Winter Speaker Series: Nick Benson
January 24, 2026 2:00 pm In person at the Museum and virtually on Vimeo
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Nick Benson, Third Generation Stone Carver and Owner of The John Stephens Shop
About the Speaker:
Nicholas Benson is the owner of the John Stevens Shop in Newport, Rhode Island. Founded in 1705, the shop specializes in the design and carving of lettering in stone. He attended the School of Design in Basel, Switzerland in 1985 for an intensive foundation study of calligraphy and letter form design. In 1993 the took over ownership and management of the Stevens Shop. His work includes the design and carving of inscriptions on many national civic memorials, including the National World War II Memorial, the National Martin Luther King, JR. Memorial and the National Eisenhower Memorial. He has also designed and carved inscriptions for many notable Universities, including Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Brown and Dartmouth, as well as private commissions for prominent Institutions and private families. In 2007 Benson received the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship. In 2010 Benson was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship. He lives in Jamestown, RI with his wife Alix and their children, Hope and Henry.
A Message from Darrell West
About the Winter Speaker Series:
The Winter Speaker Series has been a cornerstone of the Newport Art Museum’s annual programming since 1928. Each year, the Winter Speaker Series Committee and Museum staff curate this series to reflect the ideas of our times and to educate, illuminate, delight, and inspire.
Join us for these in-person and live-streamed thought-provoking talks, accessible to you wherever you happen to be! All Lectures will be recorded for later viewing by in-person and virtual subscribers and ticket holders.
Each lecture will be followed by audience Q&A, and continued conversation in the galleries over hot tea, coffee, light fare, and desserts.
Together, we can positively impact our creative community. We sincerely thank the following sponsors for their partnership and support.
WINTER SPEAKER SERIES CORPORATE SPONSORS
Gold:
Bronze Sponsor
WINTER SPEAKER SERIES INDIVIDUAL SPONSORS
The Lockett Ford Ballard, Jr. Family
Johanna Becker
Angela Fischer
Mary M. Jennings Fund
Kathleen & Joseph Gallichio
Santiago & Maureen Neville
Edwina Sebest
Cynthia Sinclair
In-Kind Sponsors
Winter Speaker Series Committee
Johanna Becker, Chair
Eleanor Doumato
Joseph Gallichio
Susan Kieronski
Santiago Neville
Susan Pasquarelli
Thomas Palmer
Emilia Sywolski
Contact Susan Hanley, Director of Advancement, at 631-599-1950 (shanley@newportartmuseum.org) for more information on sponsoring the Winter Speaker Series.
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
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