Month: September 2014

Mystic, Conn. (September 29, 2014)—Mystic Seaport today announced Macy Kleinfelder is the 2014 recipient of the Orion Award for Excellence in Experiential Education.

The Orion Award is bestowed by the Museum on stellar teachers who create meaningful and innovative learning experiences for their students by utilizing the collections, programs, and learning resources of Mystic Seaport. The Award recognizes teachers who infuse history, math, science, and literature with a maritime focus and are an inspiration to their students and their colleagues.

Kleinfelder is the Dean of Student Affairs and a history teacher at The Williams School in New London.

In the summer of 2012, Kleinfelder was selected as one of a group of teachers to help Mystic Seaport create an online learning community for educators.  This has since developed into Mystic Seaport for Educators, an innovative website for teachers that facilitates access to the Museum’s collections for the purpose of creating learning tools to bring America’s maritime heritage into the classroom.

Kleinfelder also brought her students to the Museum to analyze the Charles W. Morgan as an artifact, and completed a “Curators’ Challenge” with her students and Museum staff, where they had to create an exhibit based on artifact analysis.  She used this trip to prepare her students for an inquiry-based midterm project back in the classroom. She also worked with Mystic Seaport staff to create an online map of the 27th voyage of the Charles W. Morgan using its logbook.  Kleinfelder additionally taught a professional development workshop for museum educators at Mystic Seaport about working with middle- and high-school students.

“We chose to honor Macy Kleinfelder with this award because she is a treasure trove of new ideas, and she is willing to take risks in the classroom, try new approaches, and constantly pursue innovation and improvement,” said Sarah Cahill, director of education at Mystic Seaport.

The Orion Award for Excellence in Experiential Education was introduced in 2005 in honor of the Museum’s 75th Anniversary. Named for one of the most familiar constellations –the Hunter Orion, son of the sea god Poseidon–Orion has often marked the course for many seagoing vessels. Through the Orion Award, Mystic Seaport acknowledges the unique skills and abilities of teachers to link disciplines and communicate ideas with their students, helping their students navigate the course of life.

Downloadable image: Macy Kleinfelder receives the Orion Award at the annual Members Meeting at Mystic Seaport on Saturday, September 27. Pictured (left to right) Macy Kleinfelder, Sarah Cahill, director of education. Photo credit: Mystic Seaport/Dennis Murphy.

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 Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden whaleship in the world. The Museum is located one mile south of exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. Admission is $24 for adults and $15 for children 6-17. Museum members and children under 5 are admitted for free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/, and follow Mystic Seaport on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Public Can Meet the Artists from 10:30 a.m. to Noon

Mystic, Conn. (September 22, 2014) — The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport opens the 35th Annual International Marine Art Exhibition and Sale Sunday, September 28.

The International is the most comprehensive collection of contemporary marine art in the United States. Award-winning artists from around the world will present more than 95 examples of their most recent work. Represented in this show are exceptional paintings, sculpture, scrimshaw, and ship models. The show is a commemoration of America’s maritime heritage with both intricately researched historical scenes and contemporary images that document the relationship of man to the sea.

“We are honored to present the International Marine Art Exhibition at the Maritime Gallery for the 35th year,” said Jeanne Potter, director of the Gallery.  “This exhibition and sale continues to delight art lovers and visitors year after year, showcasing the finest art by today’s leading marine artists.  From racing yachts to working boats, every aspect of maritime life is celebrated in this exhibition and is displayed in the most ideal setting–overlooking the historic Mystic River at the nation’s leading maritime museum.”

Participating artists include David Bareford, Harley Bartlett, Laura Cooper, Yoko Gaydos, Ian Hansen, Neal Hughes, Richard Loud, Victor Mays and Jeff Weaver.

The exhibition will honor participating artists with five awards of excellence and nine named awards–including the Rudolph J. Schaefer Maritime Heritage Award, which recognizes the work that best documents our maritime heritage for future generations.

The exhibition will open to the public at 10:00 a.m. Sunday, September 28, with an artists’ walk from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon at the Gallery. The walk is an opportunity for the public to meet some of the participating artists and listen as they share how they created their works in the International and what inspires them to produce their art.

All works in the exhibition are available to view and purchase daily between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. The show can also be viewed on the Gallery website.

The exhibition runs through December 31, 2014.

Downloadable image:  John Tayson, “Steamer Dock, 1920s” Oil 18” x 24” Photo credit:  Dennis Murphy

About the Maritime Gallery

The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport is the nation’s foremost gallery specializing in contemporary marine art.  For over 30 years, the Maritime Gallery has been privileged to exhibit the works of leading maritime artists from across the globe and to support the scholarship, curation, and exhibition work of its parent organization, Mystic Seaport. For more information, please visit mysticseaport.org/gallery.

Funds Will Support State-of-the-Art Components of New Exhibit on American Whaling

Mystic, Conn. (September 18, 2014) — Mystic Seaport announced today it is the recipient of a $150,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to support  components of the Museum’s new exhibit Voyaging in the Wake of the Whalers. The award is part of the Institute’s Museums for America Learning Experiences program.

The new 4,000-square foot exhibit will be an interdisciplinary exploration of America’s historic and contemporary relationship with whales and whaling. Using artifacts and artwork, along with compelling audio-visual elements and immersive displays, the experience will provide insight into commercial whaling’s complex and deep impact on the nation’s economy, culture, and global position. It will also explore whaling’s historic and environmental legacy.

Voyaging in the Wake of the Whalers follows the historic 38th Voyage of the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan this past summer. The Morgan, a National Historic Landmark vessel, sailed from Mystic, Conn. to ports across Southern New England and into the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. This was the ship’s first voyage since 1921.

“This exhibit will be the final chapter in the 38^th Voyage of the Charles W. Morgan,” said Mystic Seaport president Steve White. “Through our continuing series of onboard, onsite, and online public programs, we continue to reinterpret the ship for a 21st-century audience in ways that surprise and intrigue the visitor.”

This grant will fund an introductory video and a large 3D projection globe that will weave together global stories of whales, whaling, and whale research in an inspiring multimedia presentation. The globe will be a striking, luminous orb at the center of the exhibit that will draw visitors into a unique experience.

“These state-of-the-art components will enable us to present the themes of the exhibit in exciting, powerful ways,” said Susan Funk, executive vice president of Mystic Seaport. “They will play a vital role in our mission to encourage the visitor to explore how American perceptions of whales and whaling took dramatic turns over time, and how America’s whaling heritage continues to shape communities and culture today.”

Voyaging in the Wake of the Whalers is scheduled to open in the Museum’s Stillman Building in summer 2015.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. Our mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Our grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow IMLS on Facebook and Twitter.

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 Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden whaleship in the world. The Museum is located one mile south of exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. Admission is $24 for adults and $15 for children 6-17. Museum members and children under 5 are admitted for free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/, and follow Mystic Seaport on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.