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Monumenta collection

 Collection
Identifier: SP-05

Scope and contents

This collection contains miscellaneous records related to the Monumenta art exhibit in Newport in 1974. The bulk of the materials were created by Diane M. Patrella, a student at Salve Regina University, who wrote about Monumenta in her senior thesis for the art department. A transcript of her 2005 interview with William Crimmins, the organizer of the original exhibit, is included. The collection contains a copy of her thesis as submitted in May 2006 as well as a version as published in Newport History, the journal of the Newport Historical Society, in Spring 2007. Newspaper obituaries of two contributing artists to the Monumenta exhibit are also included in the collection.

Dates

  • 1988 - 2007, bulk 2006
  • Majority of material found in 2006 - 2006

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is not restricted.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

Various copying restriction apply, according to the Special Collections use policy. Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be directed to the Special Collections Librarian. See also the Library's copyright and publication statement.

Historical Note

Monumenta was an outdoor modern art exhibit held in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1974. It consisted of fifty-four sculptures which had been created by forty different artists, including Christo, Willem De Koonig, Kosso Eloul, Richard Fleischner, Anne Healy, and James Rosati. The sculptures were loaned to Monumenta on a temporary basis for the sole purpose of the exhibit, which was open to the public from August 17, 1974 to October 13, 1974.

The exhibit spanned ten different locations around Newport, including Bowens Wharf, Brick Market Place, Chateau-sur-Mer, the Elms, King's Beach, various locations on Ocean Drive, and Perrotti Park. Some of these sites were public areas owned by the state and town, while others were owned by the Preservation Society of Newport County. William Crimmins, a Newport resident, organized the exhibit, and the director was Sam Hunter, a professor from Princeton.

Monumenta had a significant impact, both positive and negative, on Newport and its citizens.

Extent

0.208 Linear Feet (1 half document box)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

This collection contains miscellaneous records related to the Monumenta outdoor art exhibit held in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1974.

Arrangement

All arranged in one series.

Accruals

Additional accruals may be added in the future but are not anticipated.

Related Material in the Salve Regina Special Collections

-- SP 03 William A. and Gael Crimmins papers and photos on Monumenta -- Hunter, Sam. Monumenta: a biennial exhibition of outdoor sculpture, Newport, Rhode Island, August 17 through October 13, 1974. Newport, R.I.: Monumenta Newport Inc., 1974. (Salve Newport Collection NB198 .M7) -- Yard, Sally and Gianfranco Gorgoni. Christo: Oceanfront. Princeton, N.J.: Art Museum, Princeton University, 1975. (Salve Newport Collection N7193.C5 P74 1975)

Title
Guide to the Monumenta Collection
Status
Completed
Author
Shelley Byron, Archives Assistant, and Maria Bernier, University Archivist and Special Collections Librarian
Date
2008
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Salve Regina University Special Collections Repository

Contact:
McKillop Library
100 Ochre Point Ave.
Newport RI 02891 USA
401-341-2276
401-341-2951 (Fax)