WaterFire is an award-winning sculpture by Barnaby Evans presented on the rivers of downtown Providence, RI. It was first created by Evans in 1994 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of First Night Providence, has since become an annual public art phenomenon. WaterFire is a free public art installation, a performance work, an urban festival, a civic ritual, a spiritual communal ceremony, well known nationally and internationally as a community arts event. WaterFire's symbolism and interpretation is both inclusive and expansive - reflecting the recognition that individuals must act together to strengthen and preserve their community. On WaterFire evenings, downtown Providence is transformed by eighty-six anchored burning braziers that float just above the surface of the rivers that flow through Waterplace Park and the middle of downtown Providence; the public is invited to come and walk the riverfront and enjoy the beauty of the flickering firelight, the fragrant scent of aromatic wood smoke, the changing silhouettes of the volunteer firetenders, the music from around the world.

Average attendance is 40,000 a night, ranging from 10,000 to 100,000. WaterFire is presented for free, with only ten percent of the funds needed to host WaterFire acquired through governmental means and the remainder coming from private and corporate donations. WaterFire is held May through November, with lightings on Saturday evenings once or twice a month. WaterFire Providence is the independent 501 non-profit arts organization responsible for presenting WaterFire. WaterFire Providence consists of about 15 staff members and relies upon volunteers for the production of WaterFire. On a given night, up to 160 volunteers make the entire event possible. Evans created the first WaterFire, named First Fire on New Year's Eve 1994 as part of the tenth annual of First Night Providence. First Fire consisted of 11 braziers on steel tripods stretching from WaterPlace Basin to Steeple Street. In June 1996, Barnaby created Second Fire for the Convergence Art Festival and the International Sculpture Conference.

Through the support of dedicated volunteers, WaterFire returned as a seasonal event. WaterFire gained a coordinated effort to fund the project began. In 1997, WaterFire expanded to 42 braziers, had an estimated attendance of 350,000 people over the entire season. Evans received The Renaissance Award for his effort to revitalize downtown Providence, WaterFire became the symbol of the city's renaissance. For the 1998 installation, WaterFire expanded to include 81 fires, with expansions up the Moshassuck River and into the basin at Waterplace Park. WaterFire now enjoys international renown. In June 1998 Barnaby Evans installed WaterFire in Texas on the Buffalo Bayou. In July 2005 Barnaby Evans designed a WaterFire installation in Columbus, called WaterFire Columbus. Http://www.waterfirecolumbus.com In 2007, Barnaby Evans created a new installation in Kansas City, Missouri on Brush Creek near Country Club Plaza and the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art https://countryclubplaza.com/event/waterfire/. On September 24 and 25, 2011, Barnaby Evans installed WaterFire in Singapore.

The flame from Singapore was sent electronically to Providence to light WaterFire there. The next day, the flame from Providence was sent electronically to Singapore to light WaterFire there. On September 21 and 22, 2012, Barnaby Evans installed WaterFire in Rome on the Tiber River between Ponte Sisto and Ponte Giuseppe Mazzini on the Vatican side of the river near the old city. In August 2013, Barnaby Evans designed a WaterFire installation in Sharon, Pennsylvania on the Shenango River, called WaterFire Sharon. Http://www.waterfiresharonpa.org WaterFire website Washington Post travel article by Carlo Rotella The Butterfly Effect blog entry about WaterFire thisplaceiknow.com entry for WaterFire

Martha is a town in Jackson County, United States. The population was 162 at the 2010 census. Martha is located at 34°43′32″N 99°23′11″W. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.2 square miles, all of it land. As of the census of 2000, there were 205 people, 82 households, 49 families residing in the town; the population density was 816.3 people per square mile. There were 98 housing units at an average density of 390.3 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 72.20% White, 2.44% African American, 6.34% Native American, 12.68% from other races, 6.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.34% of the population. There were 82 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 40.2% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.1% had someone living alone, 65 years of age or older.

The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.47. In the town, the population was spread out with 28.8% under the age of 18, 12.2% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 122.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.7 males. The median income for a household in the town was $20,000, the median income for a family was $30,000. Males had a median income of $31,389 versus $13,125 for females; the per capita income for the town was $9,799. About 24.0% of families and 21.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.4% of those under the age of eighteen and 40.9% of those sixty five or over

The Swannanoa River flows through the Swannanoa Valley of western North Carolina, is a major tributary to the French Broad River. It begins at its headwaters in Black Mountain, NC, however, it has a major tributary near its headwaters: Flat Creek, which begins on the slopes of Mount Mitchell; the Swannanoa River ends. The river is 22 miles or 35 kilometers long, it flows within the geographical boundaries of Buncombe County, it is a valuable resource to the county, providing drinking water to the Asheville metropolitan area, numerous recreational opportunities. In September 2004, massive rains from the remnants of Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Ivan caused the Swannanoa to flood, causing major damage to the Biltmore Village section of Asheville, to the other communities that it flows through. Sweeten Creek Ross Creek Haw Creek Gashes Creek Grassy Branch Christian Creek Bull Creek Beetree Creek Lower North Fork Upper North Fork Tomahawk Branch Flat Creek RiverLink: Swannanoa River Watershed Project