The following was written by Newport Art Museum.
The Newport Art Museum looks forward to the upcoming year of its art-themed book club, Read/Eat/Chat. All are welcome to bring a lunch and discuss the book selection at each monthly meeting. Read/Eat/Chat winter meetings will take place at 12pm on January 16, February 20 & March 19, 2020 in the Newport Art Museum’s historic John N. A. Griswold House located at 76 Bellevue Avenue, Newport. Attending Read/Eat/Chat is free for Museum members and $5 for non-members.
On January 16, guests will discuss Murder at Crossways (A Gilded Newport Mystery) by Alyssa Maxwell. In the late 19th century, Newport, RI, is home to some of America’s wealthiest citizens. It’s also the beat of society reporter Emma Cross, a less well-heeled cousin to the illustrious Vanderbilts, who occasionally moonlights in solving murders. This is a fictional mystery with a good amount of historical detail, showcasing Mamie Fish and her extravagant Harvest Festival at the lovely neocolonial mansion, Crossways. Special this month: Maxwell has graciously offered to join this meeting of Read/Eat/Chat via Skype to discuss her book.
The February 20 meeting of Read/Eat/Chat will cover Standing in the Sun: A Life of J.M.W. Turner by Anthony Bailey. This book explores the life of J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851), Britain’s most mysterious painter, whose range of work encompasses seascapes and landscapes, executed in both immensely powerful oil paintings and intimate watercolors.
On March 19, guests will discuss Thomas Cole: The Artist as Architect by Annette Blaugrund. At the height of his career as the leader of the Hudson River School of American landscape painting, Thomas Cole listed himself in the New York City Directory as an architect. Why would this renowned painter, who had never before designed a building, advertise himself as such? This book gives us an analysis of his architectural endeavors and their impact on his painting, thus expanding our understanding of the breadth of his talents and interests.
More information about Read/Eat/Chat, as well as other Museum programs, is available at newportartmuseum.org.