The artist has selected themes to celebrate the history of theater as well as the historic Chinese-American community and LGBTQ+ contributions and presence in Downtown.
* The far left figure holds a scissor and thread: a nod to Perry Watkins, the first Black scenic designer on Broadway, who was from Providence. They are holding a fan with the Port Arthur logo, a Chinese restaurant and dancehall in downtown that was a pillar of the Asian community and a safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community to meet and dance.
* Rich red curtains swooping behind the figures highlight PPAC, Trinity Repertory Theatre, and others that have existed throughout the years.
* Arches in the background are reminiscent of the Chinese Restaurants and Dancehalls that went hand in hand with the theater experience of the 50’s-80’s where visitors would come for a day of shopping on Westminster, followed by dinner at a Chinese restaurant and a show at one of the many theaters. Dance Halls also served as unique performance venues with bands and other entertainment. (Also a nod to Trinity Rep’s idea of non-traditional theater stages.)
* The two middle figures speak to the Chinatown which existed nearby and are based on Ancient Chinese Opera figures, the artist incorporating elements of modern Drag. The character’s robes reference various Asian communities and histories and one holds two playing cards; a reference to the Kings and Queens of the Drag community and a nod to the RI Bar “Kings & Queens” (1977-2002), which was the backbone of many community events. The figure second to the right is inspired by local Drag artist Ladda Nurv.
* The figure on the far right references Providence’s long history with the LGBTQ+ community, harkening back to a theatergoer of the past and drawing on images of Francis “Auriema” Renault, a Drag Performer from Providence in 1910. The jewelry on this figure includes a reference to Beatrice Temkin, “A trailblazing lgbtq+ ally and founding member of AIDS Project RI”, also a nod to the Beatrice Hotel namesake owned by Paolino Properties, the owner of the Snow St. building.
This project is a signature PVDFest Public Art Commission championed by Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, and is offered in celebration of culture and histories of communities and following a PVDFest tradition of collaborating with national and international artists to encourage tourism and enhance public space through quality of life initiatives. Special thanks to Paolino Properties.
About Lauren YS:
Lauren YS (they/them) is a queer Asian-American femme with a deep passion for visual storytelling. Based in LA with a B.A. in English and Fine Art from Stanford University, Lauren applies their background in literature to the urban sphere through freestyle muralism.
Their signature style of high-chroma design elements interwoven with dynamic portraiture creates lush, florid pictorial portals to worlds that are as just as they are visually captivating. Lauren’s work seeks to bring an element of the fantastical and narrative fluidity to the dignity of their characters’ person-hoods, with a specific passion for creating space for queer and BIPOC stories. From large-scale murals to multi-layered works on canvas, Lauren’s work draws inspiration from queer worlds, fluidity, mythology, dreams, animation, travel, nature, human dignity and their mixed Asian-American heritage. Lauren’s vision encapsulates the lifetime search for identity, a love of local myth, and the constant pursuit of promoting just futures.
They have exhibited large-scale murals around the globe including Yale University, Art Basel Miami, Wynwood Walls, Long Beach Museum of Art, PangeaSeed SeaWalls (New Zealand), the World Trade Center in New York, and have shown in galleries including Vienna, New York, London, Tokyo, and Melbourne. They completed a mural in Providence in 2016 after spending a semester studying at Brown and RISD while completing their BA in English and Art Practice from Stanford University. That mural is inspired by a Gypsy Moth epidemic Rhode Island was dealing with at the time of the mural.
