NetWorks 2015 premieres in December

NetWorks Founders Joseph Chazan (left) and Umberto Crenca

In 2008, a unique Rhode Island arts project launched through collaboration between Joseph Chazan, M.D. and Umberto Crenca, Artistic Director of AS220. "NetWorks" was created to document, celebrate, and foster the richly creative and diverse Rhode Island artistic community.

Each year since its launch, the project has created an archive of video and photographic profiles that are enriched by museum and gallery exhibits, catalogs, and panel discussions.

WSBE Rhode Island PBS is proud to present this year's video profiles of the artists as part of the station's commitment to making works of local artists more accessible to a wider community audience. NetWorks 2015, filmed by Richard Goulis, air in two parts on Sundays, December 20 and 27 at 6 p.m., as part of Rhode Island Stories.

The 12 artists profiled in NetWorks 2015 are:

Work by Deborah Baronas

David Allyn

Jillian Barber

Deborah Baronas

Peter Diepenbrock

Gretchen Dow Simpson

Jerold Ehrlich

Ana Flores

David Frazer 

Studio Installation by Richard Whitten

Paul Housberg

Barbara Owen

Lisa Perez

Richard Whitten


originally published on November 22, 2015 at 11:29 p.m.
UPDATED: December 18, 2015 at 5:49 p.m.

Encore of Watch Hill: Portrait of a New England Seaside Village

Watch Hill is not a place you can visit just once. It becomes a state of mind. It is a place that enchants and inspires you all year long. Now, a new documentary captures the essence of Watch Hill's charm.

Rhode Island PBS presents the encore of Watch Hill: Portrait of a New England Seaside Village on Thursday, December 10 at 8 p.m. in a special presentation that includes segments recorded at the Ocean House.

Perched high on the bluffs of Watch Hill, the Ocean House is an iconic New England seaside resort, the first and only Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five Diamond Hotel in the state. Famously known for its warm yellow façade and stunning views of the Atlantic, Ocean House opened in 1868 just after the Civil War. It was completely rebuilt in 2004 after having fallen into disrepair, and incorporates more than 5,000 artifacts salvaged from the original building.

Watch Hill: Portrait of a New England Seaside Village documentary is based on the book, Watch Hill Through Time, the Watch Hill Conservancy's history of Watch Hill, written by Chaplin B. Barnes. The beautifully filmed documentary takes a look at the strong and enduring sense of community in southern Rhode Island's Watch Hill.

Located on a peninsula, at the most southwesterly point of Rhode Island, the community of Watch Hill is surrounded by the sea on three sides. It is the point where three states meet: Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York. Watch Hill is scenic 12 months of the year.

Watch Hill: Portrait of a New England Seaside Village traces the area's history as a look-out point for Native Americans, and allows viewers to explore and appreciate the beauty of this coastal village.

The film also features vivid reminiscences of residents who, for generations, have summered, lived, worked, and come of age in the picturesque seaside village.

The documentary was made possible through a grant from the Alfred M. Roberts, Jr, Charitable Foundation and The Watch Hill Conservancy.


Updated November 23, 2015 and December 1, 2015

Specials for Thanksgiving 2015

As we enter Thanksgiving week, we at Rhode Island PBS are truly grateful for the opportunity to share another year with you, our loyal viewers. May you enjoy time with family, and recall happy memories of ones who are no longer here.

No matter what time you may choose to join us through your TV, we have programs on the air to entertain, uplift you, and maybe even surprise you.

At 11:30 a.m., we begin the re-mastered Masterpiece series, The Jewel in the Crown, originally shown in 1984 and 1985. Set in February 1942, India is in turmoil with the Japanese poised to invade, and Gandhi rallying his followers in the struggle to end British rule. A young London-educated Indian, Hari Kumar (Art Malik), suspected of being a subversive by the local British police superintendent Ronald Merrick (Tim Piggott-Smith), strikes up a romance with a shy young English girl, Daphne Manners (Susan Wooldridge). But their star-crossed affair leads to Merrick’s persistent hatred for Kumar, and so the story begins. Filmed extensively in India, and taking place during the five years before India’s independence from Britain, “The Jewel in the Crown” was hailed by critics as one of the most thoughtful and important TV dramas ever. Enjoy the sweeping 14-part series weekdays at 11:30 a.m. on Rhode Island PBS, with the first two-hour part on Thanksgiving

At 12:30, Secrets of the Tower of London is a tour of the edifice that has served as a royal castle, prison, place of execution and torture, armory, and mint during its almost 1000 years of existence. Click for a preview.

Then at 1:30, we present the special American Experience: Walt Disney, the unprecedented look at the complex life and enduring legacy of one of America’s best-known storytellers. Featuring rarely seen footage from the Disney archive, scenes from some of his greatest films, and interviews with biographers, animators and artists who worked on his early films, as well as the designers who helped turn his dream of Disneyland into reality, this film reveals the makings of the man who would leave an indelible mark on our nation’s cultural history.

It may be hard to believe, but it was, in fact, 50 years ago that Arlo Guthrie recorded Alice's Restaurant, the famous lovably circuitous ramble about a Thanksgiving mishap. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the cult favorite, PBS stations across the country will simultaneously air a special concert at 8 p.m. locally on Thanksgiving night, November 26. READ MORE HERE 

Then at 9:30 p.m., we present Pilgrims on American Experience. In the early 17th century, a small group of religious radicals embarked from England to establish a separatist religious community across the Atlantic Ocean in the New World. The challenges the Pilgrims faced in making new lives for themselves still resonate almost 400 years later.

The Stories of 'Our Town: Portsmouth'

Our Town: Portsmouth premieres on Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 8 p.m. on Rhode Island PBS. Click here for more information. UPDATE: We encore OUR TOWN: PORTSMOUTH on Thursday, December 10 at 9 p.m.

Filmed and narrated by residents and friends of the town of Portsmouth, Rhode Island (and edited together by Rhode Island PBS), Our Town: Portsmouth is part of the Rhode Island PBS Our Town community project to collect stories from each of Rhode Island's 31 towns.

Our Town: Portsmouth will include the following stories:

The History of Portsmouth explores how the town was settled and by whom and how it grew over the years.

You Can Get Here From There focuses on the transportation throughout the centuries. Portsmouth is part of Aquidneck Island so the earliest way of getting there was by boat. Learn how ferries and steamships played a role in populating this community. Bridges to and from the island, built for ease, also faced challenges due to water and weather conditions. Finally, explore who built the trolley system and why.

Julia Ward Howe, a Portsmouth resident, wrote a poem that was later set to music and became the famed Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Dive In aptly describes how Portsmouth residents began and ended the year 2013. Hundreds braved the cold temperatures to plunge into …and ring out the New Year.

St. Barnabas Festival highlights the church festival which includes games for the kids and a cooking extravaganza of homemade recipes.

Polo in Portsmouth traces how the Newport Polo organization began in Portsmouth and how the popular event draws hundreds.

Hunt Yachts, home of vessels made for legendary performance and authentic design, is located in Portsmouth, the town with the longest coastline in Rhode Island. Hear the history of Hunt Yachts, named for the successful competitive sailor and revolutionary yacht designer Ray Hunt, and discover how long it takes to build one of these beauties.

Coaching (the horse and carriage kind) became a sporting activity and social affair during the Gilded Age when horse-drawn carriages fell out of favor as a mode of transportation. Today, gorgeous carriages - or coaches as they’re called - pulled by matching, highly-trained horses arrive once every three years from around the country to preen and compete. This segment captures the August 2015 festivities.

A Taste of History In Every Glass explores the history of Greenvale Vineyards and how acres of land once purchased for livestock are now growing unique grapes used to make thousands of bottles of wine annually. Also, see how the owners transformed a dilapidated stable into a gorgeous wine tasting room while abiding by the rules of the historical society.

Portsmouth’s 375th highlights efforts by group of locals, who decided it was important to celebrate every day of the town’s 375th year. Viewers will be entertained with snippets from each memorable event.

If These Walls Could Talk features a unique telling of the history and amazing events the walls have witnessed for close to four centuries.

Portsmouth High School Patriots Marching Band is 200+ strong and gets more attention than the winning football team. Hear from band members why they want to belong, and relive some of their favorite memories, including performing for President Obama’s inaugural event in Washington, D.C.

Local Hero Louis Escobar is the man! Everyone in Portsmouth knows Louis and praises him for what he gives back to his community, from free fireworks every July 4th to creating Rhody Fresh Milk, which helped to put Portsmouth on the map.

Behind the Scenes of Portsmouth This Week, a weekly show aired on cable access by a group of friendly fellows informing and entertaining the residents of Portsmouth.

How To Build A Chip showcases how an international company is thriving in Portsmouth. IMS builds chips that you find in almost every electronic device. The company has a big reputation but is small enough that folks who work there call it a family.

Portsmouth Community Theatre debuts “Cornell and the Ghostly Witness” in this segment. The production is based on the dark but true story of Portsmouth’s past.

Taste of the Town tempts viewers' senses in a story about area restaurants gathered together to show off their famous dishes for this annual event at the town library.

Check This Out features the Portsmouth Free Library. Located in the middle of town, it's accessible and welcoming to all: Children gather for story hour while adults find a comfortable seat in the sun to dive into their favorite read.

Our Town: Portsmouth is made possible by support from three neighborhood businesses,Clements Marketplace, Greenvale Vineyards, and IMS International Manufacturing Services.

WSBE Rhode Island PBS transmits standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) content over the air on digital 36.1; on Rhode Island cable services: Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon FiOS 08 / 508HD, Full Channel 08; on Massachusetts cable services: Comcast 819HD, Verizon 18 / 518HD; on satellite: DirecTV 36 / 3128HD, Dish Network 36.

For more information about the Rhode Island PBS Our Town project, visit ripbs.org/ourtown.

Updated: December 9, 2015