Month: November 2012

Opening Reception for the Public Saturday, December 1

The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport presents its annual winter exhibition Maritime Miniatures by Maritime Masters December 1, 2012 through April 7, 2013.

The gallery will host a public opening reception with complimentary refreshments Saturday, December 1, from 2 – 4 p.m. A special discount of five percent off the sale of all art will be available for Museum members (gallery patrons will receive a 10 percent discount) through December 31, 2012.

The invitational exhibition features more than 100 framed paintings and drawings displayed and available for purchase – each no larger than 8 inches in height or width (excluding frame). More than 40 Maritime Gallery artists will be featured in the exhibition including David Bareford, Patrick Donovan, Neal Hughes, H. Gray Park and Cean Youngs.

One of the most popular shows on the gallery’s annual schedule, Maritime Miniatures provides an opportunity for collectors to own original work by their favorite artists at affordable prices.

“Each painting is truly a small masterpiece created by some of the most respected maritime artists working today,” said Jeanne Potter, director of the Maritime Gallery.  “Reasonably priced and beautifully framed, these paintings are perfect for holiday gift giving.”

For more information, visit mysticseaport.org/gallery or call 860.572.5388.

About the Maritime Gallery

The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport is the nation’s foremost gallery specializing in contemporary marine art and ship models. Through its parent organization, Mystic Seaport, the gallery is proud to offer access to the world’s leading experts in the marine field, and the highest standards of scholarship, integrity and connoisseurship that the nation’s finest maritime museum represents. The gallery is free to the public. Please visit mysticseaport.org/gallery for current hours.

Holiday Tradition Takes Visitors Back to Christmas Eve, 1876

Mystic Seaport will open the 33rd season of its Lantern Light Tours on Saturday, December 1, 2012.

A New England holiday tradition, Lantern Light Tours is a 70-minute progressive play that takes its audience back to Christmas Eve, 1876. A cast of almost 70 people, including actors from Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, tells the story of lost love, temptation, and Christmas miracles.

The Lantern Light Tour story is changed every year and the writing and production planning begin in February.

This year’s story draws inspiration from the legend of St. Nicholas as the Patron Saint of sailors, thieves, and young women looking to marry. The plot contains several exciting and humorous elements, including a bank robbery on Christmas Eve and the return of a sailor thought lost at sea. As in years past, this year’s production will include a dance, a sweet treat, a scene on one of our historic vessels, a horse-and-carriage ride, and a visit from St. Nicholas.

Visitors join a group of 16 to tour the Museum’s 19th-century village on foot, stopping at designated points to take in the next chapter in the story.

Performances are December 1, 7-8, 14-16, 21-23, and 26-27. Tours begin at 5 p.m. and leave every 15 minutes.

For the first time, two tours on Saturday December 8 have been set aside for deaf and hearing impaired visitors.  A sign language interpreter will be accompanying each tour for the duration. The tours are at 6:45 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.  To purchase tickets for these tours please call the Museum’s Central Reservations line 860.572.5331 (tickets for these tours are not available for purchase online). Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Advance reservations are strongly recommended for all Lantern Light Tours. Tickets are $28 for adults ($26 for members) and $21 for children ages 4-17 ($19 for youth members). Walk-in tickets the day of the performance are $30 for adults ($28 for members) and $23 for children ($21 for youth members). Lantern Light Tours are not recommended for children under 4 years old.

Tickets can be purchased online at mysticseaport.org/lanternlighttours or by calling 860.572.5331, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The tour route covers uneven terrain and tour-goers will walk or stand for the entire production and are advised to wear appropriate footwear and dress for the weather. Visitors are asked to indicate the need for a handicap-accessible tour at the time of reservation.

About Mystic Seaport

Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, it is home to four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan, America’s oldest commercial vessel still afloat. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/.

Special Day to Culminate in a Spectacular Fireworks Display at 7 p.m.

Mystic Seaport will celebrate the 71st anniversary of the arrival of the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan by offering free admission to all visitors on Saturday, November 10, 2012. The Museum exhibits will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the grounds will remain open to the public afterward in preparation for a fireworks show at 7 p.m.

The day will feature a variety of special Morgan-related presentations and demonstrations, including talks by the shipwrights working on the restoration, live music from the Museum’s chanteymen, and numerous activities for kids and families.

Fireworks begin promptly at 7 p.m. The pyrotechnics will be launched from a barge moored in the river and visitors are invited to view the display from Mystic Seaport grounds. The Galley Restaurant and Latitude 41° Restaurant & Tavern will be open for dinner.  Nighttime visitors are encouraged to bring a flashlight.

The day’s free admission and fireworks are made possible by the generous sponsorship of Mohegan Sun.

The anniversary is an opportunity to recognize the importance the Charles W. Morgan has had in the development of the Museum and the community since she was towed up the river on Nov. 8, 1941. The Morgan is the last wooden whaleship from the Age of Sail and is the oldest American commercial vessel still afloat. After an 80-year whaling career, the Morgan was at risk of being broken up when she was offered to the infant Marine Historical Association (now Mystic Seaport). The acquisition of the ship raised the stature of the Museum significantly and helped put Mystic on the map of tourist destinations. The Museum estimates more than 20 million people have come to Mystic and walked her decks since 1941.

Downtown Events

The Museum’s celebration will be complimented by several events organized by Sail the Morgan 2014, a local committee dedicated to raising $1.5 million to support the Morgan’s 38th Voyage in 2014.

An arts presentation at the Mystic Arts Center will take place on Thursday, November 8, at 7:30 p.m.  “Insight and Inspiration from the Dalvero Academy Artists” will be a discussion of the current exhibit by the Academy at Mystic Seaport, “Restoring a Past, Charting a Future: An Artistic Discovery of America’s Whaling Legacy by Dalvero Academy.” Artists Susan Buroker, Audrey Hawkins, Margaret Hurst, Veronica Lawlor, and Dominic Santise will give a presentation about the Academy’s artistic interpretation of the restoration of the Charles W. Morgan. The event is free and open to the public.

On November 10 there will be live music and activities at the Mystic River Park in downtown Mystic beginning at 10 a.m. Local music groups, headlined by The Cartells at noon, will perform over the course of the day.

The community events are organized in association with Mystic Restaurant Week, which ends November 10. Latitude 41° Restaurant & Tavern is joining other local establishments to offer special menus and one-price dining all week. Participating restaurants and menus can be found by visiting www.mysticrestaurantweek.com

For more information about Sail the Morgan 2014 and how to help support the restoration and voyage, please email advancement@https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/.

About Mystic Seaport

Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, the Museum is home to four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan, the oldest American commercial vessel still afloat. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/.