Aquidneck Island has always been a muse for Jonathan Gewirz. 

An artist and designer who grew up with one foot in Washington, D.C. and the other on the ancient rocks of the Island, he has been instrumental in protecting some of the vistas that have been his greatest inspiration. 

Gewirz has led Aquidneck Island Land Trust’s board, chaired fundraising campaigns, and founded a beloved art and writing contest for local students who share that inspiration.  

 “I just have a great love of the Island, and these kids are the future of the Island,” he said. 

Gewirz’s parents, Bernard and Sarah, had roots on the Island going back to the 1940s and started bringing Jonathan to spend summers when he was a small boy. The family rented an apartment near Ledge Road in Newport where he remembers fishing and swimming and snorkeling on hidden beaches and playing on the rocks with his brothers after dinner as the sun went down.  

“It’s where the land meets the sea in a very dynamic spot,” he said. “My oldest and fondest memories are there.” 

The Island is where Gewirz learned to be an environmentalist, and where he started to perceive nature’s beauty as an artist. As a young man, he studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in Providence and as an artist, found himself revisiting Aquidneck scenes time and time again. 

When he graduated from RISD in 1991, he settled in Rhode Island, spending time in Providence and Little Compton. Through the years, he and his wife Rita became even more deeply involved in land preservation on the Island. He first learned of the Land Trust through his mother, attending one of their summer events by her side, and as he watched those beautiful vistas that he had painted developed one-by-one, he was moved to more deeply support the cause. 

“There has to be some balance to this,” he thought, as he watched the Aquidneck Island change. 

Partner at the design/build firm Sixteen On Center in Tiverton, Gewirz has fully funded the Art & Writing Contest for more than a decade, and has judged both the writing and art portions, both of which ask students to share their favorite Aquidneck Island vistas. He hopes that taking the time to slow down and think about special places might help budding conservationists appreciate the uniqueness of their home and feel inspired to protect it. 

“Maybe we can help make them into environmentalists,” he chuckled. “I can’t imagine someone living here and not seeing what’s going on, both in the way of development, and also in the way of preservation.” 

Gewirz has been involved with a long list of projects at the Land Trust, each one exciting in its own way, but Spruce Acres Farm stands out as particularly meaningful. A former Christmas tree farm, the 20+ acres of land was overgrown when it came up for sale in 2016. Local people described it as “beloved,” and remembered going there to pick out a tree or a wreath and visit with the kind Deveau family that owned it. 

The whole Gewirz family – Jonathan’s parents, his brothers Michael and Steven, and their wives Cleo and Katrina – contributed to making sure that future generations could continue to enjoy this special spot. From contributing to the acquisition of the property, to building a pavilion, a public garden and a 1.5-mile network of trails that is named in honor of his parents, the Gewirz’s have been constant and crucial supporters of Spruce Acres. 

“Once you’ve taken a walk on that property, you realize it’s the heart of the Island. It’s a really special place” he said. 

Today, the Land Trust staff and volunteers are returning native plants across the preserve assisted by the Land Trust’s volunteer efforts to remove the many invasive plants there. Still, there are many giant evergreens remaining from that original tree farm. Students come for environmental education programs at the pavilion, and Gewirz loves to see them explore the property. “It’s just a surprise around every corner,” he said. 

For the past two summers, Gewirz has hosted an Evening at Home, the Land Trust’s signature summer event at the preserve to support the Land Trust’s effort to protect the Island’s lands and waters. He chooses to host the annual summer clambake to introduce people to this special place and to the Land Trust’s critical work. The quintessential summer New England experience creates an inviting atmosphere where people can appreciate the Island’s natural beauty and consider its future, but also just share a great summer night. 

“If you have a summer bucket list, a clambake is going to be on it,” he said. 

Gewirz’s work with Aquidneck Island Land Trust is far from complete. As the world changes and the pressure to develop open spaces rises, the organization is adapting as well, raising funds preemptively to be prepared to act quickly when a property comes onto the market. Being able to make things happen, to not lose one more vista is tremendously satisfying, Gewirz said. 

“It’s been a joy, really,” he said.