Facing Fidas on Valley Street
Providence, RI

dirtfront.jpg

dirtside.jpg

oval.png

The installation Facing Fidas is an expansion of an earlier letterpress print, Facing Fidas on Valley Street by Dan Wood. The print was done in memory of Sergeant Cornel Young Jr, an off-duty Providence Police officer who was shot dead by two fellow officers as he came to their assistance at a nearby Olneyville diner. The event brought many tensions that had been simmering in Providence to the surface, regarding issues of race (Sergeant Young was black, the other two officers were white), police training/hiring, and the broader relationship between the police and the community. By bringing this installation into the neighborhood where the shooting took place, the intent is to create the possibility for peaceful contemplation and remembrence of this event. Whether one is aware of the context of the piece or not, I would like this project to help keep alive the hope that positive change for the city and the neighborhood can still occur. January marked the fourth anniversary of Sergeant Young's death, and I hope this installation will honor his memory.

The Dirt Palace is located at 14 Olneyville Square in the former Olneyville branch of the Providence Public Library, in the heart of Olneyville Square. The artists who live and work in this building have made the 1st floor storefront window available for one month long installations of artist's work. This provides the exhibiting artists an opportunity to show their work to a wider spectrum of the public than in a typical gallery setting, and brings interesting art out into the streets of Olneyville. This installation was up from January 2-February 15th, 2004.

Dan Wood can be reached at dwood@longesturinal.com.