Rhode Island has been buzzing about the new documentary “Secret Mall Apartment.” Directed by Jeremy Workman and produced by Oscar-nominated actor Jesse Eisenberg, the film shows how eight young Rhode Island artists created a secret apartment in a hidden space inside the Providence Place Mall in 2003, living there for four years and filming everything along the way.
For one of the artists, Michael Townsend, it wasn’t just an art stunt but part of his long-standing fight for affordable live/work spaces for artists. That passion and commitment didn’t start or end with the mall apartment. Before the Providence Place Mall, Townsend was deeply invested in Fort Thunder, a well-known creative space in Providence’s Eagle Square.
Eagle Square, located in the Olneyville Neighborhood of Providence, RI, was home to Fort Thunder, a creative home for artists and students from the Rhode Island School of Design during the ‘90s and early 2000s. Their art forms included experimental music, visual arts, and punk culture.
Townsend, a tape artist said, “We had about 10 to 12 artists at any given time, occupying approximately 10,000 square feet. Given the freedom to focus on just building out the place you live in, freedom here is defined by affordable spaces. If you don’t have to work two or three jobs to pay for your space, you can dedicate most of your time to your art practice. This was a place where a hive of artists could concentrate their entire daily routine on making their art and continuously improving it.”
It allowed creatives to come together and collaborate. This was noted by Townsend shortly after developers arrived to revitalize downtown Providence and demolish Fort Thunder. It paved the way for a parking lot surrounded by other mills destined to become a shopping center. We can only wonder where these artists are today.
Fort Thunder brought together creators and pioneers of Rhode Island’s arts and punk scene from the 90s and 2000s. Artists like Michael Townsend highlight the ongoing challenges artists face in securing affordable live-work spaces in Rhode Island. Despite these challenges, Providence remains a place of welcoming for artists seeking community and creative spaces they can call home. To glimpse inside Fort Thunder, visit this link.
