Ink & Echo: The Creative Current and America Unfinished

Join us on July 2nd at 5pm atop the WaterFire Arts Center's rooftop as we partner with Echo & Ink to bring you a night of poetry, music, and artistry!!!

About the event:

Artists will be performing a night of spoken word and music, with opportunities for artist-audience engagement. Artists set the tone for deeper connections. Below, you will find our lineup follow by artist bios!

• Monica D. Vance (Poetry/Spoken Word)
• Justice Ameer (Poetry/Performance)
• Christopher Cardoso (Poetry/Spoken Word)
• Jessi Bankston (Soul/Singer-Songwriter)
• Chris Collado (“Kleen”) (Lyricist/MC)
• Rebecca N. Mancini (Singer/Performer)
• Kou Tukala Nyan (Poetry/ Producer/Performer)

Ink & Echo:The Creative Current uplifts souls, words, and connections. Through an intentional pause from the digital noise, to the joy of gathering, to the music and spoken word, this residency draws Providence together with authenticity.

About the host:

Kou Tukala Nyan (she/they) is a creative producer, journalist, and performer exploring surrealism, the paranormal, and day-to-day oddities. A published author and RISCA Make Art Grant recipient, she founded Project Overflo and co-founded black earth collective + lab. Nyan dances, acts, and curates creative community spaces and workshops in Rhode Island.

About the poets & performers:

Justice Ameer is a Providence-based poet, facilitator, and political educator. Co-founder of blackearth collective + lab and two-time Providence Grand Slam champion. Xyr work has been featured in POETRY magazine, The Nation, and The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 2.

Jessi Bankston (formerly Jessi Hughes) is a Rhode Island–based singer/songwriter whose soulful, vintage-meets-modern sound weaves together the blues roots of the American South and the vibrant rhythms of Ghana, West Africa. Her voice is rich and textured - as colorful as the rhythms that shape it - creating music that uplifts, heals, and invites listeners into hope. Whether backed by layered instrumentation or standing alone in a room, her voice creates space for reflection and joy.

Christopher Cardoso is a Boston-based poet specializing in transforming inner struggle and lived experience into "lyrical testimony." His work is introspective, rhythmically charged, and focused on "Ink & Echoed" resilience and self-realization.

Chris Collado/"Kleen" is an introspective emcee from Providence who specializes in connecting words to hearts. His work focuses on vulnerability, internal growth, and skillful mastery of flow and vocabulary.

Rebecca N. Mancini is a Singer/Performer based in Rhode Island who specializes in the rhythm of life. Their voice is honeyed, calming, with a melodic flow. Known for a rich, warm sound, they create spaces where the audience must join in. For Rebecca, art is a tool for self-expression and collaboration. They believe that music brings art right to your ears. Currently, they are exploring teaching and beekeeping and are thrilled to bring their honey to this collaborative showcase.

Monica D. Vance is a mental health therapist (LICSW), writer, poet, and speaker since 2017. She counsels from trauma and attachment-focused lenses and enjoys motivating creatives online and offline. Her poetry has been featured at open mics throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Key Event Details for Context:

• This is part of WaterFire’s America Unfinished exhibition.
• The first hour will be a curated, phone-free “unplugged” social hour.
• It is free to attend with a suggested donation (donations automatically enter guests into our local raffle, and tipping performers is highly encouraged).

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