The Preservation Society of Newport County is rolling out a slate of fall programs that span Gilded Age architecture, Chinese tradition, art workshops and even outer space.
The season begins Sept. 25 with “A Closer Look at Richard Morris Hunt” (Thursday, Sept. 25, 6 p.m., Rosecliff & Zoom). Leslie Jones, the Society’s director of museum affairs, will explore how Hunt shaped not just Newport’s grand mansions but America’s cultural identity. The talk connects with the exhibition “Richard Morris Hunt: In a New Light,” open for viewing before and after the lecture.
On Oct. 6, families are invited to the Mid-Autumn Festival (Monday, Oct. 6, 5:30–7:30 p.m., Chinese Tea House & Marble House grounds). The program features a Lion Dance, tea ceremony, craftmaking and mooncakes to honor the 3,000-year-old tradition of celebrating togetherness.
Art lovers can join award-winning painter Bill Lane for a Plein Air Watercolor Painting Class (Thursday, Oct. 16, 9 a.m.–4 p.m., The Elms). Designed for intermediate and advanced artists, the workshop includes demonstrations, composition planning and an end-of-day critique.
That evening, Rosecliff will host “Mars and the Gilded Age Imagination” (Thursday, Oct. 16, 6 p.m., Rosecliff & Zoom). Journalist and author David Baron will examine how 19th-century Americans became captivated by claims of life on Mars, a fascination echoed in newspapers, theater and pulpits.
The @newport.mansions, which oversees 11 historic Newport properties — including seven National Historic Landmarks — is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the region’s architecture, landscapes, arts and social history.
For tickets and details, visit www.NewportMansions.org/events
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