Newport Classical will wrap its 2025-2026 Chamber Series with two concerts at the Newport Classical Recital Hall, beginning with a solo recital by pianist James Zijian Wei on Friday, May 8, and closing with a flute-and-piano program by Amir Hoshang Farsi and Mika Sasaki on Friday, June 5. Both concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. at the […]
Arts & Culture
A look at What’s Up in arts and culture in Newport, Rhode Island, and beyond.
Posted inColumns
Gerry Goldstein: These ‘smiths’ worked the forge of language
Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths, Enwrought with gold and silver light… I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams: I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. That poem,which so touchingly captures the vulnerability of love, is by […]
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Jamestown Arts Center to host third annual Mark S. Weil lecture on Gauguin’s influence
The Jamestown Arts Center will host the third annual Mark S. Weil Art History Lecture on Sunday, May 3, featuring art historian Elizabeth C. Childs of Washington University in St. Louis. The lecture, titled “Why Gauguin Matters: Artistic Response from Matisse to Global Contemporary Art,” will run from 4 to 6 p.m. at the arts […]
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Tom Petty tribute band The Breakers to play Newport’s JPT in October
The Breakers, a tribute band devoted to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, will perform at the JPT Film & Event Center in Newport on Friday, Oct. 9, at 8 p.m. The show, presented by Spectacle Live, will be held at the historic Washington Square venue, formerly the Jane Pickens Theater. Tickets go on sale Friday, […]
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Newport Contemporary Ballet to premiere ‘The Tempest’ in Providence next month
Newport Contemporary Ballet will stage the world premiere of choreographer Joshua L. Peugh’s adaptation of “The Tempest” at the WaterFire Arts Center in Providence on May 14, 15 and 16. All three performances begin at 8 p.m. General admission tickets are $48. Peugh’s ballet adapts Shakespeare’s late comedy, which centers on the exiled magician Prospero, […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
NIMFest returns to Newport’s King Park Gazebo with free Sunday concerts in July and August
The Newport Independent Music Festival is back for another summer of free waterfront concerts, with eight Sunday afternoon shows on tap at the King Park Gazebo in July and August. Better known as NIMFest, the series will run from 3 to 6 p.m. each Sunday, weather permitting, at the gazebo at 125 Wellington Ave. The […]
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Joanne Shaw Taylor to play Newport’s JPT Film & Event Center in July
Blues-rock guitarist and vocalist Joanne Shaw Taylor will take the stage at The JPT Film & Event Center this summer, Spectacle Live announced Monday. “An Evening With Joanne Shaw Taylor” is set for Thursday, July 9, at 7:30 p.m. at the historic Washington Square venue. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 1, at 10 a.m. […]
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Quononoquott Garden Club’s annual plant sale returns to Jamestown May 9
One of Jamestown’s most beloved springtime traditions returns next month, as the Quononoquott Garden Club hosts its annual Plant Sale on Saturday, May 9. The sale will run from 9 a.m. to noon at the Fort Getty Pavilion on Fort Getty Road and will be held rain or shine, according to the club. Shoppers can […]
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A Newport heiress’s gift to nature endures at Norman Bird Sanctuary
The Ocean State is rich with natural treasures, and many would agree that Aquidneck Island is one of its crown jewels. Among its brightest gems is the teardrop-shaped Norman Bird Sanctuary, which has welcomed residents and visitors of all ages for nearly a century. A Modern-Day Natural Gem Formed Over Millennia According to the organization’s […]
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Jane Pickens Theater adds encore ‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ premiere party after first night sells out
After tickets to its original premiere party sold out in record time, the Jane Pickens Theater: Film & Event Center has added an encore community celebration for “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” giving Newport audiences another chance to see one of the year’s most anticipated sequels. The Friday, May 1 event is designed as a […]
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Newport Historical Society to host Revolutionary-era concert at Colony House
Newport’s yearlong commemoration of the 250th anniversary of American independence continues next week with a live concert of music from the Revolutionary era at one of the city’s most historic buildings. The Newport Historical Society will host music historians David and Ginger Hildebrand on Friday, May 1, at 6 p.m. at The Colony House, the […]
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Theatre By The Sea swaps out ‘On Your Feet!’ for world premiere Carole King-James Taylor tribute
Theatre By The Sea will host the world premiere of a new Carole King and James Taylor tribute concert this summer, replacing the previously announced production of “On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan” on its 2026 season. Owner Bill Hanney announced the change Tuesday, calling it an opportunity he could not […]
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Movement meets medicine: ‘Dance for All People’ documentary to screen at Newport Art Museum
A 12-minute documentary that captures the inside story of an intergenerational dance program uniting Rhode Island seniors, Brown University undergraduates and future physicians will screen next month at the Newport Art Museum, giving audiences a close-up look at how movement is being woven into medical education. “Dance for All People — A Movement and Medicine […]
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Puddingstone Music launches ‘Jazz at The Redwood’ series with Paul Cornish concert May 27
Puddingstone Music is expanding its salon series with a new jazz-focused partnership at the Redwood Library and Athenaeum, launching with a May 27 concert featuring Blue Note Records pianist Paul Cornish. Dubbed “Jazz at The Redwood,” the series will present both up-and-coming and internationally known jazz artists in the library’s intimate Harrison Room. The collaboration […]
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Newport Jazz Festival to unveil 2026 lineup Tuesday, tickets on sale same day
The Newport Jazz Festival will unveil its 2026 lineup on Tuesday, April 21, with tickets going on sale the same afternoon for what will be the first festival under newly appointed Artistic Director Nate Smith. The festival returns to Fort Adams State Park on July 31, Aug. 1 and Aug. 2, marking its 72nd year […]
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“The Gilded Age” returns to Newport for season 4 filming
HBO’s “The Gilded Age” is returning to Newport to film its fourth season, the Rhode Island Film & TV Office announced Thursday. The Emmy-winning drama, created by Lord Julian Fellowes of “Downton Abbey” fame, is set in 1880s New York City and Newport. Season four will feature returning stars Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, […]
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Fort Adams offers free guided tours for kids during April school vacation week
Families looking for something to do during April school vacation week have a free option at one of Newport’s most storied landmarks. The Fort Adams Trust is offering free guided tours for children under 17 at Fort Adams from April 18-26, the trust announced Thursday. The promotion applies exclusively to guided tours, and children must […]
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Newport Art Museum hosts artist panel tied to ‘Springboard’ exhibition April 16
The Newport Art Museum will host the second installment of its two-part InConversation panel series on April 16 at 5:30 p.m. in the Ilgenfritz Gallery, bringing together four artists from its current Members’ Juried Exhibition Springboard for a wide-ranging moderated discussion. Voices of Springboard will be led by Julie Keyes, the show’s juror and founder of Keyes Art, a global art […]
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Newport NewWorks announces lineup for second annual musical theater festival
The Newport NewWorks Musical Theater Festival has announced its 2026 lineup, bringing three original musicals to Newport this summer as the two-year-old festival continues to build the city’s reputation as a destination for new theatrical work. Co-founders and co-artistic directors Peilin Chou and Jeanne Hagerty announced Tuesday that this year’s festival, set for Aug. 2-16, […]
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Rhode Island marks America’s 250th with veterans flights, liberty trees, WaterFire and more
As the nation prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence this July 4, Secretary of State Gregg Amore and the Rhode Island Semiquincentennial Commission are inviting the public to take part in a year’s worth of events celebrating the state’s unique role in the American Revolution. The calendar […]
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Island Rhodes Music Festival to debut at Centreville Bank Stadium in August
A new music festival is coming to Rhode Island this summer, with Centreville Bank Stadium set to host the inaugural Island Rhodes Music Festival on Aug. 15-16. The two-day event will be the first-ever concert festival at the Pawtucket waterfront venue, which sits on the banks of the Seekonk River. Headliners include Sublime, Slightly Stoopid, […]
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Newport String Quartet to perform Bach, Glass and Schumann at Rough Point and Little Compton
The Newport String Project will present the fourth installment of its Newport County Concert Series on Saturday, May 2, at Rough Point in Newport and Sunday, May 3, at United Congregational Church in Little Compton. Both performances feature the project’s resident ensemble, the Newport String Quartet — violinists Ealaín McMullin and Kenneth Trotter, violist Florrie […]
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Jamestown a cappella ensemble Accidental Sisters makes its Newport debut at Channing Memorial Church on May 10
Accidental Sisters, a women’s world music a cappella ensemble based in Jamestown, will make its Newport debut at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 10 at Channing Memorial Church, 135 Pelham St. The concert, titled “About Time,” runs through 5:30 p.m. and is free by donation. Founded in September 2009 and directed by Julie Beth Andrews, the […]