Renaissance Man: Curtis Speer of Cusp Gallery brings new energy to local arts scene

Since Curtis Speer arrived in Newport, he’s been a bit of a disrupter to the local art scene.

His first impression upon the city was to open Cusp Gallery on Broadway, at the triangular corner it shares with Spring and Bull streets.

Soon after opening this gallery in April of 2023, Speer realized there was a lack of people walking around to look at, or purchase, art in the evenings. He realized this was partly related to other galleries closing before it was dark out.

Being new to town, and not one to do things as they’ve always been done, Speer decided to create an incentive for people to stop in while enroute to dinner or drinks. He launched “Cusp Til Dusk,” a weekly event held each Friday, when the doors are open, the lights are dimmed, and wine is served — until dusk.

“Come in, be surrounded by art,” says Speer of the weekly open house, “if you have questions, we’re here to answer them.”

People are welcome to mingle inside or out — Speer has adopted the adjacent triangular terrace, where he has strung bistro lights and is displaying sculptural work (currently by Mike Hansel of Middletown).

This spring the gallery featured “Nests and Feathers,” new photography by Speer, alongside the work of Darla Jackson, along with the work of Hank Whitin, owner of nearby Pour Judgement, who will show his oil paintings. In June, it showcased the work of Sylvia Hampton and Susan Auriemma in a mother-daughter exhibition titled “Echoes Of Light.”

Speer arrived to Newport from Provincetown, where he ran another gallery for six years (and was also a bit of a disrupter, as he tells it). Originally from Oklahoma, he previously worked in Manhattan as a prop and set stylist and design director on campaigns for companies like Neiman Marcus, Williams Sonoma, and Nike.

In addition to showcasing whatever work is currently on display, the gallery features a selection of curated items, including a line of hand-poured candles by Speer’s partner Tyler Martin. Each bears a logo designed with one of Speer’s photographs and “a scent that encapsulates each image.”

“I’m more of an artist than a businessman, but I know both sides of it,” Speer says of running the gallery, which has been a work-in-progress since it opened last year.

In October, he set about filling another void he sensed in town: he launched a weekly Salon Series on Thursday evenings at the Brenton Hotel, which has developed a robust following and become as much about supporting local artists as socializing around the arts.

Held in the lobby, known as The Living Room, Speer sets up artwork from that week’s featured artist. The display is framed by the windows overlooking America’s Cup Avenue, and the hotel provides charcuterie and complimentary wine. Lately, the Salon has become quite a scene, with people mingling and conversing around the artwork, or gathering in the booths near the bar and enjoying drinks with friends. A few Thursdays have attracted upwards of one hundred people.

“We proved there’s a desire to connect with the art scene here, a niche that has to be filled,” Speer said of the series, which will run through the end of the year in a continued partnership with The Brenton. “Thursday nights became an art night,” he says.

The range of featured artists has extended from photographers to painters, printmakers and illustrators, spanning ages and social circles, which means each week the crowd is slightly different.

Speer has also launched the Newport Artists Collective, which has expanded to include memberships ($200 a year for individuals, $300 for galleries). As of late April, there were 27 members — 15 galleries and the remainder independent artists with studios.

As stated on its website, the main purpose of the collective “is to provide a platform and community for artists in Newport to connect, collaborate, and showcase their work. This effort involves organizing exhibitions, workshops, events, and other initiatives to support and promote local artists and their creative endeavors.”

Beginning this summer, the Collective is hosting a gallery night at member establishments, with a complimentary art trolley traveling from one location to another, beginning at The Brenton. The Salon Series is now a program of the Collective.

“The whole incentive is to connect the community to the art scene,” says Speer of the gallery nights. (They are not affiliated with Newport Gallery Night, a now dormant program that is a separate entity.)

Gallery nights will be held the first Thursday of every month beginning in June and run through December. The one exception is July, when Gallery Night will be held the second Thursday. Eileen Pollina of Sincerely, Eileen (located on the corner of Spring and Touro streets, across from Spring Park) is made the corresponding map. She serves on the board of the Artists Collective, along with Speer, Martin, and Tamar Russell Brown of Gallery Sitka (located on the corner of Franklin and Spring streets, across from the Franklin Spa).

“I think this summer is going to be a good art summer,” Speer said.

For more information on Cusp Gallery, visit cuspgallery.com, and for more information on the Newport Artists Collective, visit newportartistcollective.com.