Westminster Stories is all about two blocks of Westminster Street in Providence, Rhode Island.
Situated between Union and Dorrance Streets in the heart of downtown, this small stretch of road is filled with stories about this remarkable city. This project shares the tales of people encountered there, information found in city archives, and the memories of people who remember its past.
The project’s focus is an exhibit in an empty store window at 191 Westminster Street, between December 2, 2009 and March 12, 2010, containing images of the people and buildings featured, and themed labels that change weekly. This website allows us to tell more of people’s stories, to collect stories from others, and to reveal further research uncovered as part of the project, as well as to promote other Westminster Stories activities.
There will also be a special event called The Museum of Westminster Street, taking place on March 5th and 6th, on the street itself. Keep an eye on local press and this website for more details.
Westminster Stories is a creation of The Museum On Site, a Providence-based organization dedicated to helping people understand their worlds through site-specific, free public experiences that share ideas and information in accessible and stimulating ways.
Project credits
Created by Andrew Losowsky and Lyra Monteiro
Website by Neah Monteiro
Interviews by Betsey Biggs, Caitlin Fisher, Andrew Losowsky, Lyra Monteiro, Carmen Montoya, Diego Pirillo, Meghan Townes, Shana Weinberg
Historical research by Krystal Appiah, Andrew Losowsky, Lyra Monteiro, Jonathan Olly
Model creation by Zac Bruner, Sin Guanci, Meghan McKenna, Paul Nickerson, Jonathan Olly, Rachel Ramer, Sylvia Ann Soares
Label design by Josie Morway (josiemorway.com)
Printing by IO Labs
Photography by Kyle Born, Jan Bruder, Ben Carter, Matthew Cylinder (matthewcylinder.net), Caitlin Fisher, Bruce Gannon (pheonixphotography.net), Tobias Goulet (TMG Photography), Alisa Kotler-Berkowitz (Alisa Grace Photography), Peter Green (providencefalcons.com), Andrew Losowsky, Brian Mackey (fineartdigital), Kelly McGovern (km.doggyyap.com), Karissa Mlyniec (klmphotographyri.com), Lyra Monteiro, Neah Monteiro, Graham Newhall (inthereef.blogspot.com), Paul Nickerson (pnlucas.zenfolio.com), Britta Schellenberg (brittaschellenberg.com), Gregory Shumchenia (gspstudios.com), Nathan Tia (simplynate.com), Walter Tsui (waltertphoto.com), Cindy West
Additional thanks goes to the following people, without whom the project would not have been possible: Architect’s Inn in Newport, Bill and JJ from Newbury Street Properties, Breaking Branches Pictures, Morgan Grefe, Conor Landenberger, Barbara and Monty Losowsky, Mama Teresa’s, Steve and the guys at MAP, Kathleen McAreavey, Jadrian Miles, Sharon Monteiro, Ted Peffer, Erminio Pinque, Micah Salkind, Rebecca Siemering, The 201, Joe at the UPS Store on Dorrance Street, Kathy and Lindsey at Westminster Lofts
Supported by The Rhode Island Council for the Humanities (an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities), The Providence Foundation, The Creative Arts Council at Brown, The John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage, The Graduate Student Council at Brown, the Downtown Neighborhood Alliance and Providence Art Windows
Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed on this website or in the window do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Photo by Paul Nickerson