Darrell West to Speak at Newport Art Museum on Saturday

Darrell West to Speak at Newport Art Museum on Saturday

Political expert Darrell West will return to Newport on Saturday, January 11 with a talk entitled "Changes Ahead? A Look Forward to Midterms," the inaugural event of the Newport Art Museum's 2014 Winter Speaker Series.

As part of the discussion, West will review the political landscape and assess the changing fortunes of President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans. In particular, West will examine how they are handling major domestic and foreign policy issues and what are the biggest challenges they face in regard to the upcoming midterm elections.

Darrell West

An expert on public policy, West is the Vice President of Governance Studies and Founding Director of the Center for Technology Innovation at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. A familiar face in Rhode Island, West was the John Hazen White Professor of Political Science and Public Policy and Director of the Taubman Center for Public Policy at Brown University. He has authored or co-authored 18 books dealing with elections, media, technology and public policymaking—including his most recent effort Digital Schools: How Technology Can Transform Education (Brookings, 2012). This is the ninth year in a row that West has offered his political commentary during the Newport Art Museum's Winter Speaker Series.

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Winter Speakers Series

Talks take place on Saturdays at 2 pm (weather permitting) from January 11 through February 15. Each talk is followed by a reception. Cost to attend is $10 for Museum members, $15 for non-members and $6 for students. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time by calling 401-848-8200, or online at www.NewportArtMuseum.org.

Series subscribers can attend all six lectures for $50 (members) or $75 (non-members). To subscribe call 401-848-2787 or buy online. 

In addition to West, the Winter Speakers Series will also include Dr. Nicholas Bellantoni, state archaeologist with the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History and Archaeology Center at the University of Connecticut; Dr. Victoria Reed, Curator for Provenance at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Ted Widmer, historian and assistant to the president for special projects at Brown University; award-winning sculpture Barnaby Evans; and Robin Starr, Director of American & European Paintings & Prints for Skinner, Inc. All lectures are scheduled to be held in the Ilgenfritz Gallery.