In the summer of 2027 the Newport Art Museum will partner with Sail Newport and Shields Fleet 9 to present the 2027 Art Cup, an exhibition of work by contemporary artists printed onto the sails of over a dozen Shields sailboats. The sails will be hoisted for a special, one-off regatta held just offshore of Fort Adams State Park.

This exhibition features small works by seven of the artists whose imagery will appear on the sails. Together, they offer a glimpse into each artist’s practice. For the Art Cup, each artist will create a new work conceived specifically for the sails.

The actual event —part regatta, part moving exhibition—will be a dynamic spectacle of moving images constantly shifting and reconfiguring as the boats vie for position at the start and then move in competitive unison through the course of the race. This unfolding performance will take place off historic Fort Adams, against the backdrop of Newport Harbor and the East Passage of Narragansett Bay.