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Newport’s Beauty and History at Doris Duke’s Rough Point

Those of us that live here, or visit frequently, know that Newport is an icon of charm, beauty and history. It is that reason that Bowen’s Wharf Company tries so hard to always bring these three things together through our shops, tours, and activities. In particular, we work very closely with Rough Point– the Newport home of Doris Duke. As most know Doris Duke was an American heiress, socialite, horticulturalist, art collector, and philanthropist and was a vital piece in preserving more than 80 historic buildings here in Newport. Her magnificent oceanfront estate, still decorated as she left it, houses French furniture, European art, Chinese porcelains, and Turkish carpets collected from exotic locations around the world. You can purchase tickets to tour this beautiful estate right here at our Pilot House!

 

Bowen’s Wharf is also a sponsor of the Newport Restoration Foundation’s Doris Duke Preservation Awards. These awards will occur September 11, 6 to 8:30pm and are a joint effort by the Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) and the City of Newport to recognize outst anding achievement in historic preservation within the city of Newport. Funds raised at the Preservation Awards event this year will be put specifically towards the April 2016 conference “Keeping History Above Water”. This conference will be held here in Newport, April 10-13, as an international, multi-disciplinary conference on saving historic structures and neighborhoods in the face of rising tides. For anyone concerned with preserving the historic coastal communities such as ours, this conference offers a unique opportunity to hear from leaders in the field, participate in workshops, tour threatened areas and structures in Newport, and simply connect over this area of shared concern.

 

If you plan to visit Doris Duke’s Rough Point make sure to go before November 8th in order to experience “Fired & Inspired: Ceramics at Rough Point”. This exhibit puts a spotlight on the diverse ceramics displayed in Doris Duke’s Newport home and presents newly commissioned clay works by seven contemporary artists. This exhibition is included as part of the 75 minute guided tour and truly highlights Doris Duke’s underst anding of the importance of history in the decorative arts. As mentioned earlier we do sell those tickets for the guided tour at our Pilot House. There you will also see this marketing display (above), in addition to others by our partners and tenants. Don’t forget Bowen’s Wharf offers many marketing solutions to our tenants, partners, and advertisers. So please stop by our Pilot House and allow our staff to provide full information on the many ways to experience the charm, history, and beauty that is Newport, RI!