The Newport Folk Festival unveiled the first act in its rolling 2026 lineup Thursday, announcing that Hayley Williams & Friends will perform on the opening day of the three-day event. Williams, the Paramore frontwoman, is set to take the stage Friday, July 24, at Fort Adams State Park, where the iconic festival will celebrate its […]
Arts & Culture
A look at What’s Up in arts and culture in Newport, Rhode Island, and beyond.
Posted inArts & Culture
Panel of R.I. preservation leaders to discuss ‘America 250 and Beyond’ at Rosecliff
Six of Rhode Island’s top preservation and history leaders will gather at Rosecliff on Thursday, Feb. 12, to explore how the nation’s semiquincentennial will shape commemorative activities, inclusive storytelling and preservation efforts across the Ocean State. “America 250 and Beyond: Perspectives from Preservation Leaders,” hosted by The Preservation Society of Newport County, will run from […]
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Save The Bay announces date for 50th annual swim across Narragansett Bay
Save The Bay will host its 50th annual swim on Saturday, Aug. 8, challenging hundreds of athletes to cross 2 miles of open water from Newport to Jamestown. The flagship fundraiser will begin at the Naval War College in Newport and finish in Potter Cove in Jamestown. Registration opens Monday, March 2. “Since 1977, The […]
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Standing at the CUSP of Newport’s Art Scene: Curtis Speer, CUSP Gallery, and the Newport Artists Collective
For 2026, on the advice of a wise mentor, I’m expanding the scope of my WUN Voices column from exclusively spotlighting women-led organizations’ “Voices” to include the Voices of all Rhode Islanders doing ground-breaking work that is making an outsized impact in the smallest state.” Enter Curtis Speer I recall sitting at a Greater Newport […]
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Tiverton Public Library selected to host Declaration of Independence replica
Tiverton Public Library has been selected as one of only six locations nationwide to host a replica of the Declaration of Independence, officials announced Thursday. The library will display a replica of the 1823 William J. Stone engraving of the Declaration of Independence from Feb. 19 through July 7 as part of the “Creative Freedom” […]
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newportFILM to host special screening of ‘The Bend in the River’ with director Robb Moss
newportFILM and the Jamestown Arts Center will host a special screening of “The Bend in the River” on Thursday, Feb. 5, featuring a post-film conversation with director Robb Moss. The documentary chronicles five close friends over nearly 50 years. Beginning in 1978, Moss documents his friends’ outdoor, rent-free life during a rafting trip through the […]
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Aquidneck Island Land Trust announces student art and writing contest winners
The Aquidneck Island Land Trust has announced 29 student winners in its 2025 Art & Writing Contest, an annual competition that promotes the importance and value of conserving open spaces. Students at Aquidneck Island schools and those who reside on the island were invited to enter artwork or written work depicting their favorite local vista. […]
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Verona Quartet to make Newport Classical debut on Feb. 20
The Verona Quartet will perform at the Newport Classical Recital Hall on Friday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m. as part of the organization’s 2025-2026 Chamber Series. The concert marks the ensemble’s Newport Classical debut. The program will trace a stylistic arc beginning with Scarlatti’s Baroque sonata and Augusta Read Thomas’s “Clara’s Ascent,” followed by Janáček’s Kreutzer […]
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Van Beuren Charitable Foundation awards grant to Newport Children’s Theatre for costume expansion
Newport Children’s Theatre has received a grant from the van Beuren Charitable Foundation to purchase professional theatrical costumes and expand its inventory of period and specialty pieces. The grant will allow the nonprofit youth theater organization to stage productions featuring up to five costume changes per performer, according to a news release from the organization. […]
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Jamestown Arts Center exhibition celebrates early childhood creativity through play
Jamestown Arts Center will dedicate its winter galleries to an exhibition exploring how young children learn and create through play. “Picturing Play: Playful Learning in Early Childhood” runs Jan. 31 through March 28 at the arts center, located at 18 Valley Street. The exhibition, organized in collaboration with the Rhode Island Art Education Association, features […]
Posted inRhode Island
House of Waves brings ‘Situations’ to The JPT for a one-night Newport screening
This Friday night, Newport audiences are invited to gather for a special one-night screening of Situations, presented by House of Waves at the iconic Jane Pickens Theatre. The film marks the feature directorial debut of actor-turned-filmmaker Greg Vrotsos, who also co-wrote and stars in the project. Doors open at 6:00 PM, with the film beginning […]
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Caught off guard: Involuntary discharge and why it belongs in your aging plan
Recently, I was working with The Edward King House Senior Center, The Senior Agenda Coalition of Rhode Island (SACRI) and Age-Friendly Rhode Island to bring an invitation-only screening of the film Involuntary and a panel discussion to Newport. While this screening has been postponed, one thing became clear to me: many people don’t know what […]
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Salve Regina dance program to present ‘Soul Traffic’ at the Casino Theatre
Salve Regina University’s dance program will present “Soul Traffic” at the Casino Theatre Feb. 5-7. Directed by Lindsay Guarino, chair of Salve’s Department of Music, Theatre and Dance, the performance explores how the soul finds its way through chaos toward connection, revealing the inner intersections where emotion, memory and identity collide. The program features guest […]
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Jane Pickens Theater announces three spring concerts, opens Oscar-nominated ‘Hamnet’ this weekend
The Jane Pickens Theater is kicking off a busy stretch of programming with the opening of the eight-time Oscar-nominated film “Hamnet” today and the announcement of three live concerts coming to the historic venue this spring. The theater’s latest concert lineup features Newport-based folk trio Princess June on March 5, traditional Irish ensemble Turas with […]
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DeBlois Gallery to host 2026 Aquidneck Island high school art show in memory of Rosemary Day
DeBlois Gallery will present the 2026 Annual Aquidneck Island High School Art Show in Memory of Rosemary Day from Feb. 12-22, celebrating the artistic talents of local high school students. The show opens with a gala reception on Thursday, Feb. 12, from 4-7 p.m., with awards presented at 5:30 p.m. The exhibition will remain on […]
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Rhode Island may ditch Mr. Potato Head license plates after Hasbro’s move to Boston
By KIMBERLEE KRUESI Associated Press PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — It’s been no small potatoes that Rhode Islanders have been able to choose the image of Mr. Potato Head as a specialty license plate for decades. Yet with Hasbro’s decision to move its headquarters from the smallest state in the U.S. to Boston, two lawmakers say it’s time to hash […]
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Theatre Review: ‘Suffs’ is a standing ovation-worthy triumph at PPAC
It’s hard to believe, but women didn’t have the right to vote in American elections until 1920. And it took a movement of determined women to win that right. That’s the focus for “Suffs,” now on stage at the Providence Performing Arts Center. Suffs is short for suffragists, the women leading the movement to win […]
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Newport Folk Festival tickets go on sale Feb. 4
Mark your calendars, folk fans. Tickets for the 2026 Newport Folk Festival will go on sale Wednesday, Feb. 4, at 1 p.m. EST, the Newport Festivals Foundation announced. The three-day festival returns to Fort Adams State Park from July 24-26, bringing music lovers back to the scenic waterfront venue overlooking Newport Harbor. All tickets will […]
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Silent cinema returns to The JPT with live musical accompaniment
The Jane Pickens Theater & Event Center will host two classic silent films with live musical scores this winter, offering audiences a chance to experience cinema as it was nearly a century ago. Accompanist Jeff Rapsis will perform live improvised synth-piano scores for both screenings: Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis” on Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. and […]
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The British Invasion Years concert coming to The JPT in April
A tribute concert celebrating the iconic music of the 1960s British Invasion era is headed to Newport this spring. Spectacle Live will present “The British Invasion Years — A ’60s Musical Revolution” on Sunday, April 26, at 7 p.m. at the JPT Film & Event Center. Tickets go on sale Friday, Jan. 23, at 10 […]
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‘Marty Supreme’ wraps up this week at The JPT as ‘Hamnet,’ special events line the calendar
The JPT Film + Event Center has a packed schedule over the coming weeks, with the final showings of the critically acclaimed “Marty Supreme,” the opening of Academy Award-winning director Chloé Zhao’s latest film and a lineup of special events. Now playing: ‘Marty Supreme’ “Marty Supreme,” directed by Josh Safdie, stars Timothée Chalamet as Marty […]
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Review: ‘Clue’ delivers exactly what we need right now
You know Clue. You played Clue in your youth – the murder mystery board game. You may have seen the movie from 1985, starring Madeline Kahn and Christopher Lloyd, among others. And now, you can see “Clue,” live on stage at PPAC. I must admit, I went in with reservations, What could this 75-minute, intermission-free […]
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Newport String Quartet brings music from around the world to Jamestown and Newport
The Newport String Project will present the third weekend of its Newport County Concert Series on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 3 p.m. at Jamestown Arts Center and Sunday, Feb. 8, at 3 p.m. at Trinity Church’s Honyman Hall in Newport. The concerts will feature the project’s resident ensemble, the Newport String Quartet — Ealaín McMullin […]