The Newport, R.I.-based International Yacht Restoration School and the Museum of Yachting will host an America’s Cup exhibition this summer at the school’s campus that looks at this historic event from a unique vantage point.
“The William I. Koch Collection: Art, Artifacts & Memorabilia of the America’s Cup” is an exhibition of the fine art, artifacts and other objects this international event has given birth to — from paintings by leading maritime artists, to gifts given within the rarefied social circles of those who competed for the trophy, to memorabilia and everyday items that were available to fans and consumers.
“Many America’s Cup exhibits tell the story of the event by focusing on who won and who lost,” said Museum of Yachting curator Jay Picotte. “Thanks to the generosity of William Koch we have the great opportunity to tell a different story — to look at the America’s Cup as a cultural phenomenon by displaying the art and artifacts that sprung up because of the vast popularity of this sporting event.
The exhibition will include fine paintings, rare books, silver, photography and historic memorabilia and will be on display from June 1-Oct. 1. The exhibit is comprised entirely from the collection of William I. Koch who has loaned these rarely seen, selected objects that cover some 150 years of Cup history, beginning in 1851.
