Hosted by the ICAA New England Chapter in partnership with The Boston Athenaeum
This discussion will examine Richard Morris Hunt’s expansive architectural vision for a new Gilded Age, considering both his formative familial and professional connections to Boston and the ways in which these relationships informed such landmark projects as The Breakers and Marble House in Newport, Rhode Island. The conversation will be led by Leslie B. Jones, Director of Museum Affairs and Chief Curator at The Preservation Society of Newport County, whose work focuses on the interpretation and preservation of America’s most significant historic houses. Tiziana Dearing, host of WBUR’s Morning Edition, will moderate the program, bringing her experience in journalism, civic leadership, and public dialogue to the discussion. It will also assess Hunt’s now-lost Boston commissions as significant, if overlooked, touchpoints that illuminate the city’s role in shaping the cultural ambitions and architectural innovations of the Gilded Age.
This talk is presented in partnership with the Boston Athenaeum.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Leslie B. Jones serves as the Director of Museum Affairs and Chief Curator for The Preservation Society of Newport County. She joined the Society in 2019 to oversee curatorial, conservation, collections management, site stewardship, exhibitions, interpretation, and programmatic initiatives such as family programs and lectures. She directs the fellows program, which annually hosts four emerging scholars who focus a year of work on dedicated research opportunities. Previously, Jones was the Vice President, Museum Affairs & Curator of Decorative Arts at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens, a 55-acre botanical garden, art museum, and historic house in Nashville, Tennessee. Before joining Cheekwood, she was Curator and Director of Historical Resources & Programming for the White House Historical Association. Both roles included major preservation projects, including the revitalization of the White House Visitor Center (2014) and the restoration of Cheekwood’s c. 1930s domestic spaces (2017). As an independent consultant, Jones has provided advice and leadership in all areas of museum administration to many clients, including Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester, Mich., the Green-Meldrim House in Savannah, Ga., Woodlawn Plantation in Alexandria, Va., and Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Jones received her Bachelor’s degree in the history of art and architecture from Miami University in Ohio, a Master’s degree in the history of decorative arts from the Smithsonian Institution’s joint program with the Corcoran College of Art + Design, and another Master’s in the appraisal of fine and decorative art from New York University.
Tiziana Dearing is the host of WBUR’s Morning Edition. Prior to helping listeners start the morning with news from around the corner and around the world, Tiziana hosted Radio Boston, WBUR’s daily local magazine, for five years. Tiziana came to journalism after a career that spanned academia, nonprofits and for-profit management consulting. She taught graduate students at the Boston College School of Social Work and chaired its program in Social Innovation and Leadership. Tiziana ran a start-up foundation focused on breaking generational cycles of poverty in Boston neighborhoods and was the first woman president of Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of Boston. Earlier in her work life, she ran a research center at the Harvard Kennedy School and worked in management consulting. Tiziana has won a number of awards in the city, including a Pinnacle Award from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and Boston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40.
This event is hosted by an ICAA Chapter. Please check the Chapter website or contact the Chapter directly for the most up-to-date details including dates, times, and pricing.