Newport is a city of history, art and abundant culture. As local museums and galleries continue to reopen responsibly, they further develop a brand new slate of thought-provoking exhibits.
Below are four new exhibits to explore at Newport Art Museum, founded in 1912 and one of the oldest continuously operating art museums in the country. Their gallery spaces feature artworks from their permanent collection of 2,600 pieces, alongside seasonal rotating exhibits.
COVID-19 NOTE:
When you're ready, we can't wait to welcome you back to The Classic Coast! Rest assured, local restaurants, shops and business are doing everything they can to ensure the safety of all. This includes wearing mandatory face coverings, following guidelines put in place by health and government officials, and implementing stringent cleaning practices.
All we ask when you land on these shores is that you play your part in keeping everyone safe. Please be kind, wear a mask, wash your hands and maintain six feet of social distancing from others.
ABSTRACT IDEAS
Dates: February 27 - April 25
Where: Newport Art Museum
This exhibition features an array of modern and contemporary American artists from the Museum’s permanent collection exploring ideas and emotions through abstraction. These works speak to the legacy of earlier abstract art movements, as well as to the enduring interest of abstraction today. Eliciting feelings and sensations, abstract art prioritizes emotional experiences over tangible realities. With this exhibition, we encourage viewers to let their eyes and minds wander and delight in the colors, shapes, and gestures of these evocative works.
DIGITAL BREATH: VIDEO AND SOUND ART IN THE AGE OF GLOBAL CONNECTIVITY
Dates: February 6 - June 6
Where: Newport Art Museum
For this timely exhibition, guest curator and multimedia artist Brian C. O’Malley brings together the work of 7 artists with fresh and diverse perspectives exploring the theme of “breath” during the era of COVID with compelling video and sound art works.
DONNA FERRATO: SELECTIONS FROM "LIVING WITH THE ENEMY"
Dates: February 6 - June 6
Where: Newport Art Museum: Cushing Gallery
For over three decades documentary photographer Donna Ferrato has been advocating for survivors of domestic abuse and women’s rights. Ferrato found herself working with this issue by chance. In 1982, while staying with a family she was photographing for an assignment, Ferrato heard a commotion in the night. That evening Ferrato became witness to a moment, unfortunately not uncommon in the United States, in which a husband, Bength, hit his wife, Elisabeth. Instinctually, Ferrato took a picture knowing that Elisabeth’s story would likely not be taken seriously and also hoping that Bength would change his behavior in the presence of a witness. This encounter served as a catalyst for her career-long photographic work documenting women’s stories and the impacts of domestic abuse.
LIGHT AND PRESENCE: RICHARD BENSON'S "THE TOURP SYNAGOGUE"
Dates: March 3 - April 25
Where: Newport Art Museum: Wright Gallery
In his 1988 portfolio, “The Touro Synagogue,” Richard Benson does far more than simply document architecture. With his black and white photographs, Benson allows viewers to experience the intimacy of the site. Designed by architect Peter Harrison and completed in 1763, the Touro Synagogue is the oldest synagogue in the United States. The synagogue has survived the British occupation of Newport during the American Revolution and major shifts in Newport’s economic history, and early on its congregation participated in advocating for religious freedoms in the United States’ Bill of Rights. Benson’s photographs of this Newport landmark make the presence of the past felt.
