Local artist Sophie Foulkes, currently a Creative Fellow at the Providence Public Library (PPL), explores the layered histories of Rhode Island’s landscapes in her exhibition “By the Fall of the Waters,” on display at PPL’s Joan T. Boghossian Gallery through September. Drawing from extensive research in PPL’s special collections, including historical maps dating back to the 1800s, Foulkes examines how natural features like rivers and urban structures continuously evolve, shaped by past developments. Her artwork combines illustration, collage, and printmaking, weaving archival materials with contemporary drawings and photographs to create multi-layered pieces that evoke nostalgia and highlight the tension between a city’s constructed environment and its inhabitants’ lived experiences. The show features iconic Rhode Island landmarks such as Slater Mill and Providence Place Mall, symbolizing the region’s economic history tied to its waterways. The exhibition’s title references metal typing blocks from a defunct state agency, used in mid-20th-century tourism promotion, which Foulkes incorporated into her prints with the help of master printmaker Jacques Bidon. “By the Fall of the Waters” invites viewers to connect past and present through its rich visual storytelling.