Since 2008, Providence-born writer, podcaster and public radio alum Nate DiMeo has been producing short, narrative essays through his podcast, “The Memory Palace,” featuring real-life stories pulled from lesser known corners of American history. His new book, “The Memory Palace: True Short Stories of the Past,” features nearly 50 stories, some from the podcast, some new, and accompanied for the first time by illustrations and archival photos. Now based in Los Angeles, he’s coming back to Providence on Saturday for a reading at RiffRaff bookstore. DiMeo spoke with morning host Luis Hernandez for this week’s episode of Artscape.

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Lithuanian-American siblings Vija and Dovas Lietuvninkas have been singing traditional Lithuanian folk music since they can remember.  “One of my earliest memories in general is of my grandfather singing Lithuanian folk songs to us as we were going to sleep, as lullabies as we’re sleeping over at their houses,” Dovas said. “So, literally from the […]

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The Community Libraries of Providence offer a slew of free arts education programs, including sewing, rug tufting, and how to use 3-D printers. But a weaving class at the Mount Pleasant branch has been especially popular.

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Heidi Henderson is a dancer and choreographer who lives in Wakefield. Her latest work is called untitled sad piece and it’s a collection of 10 dances: solos, duets, trios and ensemble pieces with all five members of her company, Elephant Jane Dance. Untitled sad piece is set to the music of The Carpenters, the 1970s brother-sister duo known for the sweetly sad voice of Karen Carpenter. Elephant Jane Dance will perform the piece tonight (Thursday, 11/7) at United Skates of America in Rumford.

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This election, Rhode Island voters have the opportunity to weigh in on five statewide ballot questions. In the weeks leading up to Election Day, we’ve been covering each of them in depth. This time, we focus on Question 5, which asks voters to approve a $10 million bond for the continuation of the Cultural Arts and Economy Grant Program.

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Hamilton de Holanda is the world’s foremost player of the Brazilian bandolim, a 10-stringed instrument that he developed by adding an extra two strings to the traditional mandolin. He’s defined his own style of Brazilian jazz, blending a contemporary jazz sound with the regional folk style choro, which centers around the bandolim. De Holanda was a featured performer this past weekend at the University of Rhode Island’s annual Guitar and Mandolin Festival.

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When long-time journalist John Kostrzewa left the Providence Journal in 2017 after decades on the job, he planned to retire. But he found himself feeling like there was more to do. John is an avid hiker, and a few years after leaving the Journal he came back to write a column called Walking Rhode Island. Then he published a book by the same name featuring forty of what he calls “the most scenic, natural, and historic trails in the state.” Morning host Luis Hernandez talked with Kostrzewa about the book, and a few of his favorite hikes for the fall.

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On a recent Saturday, a group of grade-school aged children wearing red t-shirts lined up on the sidewalk on Westminster Street in the West End of Providence. They were outside of two empty storefronts that used to hold Community MusicWorks. The youngest children were at the front carrying small drums and mallets. They were followed […]

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If you skateboard or surf in New England, you know the name Sid Abbruzzi. He runs the Water Brothers Surf & Skate Shop in Newport, and played a key role in expanding the skating and surfing culture in the Northeast. He’s the focus of the new documentary “Water Brother: The Sid Abbruzzi Story.”

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Saxophonist, composer and music educator Leland Baker studied jazz in New Orleans and New York before coming back home to Rhode Island. Since then he’s established a residency at the Courtland Club in Providence, performed at the Newport Jazz Festival – and he hopes to use his position as music education manager with the Newport Festivals Foundation to build musical mentorships like those he experienced in Louisiana.

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