Howard Gardiner Cushing: A Harmony of Line and Color

Join us for the exhibition’s grand opening at our prestigious Summer Art Party, an homage to Howard Gardiner Cushing, on Friday, July 11, 2025.

A landmark exhibition celebrating the life and work of Howard Gardiner Cushing (1869–1916), a dynamic force in American art at the turn of the twentieth century. Cushing’s career bridged the traditions of 19th-century realism with the bold innovations of early modernism.

Cushing was a prolific artist, regularly exhibiting at the National Academy of Design and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and was a member of the Society of American Artists. Though his life was cut short, his artistic legacy endures through an extraordinary range of works, including evocative portraiture, impressionistic depictions of everyday life, fantastical scenes, and large-scale murals.

Profoundly influenced by James McNeill Whistler, French Impressionism, and the European Symbolists, Cushing developed a distinctive artistic voice, known for his masterful use of color, elegant linework, and emotional depth. A longtime resident of Newport, he found inspiration in the landscapes of New England and 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 the Cushing Memorial Building, founded by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, further cementing his impact on American art history.

This exhibition will feature significant works that have not been publicly displayed in over 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.