Allison Newsome creates site-specific, utility sculptures (U.S. Patent No: 11,732,926 B2) that address the global climate crisis. Her work promotes resilience, engages communities, and advances climate justice through utility sculptures that harvest rainwater and solar energy.
Her latest innovation, SolarHearth, is a passive solar heater designed to bring heat into buildings. An example of SolarHearth’s heat transfer into a building was recorded at 173°F on January 3, 2025, when the outside temperature was just 18°F (see chart below).
Working in stainless steel, brushed and powder-coated aluminum, bronze, ceramics, and stone, Newsome holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and serves as a RISD consultant for the Terra Carta Program.
Newsome has been recognized internationally for her contributions to sustainability and public art. In 2024, she was a panel speaker in Washington, D.C., with WASH, and presented at Istanbul, Turkey’s Rain Harvesting Pilot Program Conference. In 2023, she was a keynote speaker at the United Nations Water Summit with NY Water Week. She also received the Fast Company ‘World Changing Idea Award’ (2022) for her work in water and sustainability.
Her public sculptures can be found at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo, the Venice ECC Architecture Biennale, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Bioneers Conference in San Rafael, CA, among others.
For inquiries, please contact Allison at (401) 489-1640.
Recent Press & Features
RISD President Crystal Williams featured Newsome’s work in a recent edition of Arts Newspaper with Terra Carta sustainability program.View Article
Florida Botanical Garden – Botanica featured in the Majeed Children's Discovery Garden.Read More
Historic New England – Three Sisters installation receives a new bilingual label at Casey Farms.Learn More
Istanbul Rain Harvest Pilot Park Program – Newsome’s work featured in international sustainability initiatives.Read Report
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