Press Releases
The Eloquence of Place: Forty Years of the Newport Restoration Foundation
August 29, 2008 View more Press Releases
(Newport, RI) - Vision, dedication and drama mark the forty-year history of the Newport Restoration Foundation, founded by heiress Doris Duke in 1968 to protect Newport's Colonial architectural heritage. Today, the NRF maintains one of the largest collections of period architecture owned by a single organization anywhere in the country. A new exhibition opening at the Newport Art Museum traces the NRF's development and features photography, drawings, objects and maps sharing highlights from the collection of over 80 historic structures. "The Eloquence of Place: Forty Years of the Newport Restoration Foundation" runs September 13, 2008 through January 4, 2009. The Museum hosts a reception on Friday, October 3, 5 - 7 pm. Admission is free for Newport Art Museum members; $10 for non-members.
Heir to an $80 million fortune at the age of twelve, Doris Duke spent childhood summers in Newport and returned to the City by the Sea as an adult in the late 1950s. Concerned about the dire state of more than four hundred 18th century buildings in the community, she founded the Newport Restoration Foundation with the express purpose of restoring and preserving as many of these historic structures as possible.
Operating in a climate of demolition and rebuilding during its early days, the NRF has preserved 83 buildings since 1968, sometimes swooping in at the last minute to disassemble and move entire buildings only a few days before their scheduled demolition. Today, 71 historic homes remain properties of the NRF and are rented to private tenants who act as stewards of the property along with a dedicated crew of carpenters and painters.
Highlights of "The Eloquence of Place" include an exploded six-panel 18th-century door allowing detailed study as well as striking before and after images of numerous NRF houses. These are offered through a slideshow and a timeline running across several walls, showing the progress of the NRF in restoring various neighborhood houses juxtaposed against other events in Newport history.
In conjunction with the exhibition, the Newport Art Museum is hosting a number of special activities and events:
October 30 "40 Years of Transformation and Preservation: The History of the Newport Restoration Foundation and Preservation in Newport" ~ Lecture by
Pieter Roos, NRF Executive Director, and Robert Foley, NRF Director of Preservation ~ sponsored by NRF 5:30pm/Griswold House, Newport Art Museum
November 6 Panel Discussion ~ Preservation Past: Stories from NRF's Founding Staff ~ sponsored by NRF and the Newport Architectural Forum 5:30pm/Griswold House, Newport Art Museum
Photo Tours with Dan McManus (Registration required)
September 20 Almy-Cory House (Prescott Farm) ~ Cost: $60 for Newport Art Museum Members/$75 for Non-Nembers. Includes tour and admission.
October 4 Rough Point Mansion ~ Cost: $65 for Newport Art Museum
Members/$80 for Non-Members. Includes tour and admission.
For information on these special activities please call the Newport Art Museum at (401)848-8200 or visit www.NewportArtMuseum.org. To register for Photo Tours, call (401) 848-2787 or register online.
About the Newport Art Museum: The Newport Art Museum's collections and exhibitions focus on the visual artists of Newport and southeastern New England, reflecting both the rich heritage of the past and the lively art scene of the present. The Museum also offers art classes and camps, concerts, talks, trips, and special events throughout the year. The Newport Art Museum is fully accredited by the American Association of Museums and receives support from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts.
The Newport Art Museum is located at 76 Bellevue Avenue across from Touro Park in Newport, Rhode Island. Admission: $8 adults; $6 seniors; $5 Military and students with valid ID; Museum members and children under 5: no charge. By donation Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Hours: daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday noon to 4 p.m. (Hours extend to 5pm between Labor Day and Memorial Day.) Group tours: call (401) 848-2787. For more information call (401) 848-8200 or visit www.newportartmuseum.org.
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