Preservation Society symposium for 50th Anniversary of “Monumenta” scupture exhibition

Photos courtesy William and Gael Crimmins. Photo, top: Windtotem by David Smith at The Elms.

On August 17 in 1974, the opening of a groundbreaking exhibition called Monumenta showcased 54 outdoor sculptures across the Newport landscape by 40 artists, including Willem de Kooning, Louise Nevelson, Henry Moore, Barnett Newman, Richard Fleischner, David Smith and Christo.

In celebration of this pioneering event, The Preservation Society of Newport County will host a symposium at Rosecliff on Saturday, August 17, the 50^th anniversary of the symposium “Sculpture in the Environment” that opened Monumenta in 1974. 

Original Monumenta organizers Hugh Davies – Director Emeritus of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego – and Nancy Rosen – founder of Nancy Rosen, Incorporated – will be joined by author Jonathan Lippincott and Art&Newport founder Dodie Kazanjian for a panel discussion moderated by Ron Onorato, Emeritus Professor of Art and Architectural History at the University of Rhode Island. The panelists will delve into the origins of Monumenta and how its legacy persists across the globe.

“Monumenta was a milestone cultural happening for the city of Newport and the state of Rhode Island that has somehow been largely forgotten,” said Preservation Society CEO Trudy Coxe, noting that 29 of the sculptures were located at The Elms and Chateau-sur-Mer. “With this celebration in August, we hope to remind some and introduce others to an incredibly iNFLuential event that continues to inspire.”

Among the first large-scale outdoor sculpture exhibitions in the world, Monumenta engaged locals and visitors alike, challenging viewers to reconsider the experience of private and public spaces temporarily transformed through artistic intervention. The result is a decades-long legacy of shaping how the public interacts with outdoor contemporary art. 

Spearheaded by Newport residents William and Gael Crimmins, and further championed by Preservation Society co-founder and President Katherine Warren, Monumenta was directed by acclaimed art historian Sam Hunter and a team of his graduate students from Princeton University, including Davies, Rosen and Sally Yard. 

Monumenta’s legacy and inspiration can be seen today at places like Storm King Art Center in New Windsor, N.Y, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, Mass., and Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens, N.Y.

More information and details on how to register will soon be available at www.NewportMansions.org 

About The Preservation Society of Newport County

The Preservation Society of Newport County, Rhode Island, is a nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It is 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.