Newport Art Museum Summer Art Party
Honoring Minnie Cushing Coleman
July 11, 2025 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm Newport Art museum
IF YOU ARE ATTENDING:
It looks like the weather will cooperate, so we are thrilled. We look forward to seeing all of you tonight for this special event!
Arrival
Arrive at the party at 6PM for valet & check in on Bellevue Avenue not at Griswold as it has been in years past. (The original entrance to the Cushing Building.)
Time
Party runs from 6PM – 11PM.
Cocktails 6PM – 7:30PM
Dinner 7:30PM
Dancing 9PM
Check In
You will check in outside the Cushing Building Walkway
Valet
Valet Service is provided.
Departure
Upon leaving, you will get your car from the valet at the front
of the Griswold House on Old Beach Road.
The countdown to the Newport Art Museum’s Summer Art Party, honoring Minnie Cushing Coleman, has begun — and so has the bidding!
Our Silent Auction is now live, and you’re invited to start bidding on an exciting array of offerings, from stunning artworks to exclusive dining experiences and unique lifestyle packages. Every dollar raised supports the Museum’s exhibitions, educational programs, and community outreach. Silent Auction bidding concludes July 18th at midnight.
You can also preview our upcoming Live Auction items, which will be featured during the Summer Art Party.
Whether you’re bidding from afar or preparing for the big night, now’s the perfect time to explore everything we have in store.
Live Auction Items
A Luxury Art Lovers Resort Style Inn Shelter Island 3 Day Stay/2 People
Available Tuesday, September 2, 2025 – Thursday, January 1st 2026.
Donated by: Beth Swanstrom, Owner, Seven
Fair Market Value: $1,800. Minimum Bid: TBD
NYC Macy’s Day Viewing Party for 2 on Parade Route
|Thursday, November 27th, 2025
Donated by: Elizabeth & William Kahane
Fair Market Value: Priceless.
Minimum Bid $2,500 (Travel expenses/parking not included)
Vacation for 2 on Martha’s Vineyard at Harbor View Hotel
Donated by: Bernard Chiu and Jean Wong
Fair Market Value: $2,800
Minimum Bid: TBD (Some weekend restrictions apply)
Sunset Cocktail Cruise for 6 on a Luxury Motor Yacht
Donated by: Ellie and David Voorhes
Fair Market Value: $2,500
Minimum Bid: TBD
Kimberly Pucci Culinary Retreat for 2 in Tuscany
Available November 1, 2025 – April 15, 2026
Fair Market Value: $5,000
Minimum Bid: TBD
Silent Auction
Register and Bid at GiveSmart:
1. “Island Princess” By Anthony Quinn
Donated by Katherine Quinn
Limited Edition Serigraph
1988 Signed and Numbered
Unframed 36 1/4″ x 29 1/2″
Edition # I 120/299
FMV: $1, 950.00
2.”Romeo & Juliet” by Anthony Quinn
Donated by Katherine Quinn
Limited Edition Cast Paper Relief
1987 Signed and Numbered
Unframed 32 1/2″ x 23 1/2″ (approx.)
Edition # AQ 7/10 (sand)
Includes protective box. Winner might consider professional framing.
FMV: $4,500.00
3.The Ocean House – Dinner for 2 At The Bistro
Watch Hill, Rhode Island
Dinner Includes: 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts (Alcohol is not included)
Offer Valid: Nov. 1, 2025 – April 30, 2026 (excludes holiday weekends and blackout dates)
FMV: $200.00
4.Venus Inspired Triptych
Donated by Caterine Milinaire Cushing
Year 2000 (signed)
Print of a Painting
By Frederick Ames Cushing inspired by Howard Gardiner Cushing’s work titled “Venus”
FMV: $3,500.00
5.Two Course luncheon for 10 | At The Elms Carriage House
Newport, RI
Donated by Stoneacre Hospitality Group
Valid through 7.11.26 (black out dates apply)
Sparkling cava toast included – additional beverages for purchase
*Gratuity not included
FMV: $850.00
A Round of Golf for 4 with Carts at The Aquidneck Club
Portsmouth, RI
Donated by The Aquidneck Club
Valid for a weekday round of golf during April, May, October or November or any Monday during season provided no Club Events or Holidays are taking place
Exp: November 15, 2026
FMV: $1,150
This event is completely sold out.
Join us this Summer: The 2025 Summer Art Party celebrates the life and work of Howard Gardiner Cushing in conjunction with the exhibition of his work. The party will consist of a cocktail hour followed by an elegant sit-down dinner and live auction/auctioneer with music and dancing.
Given the overwhelming response, we are now offering a special Cocktail Party ticket. This includes the exhibition, open bar & specialty drinks from 6 PM – 7:30 PM. This cocktail party ticket is $150 per person.
Many of you have asked for attire suggestions for this special evening. We have included some ideas for your consideration below:
Inspired by Ida Rubinstein as painted by Howard Gardiner Cushing —Bold silhouettes. Jewel tones. Turn-of-the-century elegance. Theatrical glamour with a touch of the avant-garde. (Click the image for more inspiration)
About the Exhibition: Howard Gardiner Cushing (1869–1916), was a dynamic force in American art at the turn of the twentieth century. His career bridged the traditions of 19th-century realism with the bold innovations of early modernism.
Cushing was a prolific artist, regularly exhibiting at theNational Academy of Designand thePennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and was a member of theSociety of American Artists. Though his life was cut short, his artistic legacy endures through an extraordinary range of works, includingevocative portraiture, impressionistic depictions of everyday life, fantastical scenes, and large-scale murals.
Profoundly influenced byJames McNeill Whistler, French Impressionism, and the European Symbolists, Cushing developed a distinctive artistic voice, known for hismasterful use of color, elegant linework, and emotional depth. A longtime resident of Newport, he found inspiration in thelandscapes of New Englandand the city’s rich cultural fabric, elements that are deeply embedded in his work. As an early member of the Newport Art Association—now the Newport Art Museum—Cushing played a foundational role in shaping the region’s artistic identity. His legacy also lives on through theCushing Memorial Building, founded byGertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, further cementing his impact on American art history.
This exhibition will feature significant works that have not been publicly displayed inover fifty years—or, in some cases,since the artist’s death. The Museum invites you to rediscover the breadth of Cushing’s artistic contributions and his lasting impact on American art.
About the Guest Curator:
Ricardo Mercado is an art historian specializing in the art of the nineteenth century, with a
particular focus in the Americas and transatlantic exchange. He holds a B.A. in Art History from Columbia University, and a Master of Arts from the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art, a joint program with the Clark Art Institute. During his time at the Clark, Ricardo led a reinterpretation project for the museum’s collection of eighteenth–century British silver objects. Ricardo also held a Judith M. Lenett Memorial Conservation Fellowship in American Art, working closely with the Senior Paintings Conservator from the Williamstown Art Conservation Center. The Lenett project focused on the artist Howard Gardiner Cushing and involved treating a portrait of the artist’s wife, Ethel Cochrane Cushing, from the collection of the Newport Art Museum. Ricardo is currently the Charles H. Sawyer Curatorial Fellow at the Addison Gallery of American Art in Andover, Massachusetts.
Summer Art Party Working Committee
Sandra Craig, Co-Chair | Ellen Bowman, Co-Chair/Trustee | Frank Garofolo, Co-Chair/Trustee | Sue Metzger, Trustee | Rebecca Rex, Trustee
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Exhibition Sponsors
Minnie Cushing Coleman
Nancy Donahoe & Jon Cohen
de Ramel Foundation
Dee Gordon
Mr. & Mrs. Robert B. Evans
Kate & Jimmy Gubelmann
Mr. Philip K. Howard
Stefani Huiltar
Lily Kunczynski
John McFadden
Susan & George Petrovas
Todd AlexanderRomano
Marie & William Samuels
Stephen & Christine Schwarzman
Topsy Taylor
Katherine Quinn