Mill Town Messenger | Oct 2013

Overview

The Newport Historical Society newsletter highlights local heritage activities, notable donations, and preservation efforts. It reports community events, meeting schedules, and the return of a historic 1904 DAR flag, emphasizing museum acquisitions like the Barton silver tea service and docent volunteer needs.

The feature on Joan Dodge showcases her hand-painted Christmas ornaments—detailing technique, history of the limited-edition series, and availability—framing the ornaments as collectible New England folk art that connects generations to Newport’s past.

You can read the online version of the newsletter here.

This quarterly newsletter is generally published in January, April, July and October.

Main Points

• Newport Historical Society Leadership: The Society is actively led by a long-serving president, Cathryn Baird, with a growing and engaged membership committed to preserving Newport’s history.
• Hand-Painted Ornaments Tradition: Joan Dodge creates annual, limited-edition, hand-painted Christmas ornaments depicting Newport landmarks and themes, forming a cherished local tradition and collectible series.
• Ornament Creation Process: Each ornament is individually hand-painted by Joan Dodge, who is a self-taught artist; the process involves detailed, multistep painting on glass balls, with each piece titled and dated by hand.
• Ornament Availability: Ornaments are sold through the Newport Historical Society Museum, local events, and select venues, with each design available for three years before retirement; only certain past designs remain available in limited quantities.
• Joan Dodge’s Artistic Background: Joan Dodge has painted since 1970, taught art for over 32 years in various locations, and has won multiple awards for her crafts; she continues to create art into her seventies.
• Community Events: The Society organizes public meetings, historical programs, and community celebrations, such as Newport’s 252nd birthday and themed lectures.
• Historical Artifacts: The Society preserves and displays significant local artifacts, such as a silver tea service donated by descendants of the Barton family, and a historic American flag returned to the local DAR chapter.
• Volunteer Opportunities: The Society seeks volunteers for roles such as program coordination and museum docents to support its ongoing activities.

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