Reclaimation: Sculpting History Exhibit Opening at Sagamore Hill, Apr 16, 6:30pm-8:30pm

Rhode Island School of Design Students Showcasing 25 Works of Original Art


Oyster Bay, NY: Sagamore Hill National Historic Site (NHS) announces the opening of an exhibition of student work from the Rhode Island School of Design showcasing more than 25 original works of art at the Old Orchard Museum. An opening reception will take place on Saturday April 16 from 6:30-8:30PM at the Old Orchard Museum. The objects range from small hand-crafted books to large-scale furniture pieces, all utilizing plant material from Sagamore Hill NHS and George Washington Birthplace NHS. The exhibition is the result of a partnership between the Rhode Island School of Design, the Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation and Sagamore Hill National Historic Site.

Sagamore Hill NHS has been undertaking numerous cultural landscape rehabilitation projects to better present the spatial design and historic character of the site when it was a working farm during the Roosevelt family period (1885-1948). Some of the work has included the clearing of former farm fields, overgrown in the last 60 years by trees and brush. George Washington Birthplace National Historic Site has also been undertaking work at their site, including extensive trimming of historic boxwood shrubs at the site. Wood and other organic material from the landscape rehabilitation projects from both sites were provided to students enrolled in a joint course offered by RISD’s Department of History, Philosophy and Social Sciences and the Department of Furniture Design.

As part of their course, students studied Theodore Roosevelt, Sagamore Hill and George Washington and even made a field trip to Sagamore Hill NHS last fall to tour the Roosevelt home and grounds. From their study and personal experiences they created works of art in response to the landscape, the site’s history and the Roosevelt family.

The exhibition and opening event is sponsored in part by the Friends of Sagamore Hill, a Chapter of the Theodore Roosevelt Association. The exhibition will be on display through June 5, 2011. The Old Orchard Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday 10AM-5PM and is Free. In addition to this temporary exhibit, visitors can experience three galleries of exhibits and artifacts telling the story of Theodore Roosevelt’s life and impact on America. The museum also has a theater offering two audio visual programs on the Roosevelt family and Sagamore Hill.

The exhibit opening kicks off National Park Week which celebrates America’s 394 National parks with special programs, events, and free admission to all fee based parks, including Sagamore Hill NHS. For more information about National Park Week activities across the nation visit: www.nps.gov/npweek


--NPS—

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, located at 12 Sagamore Hill Road, Oyster Bay, New York, is a unit of the National Park Service. The site was established by Congress in 1962 to preserve and interpret the structures, landscape, collections and other cultural resources associated with Theodore Roosevelt’s home in Oyster Bay, New York, and to ensure that future generations understand and appreciate the life and legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, his family and the significant events associated with him. Tours of the home are limited to fourteen persons and are offered on the hour on Wednesdays through Sundays from 10am to 4pm. Tour tickets are five dollars each and tickets are sold on a first-come-first-served basis each day beginning at 9 AM. The grounds of Sagamore Hill are open year round from sunrise to sunset. For further information, visit our website at www.nps.gov/sahi, or call 516-922-4788. Be sure to follow us on Twitter for updates at http://twitter.com/SagamoreHillNHS and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sagamore-Hill-National-Historic-Site/127271867334480