Press Releases
Visit Special Exhibit at Doris Duke's Newport Mansion Rough Point for $5
April 30, 2010 View more Press Releases(Newport, RI) New for 2010! Doris Duke's Rough Point is offering admission to the special exhibit galleries for only $5. Beginning May 1, gallery hours will be offered weekly on Thursday and Saturday from 1:00-4:00 pm. Displayed in two galleries, the 2010 exhibit Doris Duke's Extraordinary Vision: Saving 18th Century Newport explores how her passion for preservation led to the rescue of more than 80 historic homes in Newport, Rhode Island. Gallery hours are offered through October.
Doris Duke gave $21.9 million to the Newport Restoration Foundation, the largest philanthropic gift she made to a single organization during her lifetime. Saving eighty-three historic properties was an undertaking on a scale and scope that has never been repeated. In addition to her tremendous financial contribution, Doris Duke took an engaged, hands-on approach to preservation. The exhibit shares the story of Newport's transformation through photographs, architectural drawings and neighborhood maps. Visitors see a colorful display of NRF's distinctive paint palette, including fifteen exterior paints and thirty interior hues, personally chosen by Doris Duke. A section of a house built by NRF's carpenters to show 18th construction techniques, along with a sample window and door, bring the story alive through three-dimensional displays.
For the third year, Rough Point is participating in Newport Gallery Night, a citywide event held the second Thursday of the month. Gallery Nights at Rough Point offer admission to the galleries along with a special program or event. Admission is $5 per person. Rough Point is open 5:00-7:30 pm on Gallery Nights. Lectures focused on NRF will be offered May through July. Lectures begin at 5:30 and last approximately 1 hour. For questions, call (401) 846-4152 or email Liz@newportrestoration.org. No reservations are required, but seating is limited.
May 13: A History of the NRF and Preservation in Newport
An illustrated lecture by NRF's Executive Director Pieter Roos and Director of Preservation Robert Foley explores the history of the organization, Doris Duke's role in Newport's transformation, and the impact of other preservation movements such as Operation Clapboard on Newport.
June 10: Paint and Painters
An evening of lectures and a display table examine the evolution of house paint over the past three centuries and share tips on painting a historic home. NRF's Director of Preservation Robert Foley provides an early history of house paint during the 18th to mid-19th century. Historic New England's Preservation Manager Sally Zimmerman discusses period paint styles from the mid-19th through 20th century. NRF's Paint Supervisor Brian McCarthy shares his expertise from 25 years of painting NRF's historic homes during a Q&A session and at a display table.
July 8: Blacksmithing for NRF: 40 Years of Architectural Hardware
An illustrated lecture by blacksmith Newton 'Tony' Millham, who creates hand wrought architectural hardware, shares his experience working with the NRF for over 40 years. A display table following the lecture includes examples of his work such as hinges and handles.
Doris Duke's Extraordinary Vision: Saving 18th Century Newport will be on exhibit until November 6, 2010. A visit to the exhibit is included with guided tours of the house which cost $25 for adults and are free for children 12 or younger. Guided tours are offered Thursday-Saturday from 10:00-2:00 through May 8. Between May 11 and November 6, tours are offered Tuesday-Saturday from 9:45-3:45.
Founded by Doris Duke in 1968, the Newport Restoration Foundation was charged with rescuing Newport's dilapidated homes, many of which were at risk of being demolished. Since its founding, it has restored or preserved 83 buildings. Today, NRF owns 80 historic structures with 68 lived in by individual tenant-stewards. NRF maintains the homes with a full time crew of carpenters and painters and even has its own mill for woodworking.
Rough Point was willed to the Newport Restoration Foundation by Doris Duke upon her death in 1993, complete with all of its contents. It was her express wish that it be opened to the public as a house museum. A non-profit museum and preservation organization, NRF was formed to preserve, interpret, and maintain landscape and objects reflecting Aquidneck Island's 18th and 19th century architectural culture.
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