Friends of India Point Park 50th Anniversary Exhibition
India Point sits at the top on Narragansett Bay, and just a mile down the road from the Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts. In the 1700’s, the area was home port to ships actively involved in the East and West Indies trade, giving the area its name. Over the years it has served as a Port of Entry for immigrants, a Coal Depot, a Rail Yard, along with a long list of other uses, and currently serves as an 18 acre Public Park and Green Space. To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of India Point Park, we are hosting a two part exhibition, to help “promote, protect, and improve the park as an informal, natural open space”, to borrow a line from the mission of the Friends of India Point Park.
The effort to transform India Point into the park it is today began in earnest in 1962, with an initiative largely lead by Mary Elizabeth Sharpe, but the dream of a park at India Point was outlined as early as 1949, by Brad Swan, a Providence Journal columnist, in an article titled “Xanadu on the Mohassuck” The transformation into the present-day park was a long process culminating with the dedication of the park on September 7, 1974. The Friends of India Point Park (FIPP) was formed in 2000 as a citizens group to advocate for, and protect the park during the I-195 relocation project because, “trees don’t vote.” In addition to projects to maintain and improve the park, FIPP also sponsors bird walks, walking tours, art shows, organized the park’s 30th anniversary celebration in 2004, and the opening of the pedestrian bridge over I-195 in 2008.
The Friends of India Point Park also runs an annual photo contest to promote and celebrate Life in the Park. This year I was honored to act as an awards juror alongside Jan Howard and Annu Palakunnathu Matthew. The contest was a call for pictures of the park that celebrate the many uses and unique resource that is India Point Park. As awards jurors, we selected images in three categories, Youth, Amateur, and Professional, which were first displayed on the fence at the park entrance. As a follow up, we are pleased to be presenting an expanded collection in the gallery along side a collection of historical images of India Point over the years.
– David DeMelim,
Managing Director,
RI Center for Photographic Arts
Friends of India Point Park 50th Anniversary Exhibition
Opening Reception: December 19th, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Exhibition: Thursday, December 19th thru Friday, January 10th
50 Years of India Point Park: 2024 FIPP Photo Contest
The contest was organized over the summer by the Friends of India Point Park to celebrate Life in the Park. Images were submitted by park visitors, area photographers and members of youth organizations who use the park. While the awarded images were first presented along the fence in the park with the support of Photoville, we are happy to be presenting an expanded selection of images in this gallery presentation. The photographs selected by awards jurors Jan Howard, Annu Palakunnathu Matthew and David DeMelim are presented alongside additional photographs selected by FIPP board members that they felt best represented the opportunities the park provides and value the park provides to the community and public at large.
India Point and the process of establishing India Point Park
The second part of the exhibition, presented in the Focus Gallery, takes a look at India Point over the years, with historical photos, early blue prints for the proposed park, and documents marking key points in the decades long community initiative to establish India Point Park. Long a dream of community members, The transformation into the present-day park is documented here, by Frances Betancourt, and culminated in dedication of the park fifty years ago September.
About: FIPP, the Friends of India Point Park
The primary mission is to maintain and enhance India Point Park’s unique natural beauty as the city’s only expansive shoreline public space with sweeping water views of Narragansett Bay, and to preserve the park as an informal, unstructured refuge from the city’s built environment.
Successes include the re-establishment of the Seekonk River public boat ramp at East Transit Street, preservation of the former Shooters site (once a popular night Club) for public use, currently as a ferry landing, and defeating proposals to build on the narrow shoreline. Ongoing initiatives include efforts to bury the shoreline power lines.
FIPP works with many city and state agencies, local businesses, the Fox Point Neighborhood Association, Partnership for Providence Parks, and Perennial Planters.
FIPP is a non-profit 501-c-3 citizens group led by a Steering Committee that meets monthly for collaborative decision- making about FIPP’s direction and priorities.
Website: Friends of India Point Park
The RI Center for Photographic Arts, RICPA 118 N. Main St. Providence, RI 02903
Located in the heart of Providence, RICPA was founded to inspire creative development and provide opportunities to engage with the community through exhibitions, education, publication, and mutual support.
RICPA exists to create a diverse and supportive community for individuals interested in learning or working in the Photographic Arts. We strive to provide an environment conducive to the free exchange of ideas in an open and cooperative space. Members should share a passion for creating, appreciating, or learning about all forms of photo-based media. We work to provide a platform for artistic expression, that fosters dialogue and drives innovation in the photographic arts.
We are member supported, the first step to membership is registration – https://www.riphotocenter.org/registration Details on membership options can be found at https://www.riphotocenter.org/membership-info
The Gallery at the Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts is a member of Gallery Night Providence https://www.gallerynight.org
Questions: Contact gallery@riphotocenter.org To learn about other RICPA exhibits and programs, visit https://www.riphotocenter.org
Leave a Reply