Press Release

Beloved RISD professor's work is subject of new exhibition

Monday, March 16, 2009

Irving B. Haynes: Abstractions 1960-2005, April 4 - June 7, 2009
NEWPORT, RI: Painter, architect and former Rhode Island School of Design professor, the late Irving B. Haynes, thought of his studio as a laboratory where he undertook a series of "visual experiments" designed to "give voice to (his) curiosity about the world and its visual realities." An exhibition opening on Saturday, April 4 at the Newport Art Museum features abstract works representative of each decade of Haynes' fifty-year painting career. "Irving B. Haynes: Abstractions 1960-2005" runs through June 7, 2009.

Haynes' former Rhode Island School of Design colleagues Bill Newkirk and David Frazer along with Haynes' widow Jane Ingle organized the show. A full-color catalogue accompanies the exhibition.

Haynes wrote, "Though my imagery is purely abstract…it is based on the intriguing visual relationships that I observe in nature." He thought of painting as "a visual language which mediates between our experience in the real world (nature) and the synthetic world of two-dimensional illusion … That this synthetic visual world that we call a painting is able to express and convey powerful emotions and thoughts remains a source of wonder to me, for which I shall be forever grateful."

Newport Art Museum curator Nancy Whipple Grinnell sees Haynes' "visual language" as part of the ongoing dialogue on visual arts in Rhode Island. "From representation, to abstraction to the conceptual, Haynes reawakens in us the creative thought processes in art-making," she said recently.

Born in Waterville, Maine in 1927, Irving B. Haynes studied at Colby College and the Rhode Island School of Design after serving in the military during World War II. He graduated from RISD with a Bachelor of Fine Arts/Painting in 1951 and a Bachelor of Science/Architecture in 1953. Haynes established the architectural firm of Haynes & Associates in Providence in 1968. His architectural work in Newport, Rhode Island included architectural restoration work and projects for Trinity Church, Brick Market and the Redwood Library and Athenaeum. Beginning in 1973 Hayne taught design at RISD in Division Foundation Studies, retiring in 2005. Haynes died later the same year.

The Newport Art Museum will host a members' preview reception for its spring exhibitions

n Friday, April 3, 5 - 7pm. The reception is free for Museum members, $10 for non-members and is sponsored in part by Newport Vineyards with bartending service provided by Greg Savage.

Newport Art Museum Curator, Nancy Whipple Grinnell, will lead a discussion about Irving Haynes and his work on Thursday, May 14 beginning at 5:30pm in the Museum's Griswold House. This free event is part of Newport Gallery Night.

About the Newport Art Museum: The Newport Art Museum's collections and exhibitions focus on the visual artists of Newport and southeastern New England, reflecting both the rich heritage of the past and the lively art scene of the present. The Museum also offers art classes and camps, concerts, talks, trips, and special events throughout the year. The Newport Art Museum is fully accredited by the American Association of Museums and receives support from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. The Newport Art Museum is situated in Newport's Old Quarter at 76 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island. Admission: $8 adults; $6 seniors; $5 Military and students with valid ID; Museum members and children under 5: no charge. By donation Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Hours: Tuesday - Friday 11am-3pm, Sat 10am - 4pm, Sun 12 - 4pm. To learn more visit www.NewportArtMuseum.org or call (401) 848-8200.

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