Hired by McMahon Associates, DiChiera Consulting developed public art recommendations for the Woonasquatucket River Greenway that will enhance improvements to pedestrian and bicycle facilities stretching from Eagle Square to the Providence Place Mall – an area steeped in the arts, Rhode Island history, and industrial and natural beauty. The public art plan provides recommendations for public art approaches that are appropriate for pocket parks, gateways, and underutilized urban spaces. Public art along the river will visually and experientially tie the industrial buildings along the Woonasquatucket up through Capitol Hill. The final plan includes technical considerations for art installation and maintenance; ways that public art can celebrate the historical and cultural significance of the Woonasquatucket River Corridor; and potential funding sources. DiChiera Consulting was instrumental in building understanding, input and support for the Woonasquatucket River Greenway Project in and beyond the local arts community.

Hired by Toole Design Group, DiChiera Consulting developed a two-phase public art plan for City Walk, a $2,300,000 investment to improve safety for people walking and riding bicycles in South Providence, beginning downtown in the Jewelry District and stretching up Broad Street to Roger Williams Park. DiChiera Consulting understood that public outreach and public art recommendations required very different approaches for each phase of City Walk, reflecting the different environments of downtown Providence and the neighborhoods along the Broad Street corridor. DiChiera Consulting was able to engage the South Providence community through arts programming and through personal connections with local cultural organizations, building support for the project from diverse cultural stakeholders. Final public art recommendations were based upon in-depth research into durability of materials, the culture and history of South Providence, appreciation of artistic assets already found within the project area, and potential for future collaborations with local artists and organizations.  

With funding from the Providence Department of Art Culture and Tourism, DiChiera Consulting commissioned three artists to paint temporary ground murals at the corner of Broad and Public Streets for two days of community engagement in the Providence City Walk Project. At least 15 Providence artists volunteered their services during the mural painting event and neighbors participated in mural painting activities. Families who engaged in mural painting proudly took selfies in front of the murals they helped to paint and enthusiastically inquired about future arts events they could participate in. The finished murals were featured during a public Demonstration Day led by Street Plans, Toole Design Group and the City of Providence Department of Planning. These short-term, low-cost, large-scale public art interventions engaged the community in their creation, provided direct support and involvement from local artists, and were a source of joy and wonder once completed. Cristina DiChiera selected the featured artists based upon personal knowledge of their skill and professionalism and their experience working in community arts settings, ensuring the positive feeling of participation and cooperation that graced the project. Because each of the participating artists lived and/or worked on the Southside of Providence they were able to bring enthusiasm and community connection that otherwise would have been lost. Volunteers and passers-by expressed pride in the fact that the murals were created by artists from their neighborhoods and their imagery reflected cultures and aesthetics found along the Broad St corridor. To learn more about this project and the artists involved, click here.

As Director of Rhode Island's Percent for Art Program, Cristina DiChiera oversaw the selection, commission and completion of the following public art projects:

2010 - Paul Housberg,  Wetland Rapture, The Governor Philip W. Noel Judicial Complex, Warwick, RI

2009 - Peter Geisser and Mika Seeger, Where Have We Come From? Who Are We? Where Are We Going? The Rhode Island Training School for Youth, Cranston, RI

2008 - Ben Phipps, Twin Lanterns, Rhode Island College, Providence, RI

2007 - Bill Fontana, Natural Song Lines, The Governor Philip W. Noel Judicial Complex, Warwick, RI

2006 - Joe Kievitt, Botanical Figures, The Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal, Cranston, RI