Honoring Linda Newman ’70: Leading Legacy in the Fine Arts

The College of Arts and Sciences and our surrounding communities honor the memory of Mrs. Linda A. Newman ’70, a beloved member of URI’s first graduating class in the fine arts. She was humbly known and loved as “Linda” by her students, family, friends, and colleagues. With Linda’s natural talent as an artist coupled with the support from URI in developing her communication and artistic skills, she not only saw a successful career but also genuine and meaningful emotional connections with people and the world around her. Linda’s family says of her, “She would see the raw talent of her husband, students, and friends, and she would help them to end up being what she knew they could be.” Her illustrious journey working in public education includes serving as the art director for the city of Cranston, assistant superintendent of Lincoln Public Schools, an entrepreneur, and a curriculum consultant for Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.

Linda’s time at URI in the education and fine arts programs was critical in developing her confidence in her presenting skills, which ultimately helped foster her success. Those who knew Linda in her career and her personal life describe her as a true mentor and an excellent boss who, according to her husband, Jack, “took interest in everyone and molded them into what she knew they could be.” Her mentorship not only deeply impacted her art students, who often won more awards than those under other instruction, but supported her during her work as an administrator and curriculum consultant. Linda was able to accomplish all she did because her mentorship and communication skills allowed her to gain the admiration and respect of those she worked with. Jack credits Linda as being incredibly organized and “would get notes and letters from 20 years ago thanking her for driving home the art principles, but also being organized and learning how to keep things together.”

As a true artist, Linda left her mark on everything. With her unique eye for detail she was able to incorporate art into everything that she did and was known by many to be an impeccable decorator. As recalled by her husband, “She was the creative talent and the brains, whether it was designing a garden or doing things in the house. Everything Linda saw was through the eyes of an artist.” With the teaching and communication skills both natural and developed as a URI graduate, she would teach her husband, friends, and students to see that way, too. Jack, a self-described history buff, says, “She would put it in the perspective of history to drive it home to me so that I would become more cultured than I ever was before.” Linda’s love to teach and share her affection for art was not hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic, during which she would do art lessons with her granddaughter over FaceTime. Linda’s legacy as an artist and a mentor is one of great importance to the URI community as she represents both the skills and character of an educator and a lover of art. As the Fine Arts Center undergoes renovations, the College of Arts and Sciences seeks to pay tribute to Linda in its remodeling.