Newport Summer School

May 30 – June 8, 2025

Join renowned architectural historian Richard Guy Wilson in his last year as Director to experience and study four centuries of architecture, art, culture, and landscape at the acclaimed Newport Summer School. This ten-day program is based in Newport, Rhode Island, the “Queen” of American resorts. You will enjoy lectures by Richard Guy Wilson and other leading scholars, tours of private homes, and opportunities to get behind the scenes at some of America’s grandest mansions.

Participants will examine Newport’s most iconic sites: Richard Morris Hunt’s Marble House, The Breakers, and Ochre Court; Richard Upjohn’s Kingscote, and H.H. Richardson’s Sherman House. Additional highlights include McKim, Mead & White’s Isaac Bell House and downtown casino, as well as historic gardens, churches, and opportunities to view Tiffany windows and paintings by leading American artists. Field trips include visits to Providence, RI and North Easton, MA. Participants are housed in Ochre Lodge at Salve Regina University, designed by local architect Dudley Newton in 1890.

Course Director: Richard Guy Wilson

Past lecturers include Jennifer Carlquist, Pauline C. Metcalf, Paul Miller, Ron Onorato, Laurie Ossman, Pieter Roos, and John Tschirch

Tuition for the 2025 Newport Summer School* will be $3,700, and includes expert instruction, course materials, 9 nights’ single-occupancy accommodation, entrance fees, receptions, and some meals (kitchen facilities are on site; many dining options nearby). Please note that accommodation is in a college dormitory on the Salve Regina University campus, and includes shared bathroom facilities. Full and partial scholarships are available. Please email Anne Mallek, Summer Schools Administrator, at Admin@VSASummerSchools.org, with any additional questions.

* Self-paying (non-scholarship) applicants not wishing to stay in the dormitory are welcome to arrange alternate accommodations at their own expense and will be refunded the cost of the dorm. This is with the understanding that they must show up at the appointed time and place each day.

 

“The experience of the VSA Newport Summer School was very beneficial to the understanding of late 19th century architecture, aesthetics, and culture. The knowledge and access gained during this course was especially useful, as I began research for my PhD dissertation” – Elizabeth A. Williams, David and Peggy Rockefeller Curator of Decortive Arts and Design, RISD (Newport 2009)

How to Apply

All applications require a $50 application fee. This non-refundable fee can be paid online or by mailing a check or money order to the address below. Successful candidates, including scholarship recipients, must pay a tuition deposit of $400. Deposits are non-refundable and not covered by scholarships. Applications are due by March 10, 2025.

 

Scholarship

Thanks to generous support from the Victorian Society Summer Schools Alumni Association, The Victorian Society Scholarship Fund, VSA chapters, and other organizations and individuals, a limited number of scholarships are available to qualified applicants. Awards are based on merit and financial need. A letter of recommendation in support of your request must be submitted along with your application, and should attest to your specific financial circumstances. Letters should be e-mailed or mailed directly from the author on letterhead. We also ask for a copy of your 2024 Federal Tax Return. All application materials are due by March 10, 2025.

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