The WaterFire Arts Center is now open to visitors to experience the WaterFire Beacon of Hope installation on a limited basis. Created by the WaterFire team under the artistic direction of executive artistic director Barnaby Evans, the WaterFire Beacon of Hope presents a solitary illuminated WaterFire brazier in the main hall surrounded by a field of luminaria, each memorializing a Rhode Island soul lost to Covid-19.
Watching the evening ceremony is quite moving. Each luminaria being added represents a person lost to Covid that day.
The installation, which also includes a field of stars overhead and WaterFire soundtrack can also be viewed online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Each weekday evening at 8:30pm, EDT, a ceremony takes place with luminaria added to the installation for each Rhode Island life reported lost that day.
The WaterFire Store, Visitor Center Gallery, and Main Hall will be open to the public from noon to 6pm on June 27, and again on July 1st and 2nd. The Arts Center will be closed for the Independence Day Holiday on Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4.
Regular opening hours from noon to 6pm, Wednesdays through Saturdays, will resume on Wednesday, July 8th. Additional hours and expanded availability are planned for Reopening Phase III.
WaterFire Arts Center, 475 Valley Street, (directions)
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This screen grab was taken several weeks ago at night. There are many more luminaria now.