Month: July 2018

Mystic, CT (July 25, 2018) – Mystic Seaport Museum is seeking actors for two seasonal productions: Nautical Nightmares: Madness on the Mystic River, inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft, and the 39th annual Lantern Light Tours: Finding Our Place. Roles are available for adult and teen performers with experience in improvisation, Shakespeare, stage combat, music, non-traditional physicality, and/or acrobatics. Applicants should be enthusiastic performers who enjoy a non-traditional performance.

Auditions will be held August 24, 25, 27, and 28 from 5 to 9 p.m. Each audition will last approximately 15 minutes. Performers should prepare two contrasting one-minute monologues and provide a theater resume and head shot. Auditions may also include guided improvisation and scripted sides. Please email or call to schedule an audition. Actors may choose to audition for one or both productions.

Additionally, Mystic Seaport Museum is offering an audition workshop at Writers Block Ink in New London, CT, on August 8 and 15. Workshop sessions will be led by the museum’s theatrical co-directors, Emma Palzere-Rae and Denise Kegler. This 2-part workshop will focus on best practices for a variety of audition situations and alternative performance venues (such as museums) and will provide hands-on skill-building opportunities for participants, including cold reading technique and practical application, audition materials suggestions, and personalized monologue work. Below is an outline for both sessions:

August 8:

• Overview of types of auditions and the audition itself
• Auditioning for alternative performance venues (museum, interactive, site-specific, etc.)
• Cold reading practice
• Discussion of monologues (assignment for next week: bring in a monologue to work on)
• Q&A

August 15:

• Discussion on finding a monologue
• Audition monologue work (on feet – not memorized)
• Audition tools: pictures and resumes
• Wrap up and Q&A

This workshop is free but space is limited. Please register only if serious about attending, to help us customize the workshop. All are encouraged to attend both sessions. Actors of all experience levels are invited to register; sessions will be adapted based on the needs of the participants.

We are presenting this workshop to help actors best prepare for any upcoming auditions and also to reach a wider pool of talent to help build the cast for our seasonal shows. Following the workshop, Mystic Seaport Museum invites all participants to audition for our 2018 productions. We are hoping to broaden and diversify our company of actors. (Attending this workshop does not imply employment, nor does it provide priority in our casting and hiring process.)

Click here to register for the workshop

Nautical Nightmares: Madness on the Mystic River is a 60-minute progressive or travelling play, inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft. We are seeking performers for scripted material, tour guiding, and improvisational haunters.
Performances will be held on October 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27, and 28.

Lantern Light Tours: Finding Our Place is a 70-minute progressive or travelling play set on Christmas Eve in the year 1876. We are seeking performers for scripted material, tour guiding, and improvisational performances.
Performances will be held on November 23, 24, and 30; December 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, and 23

Paid positions are available. Performers must be at least 13 years old.

Please email or call to schedule an audition:
denise.kegler@https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/
860.572-0711 x5075

Exhibition and Sale of Fine Art Explores Theme of Going to Sea

Mystic, Conn. (July 16, 2018) — The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport Museum will open a new exhibition and sale Anchors Aweigh: The Voyage Begins Sunday, July 29.

“Anchors Aweigh” is an ageless maritime expression that conjures up visions of sailors hoisting the anchor just before embarking on a long voyage. Whether rendering images of sails being unfurled as the ship gets underway, or painting a glorious coastal landscape as background to a ship setting sail off into the sunset, the artists’ various interpretations on this theme will provide the viewer with a sense of a journey that is about to commence. Represented in this show are sculpture and exceptional paintings in oil, acrylics, and watercolor by 30 of the Gallery’s finest artists.

“We asked our artists to take on the idea of embarkation and the beginning of a journey. The result is a wonderful series of representations that reflect individual perspectives of what that means,” said Monique Foster, director of the Gallery. “The show will appeal to art lovers and maritime enthusiasts alike.”

Participating artists include Neal Hughes, William R. Davis, Paul Beebe, Ray Crane, Robert Lagasse, and David Monteiro.

The exhibition will open to the public at 10 a.m. Sunday, July 29. All works in the exhibition will be available to view and purchase daily between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

There will be an opening reception 5:30-7 p.m., Saturday, July 28. The event is free and open to the public.

The exhibition runs through September 23, 2018.

About the Maritime Gallery
The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s foremost gallery specializing in contemporary marine art and ship models. For more than 35 years, the Gallery has been privileged to exhibit the works of leading international maritime artists. Located in historic Mystic, Conn., the Gallery overlooks the beautiful Mystic River attracting art lovers and collectors from around the world. For more information, please visit mysticseaport.org/gallery.

 

Mystic, Conn. (July 10, 2018) — Mystic Seaport Museum will hold its annual Antique & Classic Boat Rendezvous Saturday and Sunday, July 28-29.

The event showcases high-quality antique vessels, including cruisers, sailboats, and runabouts. The classic vessels will create a colorful gathering along the Museum’s waterfront. Visitors are invited to see the displayed vessels Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. An award competition will recognize excellence in restoration, authenticity, and workmanship.

This year, the Museum will feature vessels designed by John G. Alden, one of the leading naval architects of the 20^th century. After apprenticing under Starling Burgess and B.B. Crowninshield, he opened his own office in 1909 and he went on to design more than 900 vessels ranging from small dinghies to power vessels to famous racing schooners.

In addition to the boats, there will be two displays of antique autos. On Saturday, in conjunction with the New England Yankee Wood Chapter of the National Woodie Club, Woodie cars will be on the Village Green 8:15 a.m.-2 p.m. On Sunday, a selection of Austin-Healey sports cars will be on the Village Green 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

The Rendezvous concludes Sunday at 12 p.m. with a parade of the classic boats down the Mystic River. Each will be announced on the shore at Mystic River Park as it passes through the Mystic River Bascule Bridge. The boats then make their way down river to Fishers Island Sound in what has become a highlight of the Mystic summer season.

For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/event/antique-classic-boat-rendezvous/.

About Mystic Seaport Museum

Mystic Seaport Museum, founded in 1929, is the nation’s leading maritime museum. In addition to providing a multitude of immersive experiences, the Museum also houses a collection of more than two million artifacts that include more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography. The iconic Thompson Exhibition Building is a state-of-the-art gallery that is hosting The Vikings Begin: Treasures from Uppsala University, Sweden through September 30, 2018. Mystic Seaport Museum is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/  and follow Mystic Seaport Museum on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Mystic, Conn. (July 3, 2018) —Mystic Seaport Museum’s summer performance series Arts on the Quad begins Saturday, July 14. For 2018, the series has been reimagined so each of the four performances will share a theme with one of the Museum’s exhibitions and it will be paired with related speakers and activities. In addition, visitors will have access to the featured gallery for the evening.

“We re-envisioned the program this year so Arts on the Quad would more closely reflect and enhance what we have going on at the Museum,” said Arlene Marcionette, public programs project manager at Mystic Seaport Museum. “The exhibitions on our McGraw Quadrangle were a starting point for us to jump off and find interesting and fun connections between the stories we are telling in the galleries and the live performances.”

Arts on the Quad this year is sponsored by CT Humanities and Charter Oak Federal Credit Union.

The performances are free with a suggested donation of $10 per person. Visitors are invited to bring their own picnic and non-alcoholic beverages. A cash bar and concession snacks will be available.

In the event of rain, performances will take place in a covered location on the Museum grounds. Rain location seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. All performances begin at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 14: Monument Man

The Museum’s first artist-in-residence, Kevin Sampson, is a nationally renowned artist from Newark, N.J., who transforms found materials such as cement, bones, tiles, fabric, paints, and wood into powerful sculptures that speak to family, memory, and loss through the lens of the African-American experience.

This evening’s concert will be by Sounds Great, a quartet from the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra. They will perform selections from Mozart, Beethoven, jazz works by Ellington and Gershwin, Sea Songs, and other music that inspires Sampson in his work. The concert begins at 6:30 p.m.

At 5:30 p.m., visitors can meet Sampson and view his latest work created during his time in residence.

The Kevin Sampson exhibition, “Monument Man”, in the C.D. Mallory Building will be free and open to the public between 5 and 8 p.m.

Sunday, July 29: The Vikings Begin

To celebrate the current Vikings exhibition, “The Vikings Begin: Treasures from Uppsala University, Sweden,” the Museum has invited The American Rogues to perform and explore the connections between Viking and Irish culture. The American-Canadian group is known for their epic, multi-instrumental sound that crosses the musical landscape to include jigs, reels, hornpipes, ballads, originals, covers, soundtracks, patriotic and military music, Irish foot-stompers, and more.  The concert begins at 6:30 p.m.

At 5:30 p.m., award-winning author James L. Nelson will discuss the fascinating history of Viking raiding, settling, and assimilation into Irish culture.

“The Vikings Begin: Treasures from Uppsala University, Sweden,” exhibition in the Collins Gallery will be free and open to the public between 5 and 8 p.m.

Saturday, August 11: Voyaging in the Wake of the Whalers

Flock Theatre returns to Arts on the Quad with a medley of nautically themed Shakespeare scenes. Based in New London, and the resident theater company at Mitchell College, Flock Theatre is one of the most adventurous classical theater companies in New England. Working with the timeless words of Shakespeare, Moliere, Sophocles, and more modern classics, Flock Theatre is dedicated to creating original, collaborative, and educational theater. The performance begins at 6:30 p.m.

At 5:30 p.m., Dr. Steve Mentz will discuss Shakespeare and the sea, including scenes that Flock Theatre will present. Dr. Mentz teaches Shakespeare, literary theory, and maritime literature at St. John’s University and is the author of “At the Bottom of Shakespeare’s Ocean,” among other books.

The “Voyaging in the Wake of the Whalers” exhibit in the Stillman Building will be free and open to the public between 5 and 8 p.m.

Saturday, August 25: Science, Myth, and Mystery: The Vinland Map Saga

Visitors to the new exhibition “Science, Myth, and Mystery: The Vinland Map Saga” will note the music that greets them as they walk in the door. When the Vinland map was introduced to the world by Yale University in 1965, the map created a controversy with its “proof” that the Vikings reached the Americas before Columbus. On this evening, The Beatles cover band Penny Lane will recreate that time and others with selections from throughout the Fab Four’s history. The concert begins at 6:30 p.m.

At 5:30 p.m., Nicholas Bell, senior vice president for Curatorial Affairs at Mystic Seaport Museum, will give a talk about the Vinland Map, and Fred Calabretta, senior curator at the Museum, will speak about the music in the era during which the map was unveiled to the public.

“Science, Myth, and Mystery: The Vinland Map Saga” in the Schaefer Building will be free and open to the public between 5 and 8 p.m.

For more information, please visit mysticseaport.org/artsonthequad

About Mystic Seaport Museum

Mystic Seaport Museum, founded in 1929, is the nation’s leading maritime museum. In addition to providing a multitude of immersive experiences, the Museum also houses a collection of more than two million artifacts that include more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography. The iconic Thompson Exhibition Building is a state-of-the-art gallery that is hosting The Vikings Begin: Treasures from Uppsala University, Sweden through September 30, 2018. Mystic Seaport Museum is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/  and follow Mystic Seaport Museum on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Award of $735,000 Will Fund New Collections Installations, Research, and Related Public Programming

Mystic, Conn. (July 2, 2018) – Mystic Seaport Museum announced it has received a $735,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation to support the curation and development of three new collections installations and related programming. These projects will provide new perspectives on the art and ensure the continued preservation and refinement of the collections while also promoting public access.

Mystic Seaport Museum, the preeminent U.S. maritime museum, preserves the most significant public collections of marine art and artifacts in the western hemisphere. Through this initiative, the Museum will reimagine the artistic merit and educational potential of its permanent collections of decorative, folk, and self-taught art. These objects – not always considered as works of art and substantially hidden from public view – will be placed on display so they can be appreciated and studied afresh through the eyes of a new generation of scholars, artists, and curators.

The proposed installations and associated research and public program activities will encourage new scholarship around the themes of “The Sea as Muse,” a window into the world of immigrant craftsmanship and decorative arts; “The Sea as Studio” for folk art such as scrimshaw; and “The Sea as Commons,” through a curatorial investigation by contemporary artist Mary Mattingly.

“The Henry Luce Foundation is pleased to support Mystic Seaport Museum in this effort to expand the scholarship and knowledge around parts of its collections that will benefit from a fresh perspective,” said Teresa A. Carbone, program director for American Art at the Henry Luce Foundation. “We are excited to offer new audiences access to compelling art objects and introduce new voices into the Museum’s continuing research and interpretation of its collections.”

“This grant will enable Mystic Seaport Museum to bring rarely-seen collections to light and augment our curatorial capacity. Our staff has expertise largely in maritime history and the humanities. Introducing differing disciplinary perspectives will invite complementary yet distinct presentations and generate new narratives around selected objects. This plan reaffirms the Museum’s commitment to research, in recognition of our role as a nexus for public discourse on the American maritime experience,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport Museum.

The grant will support a guest artist-curator and two scholar-curators, emerging career professionals who will gain from interaction with Museum staff while also introducing new voices to the Museum. In addition, two pre-professional inclusive internships will offer promising young students immersive professional experiences at a major museum; and three teacher-fellows will adapt the exhibit content into “resource sets” that will be archived and made available for Museum and classroom teachers beyond the exhibit installations. Teachers will use the content to encourage their students to dig deeper into the stories of the objects and their creators and make connections to their own lives.

The grant was inspired in part by a two day “think tank” hosted at the museum earlier this year, and sponsored by the Luce Foundation and the Chipstone Foundation of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The event brought together museum staff with scholars from several disciplines to consider how the museum’s collections can be reinterpreted for future audiences.

The three installations are scheduled to open on the museum’s McGraw Gallery Quadrangle in 2019 and 2020.

About Mystic Seaport Museum

Mystic Seaport Museum, founded in 1929, is the nation’s leading maritime museum. In addition to providing a multitude of immersive experiences, the Museum also houses a collection of more than two million artifacts that include more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography. The iconic Thompson Exhibition Building is a state-of-the-art gallery that is hosting The Vikings Begin: Treasures from Uppsala University, Sweden through September 30, 2018. Mystic Seaport Museum is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/  and follow Mystic Seaport Museum on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

 About the Henry Luce Foundation

The Henry Luce Foundation seeks to bring important ideas to the center of American life, strengthen international understanding, and foster innovation and leadership in academic, policy, religious and art communities.

About the American Art Program

A leader in arts funding in the United States, the Henry Luce Foundation’s American Art Program was established in 1982 to support museums, arts organizations, and universities in their efforts to advance the understanding and experience of American and Native American visual arts through research, exhibitions, publications, and collection projects.