Reflecting on the 50^th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing, and noting that it is the nature of Rotarians to be optimistic, to believe that all things are possible, Rev. Ralph Barlow shared an excerpt from Carl Sandburg’s “The People, Yes”:

 

“Man will never write,”

they said before the alphabet came,

and man at last began to write.

“Man will never fly,”

they said before the planes and blimps

            zoomed and purred in arcs

winding their circles around the globe.

 

But man the stumbler and finder, goes on

            man the dreamer of deep dreams,

            man the shaper and maker,

            man the answerer.

The first wheel maker saw a wheel, carried

in his head a wheel, and one day found his

hands shaping a wheel, the first wheel…”

 

Rev. Barlow then asked all gathered: “Where to? What next?”

 

Amanda Parent, financial advisor for Edward Jones Investments, attended as a guest of Anthony Hollingshead.

 

Liz Messier’s son-in-law unexpectedly passed away. Please keep Liz, her daughter, and their whole family in your thoughts.

 

President Geoff’s stepfather, Joe Gallo, recently had a stroke and will be going into hospice.

 

Kris David mentioned that a small memorial was held for Susan Blicker, but that additional memorial planning is on hold for the moment so that the family has time to grieve.  

Anthony Hollingshead announced that there will be an alternate hours meeting Thursday, August 1, at 5:30pm at The Flatbread Company, 161 Cushing St. (behind Thayer St. CVS) – hosted by club member Amy Manchester. Admission is $10 & pizza will be served. Email Anthony with questions or Rob Black to RSVP!

           

Margaret Kane – Mentioned that Happy Bucks has not been up-to-snuff in the apst few weeks and she doesn’t want to lose her job! Margaret mentioned she currently has no AC – which may make those with AC a little happier!

 

Yoni Sunshine – Is happy about the Baltimore Orioles’ recent wins (he is an Orioles fan!) and also for a meeting with Fall River Rotarian Roger Cabral, who mentioned that Providence Rotary is an inspiration to the Fall River club.

 

Kris David – Is happy that her mother’s AC was fixed right before the recent heat wave!

 

Bryan Cook – Is happy to be downsizing and to announce an offer was just made on his home!

 

Barry Fain – Is happy to have his daughter, son in law, and two grandkids coming in from California (he is trying to lure them back to Providence!).

 

Geoff Gaunt – Is happy for a recent family reunion in Maine.

 

Don Saracen – Is happy that his grandson, Jack, just received his SAG card at age 15 and that Jack will be doing a scene with Chris Evans (who plays Captain America!).

 

Anthony Hollingshead – Is happy to welcome Amanda and to thank Michaela Hermann and Connie Donnelly for joining the Membership Committee.

 

Pete Brock – Is happy for the football camps for kids he has been running, his grandson’s 5^th birthday, and the Patriots being in training camp! Pete also announced that Super Bowl 54 will be in Miami and he has 250 Super Bowl raffle tickets available ($100 per ticket).

 

Art Norwalk – Is happy to have recently adopted two rescue cats!

 

 

AS220 – FROM $800 AND A DREAM TO
A RENOWNED ARTS ORGANIZATION
AND DOWNCITY ECONOMIC ENGINE
Umberto “Bert” Crenca, artist and founder of internationally renowned arts organization AS220, spoke about AS220’s evolution.  

 

AS220 envisions a world where all people can realize their full creative potential. It began in 1985 with an $800 investment from Bert himself. Bert had recently left the “traditional” working world to focus full-time on being an artist, when a negative review of his first major exhibit in The Providence Journal changed the course of his life and led to the creation of AS220. The negative review piqued the curiosity of other artists, who began to visit Bert’s exhibit - one artist enjoying the exhibit so much he wrote a piece in the Journal criticizing Bert’s original critic! 

 

After this, Bert and a group of local artists began to meet regularly and eventually published a manifesto on the importance of unjuried, uncensored spaces for art and art-making that are open to the public and accessible to all artists – especially those from underserved backgrounds. From these roots – and from a deeply held conviction that all people of all ages should be encouraged in their creative pursuits - AS220 was born.

 

AS220 has catalyzed $28 million of investment in Providence and currently owns three downcity buildings that utilize a mixed-use model (small business / commercial tenants, live arts, art studio, and gallery spaces, and affordable housing for artists). 60 artists are currently living in an AS220 property and making / performing art at AS220 (where over 500 unique art events happen each year!). AS220 also has a robust youth program (working primarily with underserved youth), an artist training program, a restaurant and bar, and more!