On Thursday July 18, 17 art spaces throughout Providence will open their doors to the public. Gallery Night Providence will offer five free guided tours of Providence art spaces, with galleries also welcoming individual visitors that evening free of charge

Four tours (5, 5:30, 5:45, and 6 p.m.) depart from the Graduate Hotel on Dorrance Street. The 6:30 pm tour will depart from the WaterFire Arts Center on Valley Street. The 5:45 p.m. tour is a walking tour, with all other tours conducted via mini coach or trolley. 

The list of art spaces open to visitors includes artist studios (Anahid Ypres Studio and James Polisky Silkscreen Art), artisan and fine art shops (Studio Hop and Stewart House), as well as the Wanskuck Community Library featuring a presentation by The Artists Loop. 

The 5 p.m. tour will also include a special stop at The Map Center, a shared studio space that features globes, atlases, road maps, nautical charts and more, festooned with geographic depictions from around the world. The evening will feature antique original maps of New England, reproductions of historical maps from the Ottoman Empire & several very special pieces in the collection from the US Air Force

This is the last Gallery Night on which visitors will be able to view the “Nancy Elizabeth Prophet: I Will not Bend an Inch” exhibit at RISD Museum. That exhibit closes on Aug.4 after a several month run.

Opening at WaterFire Arts Center is a NetWorks Rhode Island and the Chazan Collection: A Half-Century of RI Patronage at the WaterFire Arts Center (WFAC) a large-scale exhibition featuring more than 100 NetWorks RI artists. This exhibition celebrates a dynamic community of innovative artists living and working in Rhode Island and their champion, Joseph A. Chazan M.D.

The full schedule for July 18, with details on how to participate in tours or to visit on one’s own can be found on Gallery Night Providence's website.