UPP Arts Collection

This collection documents the artistic, administrative, and educational activities of UPP Arts.The materials in this collection reflect a decade of interdisciplinary collaborations between artists, educators, students, and community members who used place-based art to celebrate and build awareness for Providence’s urban ponds. Their work focused particularly on Mashapaug Pond and its environs, which include the site of the Gorham Manufacturing Company and the former West Elmwood neighborhood.
This collection is part of Providence Public Library Digital Collections, hosted by Providence Public Library.

Items in this collection

Timeline of Mashapaug Pond

Timeline of Mashapaug Pond

Providence Public Library

Timeline of Mashapaug Pond used in the educational packet on the theme of "Industrial Culture" by UPP Arts in 2012.

Timeline of Holly Ewald's art and activism

A timeline of the career of Holly Ewald as an artist and activist as it relates to the development of UPP Arts and her role as the executive director of that organization. The timeline was created as an aid to listeners of the oral history interviews of Holly Ewald.

The History of Gorham Silver Manufacturing Co.

Video footage of the Urban Pond Procession in 2012. Includes introductino by organizer Holly Ewald, students from Sophia Academy discussing their floating sculpture installation inspired by pollution created by Gorham Manufacturing Company, musicians playing handmade percussion instruments, and community members participating in the event.

Tall Oak Weeden interviewed by Alvarez High School students

Tall Oak Weeden, a tribal elder of the Narragansett and member of Wamponoag and Pequot tribes, sits for an interview by Alvarez High School students during their documentary film course with Denali Tiller. The image shows students operating the camera as Tall Oak sits.

Tall Oak Weeden during Alvarez High School film project

Tall Oak Weeden, a tribal elder of the Narragansett and member of Wamponoag and Pequot tribes, is interviewed by students at Alvarez High School as part of a documentary film course. The image is taken from behind the camera to show the lighting and camera set up as Tall Oak is seated for the interview.

Tall Oak Weeden at Alvarez High School

Tall Oak Weeden, a tribal elder of the Narragansett and member of Wamponoag and Pequot tribes, meets students at Alvarez High School to take part in their documentary film course.

Syllabus for Urban Waters workshops at Alvarez High School

Workshop summaries for the "Urban Waters" workshops series for AP Environmental Science classes at Alvarez High School in partnership with the Environmental Justice League. The workshop series in Fall 2012 in coordination with the Urban Pond Procession.

Students at Reservoir Elementary School

Image of students seated on a woven rug in a classroom at Reservoir Elementary School in Providence who participated in a UPP Arts indigenous arts workshop in 2017.

Student conducting oral history interview

Image of a student from the John Nicholas Brown Center at Brown University interviewing a previous resident of the West Elmwood neighborhood about the history of Mashapaug Pond for an audio cellphone tour of the area.