Tourists, residents and downtown workers alike stopped to gaze open-mouthed at the sight of performers suspended from a multi-story building in downtown Providence on Wednesday.
The performers, from the group Bandaloop, swung almost spider-like from cables attached to the roof. On the ground, a woman giving directions through a loudspeaker told the acrobats to “turn your chin up slightly,” or “don’t cross that way, you lose the shape of the arc.”
Bandaloop is one of dozens of acts planning to participate in PVDFest, which begins June 1st. Check out more video from the group’s rehearsal:
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Near the Providence River, a street artist was painting a 50-foot tall mural on the side of a building.
Watching his progress, Yarrow Thorne, director of the nonprofit Avenue Concept, said his organization collaborated with the city on the project.
“So you’re looking at our new resident Andrew Hem’s mural,” said Thorne. “And Andrew Hem is painting a young girl from Cambodia, and right now he’s working on the lower arms and hands. And next he’s going to work on the whole background which is going to be this whole magical landscape.”
PVDFest began in 2014 in an effort to rebrand Providence as a summer cultural destination. The event includes street performances, concerts and art installations.
