Letter From The President

Dear Redwood Community,

As this fiscal year ended, the world seemed to be finally emerging from the depths of the global pandemic. The toll of this scourge has been enormous; it has visited tragedy on people of all walks of life around the globe. We mourn those whom the disease has taken from us. Our goal is to honor them through our continued existence as one of the foremost repositories of the history of the civilization that was founded on these shores in the Seventeenth Century.

The Redwood has observed, recorded, and endured every crisis experienced by the colony that became the United States of America, from the revolutionary war following a declaration of independence, to a great civil war fought to remove from our country the stain of enslavement of human beings, two world wars, and a prior global pandemic. I take great pride in reporting that the Redwood is successfully weathering the current pandemic.

Our continued programming, adapted to the requisites of pandemic health policies through remote technology, represents our awareness of the importance that the function of encouraging public discourse and erudition be sustained, even in times of crisis. Benedict Leca and our loyal, hardworking staff have maintained a robust schedule of events which have proved to be satisfyingly popular and well-attended.

We look forward to emergence from COVID-19 and resuming our full, active, in-person program of events. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

R. Daniel Prentiss, Esq. President, Board of Directors

Letter From The Executive Director Dear Friends,

While we continued to face the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic in this fiscal year, the communal spirit evinced by you our members and supporters, and of Newporters themselves, has reminded us that come what may, by sticking together, anything can be overcome. It is thus your resilience that I would first salute, as I extend our deeply felt thank you for your support during these trying times.

It is also the resilience and remarkable adaptability of our ace staff that I want to recognize. For, as suddenly as this unimaginable situation came upon us, the Redwood was able to adapt with exceptional speed and ingenuity. You will have noticed the immediate redirection of our programming to online platforms, for example. That same dedication enabled us to be among the first institution to re-open last August, this while we provided the cultural sustenance that local and regional patrons have relied on for nearly 275 years. From the Music Appreciation Series by Professor Edward Markward to the exceptional slate of presentations for Black History Month in February, to the unveiling of the outdoor installation Tales from the Big Chair in June, to the moment of this writing, our programming and services continue with more yet to come.

It is thus with much gratitude for your support and optimism for the future that I can also report that our financial health is undiminished. Yes challenges remain, but thanks to you and our industry we have much to look forward to. Thank you and see you soon at the Redwood.

Mission

Founded in 1747 on the Enlightenment ideals of intellectual pursuit and civic engagement, and committed to lifelong, interdisciplinary learning, the Redwood Library & Athenæum generates knowledge in the humanities for the benefit of the widest possible audience with “nothing in view but the good of mankind.”

Vision

The Redwood Library & Athenæum is one of the leading cultural institutions in Southern New England, producing programming of the highest rigor— lectures, exhibitions, musical performances—in addition to promoting historical research. With an equal devotion to the visual and the literary, as well as to the necessary dialogue between history and contemporary culture, the Redwood’s preeminent position is the result of the breadth and intellectual value of its programming and collections, exemplifying the belief that the humanities can empower all citizens to create a better world.

Benedict Leca, Ph.D. FRSA Executive Director

PLEASE NOTE: Publication of this report was delayed due to circumstances created by the Covid 19 pandemic.