A new exhibition at Rosecliff will mark the 250th anniversary of the United States by taking a fresh perspective on the American Revolution and how it has been remembered and understood over the centuries.
“Revolution Reimagined: Evolving Stories from Newport’s Past” opens June 26 and runs through Nov. 1. The exhibition focuses on Newport, where Loyalists and Patriots clashed, the British imposed a destructive occupation, the French arrived with a naval fleet and the French-American march to Yorktown began. It explores how Newporters experienced the upheaval of the Revolution and how later artists, writers and community organizers from the city shaped the understanding of the war in innovative, often radical ways.
“‘Revolution Reimagined’ will look at the Revolution’s impact on people of all backgrounds and all stations in life,” said Trudy Coxe, CEO and executive director of The Preservation Society of Newport County, which is organizing and hosting the exhibition. “We’ll also show how the narrative of our country’s founding evolved over the following centuries.”
The exhibition is curated by Dr. Nicole Williams, the Preservation Society’s curator of collections, in a collaborative effort involving scholars, artists, descendants, culture bearers and community members. Contemporary works by artists including Dawn Spears, of Narragansett and Choctaw heritage, Veronica Mays and Michelle Erickson will reflect the enduring importance of Newport’s Revolutionary era during the semiquincentennial year. Artworks and other objects are on loan from multiple institutions and collections.
“Revolution Reimagined” is included with admission to Rosecliff. More information is available at newportmansions.org/events/revolution-reimagined.
The Preservation Society of Newport County is a nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and dedicated to preserving and interpreting the area’s historic architecture, landscapes, decorative arts and social history. Its 11 historic properties, seven of them National Historic Landmarks, span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development.
