2008 Woodie Awards
Re-fortifying the arts, artists, and Fort Thunder
Colleen Flynn
Issue date: 9/28/06 Section: Commentary
Graduation is the death sentence to your college journalism career. You exchange your voice for a diploma. However, there are the select few who manage to beat this system. Hats off to you, Chris Ackley '06, because your spirit still pervades our office and I'm writing this piece off your suggestion.
Like Ackley, the legacy of the members of the '90s Providence underground art movement-Fort Thunder-refuses to die. This collection of Rhode Island School of Design students utilized one of the old mill spaces in 1995 in the Olneyville section of Providence and converted it into an artists' residence and performance center, known as Fort Thunder. Mat Brinkman, Brian Chippendale, Leif Goldberg, Jim Drain, and Brian Ralph were among the founders and some of the most successful artists involved. Pooling their talents in silk-screening, comics, installation art, and noise music, the group provided an outlet for true creativity. They gained recognition after being featured in the interior design magazine, Nest, and their success culminated in the selection of Forcefield, a music group consisting of several Fort Thunder members, for the 2002 Whitney Biennial. The group's entry was one of the most popular exhibits at the show.
Despite Fort Thunder's widespread acclaim and its service to the cultural enrichment of the city, New York-based developer Feldco requested the space to build a strip mall in 2001. Feldco and the arts community engaged in a heated battle over what should take precedence: artist residences and performance spaces or commercial development. Eventually Feldco and the city government came to an agreement, allowing the Eagle Square Mall to be constructed, but in the style of the original 19th century mills. Fort Thunder disappeared and the artists were forced to relocate.
The controversy followed the construction of the Providence Place Mall in 1999. At the time, the city was confronted with the issue of how to best execute Providence's "renaissance." City officials desired to revamp the city but needed a source of income and the mall served as the best solution. Today, with about 15 million shoppers circulating through the mall, Providence Place is considered to be a success, but many residents feel that the new wave of big business cannot repair the toll taken on the city's cultural landscape.
Like Ackley, the legacy of the members of the '90s Providence underground art movement-Fort Thunder-refuses to die. This collection of Rhode Island School of Design students utilized one of the old mill spaces in 1995 in the Olneyville section of Providence and converted it into an artists' residence and performance center, known as Fort Thunder. Mat Brinkman, Brian Chippendale, Leif Goldberg, Jim Drain, and Brian Ralph were among the founders and some of the most successful artists involved. Pooling their talents in silk-screening, comics, installation art, and noise music, the group provided an outlet for true creativity. They gained recognition after being featured in the interior design magazine, Nest, and their success culminated in the selection of Forcefield, a music group consisting of several Fort Thunder members, for the 2002 Whitney Biennial. The group's entry was one of the most popular exhibits at the show.
Despite Fort Thunder's widespread acclaim and its service to the cultural enrichment of the city, New York-based developer Feldco requested the space to build a strip mall in 2001. Feldco and the arts community engaged in a heated battle over what should take precedence: artist residences and performance spaces or commercial development. Eventually Feldco and the city government came to an agreement, allowing the Eagle Square Mall to be constructed, but in the style of the original 19th century mills. Fort Thunder disappeared and the artists were forced to relocate.
The controversy followed the construction of the Providence Place Mall in 1999. At the time, the city was confronted with the issue of how to best execute Providence's "renaissance." City officials desired to revamp the city but needed a source of income and the mall served as the best solution. Today, with about 15 million shoppers circulating through the mall, Providence Place is considered to be a success, but many residents feel that the new wave of big business cannot repair the toll taken on the city's cultural landscape.