Author: Mystic Seaport Museum

Connecticut Humanities, the statewide, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), has awarded Mystic Seaport Museum $519,999 in three separate grants.

The first is an award of $500,000 for a CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant. Administered in partnership with the Connecticut State Department of Economic Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts, with funds from the Connecticut State Legislature, the operating grants assist organizations as they recover from the pandemic and maintain and grow their ability to serve their community and the public. The Museum will use the funds in part to improve accessibility and wayfinding on the grounds, enhance online content and access for remote learning, and support the expansion and merging of its educational offerings under the umbrella of the soon-to-launch Center for Experiential Education (CEE). The CEE represents a commitment by the Museum to serve youth in a more holistic and comprehensive manner by engaging young people at critical junctures of their lives through experiential maritime education.

The second award is a $10,000 grant from the Sustaining Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) Capacity Grants, funded by the NEH and the federal American Rescue Plan (ARP). The Museum will use the funds to support diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) training across all departments. The firm Lord Cultural Resources — a global practice leader in bringing DEAI principles to the museum field — has been engaged to guide this work.

The final award of $9,999 is a Capacity Building Grant to cover Lord’s external information gathering and reporting in order to help the Museum better understand and engage with a more diverse public.

“As we continue to recover from the economic impact of the pandemic we are working hard towards positioning the Museum as a more sustainable and culturally relevant institution to as broad an audience as possible,” said Peter Armstrong, president of Mystic Seaport Museum. “This generous support from Connecticut Humanities will help the Museum, working in partnership with other community organizations, to emphasize the diversity of the maritime story to a much wider public.”

The Museum was one of 624 organizations in Connecticut that received CT Cultural Fund support totaling $16M from CT Humanities. The operating grants are part of $30.7M of support allocated to arts, humanities, and cultural nonprofits through CTH over the next two years by the CT General Assembly and approved by Governor Ned Lamont. Funds were provided through the Connecticut State Department of Economic and Community Development and its Connecticut Office of the Arts.

Mystic Seaport Museum was one of 69 organizations in Connecticut that was awarded ARP funding totaling $640,192 from CT Humanities. CTH SHARP Capacity Grants provide organizations funding for projects including building their information technology infrastructure, making their collections more accessible, conducting strategic planning, and undertaking inclusivity, diversity, equity, and access work.

NASA has selected Mystic Seaport Museum as one of a diverse group of Museums, science centers, libraries, and other informal education organizations from around the country designated as a NASA Informal Education Community Anchor.

The designation recognizes the Museum and its Treworgy Planetarium as a community resource and provides a $24,266 grant to bring space exploration to traditionally underserved areas and broaden student participation in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The Museum will address the local needs of middle school students in Eastern and Southern Connecticut by using and sharing NASA STEM engagement learning resources and opportunities.

“We are grateful to NASA for selecting our Museum to participate in this program, which will enable us to further our institutional goal of increasing outreach to underserved communities and diverse audiences,” said Brian Koehler, supervisor of the Treworgy Planetarium at Mystic Seaport Museum. “We are excited to create new opportunities where students can experience the feelings of discovery and confidence that space exploration and STEM engagement is all about.”

The grant will enable Planetarium educators:

• To develop new hands-on STEM programs for middle school students in three formats: virtual, in-school, and on-site
• To purchase the equipment and supplies needed to deliver these programs to students
• To provide a series of these programs at no cost to select underserved community partners

Mystic Seaport Museum is one of only 21 recipients selected from across the United States. It is one of only two Community Anchors in New England.

The new programs will be rolled out in the fall of 2022.

Earlier this fall, the Museum named Sarah Armour to be captain of schooner Brilliant, the Museum’s iconic sail training vessel. As she prepares for her first full season skippering the boat, we thought this would be a good time to sit down and ask her about what it is like to be captain of Brilliant, and what she is looking forward to in 2022.

What is your background prior to this job?

I’ve spent most of the last decade working in youth sail training, traditional sail, and experiential education. Before stepping into the role of captain of Brilliant, I was grateful to spend a season working as mate, where I really got to know the program and the vessel. Before coming to Mystic Seaport Museum, I worked on a number of other sail training vessels including SSV Geronimo, Pride of Baltimore II, Sloop Clearwater, and Lady Maryland. I have a degree in Earth Systems Science from Cornell University, where I focused on applied ecology, sustainable agriculture, and environmental education.

Why did you choose to become Brilliant’s captain?

Where to begin… I can’t imagine saying “no” to this boat. I once heard another captain say, “When Brilliant calls, you answer,” and I certainly felt that way when I had the opportunity to be the mate of Brilliant. As I step into the role of captain, I expect to learn a great deal, and it is a privilege to be in the position to do so. When I consider the six captains that proceeded me in that role, I am aware of how big the shoes are and I consider it a real honor to continue their efforts. I love being Brilliant’s captain because I love being the caretaker of a vessel with such prestige and pedigree, and a program that I have seen impart tremendous influence upon students, peers, and colleagues alike.

As captain, what are you trying to impart to the crew on each cruise?

This is such a good question. Of course, I want everyone onboard to grow into their role as a full-fledged crew member, confident in their role on deck alongside their shipmates. However, I also want folks onboard to have an experience that is beyond the sailing. Living onboard any boat with 11 other people is full of challenge, and I love seeing a crew come together to figure out the specific ways they will work, live, and have a good time on board. It is truly a special thing to work towards something that is bigger than yourself, and Brilliant provides those experiences in spades.

What is it like to sail on Brilliant?

Brilliant really wants to be sailed. The boat sails gracefully in a light breeze, yet is eager to take off in stiffer wind. When it is blowing, you can expect Brilliant to really heel over (which leaves me consistently in awe of the cook). Beyond the fun and the thrill of sailing the boat, I think Brilliant is a great platform for learning and developing seamanship skills and we find that both experienced and inexperienced sailors can really get a lot out of their time on board. I find that Brilliant’s rig design and size lends itself well to learning, and, as their time on board progresses, I am confident in handing over many aspects of vessel operations to students and guest crew.

Was there a special moment last season?

Oh, there were so many! I’m always excited when a new group figures out how you sail a 61-foot schooner onto the anchor (and back off of the anchor the next morning), and that is a special moment that is repeated just about every week. A couple of specific memories come to mind: We had a particularly fantastic sail in Fishers Island Sound on day two of a five-day trip in June, short tacking with our two fisherman staysails. This requires significant teamwork and communication, and all of us on the professional crew were super impressed! Early on a Monday morning in August, we gybed just off the anchored Pride of Baltimore II while their crew and ours waved emphatically at one and other. It was pretty sweet. I also love any opportunity to sail with students through the night, as we were able to do on our longer trips.

What is your favorite part of being captain of Brilliant?

Sailing a vessel that performs so exceptionally is incredible. Hearing stories from past students and crew is always so cool. Being part of Mystic Seaport Museum and working to thoughtfully preserve and maintain our own 1932 schooner is always interesting. But my favorite part of my job is the summer youth sail training trips. Brilliant is so well set up for this program, they are so fun and I am really looking forward to next June.

What are your goals or hopes for the 2022 season?

I am so excited for the youth trips in the summer! We’re aiming to do six five-day trips and two ten-day trips, an increase from last season. I am also really looking forward to the fall of our 2022 season, when we will sail down to the Chesapeake Bay where Brilliant will race 120 miles down the bay in the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race. Some of my favorite sailing has been in the fall on the Chesapeake and I’m really looking forward to sailing Brilliant down there. There will be opportunities for adult guest crew members to sail on board, so if sailing down the coast and into the Chesapeake is exciting to you, join us!

We are also planning to race in the Gloucester Schooner Race, and the Pat West Gaff and Schooner Race.

What makes Brilliant special?

Short answer: There really isn’t a boat like Brilliant.

But here’s the long answer: This vessel has such a storied legacy, from her transatlantic record in 1933 to her current role running one of the oldest sail training programs in the country (since 1953!), Brilliant remains extraordinary. As someone who loves wooden boats, I cannot help but continue to be in awe of the great care in which the boat has been looked after by the Museum for nearly 70 years. Many folks don’t know this, but Brilliant has never had a rebuild! The vessel was built to a standard that I have yet to see matched elsewhere, and that has served Brilliant, her crew, and the museum well.

I am so grateful to the handful of captains that came before me, and it is through their hard work that the vessel and program (and me!) are so set up for success. Brilliant and I owe these men and the Museum a great deal.

For those interested in learning more or registering for a program, please see our schooner Brilliant page.

Beginning January 17, 2022, Lancer Hospitality will be the primary food and beverage operator of the Mystic Seaport Museum grounds, a 19-acre destination which is comprised of multiple on-site eateries and food outlets, as well as a robust offering of private dining and event spaces. Founded in 1929, Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s leading maritime museum, which was created to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past. The museum includes a recreated New England coastal village, a working shipyard, formal exhibit halls, and state-of-the-art artifact storage facilities.

“Lancer is excited to infuse our signature brand of imagination and hospitality into the campus and create a distinct culinary offering for this beloved destination”, said Matt King, President of Elior North America Dining & Events and Lancer Hospitality. “Mystic Seaport Museum is one of Mystic’s most visited attractions, and we look forward to bringing the experience to life for all of the senses.”

Lancer will be catering events for the Museum’s internal purposes, as well as its external corporate, group, and private events. The company will also manage weddings taking place on-site at the Museum, at various locations including the Boat Shed at Lighthouse Point, the steamboat Sabino, and the Meeting House.  Lancer will be debuting new catering packages on January 1, 2022 that will celebrate the unique space that is Mystic Seaport Museum.

For guest-facing eateries, Lancer will reopen the espresso bar in the Thompson Exhibition Building on January 17, 2022, with a new coffee program, as well as a new grab-and-go artisan menu featuring local makers and bakers. In The Galley- the quick service café on campus- Lancer will be partnering with the Museum to rebrand and reimagine an entirely new and modernized food and beverage experience with expanded evening hours to join the other restaurants in town that have made Mystic a regional hub for food lovers.

“Our Museum is a one-of-a-kind destination that’s beloved by locals and travelers alike. We’re delighted to be partnering with Lancer Hospitality to continue to evolve our guest offerings, and to provide a distinct food experience that matches the breadth of experiential offerings at the institution,” said Peter Armstrong, President of Mystic Seaport Museum.

Latitude 41 Restaurant & Tavern and events in the River Room and the nearby North Lawn will remain operated by Coastal Gourmet through 2022.

Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) announced Mystic Seaport Museum is set to receive funding through the American Rescue Plan to support the rebuilding of the Museum’s Sustainable Maritime Trades and Skills program. The Museum will receive a grant award of more than $40,000 through the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which will be used to rebuild its Maritime Trades and Skills program to preserve heritage skills, crafts, and trades at risk of being lost due to pandemic-related staffing and budget cuts. The funding was authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act (H.R. 1319), which Rep. Courtney voted to pass in March.

“These funds are critical to our plans to rebuild and expand our historic trades, crafts and maritime skills program. This will enable us to have our experts cross-train current and new staff members in the arts and crafts of blacksmithing, coopering, wood carving, printing, open-hearth cooking, and the maritime skills of the sailor. It is only by continued professional instruction and sharing with the public that these important aspects of our nation’s history are preserved for future generations,” said Peter Armstrong, president of Mystic Seaport Museum. “We are very grateful to Rep. Courtney for his support of this legislation and our museum’s mission to connect every American to their own sea story.”

“The American Rescue Plan has helped us start to overcome a lot of the collateral damage brought on by the pandemic. We’ve seen our towns use Rescue Plan funds to save jobs and support police stations, schools, and fire houses, hundreds of small businesses and restaurants have received relief funding, and it’s good now to see resources supporting jobs at Mystic Seaport Museum while also preserving our region’s maritime heritage,” said Rep. Courtney. “This is an excellent use of American Rescue Plan resources—it will support jobs right off the bat, it helps preserve our region’s history and maritime culture, and it will be used to help folks train and acquire skills that could be used for jobs in the maritime sector. That’s really a triple play, and Peter Armstrong and his team at Mystic Seaport Museum deserve a lot of credit for their work to earn this funding and operate these important programs. Glad to see the American Rescue Plan continuing to provide an assist for hardworking people in eastern Connecticut.”

A federal grant of $40,038 will be awarded to Mystic Seaport Museum through the IMLS American Rescue Plan grant program. The program was authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act to assist IMLS in addressing community needs created or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and in assisting with the recovery. Projects funded by the program may continue, enhance, or expand existing programs and services, or they may launch new ones to address emergent or unexpected needs.

Through the grant, the Museum will provide extensive technical training, professional development, and independent research opportunities to increase the number of trained staff who can perform and teach maritime skills. The Museum will also hire and train frontline interpretation staff who can share authentic stories of America’s maritime heritage and enhance visitors’ experience to understand the nation’s relationship with the sea.