Members-Only Curator-Led Tour of “Richard Morris Hunt: In a New Light”

An exclusive offering for Preservation Society members! Join one of the exhibition’s chief collaborators (Leslie Jones or Catherine Moran) for a guided tour of our latest exhibition “Richard Morris Hunt: In a New Light.” Hear new insights and untold stories while you take a closer look at the works of art in the gallery. Jones and Moran will highlight Hunt’s achievements by presenting his lived experience and how it is reflected in his life’s work: a pursuit of national pride in art and architecture. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask questions.

Leslie B. Jones serves as the Director of Museum Affairs and Chief Curator for The Preservation Society of Newport County. She joined the Society in 2019 to oversee curatorial, conservation, collections management, site stewardship, exhibitions, interpretation and programmatic initiatives such as family programs and lectures. She directs the research fellows program, which annually hosts emerging scholars who focus a year of work on dedicated research opportunities.

Previously, Jones was the Vice President, Museum Affairs & Curator of Decorative Arts at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens, a 55-acre botanical garden, art museum and historic house in Nashville, Tennessee. Before joining Cheekwood, she was Curator and Director of Historical Resources & Programming for the White House Historical Association. Both roles included major preservation projects, including the revitalization of the White House Visitor Center (2014) and the restoration of Cheekwood’s circa-1930s domestic spaces (2017).

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Jones received her bachelor’s degree in the history of art and architecture from Miami University in Ohio, a master’s degree in the history of decorative arts from the Smithsonian Institution’s joint program with the Corcoran College of Art + Design, and another Master’s in the appraisal of fine and decorative art from New York University.

Dr. Catherine Moran, PhD, is an art and cultural historian whose research explores the intersection between material culture, architecture and identity as an expression of the human experience. Dr. Moran is the Manager of Academic Partnerships and Research Fellows Program for The Preservation Society of Newport County, has more than 10 years of experience as a lecturer of art and design history at the College of Visual and Performing Arts at University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, and is the former Gallery Director for Bernard and S. Dean Levy, New York. She is engaged with local cultural, historic preservation and arts-based non-profit organizations and has lectured at several local universities, professional conferences and cultural institutions.

Her master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation focused on American architect Richard Morris Hunt, and she is excited to work in support of the current Preservation Society of Newport County exhibition dedicated to his work.