VRA 31 » Tours

VRA*31: Fleet Library at Rhode Island School of Design

Mark — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 19:36:36 +0000

The following open house and two tour options of the Fleet Library at Rhode Island School of Design have been arranged for attendees of the 31^st VRA Annual Conference in Providence, Rhode Island.

Walking directions from the Providence Biltmore: http://goo.gl/maps/Ku3Kn

LIBRARY OPEN HOUSE:
Fleet Library at Rhode Island School of Design. 15 Westminster St. http://library.risd.edu/

Founded in 1878, the RISD Library is one of the oldest independent art college libraries in the country. In the summer of 2006, the Library moved into a new facility in the first two floors of the former Rhode Island Hospital Trust bank. The magnificent banking hall serves as the library’s main reading room, while the second floor accommodates a new reading room for Archives and Special Collections as well as expanded space for the Visual Resources, Materials, and Picture Collections. The Fleet Library was recently called America’s Most Beautiful College Library, http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-most-beautiful-college-libraries, and One of 50 Most Amazing Libraries in the World, http://www.pbn.com/RISDs-Fleet-Library-named-one-of-50-most-amazing-in-world,85705.
View the Fleet Library brochure: http://library.risd.edu/pdfs/fleetlibraryrisd.pdf
Watch the Fleet Library video: http://bcove.me/av1gioc9

—> Simply present your conference badge to visit the library on your own.

LIBRARY GUIDED TOURS:

Fleet Library as Adaptive Reuse. Director of Library Services Carol Terry will tour the library and detail the history of the building from its origin as a bank to an acclaimed case of adaptive reuse as RISD’s library. Each tour limited to 15 people, meet at 15 Westminster St. SIGN-UP REQUIRED.

Wednesday, April 3, 9:00-10:00am
Thursday, April 4, 8:00-9:00am

Fleet Library Special Collections. Special Collections Librarian Laurie Whitehill Chong will present samples from the noteworthy Artists’ Book Collection of 1400 multiples, hand-made book objects, and limited edition books. Tour limited to 20 people, meet at 15 Westminster St. SIGN-UP REQUIRED.

Wednesday, April 3, 10:00-11:00am

—> Sign up for these library guided tours: http://www.doodle.com/64bt8zma58bps5f8.

Explore Providence: The Athenaeum

elainepaul — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 01:35:40 +0000

251 Benefit St., 401-421-6970
Housed in an 1838 Greek Revival building designed by Philadelphia architect William Strickland, the Athenaeum is an independent, member-supported library — one of the oldest in the nation. While only members may borrow materials, the “Ath” is open to the public, and visitors are warmly welcomed by its knowledgeable staff. Immerse yourself in another era among the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, marble busts of writers, and the old card catalog. Self-guided tours will help you learn about the treasures that fill every nook and cranny of this venerable Providence institution. You’ll soon see why this was one of Edgar Allen Poe’s favorite hangouts when he was in town courting the poet Sarah Helen Whitman.

While steeped in history, the Athenaeum is not stuck there. NPR stated that it’s “a 19th-century library with the soul of a 21st-century rave party. In fact, the Rhode Island institution has been called a national model for civic engagement.” With innovative programs that includes fascinating salons and lunches with librarians, the Athenaeum is committed to preserving its past, while helping to build the future of its place within the community.

See the Athenaeum on your visit to Benefit Street.

VRA*31: Open House Collections

Mark — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 18:08:52 +0000

The following Open House options have been arranged for attendees of the 31^st VRA Annual Conference in Providence, Rhode Island. In close proximity to the Providence Biltmore conference hotel, visit the following collections on your own and gain free entry with your conference badge.

Fleet Library at Rhode Island School of Design. 15 Westminster St. http://library.risd.edu/

Museum of Art at Rhode Island School of Design, aka RISD Museum. Entrances at 20 N. Main St. and 224 Benefit St. http://www.risdmuseum.org

With 86,000 objects housed in its six stories throughout five buildings, the Rhode Island School of Design’s Museum of Art offers a broad range of works across centuries and civilizations. With recent acclaim by The New York Times and Travel + Leisure magazine as a not-to-be-missed destination, the 135-year-old institution’s collection ranges from ancient Roman, Egyptian and Greek artifacts to mid-century modern Eames furniture and Frank Lloyd Wright stained-glass windows. Its newest addition, opened in 2008, is the 6,000-square-foot Chace Center designed by Rafael Moneo. Although the Asian and Textiles galleries are closed for renovation until 2014, Current Exhibitions and Permanent Collections galleries remain on view, http://www.risdmuseum.org/exhibitions-current.aspx.

While at the museum, visit risd|works—the gallery and design showroom featuring work by the Rhode Island School of Design alumni and faculty. Behind every item featured—from mass-produced objects to fine art—is the mind and hand of a RISD artist. Receive a 10% discount with conference badge.

VRA*31: Guided Tours

Mark — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 18:06:31 +0000

The following guided tour options have been arranged for attendees of the 31^st VRA Annual Conference in Providence, Rhode Island. Continuing successful formats from recent years, the tour offerings are designed to maximize your experience of one of America’s most historic, scenic, and walkable cities.

All guided tours are free of charge. Unless specified, tours do not require registration and will gather in the lobby of the Providence Biltmore. Tour times reflect a maximum duration and include walking to/from the beginning and end of the tour from the hotel.

Guided Walking Tours

Wednesday, April 3, 7:30-9:00am. Downtown Providence led by Dietrich Neumann.
This walking tour will present a few of the most significant buildings and public sculptures at the heart of Providence from the 18th to the 21st Century. We will discuss the Providence Renaissance with its creation of Waterplace Park and the re-opening of the rivers and see splendid examples of historic preservation and rehabilitation.
Thursday, April 4, 7:30-9:00am. Brown University campus led by Dietrich Neumann.
This tour will visit the campus and a number of individual buildings of one of America’s oldest colleges, dating from the 18th to the 21st Century, including works by McKim Mead and White, Philip Johnson and Diller & Scofidio. We will also see one of Richard Upjohn’s late Gothic Revival Churches, St.Stevens of 1862. Please note: this tour will involve scaling and descending the considerable elevation of College Hill.
Friday, April 5, 12:00-1:30pm. Rhode Island School of Design campus led by Andrew Martinez.
This tour highlights the 135-year history of RISD as it relates to the historic and significant buildings on the RISD campus.

Self-guided Walking Tours

Independence Trail, http://www.independencetrails.com/
Providence Preservation Society booklets of Downtown Providence and Benefit Street, $3 each, sold at the conference registration desk. http://www.ppsri.org/ppsresources/walking-tour-booklets

About our tour guides:

Dietrich Neumann is Professor of History of Art and Architecture at Brown University and is a former president of the Society of Architectural Historians and one of the principals on the SAHARA grant.

Andrew Martinez is Archivist at the Rhode Island School of Design and is co-editor of “Infinite Radius: Founding Rhode Island School of Design.”

Explore Providence: Walking the Independence Trail

elainepaul — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 14:31:59 +0000

Did you know that Providence is one of America’s most walkable cities? (It was ranked 9th by MSNBC in 2011.) Consider exploring historic Providence on foot if the early April weather cooperates. The Independence Trail is a circular, 2.5 mile self-paced walking tour that “showcases 4 centuries of Providence history, architecture and culture, highlighting 133 notable sites altogether. It tells the story of Rhode Island from its founding by Roger Williams through the first shot in the Revolution, and points to places where Lincoln spoke and Washington slept.” It includes Benefit Street highlights mentioned in an earlier post.

The trail passes near the Providence Biltmore Hotel — it doesn’t get much easier than this! Just look for the brightly painted green line on the sidewalk and start following it in either direction. Along the trail you will find circular emblems on the sidewalk. Each provides a unique location number and general phone number. After listening to the welcome message, enter your location number and you’ll hear a short narrative about your current spot (after listening the first time, press the star key to skip the welcome message). For photos, maps, and more information, visit independencetrails.com.

Get inspired to explore Providence by reading this article from Yankee Magazine.

Explore Providence: Benefit Street

elainepaul — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 15:21:42 +0000

To soak in some local history in Providence, be sure to plan a visit to Benefit Street — the famous “Mile of History.” Nestled between downtown to the west and Brown University to the east, here you will find an impressive array of beautifully restored colonial and Victorian homes and other buildings. Look for the John Brown House Museum (1786), built by the merchant, slave trader, and statesman; the Nightingale-Brown House (1792), home to five generations of the Brown family and now part of Brown University; the Sarah Whitman House, home of the transcendentalist poet and love interest of Edgar Allan Poe; the Old State House (1762), the colony and state legislature headquarters for almost 150 years and site of the first act in the United States providing for the gradual emancipation of slaves (1784); the Providence Athenaeum (1838), a Greek Revival structure built to house Providence’s membership library; and many more.

Walking tour booklets for Benefit Street and other neighborhoods are available for $3.00 each from the Providence Preservation Society (visit their office at 21 Meeting Street between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call 401-831-7440).

While you’re in the neighborhood you may want to visit the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, which is just across the street from the Athenaeum. At both ends of Benefit Street you will find restaurants where you can refuel after your walking tour.

Be sure to bring your cobblestone-friendly walking shoes!