.

- Unless you got a big rear.

(people laughing) (dramatic music) - We touch it.

There you go, you got it.

Perfect.

Go ahead.

- [P.K.]

The WaterFire Salute to Veterans is a very moving event.

When they come down with their torches and the army band is playing, you can hear a pin drop, and you've got seven, 8,000 people around that base watching all these veterans come in with the torches, and then you walk around inside the ropes where all the veterans are holding the torches, and you just see tears coming down.

It's just heartwarming.

It's just heartwarming.

- [George] You were hearing that crowd cheering and clapping and that was a great feeling.

It just brings back all on what you've done, where you were, what you saw.

I can say that I witnessed what the WaterFire's all about.

♪ For the land of the free ♪ ♪ And the home ♪ ♪ Of the brave ♪ (people cheering) - [Announcer] Thank you and God bless America!

- [Narrator] Back on the river walks, a quirky lullaby fills the air.

It's called Little Potato, the crew's signal that it's time for WaterFire to disappear.

♪ You're my little potato ♪ ♪ You're my little potato ♪ ♪ Dug you up ♪ ♪ You come from the ground ♪ - It's become like an anthem for our volunteers, and they just like love this song, and it's just like a song that like keeps them going, and they just know like the end of the night is here.

- [Narrator] The work that starts with an army of staff and volunteers early in the week and at 6:00 AM on the day of ends in the wee hours of the day after.

♪ You're my sweet potato ♪ ♪ You're my sweet potato ♪ ♪ Dug you up ♪ ♪ You come from the ground ♪ (upbeat music) - We're almost there, it's one last push.

Right Tim?

You're good.

(upbeat music continues) - WaterFire baby!

- So if you come walk your dog at dawn tomorrow morning, you sort of rub your eyes and say, "Wait a minute, weren't there lots of people here last night?"

That's part of the art piece.

It sort of blossoms like one of those flowers that flower just at sunset for the moon moths, and then in the next morning they're gone.

(dramatic music) - It was a good day, yeah.

- It was, it was.

- [Person Off Camera] A lot of craziness, a lot of craziness.

- I don't know.

I think it's, we're gonna blink and we're gonna be doing it again in another seven days.

- Yes we are.

- And the nightmare continues.

(upbeat music) (people chattering) - [P.K.]

We're physically exhausted, and that mental attitude of going in and saying, you know, "We made it through this day and we just touched 50,000 people, and we brought memories.

That's what it's all about."

- [Peter] At the end of the day, you feel like you've accomplished something, you really transformed the city, made a difference in thousands and thousands of people's lives that particular day, so it's rewarding and that's why people do it.

- All right guys.

See you Monday.

- Let's go, we're done.

(people chattering) - All right guys.

(people chattering) - That's a wrap.

- That's a wrap.

That is a wrap.

- [Narrator] Barnaby Evans is no longer a young maverick with the glimmer of an idea about a sculpture using water and fire as symbols of life, death, and renewal.

The ponytail is silver now.

Still, the artist remains passionate about his life's work and calmly pays attention to every detail.

(dramatic music) - I am usually here workin' 'til two o'clock in the morning, so there's always things to be done, and the problem with art is you can always make it a little bit better, so.

- Barnaby and WaterFire?

I get notes after every, every WaterFire.

There's, "Why is this like this?

Why is that like this?

Let's do this, let's do that."

- What we'd like to do is get the stars as close to the water surface as possible so they can reflect, so I'd love to bring that all the way down, but I know- - [P.K.]

He's not slowing down, believe me.

He's the type of person that you know, I'm not gonna wait for someone to do that for me.

If nobody wants to do it, I'm gonna do it.

It's plenty of nights where I've got phone calls at 2:30 three o'clock in the morning.

"Hey, where's this tool?

I need this tool right now."

Barnaby, it's three o'clock in the morning, come on!

- [Narrator] Evans focus remains on his adopted city as the ideal nightscape for a constellation of glowing boats and braziers.

But WaterFire has also enjoyed successes in four US states besides Rhode Island, even overseas in Singapore and on the Tiber in Rome.

(soft music) - [News Person] WaterFire.

(person speaking in foreign language) (soft music continues) - To bring a WaterFire to another part of the world and see it accepted the same way it's accepted here in Providence, you know you gotta be doing something right.

You're touching people, you know?

So it hits the soul, it hits the heart.

(soft music continues) - [Narrator] While it is logistically and financially challenging to bring WaterFire to other cities, a return to Europe could happen.

(soft music) Could a trip to Paris be next?

Evans has already found the ideal site and conversations have begun, but for now it remains a dream.

(soft music continues) - [Barnaby] I was in Paris 'cause I had to scope out the sites and make measurements.

There are three wonderful sites to do WaterFire in Paris.

Paris is known as the City of Lights, so we always felt we should figure out how to do WaterFire in Paris.

I think it would be a stunning success, a great partnership for Providence.

- I think WaterFire would be phenomenal in Paris.

The canals already in Paris have become art centers, and it would be a natural place.

People would flock to see this art installation.

- [Narrator] While Paris will always be a possibility, Evans continues to concentrate on WaterFire's home, Providence, where plans are in place for the organization and its signature event to thrive for years to come, contingent on community support.

- We're really quite deliberately trying to figure out how do we build this as an institution that can grow and change, that can live on long past my own involvement.

- We have vast institutional knowledge here that would be able to carry on should Barnaby decide to, you know, do something else or if he was no longer available to us to be the executive artistic director.

- [P.K.]

Barnaby will tell you himself, WaterFire is not Barnaby Evans, okay?

It was his idea, he came through.

Sometimes he's shocked at what WaterFire became, you know?

But, you know, WaterFire has its legs to stand on itself.

I know it will go on, it will go on.

- [Barnaby] When people call WaterFire my legacy, I would hope that they would realize that it's actually our project, the much larger our project.

Cities, families, communities only prosper when we're all in and we're all engaged and we're all working to make them better, and WaterFire has been an opportunity and really a catalyst to get the community to do that together.

(hopeful music) So in that sense, I think it could continue, and I hope it will continue, and I hope it'll change.

It'll respond to what changes in the city, what changes in the future.

We've got it rolling, and let's keep it going.

(hopeful music continues) - I don't think Providence would be home without WaterFire.

I feel like every weekend people talk about it.

If there's nothing else to do, there's definitely WaterFire to come to.

- So we're the last choice, okay.

If there's absolutely nothing else to do, okay, I got it.

All right.

Well my name's Barnaby, and I'm the artist who created WaterFire.

- Oh wow.

- So, so.

- I didn't know what to expect at all.

All I know is it took my breath away to see this entirely lit up and how far down it goes and look underneath, and the music is always, always just perfect.

- I have to confess that I'm the artist who created WaterFire.

- No!

- Yeah.

What's happening here on the water?

- Oh, you got the best combo of two, flowing water draining into Narrangansett Bay, representing the backbone, the spirit of the state.

And the fire, oh man.

Fire is just beautiful.

- Well, thank you Kai.

I'm the artist who created WaterFire, so.

- You should have told me that!

- Well, I'm telling you.

- Oh my.

- I'm telling you that now.

- What is the significance of the fire?

Is there a significance behind it?

- There is.

I'm actually the artist who designed WaterFire, so you're asking the right person.

- Nice to meet you.

- I'm delighted to meet you.

- At night when you know you light it up and everything is moving so slowly and there's people just standing here and not walking past it or running past it, that's when, you know, you get to see the beauty even more.

- I should introduce myself again.

I'm Barnaby, I'm the artist who created WaterFire.

- Oh you are?

Wow.

- So we kind snuck that up on you.

- That's amazing, yeah, wow.

- It's a little unfair.

There's so much we hold in common and agree about that this is an invitation for everyone to come from everywhere, across the world even, to be here in peace and love.

(people laughing) - [Narrator] This program was made possible through funding from Rhode Island PBS, and in part through the generosity of the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority.