AS220 is an artist-run organization committed to providing an unjuried and uncensored forum for the arts. AS220 offers artists opportunities to live, work, exhibit and/or perform in its facilities, which include several rotating gallery spaces, a performance stage, a black-box theater, a print shop, a darkroom and media arts lab, a fabrication and electronics lab, a dance studio, a youth program focusing on youth under state care and in the juvenile detention facilities, four dozen affordable live/work studios for artists, and a bar and restaurant. AS220’s facilities and services are available to any artist who needs a place to exhibit, perform, or create original work and its classes and public-access studios are among the most affordable in the nation. AS220 was founded on the principle that freedom of expression is crucial for the development of strong communities and individual spirits. AS220’s vision for a local unjuried and uncensored forum for the arts was launched in a one-room rental above the Providence Performing Arts Center in 1985 with a budget of just $800. Today, the non-profit owns – and enlivens – three mixed-use buildings, totaling over 100,000 square feet, in the heart of Providence’s downtown and represents a $25 million investment in downtown Providence. AS220 has earned a national reputation synonymous with an egalitarian, accessible approach to creative community – offering an alternative to the obstacles of conventional presenting venues. We provide an inclusive forum for any and all Rhode Island artists to share their original artwork, embracing the full spectrum of the arts: theatre, dance, poetry, photography, music, printmaking, creative “hacking”, painting, puppetry, and beyond. AS220 is credited as a national model for urban revitalization and has been recognized nationally for its catalytic role in the revitalization of downtown Providence. We recently completed our 3rd, award-winning historic restoration project bringing us to a total of 100,000 square feet of lively, mixed-use space. Each of our buildings is comprised of a vibrant blend of local and arts-related program spaces including galleries, performance venues, and public-access art studios. AS220 has and continues to play a key role in the revitalization of downtown Providence while advocating for the intrinsic value of artists and art practice in the role of community development. Each year, AS220 serves over 1,000 artists and is destination for upwards of 93,000 people.
