Tucked in the heart of Newport, a special place hides from the public, yet is visible to those curious wandering individuals. The Newport Art Museum is not simply a place where art sits waiting to be seen by visitors; it is a place where human connection transcends canvas and time. Motivated by the belief that art should create a welcoming space for everyone, the Museum offers showcases and programs that invite conversation, challenge perspective, and foster community engagement. Through immersive installations, inclusive programming, and a vibrant calendar of events, the museum reflects a modern mission grounded in emotional resonance and creative exploration.
“We want the museum to feel like there is something for everyone,” says the museum’s artistic director, Danielle Ogden. That sentiment holds its truth the moment you step through the doors and walk down the hallways decorated with a diverse set of artistic interpretations.
Do not expect your day at the museum to be a typical visit. Newport Art Museum introduces work that engages visitors on multiple levels. The galleries become a place of reflection and perception rather than silent observation.
As Ogden said, “We are not your typical museum where you experience your artview in a white cube gallery setting.” Once you cross those doors, you are entering the spaces the artists designed for you to enjoy your experience.
This museum’s current exhibition schedule for the next few months makes this quite clear. However, Everything is Change, by the late Providence-based artist, Bobby Anspach, is worth mentioning to convince you that this is a place where humanity is felt. It being Anspach’s first solo museum exhibition, it consists of interactive light sculptures, soundscapes, and text-based installations that compel visitors to move, question, and, most importantly, feel. For Anspach, art was a vessel used for healing, growing, and connecting with others.
“Bobby was trying to change the world,” Interim Executive Director Ruth Taylor states. “He was trying to change how we think about things and other kinds of art. It is kind of amazing.” Anspach’s exhibition does so much more than just commemorate the artist; it is an embodiment of the museum’s commitment to creating a space where dialogue can transcend the concept of space and time.
You can find Anspach’s exhibition on display until September 28. Additionally, the museum will continue exploring the connections between art, sound, and psychology. On August 1, the museum will host a Sound Collage Experience with Eluvium, a multi-sensory event that encourages guests to experience art in ways that exceed the visual. Lastly, on September 10, Dr. Stephanie Hartselle will lead a conversation about psychedelics, neuroscience, and human perception, connecting artistic expression with clinical knowledge.
In addition to Bobby Anspach, the museum’s current season introduces a wide selection of exhibitions that address emotion, legacy, and the human condition from a range of perspectives. Sean Landers: Lost at Sea, on display until December 29, offers a number of striking paintings that close the gap between fiction and reality. Inspired by Herman Melville’s iconic sea creature, Moby Dick, Lost at Sea creates visual discourse on what it means to be physically and emotionally lost at sea. The beauty behind this conversation is seeing how Sean Landers, a contemporary artist, connects with 19th-century illustrator and painter Winslow Homer.
Through a Collector’s Lens: Iconic Photography from the Christopher Highland Collection shows a detailed study of modern photography. It captures the ordinary and turns it into something timeless and ethereal by featuring icons like Sally Mann, Edward Weston, Henry Cartier-Bresson, and more. In relation to Lander’s exhibition, Danielle Ogden shares, “there are extraordinary intersections between learning about rural America through Christopher Highland’s work, or the Moby Dick whale and literature.” You can find this show displayed until September 8.
The last exhibition of the season, Howard Gardiner Cushing: A Harmony of Line and Color, will continue until December 31, 2025. Cushing presents a sophisticated and bold perspective on American art during the early years of modernism. As a whole, these exhibits not only communicate with one another through the physical and mental mind, but they also function as individuals to evoke feelings.
These events are only a small portion of a larger initiative to broaden the museum’s reach across generations and cultural borders. The Newport Art Museum creates a vibrant atmosphere that promotes curiosity and development via everything from panels to workshops.
Aside from fostering human connection, they work overtime making education a core value of their mission. Thus, they offer year-round programming, including adult classes, drop-in sessions, and an exciting summer art camp. Danielle Ogden offers more insight in regards to the summer camp. “We have 37 summer camps that run from June through August. They are vibrant and process-based.” Students are broken up into teams, and they experience the artwork on view with the museum guides, then go back to school inspired to create.
It does not matter if you carry the title of art enthusiast, devoted collector, or anything in between. If you are someone who looks for humanity in small artifacts or large-scale canvases, you are walking into the right place. Art is a transformative discipline and a strong tool used to process emotions that can be hard to put into words. “These exhibits are a really good example of what the art museum is all about, and they are a perfect way to talk about the museum’s mission and how it thinks about its audiences and artists,” says Ruth Taylor. The hallways invite you to stay and sit down with your friend, family member, significant other, or even a stranger to just talk. Allow yourself to interact with the space and let it show you what you have not been able to put into words. In the end, the whole point is not to understand but rather to feel something.
Check out their website, newportartmuseum.com for more information.