Rolfe Square Storefronts
Receive the Gift of Redesign
This Holiday Season
Cranston, RI – Rolfe Square needs some flair, and
Artists’ Exchange aims to give it just that. Located in the center of the
state, the city of Cranston
unites innerstate travelers from surrounding towns on a daily basis. Several
neighborhoods within the city have unique identities, from waterfront Pawtuxet
Village with its quaint shops and eateries and the annual historic Gaspee Days
celebration, Knightsville, home of the annual Saint Mary’s Feast, and Garden
City, the local mecca of higher end suburban retail, with the developing Chapel
View complex only adding interest. While Rolfe Square sits at the center of the
city, flanked by one of the state’s largest high schools and Cranston City Hall,
the city’s nucleus has long been neglected.
Recent
years have seen many Rolfe Square
businesses shut their doors for good, and the constantly-under-construction
Park Theatre only added to the depressed look of the neighborhood. However,
things are starting to look up. The recent reopening of the Park Theatre, now
known as RICPA, Rhode Island
Center for the Performing
Arts, marks the first major step in the turnaround of Rolfe Square. And Artists’ Exchange has
big plans to keep the momentum going. On Saturday, December 5th,
during the 5th annual Gingerbread House Decorating Contest and
Artisan Fair, Artists’ Exchange will unveil six redesigned storefronts of Rolfe Square
businesses. This is one of many stages in a long-term revitalization plan for
the neighborhood, developed and led by Elaine McKenna-Yeaw, Director of
Artists’ Exchange.
With
ethnic food spots growing in numbers, staples such as Ruth’s Lingerie, Betty’s
Candies, Durfee’s Hardware and King’s Garden, and Artists’ Exchange steadily gaining
a reputation as a community arts hub, Rolfe Square has clear potential to offer
its own unique draw, and to restore a sense of pride and identity to the
neighborhood. Yeaw has big plans for revitalizing the area, with the ultimate
goal of Rolfe Square
being known as an arts district. With RICPA acting as the anchor, Yeaw is
confident that this dream can become a reality.
To begin
the feat of revitalization, Yeaw sought out the help of an expert. Architect
and RISD Assistant Professor Hansy Better Barraza, who specializes in Main
Street design, has been leading her fabrication students in a semester-long redesign
effort of Rolfe Square storefronts. Cooperating businesses include Ruth's Lingerie, Park Senate Barber Salon, Betty's Candies,
Cranston Chamber of Commerce, Artists' Exchange and Citizens' Bank.
Yeaw says
“the idea is to utilize beautiful, existing historic storefront windows to
promote these businesses, using design that creates a ‘wow’ factor. The goal is
for the window displays to change each semester, giving Rolfe Square the ‘something to see’
reputation.” Yeaw is confident that interesting art pieces and displays will
help to revitalize historic Rolfe
Square, while giving RISD students
practical experience with project development from concept to
installation.
Other
recent revitalization efforts include an Artists’ Exchange window installation
by a RISD illustration student volunteer this past summer and the now annual
Fall Out of Summer Arts Festival in September. Next year’s festival will kick
off with an arts parade to involve even more of the community in reclaiming a
sense of pride in their neighborhood. Future street revitalization plans will
potentially involve sculptural installation on sign poles, lighting design and
street art such as furniture, trash bins and tree guards.
The
unveiling of the six storefronts will take place Saturday, December 5th
at 11am during the 5th annual Gingerbread House Decorating Contest and Artisan Fair.
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