The Newport Symposium was initiated in 1993 as a forum for the study and discussion of a diverse range of arts and historical issues. The audience consists of academics, collectors, major donors to and trustees of museums and arts foundations, museum directors and curators, and professional furniture appraisers and art dealers.
Sponsored in part by:
National Trust Insurance Services
US Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management
Christie's
Masterpiece
Monday, April 30 to Wednesday, May 2, 2012
What makes a work of art a masterpiece? What painting, chair, interior, ceramic, or dress is the finest in the world? The 20th annual Newport Symposium celebrates two decades of looking at art, architecture, decorative arts and landscape design, and debating their significance. The lecturers will examine and challenge the status of iconic works of art and design through the ages. Prepare for brilliant images of great buildings, interiors, furniture, and textiles, and lively discussion of the social and cultural history behind these opulent objects.
The 2012 Newport Symposium will be headquartered at The Hotel Viking at One Bellevue Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island. Morning lectures and lunches will take place at The Hotel Viking. Afternoon lectures, tours, receptions, and dinners will be held in various historic buildings in Newport.
Speakers include:
Morrison H. Heckscher, Lawrence A. Fleischman Chairman of the American Wing, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Philip K. Hu, Associate Curator of Asian Art, Saint Louis Art Museum
Brock Jobe, Professor of American Decorative Arts, Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library
Bertrand du Vignaud, President, World Monuments Fund Europe
Dame Rosalind Savill, Curator Emerita, The Wallace Collection, London, England
Click here to see the preliminary Symposium program.
Registration is $500 for Preservation Society members, $550 for non-members.
Register online, or contact Patricia Peterson, 401.847.1000 ext. 154 or email: ppeterson@newportmansions.org.
Scholarship Application Information:
The Newport Symposium Scholarship Fund has been established to assist museum professionals and graduate students interested in attending the Symposium. Scholarships are $500 and cover the cost of attending all lectures and Symposium events.
To apply:
Provide a letter of interest (1 page maximum) stating your professional or academic status and the reasons why attendance at the Symposium would benefit your work. Please include two academic or professional letters of recommendation.
Arts and Humanities Professionals
A limited number of Symposium admissions are available free of charge for arts and humanities professionals. To apply, submit a letter of interest indicating your professional interests, affiliations, and how the Symposium would benefit your work.
Direct all letters to:
Caitlin Emery
Museum Programs Coordinator
The Preservation Society of Newport County
424 Bellevue Avenue
Newport, RI 02840
Or E-mail:
cemery@newportmansions.org
Letters are due by Friday, March 16, 2012
Notifications of scholarships will be made by Monday, April 2, 2012