Category: Press Releases

Mystic, Conn. (December 20, 2018) — Mystic Seaport Museum will expand its operating hours January 1, 2019, to provide the public greater opportunity to visit the traveling exhibition Death in the Ice: The Mystery of the Franklin Expedition  now open in the Museum’s Thompson Exhibition Building.

The exhibition explores the fate of the Franklin Expedition, which set sail from London in 1845 in an attempt to find the elusive Northwest Passage across the Arctic to Asia. Sir John Franklin and his 128-man crew, aboard the ships HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, all perished. The exact nature of their fate is one of the most enduring mysteries of maritime history.

Beginning January 1, the exhibition will be open daily 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The show will be exclusively open Monday-Wednesday for a flat admission rate of $10 per person.

The Museum has a wider offering Thursday-Sunday that includes Death in the Ice, plus the indoor exhibition galleries, Planetarium, Children’s Museum, historic Buckingham-Hall House, and the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan. Highlights of the current exhibition slate include Monument Man: Kevin Sampson in Residence and When This You See, Remember Me, a new exhibition opening January 19 that explores late 19^th– and early 20th-century portrait photography through the work of local photographers Scholfield and Tingley. Visitors will be able to step back in time to experience what it was like to take a formal portrait in that era and stage their own photograph with their smartphones.

Admission rates Thursday-Sunday through February 15 are Adults $19, Senior (ages 65+) $19, and Youth (ages 3-14) $12. Children (2 and younger) are admitted free.

The Museum’s Village and Shipyard will be closed to the public until February 16.

Death in the Ice: The Mystery of the Franklin Expedition is a traveling exhibition developed by the Canadian Mu­seum of History (Gatineau, Canada), in partnership with Parks Canada Agency and with the National Maritime Museum (Lon­don, UK), and in collaboration with the Govern­ment of Nunavut and the Inuit Heritage Trust.

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 new Thompson Exhibition Building houses a state-of-the-art gallery that is showing Death in the Ice: The Mystery of the Franklin Expedition, a major exhibition of one of seafaring’s most mysterious tragedies through April 28, 2019. 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.

Holiday Performance at Mystic Seaport Museum Transports Audience Back to Christmas Eve, 1876

Mystic, Conn. (November 8, 2018) — Mystic Seaport Museum will open the 2018 season of its Lantern Light Tours Friday, November 23.

A Mystic holiday tradition, Lantern Light Tours is a 90-minute progressive play that weaves a heart-warming holiday story in the setting of the historic buildings and vessels of the Museum.

The Lantern Light Tours plot changes every year and the writing and production planning begins early in the spring. For 2018, the story is Lantern Light Tours: Finding Your Place. Set on Christmas Eve in the year 1876, the play offers windows into the lives of people on the verge of great change, both personal and cultural. Written by award-winning Connecticut playwright and dramaturg Kato McNickle, Finding Your Place invites the audience to explore the world and broaden their point of view to better understand their place within it.

“When we sat down to develop the story for this year’s show, we wanted to explore themes of one’s sense of place and family and connect them into the holiday spirit, while still including all the elements that made previous Lantern Light Tours so beautiful and wonderful for the audience,” said Denise Kegler, the program manager for Lantern Light Tours.

Visitors join a group of 16 to tour the Museum’s seaport village, stopping at designated points to take in the next chapter of the story. Along the way, they will enjoy scenes of seasonal delight, including a winter fantasia, a spirited dance, a visit with St. Nick, and a scene on board one of the Museum’s historic vessels.

Performances are November 23-24, December 1, 8, 14-15, and 21-23. Tours begin at 5 p.m. and leave every 15 minutes.

Tickets may be purchased online at mysticseaport.org/lanternlighttours, or by calling 860.572.5331. Tickets are $33 for adults ($27 for Mystic Seaport Museum members) and $26 for children ages 5-17 ($20 for youth members). Lantern Light Tours are not recommended for children under the age of 4.

Media access is available during the dress rehearsal November 20.

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 new Thompson Exhibition Building is a state-of-the-art space that will host Death in the Ice: The Mystery of the Franklin Expedition, a major exhibition of one of seafaring’s most mysterious tragedies December 1, 2018, through April 28, 2019. 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.

Major Exhibition Explores One of the Sea’s Most Enduring Puzzles: The Fate of 129 Men Who Disappeared in the Arctic in 1845

Mystic, Conn. (November 2, 2018) – Mystic Seaport Museum will host a major exhibition opening December 1, 2018, that explores the fate of the Franklin Expedition, a tragic story of Arctic exploration and death and one of the most enduring mysteries of maritime history – a mystery that remains unsolved to this day.

Death in the Ice: The Mystery of the Franklin Expedition will display more than 200 objects from the collections of the National Maritime Museum in London (NMM) and the Canadian Museum of History (CMH), alongside finds recovered by Parks Canada from Franklin’s ship HMS Erebus. The artifacts from Erebus – the vessel was discovered under water in 2014 – will be on show for the first time in the United States. The exhibition promises to advance our understanding of the expedition and the fate of Franklin and his men. Death in the Ice will also explore both the Eu­ropean and Inuit perspectives including the importance of the Inuit to those out looking for the remains of the expedition.

“We are very pleased to be presenting this compelling and mystifying story, which has had a hold on the imaginations of so many since the ships disappeared into the Arctic,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport Museum. “We are particularly pleased to highlight the critical role Inuit have played in the Franklin story, from the years immediately following the expedition’s loss to recent discoveries of the ships. Though much of what happened to the expedition remains a mystery, what we do know is largely thanks to Inuit oral history and underwater archaeology.”

Setting sail from London on May 19, 1845, Sir John Franklin and his 128-man crew, aboard Erebus and Terror, were the British nation’s biggest hope of finally traversing the Northwest Passage – the much desired, possibly faster, trade route from Europe to Asia.

Franklin and his men were last seen by Europeans in Baffin Bay in July 1845. Two years would pass with nothing heard from the men, prompting the first of a series of expeditions to be sent into the Arctic in an attempt to find them and the reasons why they had not been in touch with the Admiralty or loved ones at home. Over the course of the next 30 years, news and relics, such as snow goggles, cutlery, and a portable stove – examples of which can be seen in Death in the Ice – filtered back out of the Arctic and spoke to what had happened: the deaths of the entire crew through a combination of factors including scurvy and starvation, and speculation of cannibalism and potential madness brought on by lead poisoning. It was not until 1859 that a sole piece of paper, often known as the Victory Point Note (and on display as part of the exhibition), was found and revealed anything about what happened, including the date of Sir John Franklin’s death – June 11, 1847.

However, Erebus, Terror, and the bodies of Franklin and most of his crew were still nowhere to be found (three bodies were found buried on Beechey Island and two skeletons were returned to Britain during the 19th century).

That was until 2014, when the wreck of Erebus was discovered by Parks Canada, as part of a multi-faceted partnership that included government, private, and non-profit groups, followed by the discovery of Terror in 2016, marking two of the most important archaeological finds in recent history. As Parks Canada’s Underwater Archaeology Team begins to bring to light the ships and their contents, Death in the Ice will see objects relating to the expedition and the subsequent search parties, including personal items, clothing, and components of the ship. Furthermore, finds from Erebus itself will be on display, including the ship’s bell.

The exhibition will emphasize the significant role of Inuit in uncovering the fate of the Franklin Expedition, showcasing Inuit oral histories relating to the European exploration of the Arctic Archipelago. Numerous Inuit artifacts, including some incorporating materials of European origin, which were traded from explorers or retrieved from abandoned ships, will also be on display in the exhibition, highlighting the interactions between the search expeditions and the Inuit.

Also featured will be the work of Dr. Owen Beattie of the Franklin Expedition Forensic Anthropology Project, who has used forensic techniques to examine human remains recovered from Beechey Island. Examination of tissues collected from the men’s bodies found that the amount of lead in the bones of some of the men that had been found was exponentially high, leading to the theory that lead poisoning may have been one of the factors contributing to the expedition’s demise.

In conjunction with new research from Parks Canada and the collections of CMH and NMM, the exhibition will further understanding of the expedition and reveal what life was like for the men aboard the ships, explore the Victorian obsession with the Arctic, and seek to answer questions about what exactly may have happened to those men on their fateful journey to chart the Northwest Passage all those years ago.

The exhibition will run December 1, 2018-April 28, 2019, in the Collins Gallery of the Thompson Exhibition Building.

Death in the Ice: The Mystery of the Franklin Expedition is a traveling exhibition developed by the Canadian Mu­seum of History (Gatineau, Canada), in partnership with Parks Canada Agency and with the National Maritime Museum (Lon­don, UK), and in collaboration with the Govern­ment of Nunavut and the Inuit Heritage Trust.

Images for Media Use

High-resolution images are available for download from the Mystic Seaport Museum website.

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 new Thompson Exhibition Building is a state-of-the-art space that will host Death in the Ice: The Mystery of the Franklin Expedition, a major exhibition of one of seafaring’s most mysterious tragedies December 1, 2018, through April 28, 2019. 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.

Canadian Museum of History

Located on the shores of the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec, the Canadian Museum of History attracts over 1.2 million visitors each year. The Museum’s principal role is to enhance Canadians’ knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the events, experiences, people and objects that have shaped Canada’s history and identity, as well as to enhance Canadians’ awareness of world history and culture. Work of the Canadian Museum of History is made possible in part through financial support of the Government of Canada.

National Maritime Museum

The National Maritime Museum holds the world’s largest maritime collection, housed in the historic buildings that form part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. The National Maritime Museum is part of Royal Museums Greenwich, which also incorporates the Royal Observatory Greenwich, the 17th-century Queen’s House and the Cutty Sark. Royal Museums Greenwich works to illustrate, for everyone, the importance of the sea, ships, time and the stars, and their relationships to people. This unique collection of museums and heritage buildings, which form a key part of the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site, welcomes more than 2.5 million British and international visitors a year, and is one of the Top 10 most-visited UK attractions (ALVA). Royal Museums Greenwich is also a major center of education and research.

Parks Canada

Parks Canada manages one of the finest and most extensive systems of protected natural and cultural areas in the world, including 46 national parks, four national marine conservation areas, 171 national historic sites and one national urban park. Parks Canada works to ensure that Canada’s historical and natural heritage is presented and protected for the enjoyment, education and appreciation of Canadians and visitors from around the world, today and in the future.

Government of Nunavut

Established in 1999, the Government of Nunavut represents more than 40,000 Nunavummiut living sparsely on a land nearly two million square kilometers in size. Nunavut is Canada’s largest territory and the newest member of the Canadian Confederation. Nunavut (Inuktitut for “Our Land”) has a rich and complex human history spanning nearly 5,000 years, highlighted by the remarkable ability of Inuit and their predecessors to adapt and to thrive in one of the world’s harshest and most challenging environments.

Inuit Heritage Trust

The Inuit Heritage Trust is dedicated to the preservation, enrichment and protection of the Inuit cultural heritage and identity embodied in Nunavut’s archaeological sites, ethnographic resources, and traditional place names. Its activities are based on the principle of respect for the traditional knowledge and wisdom of Inuit Elders. The Trust receives its mandate directly from the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.

Exclusive Show from Tate, London to Highlight Select Works from Artist’s Personal Collection

Mystic, Conn. (October 16, 2018) – Mystic Seaport Museum, in partnership with Tate, London, will host a major monographic exhibition devoted to the watercolors of one Britain’s greatest painters: J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851). Mystic Seaport Museum will be the only North American venue for J.M.W. Turner: Watercolors from Tate, which will be on display October 5, 2019-February 23, 2020.

The exhibition – curated by David Blayney Brown, Tate’s Manton Senior Curator of British Art 1790-1850 – will provide an exceptional opportunity to see key works spanning the entire career of the famous artist. A unique collection of about 90 works, the selection will provide a view into the evolution of the artist’s vision and creative process.

“Few artists have captured the beauty and majesty of the sea as J.M.W. Turner. Anyone who has sought art that accurately represents their personal experience of the sea has had to contend with the sheer genius of his lifelong look at that subject,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport Museum. “This is not an exhibition of the sea, but Turner represents for so many the most sublime representation of that feeling in art, and this remarkable exhibition is a unique opportunity to step into his world and view in this country some of the riches he left his nation upon his death.”

The exhibition at the Museum – divided into six thematic sections – focuses on the critical role played by watercolors in defining Turner’s deeply personal style.

The works have been selected from the vast legacy that comprises more than 30,000 works on paper, 300 oil paintings, and 280 sketchbooks, known as the “Turner Bequest,” donated to Great Britain after the artist’s death in 1851 and mostly conserved at Tate Britain. The bequest includes the entire body of works housed in the artist’s personal studio and produced over the years for his “own pleasure,” to cite the words used by the critic John Ruskin.

While Turner is perhaps better known for his oil paintings, he was a lifelong watercolorist and fundamentally shaped what was understood to be possible within the medium during his lifetime and after. An inveterate traveler, Turner rarely left home without a rolled-up, loose-bound sketchbook, pencils, and a small traveling case of watercolors. These memories of journeys, emotions, and fragments of landscapes seen during his long stays abroad illustrate the development of Turner’s stylistic language focused on experimenting with the expressive potential of light and color.

The intimate and personal character of the works on display will also provide an opportunity to explore the man himself, gaining an understanding of how the radical developments in Turner’s style anticipated trends of the late 19th century. From his love of seaside towns to his interest in depicting atmospheric English and Alpine landscapes, and his detailed study of domestic interiors and architectural reliefs, the artist devoted himself tirelessly to experimentation, particularly in watercolors, with a compositional and stylistic freedom and an innovative and surprising use of colors that led his peers to believe that Turner “appeared to paint with his eyes and nose as well as his hand.”

Deemed to be an extraordinary artist ever since his own time, Turner has had a profound and continuing influence on artists that continues to this day.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a major new publication edited by Nicholas Bell, the Museum’s senior vice president for Curatorial Affairs. Titled Conversations with Turner: The Watercolors, the book will bring together scholars of Turner’s art from around the world to engage with each other about the force of his paintings and why they continue to serve as a touchstone for Western culture.

This exhibition is made possible by the generous support of:

Leadership Circle

Alexander and Amanda Bulazel
Charles and Irene Hamm
Ken and Dina Siegel
Chubb, the global insurance company, in honor of Robert G. Stone, Jr.

Patron Circle

Grant and Peggy Cambridge
Cape Branch Foundation

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 will host Death in the Ice: The Mystery of the Franklin Expedition, a major exhibition of one of seafaring’s most mysterious tragedies December 1, 2018 through April 28, 2019. 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. (October 5, 2018) — Mystic Seaport Museum honored Dawn Riley and Oakcliff Sailing with its 2018 America and the Sea Award. The prestigious award recognizes those individuals and organizations whose extraordinary achievements in the world of maritime exploration, competition, scholarship, and design best exemplify the American character. The award was presented at a gala fundraiser at the Metropolitan Club in New York City October 3.

Riley stands alone as the first woman to compete in both the America’s Cup and in the Whitbread Round the World Race, two of the pinnacles in the sport of sailing that prior to her had been all but closed to women sailors. Riley also went on to become the first American, male or female, to sail in three America’s Cups and two Whitbread Round the World Races.

“Dawn Riley has blazed the trail for women in sailing over the course of nearly three decades, and has had a tremendous impact on the sport, both as a competitor and as a teacher,” said Steve White, President of Mystic Seaport Museum. “She is in a class by herself, serving as an inspirational role model for young women and all sailors.”

Riley trains premier-level American sailors for future Olympic, America’s Cup, and other world-class level sailing competitions, and leads a movement to reinvigorate the sport in this country. One nexus of this movement is Oakcliff Sailing in Oyster Bay, N.Y., where she serves as Executive Director. A high-performance training center for sailors who have progressed beyond traditional coaching methods, Oakcliff’s vision is to “Build American Leaders through Sailing.” Riley’s leadership and the quality of the programs she oversees were recognized recently by New York Yacht Club’s American Magic, which is currently preparing a challenge for the 36th America’s Cup. This syndicate partnered with Oakcliff to recruit and train members for their America’s Cup Team.

Riley pursued an impressive racing career on the water punctuated by unprecedented accomplishments such as her role as the watch captain/engineer on Maiden, the first all-women’s team in the 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World Race; pit person for America³, winner of the 1992 America’s Cup and first woman to have an active role on an America’s Cup team; skipper of Heineken, the only all-women’s entry in the 1993-94 Whitbread Race; team captain of America³, the women’s team in the 1995 America’s Cup; 1999 US Sailing’s Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year; America True CEO and Captain in the 2000 America’s Cup; and winning skipper at the 2002 IC45 World Championships.

Past recipients of the America and the Sea Award include philanthropist and environmentalist David Rockefeller, Jr. ; 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 Publications founder Jon Wilson; yachtsman and author Gary Jobson; maritime industrialist Charles A. Robertson; author Nathaniel Philbrick; and Rod and Bob Johnstone and their company J/Boats.

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 will host Death in the Ice: The Mystery of the Franklin Expedition, a major exhibition of one of seafaring’s most mysterious tragedies December 1, 2018 through April 28, 2019. 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. (October 1, 2018) — Mystic Seaport Museum announces the return of its Halloween theatrical production, Nautical Nightmares, beginning October 12

The performance is a dramatic experience that explores ghost tales, legends and unsolved mysteries of days gone by. This year’s show, “Nautical Nightmares: Madness on the Mystic River,” is inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft, who, according to Stephen King, was “the 20th century’s greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale.” Visitors in small, guided groups join the alienists of Arkham to investigate a haunted whaleship and the madness that has descended throughout the town of Mystic. The story is related through a series of scenes as the group navigates a path through the Museum’s village and waterfront.

Performance nights are October 12-13, 19-20, and 26-28. Tours run 6-10 p.m. and leave every 15 minutes from the Museum’s main entrance.

Ticket prices are $25 for adults ($21 for Museum members) and $20 for youth ages 12-17 ($16 for Museum members). Tickets can be purchased online at mysticseaport.org/nauticalnightmares or by calling 860.572.5331. Advance registration is required.

Nautical Nightmares is recommended for children ages 12 and older. Visitors will be walking outdoors along both dirt and stone paths and are encouraged to wear appropriate footwear.

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 will host Death in the Ice: The Mystery of the Franklin Expedition, a major exhibition of one of seafaring’s most mysterious tragedies December 1, 2018 through April 28, 2019. 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. (September 24, 2018) — Mystic Seaport Museum today announced it is the recipient of $736,167 in Save America’s Treasures grants to support the restoration of the L.A. Dunton fishing schooner and critical preservation work for the Rosenfeld Collection of Maritime Photography.

The National Park Service, in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts, awarded $4.8 million in Save America’s Treasures grants to help fund 16 projects in 12 states. The funds will support the preservation of nationally significant historic properties and collections throughout the country. Mystic Seaport Museum received two separate grants under the program.

“We are very grateful for this support because these generous awards recognize the importance of maritime history to the American story and the value the L.A. Dunton and the Rosenfeld Collection have in that narrative,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport Museum. “These funds will save important pieces of history that are truly American treasures and which have a positive impact on the surrounding community.”

Built in 1921 in Essex, Mass., the 123-foot-long L.A. Dunton is one of the last surviving examples of the Grand Banks fishing schooners, once one of New England’s most common fishing vessels in the beginning of the 20th century. The Dunton was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994. The grant of $491,750 will support the acquisition of rare shipbuilding timber and other materials for the planned restoration of the vessel.

The second grant of $244,417 will fund the restoration, digitization, and rehousing of selected cellulose diacetate negatives from the Museum’s Rosenfeld Collection of Maritime Photography, which have been affected by a form of acetate film base deterioration. The Rosenfeld Collection, acquired by the Museum in 1984, is built on the inventory of the Morris Rosenfeld & Sons photographic business and is the largest archive of maritime photographs in the United States.

Diacetate negatives are subject to a natural process of degradation as the diacetate plastic mounts give off acetic acid in the presence of humidity and/or other environmental factors. The plastic mount shrinks and partially separates from the base, resulting in the formation of channels in the film. The resulting condition, “vinegar syndrome,” renders the negatives unusable. The grant will enable the Museum to preserve 3,500 affected negatives.

The federal Save America’s Treasures program, established in 1998, is managed by the National Park Service in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, with the objective of preserving nationally significant historic properties and museum collections for future generations of Americans.

The Save America’s Treasures program has provided $315 million to more than 1,300 projects to provide preservation and conservation work on nationally significant collections, artifacts, structures, and sites. Requiring a dollar-for-dollar private match, these grants have leveraged more than $377 million in private investment, and contributed more than 16,000 jobs to local and state economies.

This project is partially funded by the Save America’s Treasures program of the Historic Preservation Fund, National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material do not constitute endorsement or necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior or U.S. Government.

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 will host Death in the Ice: The Mystery of the Franklin Expedition, a major exhibition of one of seafaring’s most mysterious tragedies December 1, 2018 through April 28, 2019. 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.

Eight-week Program “Becoming American” to Encourage Informed Discussion of Immigration Issues Against Backdrop of History

Mystic, Conn. (September 20, 2018) — Mystic Seaport Museum will host “Becoming American: A Documentary Film and Discussion Series on Our Immigration Experience,” an eight-week public program featuring documentary film screenings, scholar-led discussions, and related activities designed to encourage an informed discussion of immigration issues against the backdrop of our immigration history. The series begins October 4 and is free and open to the public.

“Becoming American” is designed to engage and enlighten audiences by screening documentary films that represent a selection of diverse immigration experiences drawn from both the past and the present.

Mystic Seaport Museum was selected as one of 32 sites nationwide to host this program series, which is a project of City Lore in collaboration with the Immigration and Ethnic History Society and the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience. “Becoming American” was made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.

The following topics will be discussed in the eight-week series:

• October 4: “The Century of Immigration: 1820-1934” chronicles the period when 40 million immigrants were added to the population of the United States and in the process made immigration a major and defining aspect of American life. Films: New York: A Documentary Film Episode 4, The Power and the People by Ric Burns and The Jewish Americans Episode 2, A World of Their Own by David Grubin.
• October 18: “Promise and Prejudice” explores the tension – historic and current – between Americans’ acceptance of immigrants, including the celebration of their own immigrant heritage, versus the periodic backlash prompted by concern about the economic and cultural effects of newcomers. Film: Welcome to Shelbyville by Kim A. Snyder.
• November 1: “Between Two Worlds: Identity and Acculturation” looks at how immigrants react and adjust to living in a new country and culture, and how they bridge the divide between the traditions and values of their native countries. Film: The New Americans Episode 1: The Nigerians by Steve James.
• November 15: “Help Wanted? Immigration and Work” looks at the economic side of immigration, chronicling the essential part immigrant labor has played in building America, as well as the conflicted relationship American workers have had with immigrants. Film: Destination America by Donna Gabaccia and Janet Nolan.
• November 29: “Family and Community” explores how family ties and community institutions have played an essential role in successful migration and adaptation to American life. Film: My American Girls.
• December 13: “Immigration and Popular Culture” looks at the ways the media and popular culture have historically taught newcomers how to “be American,” and how the rich contributions of different immigrant groups have transformed American culture and art. Film: The Search for General Tso.

The film screenings and discussions will be held in the Museum’s Masin Room in the Thompson Exhibition Building from 7 to 9 p.m.

In addition to the film series, the Museum has added two other programs:

• October 25: guided tours of the Museum’s Collections Research Center, home to more than 1 million artifacts. The tours will focus on those connected to stories of immigration. Tours begin at 1 and 2:30 p.m.
• November 8: “The Stonington Fishing Oral History Project,” a talk by Museum curator Fred Calabretta. The talk begins at 4 p.m. in the Masin Room.

The series is free and open to the public. Advance registration is encouraged by calling 860.572.5331.

Links:

https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/becoming-american/

http://becoming-american.org/

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. (September 14, 2018) — The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport Museum opens the 39th Annual International Marine Art Exhibition and Sale Saturday, September 29.

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 100 examples of their most recent work. Represented in this show are exceptional paintings, sculptures, and scrimshaw. The juried 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 excited and honored to present at this year’s International a wonderful array of top quality maritime works created by the best marine artists from around the world. From historical depictions of boats to photorealist renditions to modern interpretations, there is something for every collector and boat enthusiast in this exhibition,” said Monique Foster, director of the Gallery.

All of the works in the show will be on public display for the first time. Participating artists include Don Demers, Patrick O’Brien, Richard Loud, William Duffy, Laura Cooper, Sergio Roffo, Russ Kramer, William Davis, and Peter Arguimbau.

The exhibition will honor participating artists with five awards of excellence and six named awards –including the Rudolph J. Schaefer Maritime Heritage Award, which recognizes the work that best documents America’s maritime heritage for future generations. Judging the entries this year will be Gregg Dietrich, senior consultant and specialist in Marine Arts and Antiques at Eldred’s Auctioneers and Lincoln Paine, maritime history author.

The exhibition will open to the public at 10 a.m. Saturday, September 29. There will be an artists’ walk at 10:30 a.m. at the Gallery, which is an opportunity for the public to meet some of the participating artists and listen as they share how they created their works 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 beginning September 24.

The exhibition runs through December 31, 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 on the grounds of the historic Museum, the Gallery overlooks the beautiful Mystic River attracting art lovers and collectors from around the world. For more information, please visit mysticseaport.org/gallery.

Museum Announces Extended Run for Science, Myth, and Mystery: The Vinland Map Saga Exhibition through October 31

Mystic, Conn. (September 6, 2018) — Mystic Seaport Museum will host a symposium on the latest research and scholarship concerning the controversial Vinland Map. “The Vinland Map Rediscovered: New Research on the Forgery and its Historical Context” will take place on September 21 in the Masin Room of the Thompson Exhibition Building on the Museum’s grounds in Mystic, Conn.

Held in conjunction with the ongoing exhibition, Science, Myth, and Mystery: The Vinland Map Saga, this symposium will present an international roster of scholars on various aspects of the Vinland Map story, including results of new scientific testing, the map’s role in history and scholarship, medieval Norse sagas, and the archaeology of the only confirmed Viking settlement in North America.

The exhibition explores the stories around and behind the publication in 1965 of a scholarly examination of a piece of parchment known as the Vinland Map. Publication of the map threw into question the long-held belief that Christopher Columbus was the first European to reach American shores, in 1492. At the time, the map was dated by Yale researchers to about 1440, igniting a firestorm of debate about the moment of first contact. The exhibition is the first public view of the map in the United States outside of New Haven, Conn., in more than 50 years. The Museum also announced the exhibition will extend its run an additional month through October 31.

The symposium will begin at 9:45 a.m. with opening remarks by Nicholas Bell, senior vice president for Curatorial Affairs, Mystic Seaport Museum, and Raymond Clemens, curator of Early Books and Manuscripts, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University.

Following the introduction, the day will be broken into morning and afternoon sessions. This program will be live-streamed on YouTube Live.

Morning Session, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

• Karen Kupperman, Silver Professor of History (retired), New York University
  “From Speculation to Acceptance: Viking Settlements in North America”
• Birgitta Wallace, senior archaeologist (retired), Parks Canada
  “L’Anse aux Meadows: The Gateway to Vinland and its People”
• David Bradbury, independent historian
  “The Vinland Map and the Realities of Expertise”
• Raymond Clemens, curator of Early Books and Manuscripts, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University
  “The Impact of the Vinland Map on Medieval Cartography”

Afternoon Session, 1:30-4 p.m.

• Jesse Meyer, co-owner, Pergamena Leather & Parchment
  “Beneath the Ink: What Can We Learn from the Parchment of the Vinland Map?”
• Paula Zyats, assistant chief conservator, Center for Preservation and Conservation, Yale University Libraries
  “Materials and Techniques of Medieval Manuscripts”
• Richard Hark, assistant conservation scientist, Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, Yale University, and H. George Foster Professor of Chemistry, Juniata College
  “Navigating the Materiality of the Vinland Map and Associated Manuscripts: New Insights from New Scientific Tools”

The symposium is free for Museum members and free with Museum admission for non-members. Pre-registration is recommended, as space is limited. Registration can be made by calling 860.572.5331.

This program is made possible through support from the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University.

Science, Myth, and Mystery: The Vinland Map Saga is made possible through support from:

A grant from the Vietor Family in memory of their father, Alexander O. Vietor, Connecticut Humanities, Anonymous, William H. Donner Foundation, Robert & Cynthia Martin, ABCNEWS VideoSource.

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.