Category: News

The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport is proud to open its 2016 season Saturday, April 30 with “New Horizons in Modern Maritime Art,” an exhibition and sale of original works of art by leading maritime artists.

This show will inject a new twist to the Gallery’s familiar theme by focusing on color and form in depictions of maritime objects. More than 50 invited contemporary masters, including John Tayson, Stephen Lush, and Robert Blazek, will capture the timeless beauty of the sea in paintings, drawings, and sculpture.

This is the first original show organized by the Gallery’s new director, Monique Foster.

“We asked our artists to approach this show with a new perspective, one that looks at the color and form in a maritime subject and let that guide their work. The result is a wonderful series of representations that reflect a different sentiment from what we usually feature,” said Foster.

The Gallery also welcomes three new artists in this show: Leith Macdonald, who creates small diorama-like works inspired by the coastline of Maine; Irma Cerese, a Boston-area artist who works in acrylics; and Annie Wildey of Stonington, CT, who paints photorealistic images of waves and water.

“New Horizons in Modern Maritime Art” will be open through July 17.

View the Exhibition and Sale.

Mystic Seaport will present its 2016 America and the Sea Award to Bob and Rod Johnstone – J/Boats. Given annually by the Museum, the prestigious award recognizes individuals or organizations whose contribution to the history, arts, business, or sciences of the sea best exemplify the American character.

The Johnstones will receive the award Saturday, October 22, at a gala dinner held in their honor at Mystic Seaport. The gala will be the first and only dinner held in the Collins Gallery in the new Thompson Exhibition Building prior to its ongoing use to display exhibits. The America and the Sea Award Gala is the single largest fundraising event for the Museum. Proceeds from the event benefit the mission of the Museum to inspire an enduring connection to America’s maritime heritage.

“Over the past 39 years, the Johnstone family and their company have influenced American yachting and sport of sailing in incomparable ways. They have established a record of accomplishment that few will ever challenge, and they have instilled in countless Americans a passion for enjoying time on the water with family and good friends aboard good boats,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport. “For these reasons and many more, Mystic Seaport is proud to bestow its America and the Sea Award to Bob and Rod Johnstone – J/Boats.”

The J/Boats story began in 1974 when Rod, then an ad salesman for Soundings Magazine, designed and started building the 24-foot sailboat Ragtime in his Stonington, CT garage. Launched in the Spring of 1976, it beat everything in sight.

Bob, then vice president of marketing at AMF Alcort, saw the potential in Rod’s design and a 50/50 partnership was formed in February 1977 to build and market the J/24. Today, some 14,000 “J’s” in 40 different designs are sailing in more than 35 countries. “J” owners have won silver in major sailing events worldwide including Fastnet, SORC, Transpac, Pacific Cup, Swiftsure, Ensenada, Middle Sea, Sydney-Hobart, OSTAR, Chicago-Mac, and the Bermuda Race. The J/24 was named “Best Keelboat in 30 years” by SAIL Magazine in 1981. A decade later, the J/105 revolutionized keelboat design with its retractable bowsprit and asymmetrical spinnaker. Nineteen other “J” designs have earned Boat-of-the-Year or Hall of Fame recognition. Five designs have achieved World Sailing’s International Class status. J/Boats Inc. was named by Fortune in 1991 as one of America’s Best 100 Products. J/Boats in the USA are built in Rhode Island and by licensed builders in France, Italy, South Africa, Argentina, and China. J/Boats remains a family business.

Bob and Rod grew up racing LI One-Designs and Lightnings at the Wadawanuck YC in Stonington CT, where from 1947 to 1954 they took home many club and ECYRA trophies. With their father, Rob, they built Lightning #3310 in a suburban Glen Ridge, NJ, garage, setting them on a course of sailing for life.

After Princeton (’56), Bob spent 17 years managing Quaker Oats subsidiaries in Colombia and Venezuela. Returning to Chicago, he became Quaker’s Marketing Man of the Year. Later at AMF Alcort, he acquired marine market experience, a key to start-up success of J/Boats. In 2002, with the next generation in place at J/Boats, he founded MJM Yachts. The MJM 50z received the 2014 AIM Editors Award for Best Down East Cruiser 50 Feet Plus. Bob has won the 1969 Penguin Internationals, National Hospice Regatta, Maine Retired Skippers Race, New York Yacht Club Queen’s Cup plus Antigua, Block Island, Charleston, Key West and Down East Race Weeks. He was runner-up in the 1983 J/24 Worlds, served as Secretary/Treasurer of the United States Olympic Sailing Committee and was founding chairman of both the United States Youth Sailing Championship and J/24 Class Association. Bob and his wife, The Reverend Mary Johnstone, reside in Newport RI.  He is a member and Past Commodore of the Northeast Harbor Fleet and a member of the New York Yacht Club and Little Cranberry Island Yacht Club.

After Princeton (’58) Rod started designing and building sailboats while teaching history at the Millbrook School in NY from 1959 to 1962. He then ran a yacht brokerage in Stonington, later becoming a planner for submarine builder Electric Boat Co. Rod sold ads for Soundings from 1970 to 1977 when he came to know the key players in the sailboat industry, especially Everett Pearson, whose role as builder of J Boats designs for over 25 years was key to their success. In 1988 Rod co-founded Johnstone Yachts, Inc. with nephew Clay Burkhalter to produce his JY 15 sailboat design. Nephew-in-law, David Eck, took over in 1991 and produced over 3,300 JY 15s. Mystic Seaport uses JY 15s in its sail training program. Rod still helps design new J/ Boats and continues to race actively. He has won championships in the J/24, J/22, J/30, J/35, J/120, J/70 and J/88 classes and at various Race Weeks. Rod and his wife, Lucia, live in Stonington. He is a member and Past Commodore of the Wadawanuck Yacht Club, a member of the Stonington Harbor Yacht Club, Past Chairman of the Stonington Board of Education, and member of the Stonington Harbor Management Commission.

Past recipients of the America and the Sea Award include oceanographer and explorer Sylvia Earle, historian David McCullough, legendary yacht designer Olin Stephens, President and CEO of Crowley Maritime Corporation, Thomas Crowley, philanthropist William Koch, former Secretary of the Navy John Lehman, WoodenBoat founder Jon Wilson, yachtsman and author Gary Jobson, maritime industrialist Charles A. Robertson, and author and historian Nathaniel Philbrick.

The 2016 gala is co-chaired by J. Barclay Collins, II, Maarten de Jong and Kendra Matthew, Michael and Joanne Masin, and Cayre and Alexis Michas. S. Carter Gowrie is corporate co-chair. To purchase tickets or a table, or to inquire about corporate sponsorship or dockage for the event, please contact advancement@mysticseaport.org/ or call 860.572.5365.

Mystic Seaport announced today that Nicholas R. Bell has been named Senior Vice President for Curatorial Affairs, a new position at the Museum that will be responsible for the care, management, strategic development, and exhibition of the Museum’s collections. Bell will assume the position June 1, 2016.

Bell is presently The Fleur and Charles Bresler Curator-in-Charge at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery in Washington, DC, where he led the Gallery’s recent relaunch following a $30 million, two-year renovation. The reopening exhibition, entitled “WONDER,” explores the museum’s value to American culture and identity by presenting nine gallery spaces to site-specific installations by leading contemporary artists. The innovative project brought success and tremendous acclaim to the Renwick—museum attendance has increased 1,000 percent since its reopening.

“We are very proud to have a curator of Nicholas’s caliber join Mystic Seaport. We believe his deep knowledge of material culture, understanding of the public audience, and demonstrated leadership and creativity will take our collections and exhibitions program to a new level,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport. “The combination of the Thompson Exhibition Building opening this fall and this new leadership position truly signify that Mystic Seaport is moving into a new era of exhibitions.”

During his eight years at the Renwick, Bell curated six major exhibitions. The diverse projects included the thematic “WONDER;” a highly praised generational survey “40 under 40: Craft Futures,” organized to celebrate the Renwick’s 40th anniversary; the monographic “Untitled: The Art of James Castle;” and the presentation of groundbreaking research in “A Measure of the Earth: The Cole-Ware Collection of American Baskets.”

Bell’s vision expanded the Renwick’s focus from a narrow definition of craft to include a broad array of creative practices illustrating skilled making as a multifaceted approach to living in the modern world.  He reinvigorated the museum’s permanent collection through targeted purchases and gifts, including the gift of a landmark Dale Chihuly chandelier, the acquisition of the largest public collection of American revival baskets, and the second largest public collection of works by seminal self-taught artist James Castle.

Along with his curatorial accomplishments, Bell worked with the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s development team to raise funds to endow two curatorships and support the Renwick’s renovation. He also was part of a select group of Smithsonian experts who participated in TED talk-style presentations across the U.S. for the Smithsonian’s $1.5 billion capital campaign.

Bell has published seven books in the last five years, including six peer-reviewed exhibition catalogues and one edited anthology. He additionally positioned the Renwick as a center for scholarship with two international symposia in the past three years that have featured nearly 40 speakers.

”No matter how far we live from it, as Americans, the sea is bred in our bones. I believe the inclusiveness with which Mystic Seaport defines this relationship is the Museum’s greatest asset to building new connections with the public it serves,” said Bell. “Expanding on these connections is a thrilling opportunity, and I could not ask for a stronger team with which to embark on this adventure than the one already in place at the Museum.”

Bell earned a bachelor’s degree from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia, and a master’s degree from the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture at the University of Delaware. Bell, his wife, Allison, and their three children will be relocating to Mystic, Conn. this spring.

Mystic Seaport was awarded a grant of $17,500 from The Champlin Foundations in Rhode Island to re-roof the New Shoreham Life-Saving Station. The former red shingle roof had deteriorated from the normal weathering process and its location on the east shore of the Mystic River. The work was performed by Pawcatuck Roofing Co. and retains the building’s historic integrity.

Constructed in 1874, the Station is one of the last survivors of the many Atlantic seaboard stations built to government specifications from Maine to Florida. It was in use for about 16 years in Old Harbor on Block Island, RI. It was acquired by the Museum and relocated here in 1968. Today, the Station houses the Museum’s collection of Life-Saving Service artifacts and interprets the often heroic stories of coastal shipwreck rescues.

The Champlin Foundations typically support organizations in the State of Rhode Island; however, based on Mystic Seaport’s impact on the lives of Rhode Island residents, the Foundations have awarded Mystic Seaport several generous past grants, including support for the Charles W. Morgan Restoration, the Library’s relocation in the Collections Research Center, and the publication of Coastal Schooners of New England.

The beautiful curving architecture of the new Thompson Exhibition Building is shaped by a superstructure of 10 glue-laminated (‘glulam’) ribs. At 105-feet long and rising 26 feet high, these structural ribs are not only functional but they also establish the wooden ship aesthetic that is part of the building’s signature design. The all-wood superstructure is made of multiple layers of Douglas fir, glued together for strength.

Last fall, Mystic Seaport launched Framing the Future, a mini-campaign to raise $1 million for the new building. As part of the larger $15.3 million Museum in Motion Campaign, Framing the Future offered donors the opportunity to name each of the 10 glulams that support the roof and walls of the Thompson Exhibition Building and “frame the future” of Mystic Seaport.

As of the end of March, all 10 glulam support beams were committed and nearly $1 million has been pledged or given to Mystic Seaport. We are incredibly grateful to the generous donors who are supporting the Museum’s transformation.

For more information, please contact Betsy Bowman, campaign manager, at 860.572.0711, ext. 5005 or betsy.bowman@mysticseaport.org/.

The Connecticut League of History Organizations (CLHO) announced that the Noank Historical Society, Inc. is the recipient of an Award of Merit for Larry Jacobsen’s book “Celebrating the Emma C. Berry: The history and adventures of the last Noank, Connecticut fishing sloop and the people who helped her reach her 150th birthday.”  The CLHO Award of Merit is a prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of Connecticut history.

The Emma C. Berry is the last known example of a well smack, a type of fishing vessel once common in the waters from Maine to Florida. She is a National Historic Landmark vessel and part of the watercraft collection at Mystic Seaport where she is a floating exhibit.

The book chronicles the boat’s history from her construction and launch in Noank in 1866, through her career fishing and carrying cargo, to her eventual arrival at the Museum in 1969.

Jacobsen, a longtime volunteer at Mystic Seaport, retired as the Chief Hull and Structures Engineer at Electric Boat in Groton. He spent several years researching the Berry and writing the book.

Penny Newbury and Louisa Watrous of the Noank Historical Society assisted in the editing and production of the book. Jacobsen passed away two months after the book was published in June 2015 at the age of 94.

The CLHO presents the Award of Merit to institutions and individuals who demonstrate the highest of professional standards, and who enhance and further the understanding of Connecticut history. The CLHO will confer 12 awards in 2016 honoring people, projects, exhibits, books, and organizations. Presentation of the awards will be made at a special ceremony during the organizations annual conference in Meriden, CT on Monday, June 6.

Mystic Seaport is planning a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the boat’s launch this summer.

“Celebrating the Emma C. Berry” is available in the Museum bookstore for $15.

Historian and author Nathaniel Philbrick kicked off the Museum’s newest education program in New London on Monday. Addressing more than 50 students gathered in the gymnasium of Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School, Philbrick talked about how he is inspired by history and the stories he gets to tell and the process he goes through to write a book.

This was the first session of “Writing Stem to Stern,” a new initiative by the Mystic Seaport Education Department to use maritime history and the resources of the Museum to help young people become better writers. Students at Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School in New London, CT, will have the opportunity to participate in the three-year program to immerse themselves in the maritime history of their city and the region to help them become better writers. Each year, 50 students will participate in various activities at the school and at Mystic Seaport that will serve as prompts for them to write about their experiences. The “Stem to Stern” program will feature Philbrick and all that he has accomplished as an author to serve as an exemplar and catalyst for these students to reach their highest potential as writers.

The learning plan includes writing workshops, field trips to Mystic Seaport for hands-on activities, and in-school interaction with chantey singers and historic role players. Students will produce a culminating writing project for presentation to Philbrick, the New London School Board, and Mystic Seaport trustees.

School officials were pleased with the reaction the first session generated.

“In addition to asking questions, students were able to relate to Mr. Philbrick’s commitment and integrity towards his work,” said Dr. Alison Burdick, principal of Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School. “We are looking forward to expanding this partnership through the thoughtful collaboration with Mystic Seaport staff, and providing our students with the opportunity of a lifetime by providing a classroom beyond the walls of our school.”

“Writing Stem to Stern” is made possible by patrons of the 2015 America and the Sea Award Gala that was held in New York City last October. The 2015 honoree was Nathaniel Philbrick, and guests at the event enthusiastically offered their support to fund the program, which was developed in consultation with Philbrick and reflects his personal passion for today’s youth to have the desire and skills to be excellent writers.

“I’ve spoken to a lot of school groups, but I have to say, the students at Bennie Dover really impressed me. They were polite, enthusiastic, curious, and asked some really great and thoughtful questions,” said Philbrick.

“This program has been fun to put together, not just because of Nathaniel Philbrick’s personal involvement and enthusiasm for the subject, but it has allowed us to marshal and use our resources in new and different ways, much as we strive to do with our Mystic Seaport for Educators website in the digital sphere,” said Sarah Cahill, director of Education at Mystic Seaport.

The Connecticut State Bond Commission has approved $2 million in state funding to assist with the construction of the Thompson Exhibition Building. The request for funding was approved at the commission’s meeting on January 29, 2016.

“Mystic Seaport was delighted to learn that our Thompson Exhibition Building project was selected for this level of state support,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport. “The new building gives us a state-of-the-art, world-class exhibition facility that will fortify a year-round business model and support our role as the nation’s leading maritime museum.”

The state’s investment in the Thompson Exhibition Building leverages significant support from the private sector, and strengthens the local and regional economy by enhancing Mystic’s role as a leading tourist destination.

The Thompson Exhibition Building will house a 5,000-square-foot exhibit gallery—the largest of the Museum’s seven galleries. The new building will provide the type of conditions required to permit the borrowing of outstanding art and artifacts from other museums around the world. The building will also have a visitors’ entrance, retail space, and a meeting and lecture room.

The Thompson Building is scheduled to open in September 2016.

“We are grateful for the support of State Senator Andrew Maynard and State Representative Diana Urban on this project. With their assistance we were able to demonstrate the project’s merits as we met with legislative leadership, state economic development officials and Governor Dannel P. Malloy,” said White. “We have likewise been grateful for the support we have received from the State Office of Economic and Community Development and Gov. Malloy’s interest in this important project.”

In a December letter to Gov. Malloy, Sen. Maynard wrote, “The Thompson Exhibition Building is central to Mystic Seaport’s ongoing transformation. The building expands the Museum’s capacity as a cultural institution, strengthens the state’s tourism industry, and adds to our ability to attract and retain top talent to the state’s workforce based on a high quality of life.”

“Connecticut’s economy benefits significantly from tourism,” said Gov. Malloy in a statement. “Under recent years, this sector of our economy has evolved into a $14 billion industry, supporting more than 80,000 direct tourism jobs statewide and continuing to grow. Mystic Seaport continues to be a major draw in the southeastern region of our state, and this project is one for which Sen. Maynard has advocated passionately. I am glad that we can continue to support the region with this grant.”

Mystic Seaport is one of the top-20 employers in Southeastern Connecticut and is a leading driver of tourism in the region and the state. The new exhibition building will add both temporary and permanent jobs, but it will also fortify a twelve-month business model for the Museum going forward.

Portions of this report were prepared from a press release from Sen. Maynard’s office.