As Newport County graciously thaws from an icy winter, the Museum is looking forward to hosting an artistically busy summer for residents and visitors alike!
On June 4, the Museum will host a free Community Day called Quilting Generations Together celebrating family in all its forms with a giant quilt-making project, collaborative weaving, workshops and storytelling. Adults and children who attend will get to see their work on display at the Museum as their individual contributions will be united to form one grand quilt. Wishing Weaving, another collaborative venture of the day, will invite patrons to decorate a strip of fabric that will symbolize wishes for the future of our community.
Individuals with a love for reading and learning will not want to miss this month’s meeting of “Museum Reads,” the Museum’s art-themed book group for adults. On May 19, the group will discuss “A Black Gaze: Artists Changing How We See” by Tina Campt, which examines Black contemporary artists who are shifting the very nature of our interactions with the visual through their creation and curation of a distinctively Black gaze. The discussion will take place at the Museum as well as live on Zoom.
The Newport Biennial will soon come to a close, so be sure to visit before May 29, and join the Award Winners’ Artist Talk featuring Natasha Harrison and Chil Mott on May 26. This informal discussion will take place in the Cushing Gallery and will be a perfect opportunity to enjoy a final look at the exhibition during its last days.
The Museum School is offering summer classes, workshops and camps to help artists of all ages sharpen their skills. Adult painters are invited to join David Barnes’ Landscape Painting class on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. For a more condensed learning experience, try Bill Lane’s Plein Air Painting Day on Aug. 9. Be sure to pack a lunch and enjoy the sunshine!
Amateur and expert arrangers alike are invited to Newport Flower Night on June 16. Floral designer and instructor Chelsey Barton-Karnes, owner of Thistle & Posy, will guide students through the process of arranging freshly cut flowers in a vase arrangement. Have fun while learning the techniques, tools and care for your flowers!
Keeping kids busy and engaged while they are out of school can be difficult, so the Museum is offering a wide array of week-long Summer Camps that are sure to please kiddos of all interests. Camps in fiber arts, weaving, clay, fashion, painting, cartooning and printmaking – to name a few – are sure to be a messy, fun time.
Teen potters ages 13-16 are invited to learn to use the throwing wheel and create something functional with their own hands. For younger artists, Exploring Sculpture, Hooray for Puppetry and Painting Outdoors are just a few of the many camps happening at the Museum School.
For a full schedule of events, classes, camps, and more information, please visit newportartmuseum.org or stop by 76 Bellevue Avenue, Newport.
Newport Art Museum continues to adhere to all State of Rhode Island COVID-19 guidelines and current regulations, and welcomes one and all to safely enjoy a trip through its galleries and outdoor spaces.
“At the Museum,” provided by the Newport Art Museum, appears each month in The Daily News and online at newportri.com. For more information, call 401-848-8200.
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Newport Art Museum summer programs including painting, flowers, quilts
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