HISTORY
The brainchild of St. Michael’s Church nun, Sister Ann Keefe, CityArts’ primary goal has always been to “change the minds and hearts” of youth through the arts.
A beloved community activist, Sister Ann passed away in 2015 at age 62. At her funeral, Governor Gina Raimondo called Sister Ann “one of our state’s strongest voices for social and economic justice” and implored “us to be better and to do better for one another.”
Since 1992, Providence CityArts has provided free arts education and training to more than 5,000 Providence elementary and middle school youth, most from the ethnically and culturally diverse neighborhoods on Providence’s Southside. CityArts is the recipient of numerous awards including a 2014 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award from the President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities.
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Providence CityArts now serves more than 800 youth annually. In addition to working with local artists and educators, CityArts youth have exceptional opportunities to take field trips to local museums, perform at community gatherings, receive homework help from students attending our partner universities, engage in neighborhood service projects, and have their work displayed in galleries throughout Providence!
Sister Ann envisioned an art center on Broad Street that would be a safe haven for children – many of whom she saw were struggling either from living in poverty, or from academic or social-emotional challenges. Her vision stemmed from her belief that the arts are a kind of spiritual practice – a place to “shape minds and hearts.” For her, access to the arts and artists support heart-centered, empathetic moral educations. These values continue to drive CityArts’ mission and direction.
​CityArts has developed two traditions to honor the life and work of Sister Ann Keefe:
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The Annual Sister Ann Keefe Award for Creativity and Social Justice
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The Sister Anne Keefe Fund for Creativity and Social Justice, an endowment fund located at the RI Foundation
"I was lucky to be starting my work in our community at the time when Sister Ann was busy building things," says Valerie Tutson, founder of RI Black Storytellers and recipient of the Sister Ann Keefe Award for Creativity and Social Justice in 2017.
“I was inspired by her understanding of the importance of the arts in community with the creation of CityArts, and then by her vision to address issues of violence by creating an institute for the study and practice of non-violence. Thinking of her reminds me how important real community relationships are--- not community relations, but community relationships, in making a truly vibrant beloved community.”
- Valerie Tutson, founder of RI Black Storytellers