Fwd: Narratives from the Middle East

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From: Salisbury, Kathryn <kathryn_salisbury@brown.edu>
Date: Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 11:14 AM
Subject: Narratives from the Middle East
To: Humanities Center <humanities_center@brown.edu>

Thursday, October 21, 2010
6:00PM
Joukowsky Forum, Watson Institute
111 Thayer Street
reception to follow

"Narratives from the Middle East: The Contemporary Art Collection of
the British Museum"

Venetia Porter, curator of Islamic and Middle Eastern art at the
British Museum, will talk about the creation of the collection of
contemporary Middle Eastern art, the criteria for acquisition and the
insights the works can offer into the broader history of the region.

Venetia Porter is a curator responsible for the collection of Islamic
art as well as the collection of the modern and contemporary art of
the Middle East. She studied Arabic and Islamic art at Oxford
University and obtained her Ph.D on the medieval history and
architecture of the Yemen from the University of Durham. Her
particular areas of research and interest are Arabic inscriptions,
amulets and seals, ceramics and contemporary Middle Eastern art which
are the focus of her lectures and publications. In 2006 she curated
the exhibition Word into Art: Artists of the Modern Middle East which
was shown in the British Museum and in Dubai in 2008. She is currently
engaged in the preparation of the exhibition The Hajj:Journey to the
Heart of Islam which opens at the British Museum in January 2012.

Cosponsored by the Department of the History of Art & Architecture.

News From RI Historical Society

Upcoming Events & Programs In This Issue Upcoming Events Quick Links Membership Donate! Library RIHS -- Upcoming Events   Thursday, October 14, 6:00 p.m. Aldrich House 110 Benevolent Street, Providence Free Admission, To R.S.V.P.: Dalila Goulart (401) 331-8575 x45 or programs@rihs.org   Commodore Abraham Whipple: Privateer, Patriot, Pioneer Abraham Whipple (1733-1819) commanded insurgents who destroyed the HMS Gaspee in Narragansett Bay and helped direct the successful invasion of the Bahamas. This little-known, yet intrepid and frequently successful Continental Navy officer contributed significantly to the War for Independence. An esteemed officer of the fleet, he spent his last years in frontier Ohio where he was respected and appealed to younger generations as a 'representative of the Revolution'. Dr. Sheldon Cohen's biography of Whipple presents a look inside the life of a Continental officer. He illustrates at a personal level the complexities of naval warfare, including Whipple's reliance on personal finances and family connections to outfit his ships and pay his crew. Cohen also reveals the commander's treatment as a British prisoner of war, and his eventual migration west, shedding light on experiences shared by many Revolutionary War veterans. Sheldon S. Cohen, professor emeritus of history at Loyola University Chicago, is author of numerous books, including Yankee Sailors in British Gaols and British Supporters of the American Revolution. Dr. Cohen will be selling his book after the lecture and will be available for signing as well.   ***************************   Saturday, October 16, 2010, 10:30 am - noon Rhode Island Historical Society Library 121 Hope Street, Providence To Register: libprograms@rihs.org or (401) 273-8107 x12 Fee: RIHS members $8; non-members $10   Finding the Elusive Female Ancestor - The Origins of Mary Drummond of New Bedford           Looking for female ancestors can be a frustrating experience. The lively case study of Mary Drummond, the purported oldest native Negro of New Bedford in 1928, will teach new ways to find your female roots in New England, and will include tips for success and pitfalls to avoid. Carol Prescott McCoy, Ph.D. has been tracing her own roots for 30 years and has her own genealogy business, Find-Your-Roots.com.   **************************   Thursday, October 21, 6:30 p.m. Gallery Night John Brown House Museum 52 Power Street, Providence Free Admission, To R.S.V.P.: Dalila Goulart (401) 331-8575 x45 or programs@rihs.org  If These Walls Could Talk... Fifty-nine in '84 In 1884, Providence Grays pitcher Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn won an astonishing fifty-nine games - more than anyone in major-league history ever had before, or ever will again. Then he went on to win all three games of baseball's first World Series. Fifty-nine in '84 tells not only the dramatic story of that amazing feat of grit, but also the tale of big-league baseball two decades after the Civil War-a brutal, bloody sport played barehanded, the profession of ill-educated, hard-drinking men who thought little of cheating outrageously or maiming an opponent to win. Fifty-nine in '84 is an indelible portrait of a legendary player and a fascinating, little known era of the national pastime. Author Edward Achorn, a Pulitzer Prize finalist for Distinguished Commentary, is the deputy editorial pages editor of The Providence Journal. His work as an editor and editorial writer in Providence served to focus his interest, in particular, in Old Hoss Radbourn and the 1884 Providence Grays, as he spent many nights hunched over a microfilm reading machine in the newspaper's library and at the Rhode Island Historical Society. He has worked closely with the members of the Providence Grays Vintage Baseball Club, a modern team that plays under 1884 rules and with 1884 equipment (or lack thereof), to better understand the experience of baseball in those times.   ***************************   FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22 - SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24 ALL TOURS DEPART FROM THE JOHN BROWN HOUSE MUSEUM, 52 POWER STREET, PROVIDENCE For more information: (401) 273-7507 x62   BROWN FAMILY WEEKEND WALKING TOURS Join us during Brown Family Weekend for five guided walking tours presented by The Rhode Island Historical Society. All tours begin at the John Brown House Museum, 52 Power Street, Providence. Reservations and Pre-payment are required. You can use PayPal, download the ticket form, (http://www.rihs.org/BrownWeekend.html), or contact Barbara Barnes: 401-273-7507 x62 or bbarnes@rihs.org.  Friday, October 22, 3:00 p.m. - Lovecraft's Providence: A Literary Walking Tour $15/person, 90 Minutes Friday, October 22, 5:00 p.m. - Dining With History $10/person, 60 minutes Saturday, October 23, 10:00 a.m. - Personally Providence: African-American History Tour $15/person, 90 minutes Saturday, October 23, 1:00p.m. - Historic College Hill $15/person, 2 hours Sunday, October 24, 9:00a.m. - The Providence RiverWalk $10/person, 60 minutes   **************************   The Rhode Island Historical Society's blog is the best place online for a regular dose of colorful stories and images from Rhode Island's history. Visit us at http://rihs.wordpress.com to learn about pirates, eighteenth-century robots, and a lot more, especially the many ways that historical artifacts can bridge the gap between modern life and the past.

Historic New England News

News from Historic New England   e-newsletter   October 2010 Harbor & Home wins Book Prize Historic New England awards its sixteenth annual Book Prize to Harbor & Home: Furniture of Southeastern Massachusetts, 1710-1850 by Brock Jobe, Gary R. Sullivan, and Jack O'Brien. Harbor & Home presents informative essays and catalogue entries that explore the lifestyle of southeastern Massachusetts and the variety of furniture craftsmanship in the region during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Through scholarship and numerous stunning illustrations, the authors chronicle the transformation of the landscape, population, and economy of the area. Brock Jobe is a nationally recognized authority on American furniture and professor of American Decorative Arts at Winterthur's Program in American Material Culture; Gary R. Sullivan is president of Gary R. Sullivan Antiques, Inc., and a specialist in early American clocks; Jack O'Brien conducted extensive research for the Southeastern Massachusetts Furniture Project. The Historic New England Book Prize Committee also recognizes two Honor Books:The Glass Industry in South Boston by Joan E. Kaiser, a meticulously researched narrative of and guide to the glass factories of South Boston, and Beatrix Farrand: Private Gardens, Public Landscapes by Judith Tankard, a groundbreaking work on the life and career of one of the foremost landscape designers of the early twentieth century. The Historic New England Book Prize recognizes works that advance the understanding of the architecture, landscape, and material culture of New England and the United States from the seventeenth century to the present. This includes works in the decorative arts, archaeology, historic preservation, and the history of photography. To qualify, works need not deal exclusively with New England, but must make a significant contribution to our understanding of New England and its relation to the wider world. Harbor & Home, The Glass Industry in South Boston, and Beatrix Farrand: Private Gardens, Public Landscapes are available for purchase in our online shop.   Visit Portsmouth and see our centennial acquisitions Centennial Acquisitions Exhibit October 23, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. October 24, 30 and 31, 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Gov. John Langdon House, 143 Pleasant Street, Portsmouth, New Hampshire During our centennial year, Historic New England has acquired a number of items that have connections to one of our historic house museums or other collections. Notable among these are a bronze reclining figure by Henry Moore (pictured) that the artist gave to the Gropius family in 1946, and a secretary that author Sarah Orne Jewett used as her writing desk in South Berwick, Maine. Before they return to their permanent homes, the centennial acquisitions will be on view at the Gov. John Langdon House for two weekends only: October 23 and 24, 30 and 31. Consider making our Centennial Acquisitions Exhibit part of a day trip to Portsmouth. This picturesque, historic seaport's attractions include museums, science centers, restaurants, and breweries. Visit the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce for more information. Education programs celebrate twenty-five years Historic New England's centennial year also marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of our school and youth programs. Having started as a single program at the Otis House in 1985, education at Historic New England has grown tremendously. Last year, we served 36,000 youth from one hundred communities at nine of our historic sites and in classrooms throughout the region. Browse the list of programs online to understand the breadth of experiences that we offer young people, from hands-on activities like Colonial craft-making to studies of the wetlands near Casey Farm and role-playing the anti-slavery debates of the Civil War era. Above photo of students at the Pierce House is by Nystedt Photography. Roseland Cottage Fine Arts and Crafts Festival 175 artisans showcase their wares at Roseland Cottage in Woodstock, Connecticut, on Saturday and Sunday, October 16 and 17, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $5 for nonmembers and free for members and children under twelve. Learn more. Gathering oral histories of Beacon Hill Historic New England staff teamed up with the Vilna Shul, Boston's center for Jewish culture, to gather oral histories of Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood at the Beacon Hill Civic Association's annual block party on September 19. The interviews are part of an ongoing 100 Years, 100 Communities project that will trace the twentieth-century history of Beacon Hill. Shop spotlight: Book Prize This year's honored books - as well as a selection from previous years - are available in our online shop. Members receive a 15% discount. Best practices in preservation The Preservation Maintenance Fund has allowed Historic New England to take on a wide range of projects at our historic properties throughout the year. As part of our preservation philosophy, we believe in sharing the knowledge that we gain through these preservation efforts. Our new website features best practices for maintaining historic sites, with white papers covering topics from in-kind replacement of materials to roof replacement to tree care. Historic New England Web 2.0   Online shop Explore our collections   Function rentals What's new Events calendar

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PPS October E-Newsletter

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In This Issue Ten Most Endangered Properties Updates Save Clarke Flower Shop, Preserve Mt. Hope Upcoming and Notable: 2010 Holiday Festival Events: The Benefit on Benefit Note from the Executive Director Volunteer Opportunities Community Notes Become a PPS Member! Not all recipients of the PPS E-news are current members; call us at (401) 831-7440 or e-mail today to check your membership status. Upcoming PPS Events December 4 Holiday Festival January 20, 2011 Annual Meeting February 5, 2011 Winter Bash Support our work! Support PPS by mailing us your Eastside Marketplace receipts! A percentage of each dollar goes to support PPS programs. To learn more, e-mail PPS. October 2010 News 2010 Ten Most Endangered Properties Updates Providence National Bank  Façade Makes National News The Providence National Bank façade, facing Weybosset St. In the September 11 edition of the New York Times, the Providence National Bank façade was cited as an example of stalled development that has had a major, negative impact on the neighborhood around it. Read the complete article here. PPS is working with interested parties from different arenas to come up with a workable plan for the façade and the long-vacant lot next to it. Stay tuned for updates on this process. Brownell & Field Company Building to be Demolished Brownwell & Field Comapny building, slated for demolition. On September 20, the Providence Historic District Commission (HDC) voted to approve the demolition of the Brownwell & Field Company building (1907), as the current owner, the Providence Journal Company, had requested. Members of the HDC observed that the compromised condition of the building is clearly evidence of demolition by neglect, but Commission guidelines do not cite owner neglect as reason enough to deny an application for demolition. This matter spotlights a glaring flaw in the HDC guidelines and standards, which members of the Commission have vowed to bring up with the new mayoral administration. PPS will join these HDC members in advocating for new guidelines that hold owners responsible for the upkeep of their buildings rather than rewarding their negligence. For more information on the building, click here. Rally Brings Out Supporters of Grove Street School Supporters of Grove Street School. Nearly 100 people showed their support for the preservation of Grove Street School (1901) at a Saturday rally held in mid-September in front of the neglected West End building and sponsored by the West Broadway Neighborhood Association (WBNA) and PPS. Rally attendees took photos in front of the historic school while holding signs that read "This Place Matters," part of a National Trust for Historic Preservation campaign to raise interest in treasured local landmarks. Read the Providence Journal article on the rally here. Providence Arcade Featured on GoLocalProv.com The Arcade, now vacant and neglected. Executive Director James Hall was recently interviewed by a reporter from the local news website GoLocalProv on the subject of the neglected and diminished Arcade (1828) in downtown Providence. Hall was asked about the architecture and history of the building, as well as its importance as a shopping hub and its meaning as an icon. You can watch videos of selections from the interview here and here. 2010 Ten Most Endangered Properties Photography Exhibit Through Saturday, October 16 Chabot Fine Art Gallery 379 Atwells Avenue Providence, RI Opening night of the Most Endangered Properties photography exhibit. On September 16, the 2010 Ten Most Endangered Properties photography exhibit opened at Chabot Fine Art Gallery, attracting about 200 patrons. The photographs on display, taken by some of the area's best photographers, not only act as testament to these threatened properties, but also showcase each artist's distinctive aesthetic. The works are not merely reportage: they are also strikingly orginal, personal, and moving artistic statements. Read the Providence Journal article about the exhibit here. This year's show features the work of Jan Armor, Michael Cevoli, Ryan Conaty, Andrew Dernavich, Stephanie Ewens, Adam Hall, Deborah Hickey, Brian McDonald, Frank Mullin, and Traer Scott. Save Clarke Flower Shop, Preserve Mount Hope     Clarke Flower Shop, on Hope Street. In August, the owner of Clarke Flower Shop (394-398 Hope Street) applied to the Providence Zoning Board for permission to demolish the store building and construct a "drive-thru" coffee shop in its place. After a public outcry over the effect that a busy drive-thru would have on this pedestrian-friendly neighborhood, the owners withdrew their application. PPS joins with community members in objecting to the proposed plan, which is insensitive to the character, history, and density of the neighborhood. For a compelling appraisal of the proposed building, read David Brussat's opinion piece from the September 30 Providence Journal here. And learn more about neighborhood resistance to the proposed building at www.preservehopestreet.org, the website founded by community members to further their effots. Upcoming and Notable SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, December 4 2010 Holiday Festival   2007 Holiday Festival, on Benefit Street. The PPS Holiday Festival returns to Benefit Street on December 4! The day will feature historic house tours, seasonal festivities, educational programs, and a parade from Benefit Street to the Mayor's annual tree lighting on the steps of City Hall. Brochures will be mailed soon. For information, please e-mail Lauren Goldenberg at lgoldenberg@ppsri.org. Events The Benefit on Benefit a Glamorous Success Executive Director James Hall; hosts Barbara and Brian Goldner; and Mayor David Cicilline. Our fall fundraiser, The Benefit on Benefit, was a tremendous success. Many thanks to the hosts, Barbara and Brian Goldner, the patrons, and the sponsor. For more information and photos of this "Mad Men"-themed event, check our website soon. Note from the Executive Director Dear Friends of Preservation,   The PPS Marker Program - the expert evaluation of historic properties and the awarding of custom markers to the most meritorious - is one of the most visible things that we as an organization do. These "plaques," as they are sometimes called, with the Society's seal prominently displayed, along with information about the date and history of the house, educate and inform the public, as well as "brand" PPS as arbiter and protector of historic architecture. However, the process by which a house or building comes to earn this distinction involves more than a consideration of its architectural integrity; the committee also spends a great deal of time evaluating the condition of the house - not only whether it is architecturally intact, but also whether it has been properly maintained. PPS markers reward accuracy, yes, but just as much, they reward custody.   One of the things that make cities cities, is our close proximity to one another. It's a special contract that we engage in tacitly with our neighbors. Ordinary activities, like cutting the lawn, saying "hello," and shoveling the walk in front of our houses, are what we do to keep our city alive and to be good neighbors. Owners of historic properties in our city have a similar responsibility. PPS acknowledges and rewards good maintenance whenever we award a marker to a house in the city. We must expect and enforce the same level of commitment and neighborliness from institutions, businesses, and the owners of commercial properties. That the Providence Journal Company should have owned a distinguished commercial structure, the Brownwell & Field Company building, for twenty years and allowed its deterioration before applying for its demolition, is an act of great cynicism. So is the request by O'Connor Properties to remove the Providence Bank façade. This is the very definition of "demolition by neglect." The owners of these properties protest that their buildings are beyond repair and re-use. If this were true, which it may not be, the owners have only themselves to blame. They have not honored the tacit urban contract: to maintain property in order to keep the city, our shared legacy, alive. This is behavior that is not acceptable in this historic city, where we expect more from our neighbors. James Hall Volunteer Opportunities Join the PPS team as a volunteer this autumn! PPS is looking for volunteers to assist with general office/clerical tasks, including but not limited to answering a multi-line phone, greeting visitors, working on special projects, assisting with mailings. Experience with Microsoft Office programs a plus. Help needed Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.  Volunteers must be pleasant on the phone and able to handle multiple tasks at once. Please email your interest and availability to info@ppsri.org. Community Notes   2010 Rhody Awards for Historic Preservation Thursday October 21 Casino Theatre at the International Tennis Hall of Fame Newport, RI The Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission (RIHPHC) and Preserve Rhode Island (PRI) present the Rhody Awards for Historic Preservation (formerly the State Historic Preservation Awards) on Thursday, October 21. Click here for information about the 2009 Rhody Awards and award-winners. Beneficent's Big Bicentennial Bash Saturday, October 16, 7:00 p.m. Sunday, October 17, 10:00 a.m. Beneficent Congregational Church 300 Weybosset St. Providence, RI 02903 Join Beneficent Congregational Church in celebrating its 200th birthday with two days of festivities. On Saturday night, Beneficent will be acknowledging community partners that embody the spirit of Beneficent (including PPS). On Sunday morning, a service will emphasize the unique history of the Beneficent Meeting House. Click here for more details. Rediscovered: Glass Negatives from the Providence Public Library Special Collections Printed at the AS220 Darkroom  Providence City Hall 25 Dorrance Street Providence, RI 02903 This collection of wet-print collodion negatives from 1890 - 1920 now digitally rendered as positives shows us a Rhode Island of long ago. The exhibit is a collaboration between AS220's Paul Krott Community Darkroom and the Special Collections at the Providence Public Library.   West Broadway Neighborhood Assocation Seeks Organic Grocer for West Side Location  1577 Westminster Street rendering, Kite Architects. The West Broadway Neighborhood Association (WBNA) is looking for proposals for a healthy, affordable, natural grocery store or food cooperative that will serve the neighborhood of the West Side. The space, at 1577 Westminster Street, will be avilable for occupancy in February, 2011. For further information or to make a proposal, contact the WBNA at wbna@wbna.org or (401) 831-9344.   The mission of the Providence Preservation Society (PPS) is to improve the quality of life in the city of Providence through historic preservation and the enhancement of the built environment. PPS is a nonprofit membership organization, exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and is recognized as a charitable organization.

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