Category: Press Releases

Museum Reaches Milestone in Restoration of the National Historic Landmark Vessel

Shipwrights at Mystic Seaport installed the final plank on the hull of the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan on Friday, May 10. Known as the shutter plank because it “shuts in” and completes the hull, the achievement is traditionally a moment of celebration in the shipbuilding process.

The 20-foot long plank of yellow pine was placed on the port side quarter of the hull near the waterline. It was steamed for several hours prior to installation to make it flexible, lifted into position, and spiked in place. Each member of the Shipyard crew working on the restoration signed the plank.

The last spike used to fasten the plank was gold-plated to mark the occasion. F. M. Callahan & Son of Malden, Mass. donated the plating. Company president Eric Jackin presented the 10-inch long fastener to the Museum in an informal ceremony Friday afternoon.

”This moment is a milestone in the continuing voyage of the Charles W. Morgan. The shutter plank is just one small part of the ship’s fabric, but it is emblematic of all the parts, and of all the people, that are coming together to take the ship back to sea for her 38th Voyage in 2014,” said Mystic Seaport President Steve White.

The Morgan has been undergoing a comprehensive restoration in the Museum’s Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard since November 2008. The project addresses significant structural issues in the hull below the waterline and in the bow and stern. While the shutter plank marks the end of principle hull restoration, Museum shipwrights must finish caulking, fairing, and painting the hull prior to launch.

The ship is scheduled to be launched on Sunday, July 21 at 2 p.m. in a public ceremony in the Shipyard. Once back in the water, the Morgan will remain berthed at the Museum’s lift dock through the completion of the project. The shipwrights need to build and restore many peripheral details, build and restore spars, and restore and install the rig. With rare exception, the ship will remain accessible to visitors to board and explore.

Once the restoration is complete in late May 2014, the Morgan will embark on a ceremonial 38th Voyage to historic ports in New England to celebrate the importance of America’s maritime heritage. After a period of refitting and sea trials based in New London, Conn., the ship will sail to Newport, Vineyard Haven, New Bedford, Provincetown, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, and Boston. She will also participate in the centennial celebration of the Cape Cod Canal.

The Morgan is the oldest commercial vessel in the United States and the last whaleship of a fleet that once numbered more than 2,700. During her 80-year whaling career the ship sailed on 37 voyages that spanned the globe. Retired in 1921, the ship had a brief movie career and then became a historical attraction in the New Bedford area. Needing a new home, the ship came to Mystic Seaport in 1941 where she has remained as the flagship of the Museum’s watercraft collection. She was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1967.

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/.

Modern Marine Masters to Feature Leading Contemporary Maritime Artists

The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport is proud to open its 2013 season with the 34th Annual Spring Exhibition and Sale, Modern Marine Masters, on Sunday, April 21. The exhibition celebrates the timeless beauty of the sea and ships with contemporary art created by award-winning artists from around the globe.

On display will be original paintings, drawings, sculpture, scrimshaw and models from more than 50 of today’s leading maritime artists.

Each of these contemporary masters continues the tradition of preserving and celebrating the art of the sea by transferring his or her experience into a vivid and visual expression, one that may evoke a mood, record an important moment in maritime history, or capture the timeless challenge of the sea.

More than 75 works of art will be exhibited and available for purchase. Featured artists include Neal Hughes, Sergio Roffo, Russ Kramer, Cindy Baron, Len Mizerek, Don Demers, Patrick O’Brien and Loretta Krupinski.

“This invitational show represents some of the most exciting maritime art being created today and is a must-see for lovers of art that portrays the maritime experience,” said Jeanne Potter, director of the Maritime Gallery.

Modern Marine Masters will be open through June 9, 2013. The entire exhibition can be viewed online at mysticseaport.org/gallery.

The Maritime Gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

For more information, please call the Maritime Gallery at 860.572.5388 or email gallery@https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/.

About the Maritime Gallery

The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport is the nation’s foremost gallery specializing in contemporary marine art and ship models. For more than 30 years, the Gallery has been privileged to exhibit the works of leading international maritime artists. Located at historic Mystic Seaport, the Gallery overlooks the beautiful Mystic River attracting art lovers and collectors from around the world. For more information, please visit mysticseaport.org/gallery.

Installation at Museum to Provide more than 250MWh Annually

Mystic Seaport and Altus Power are pleased to announce the completion of construction of a solar photovoltaic system on the roof of the Museum’s Collections Research Center building in Mystic, Conn. The 963-panel system will help to offset the electricity use of the building, which houses the Museum’s vast collection of more than 2 million maritime artifacts. Altus Power owns and maintains the system, which was built by Vanguard Energy Partners.

Mystic Seaport and Altus Power have been working together for over a year to craft a partnership which would help the Museum to reduce its carbon footprint and to defray some of the electricity costs of the institution. The Collections Research Center, a former velvet mill adapted for its current use in 1993, requires extensive humidity and temperature control, which contributes to significant energy usage. The solar photovoltaic system is expected to generate more than 250MWh of electricity annually, approximately 10-15 percent of the building’s total needs.

Altus won a contract to support the cost of this project from Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) in the recent Zero-Emission Renewable Energy Credit (ZREC) auction in July, 2012. By accepting a contract with CL&P, Altus has agreed to sell the project’s renewable energy credits to the utility for 15 years. Connecticut’s legislation requiring CL&P and United Illuminating – the state’s two utilities – to purchase renewable energy credits led to the auction, which enables the cost-efficient purchase of energy credits.

“We are very pleased that we are able to partner with Altus Power to help put Mystic Seaport on a path to a more sustainable future,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport. “We hope this can be a model for other museums and organizations as we all seek ways to reduce costs and our burden on the environment.”

“Altus is pleased to work with the Museum to support its corporate sustainability efforts,” said Lars Norell, managing partner at Altus. “We are excited that this project will not only help the Museum’s bottom line, but will educate its visitors about clean energy as well.”

The project will also serve the education mission of the Museum. Real-time data on the solar array’s output will be sent to a display in the lobby of the nearby Treworgy Planetarium, where it can be viewed by visitors and incorporated into education programming.

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, the oldest American commercial vessel still afloat. For more information, visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/.

Historic Ship to Return to the Water on July 21 after a Comprehensive Restoration

Ric Burns, the award-winning documentary filmmaker, will deliver the keynote address at the launch of the Charles W. Morgan at Mystic Seaport on July 21, 2013. The National Historic Landmark ship has been undergoing a comprehensive restoration since November, 2008. She will be launched and returned to the water in a public ceremony that begins at 2 p.m.

Burns is best known for his acclaimed series New York: A Documentary Film, a sweeping chronicle of the city’s history, which garnered several honors, including two Emmy Awards and an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award. Burns’ career began with the celebrated series The Civil War, which he produced with his brother, Ken Burns, and co-wrote with Geoffrey C. Ward. In 1991, Ric founded Steeplechase Films and has since written and directed a number of award-winning films for PBS, including Coney Island, The Donner Party, The Way West, Eugene O’Neill, and Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film. Burns most recently finished Death and the Civil War, a film based on the best-selling book This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by acclaimed historian and Harvard president Drew Gilpin Faust.  In 2010, Burns wrote, produced, and co-directed for American Experience a film about the history of the whaling industry, Into the Deep: America, Whaling & the World.

Mystic Seaport President Steve White said, “We are honored to have Ric Burns serve as the keynote speaker at our launch ceremony. His extensive knowledge of American history and the role whaling plays in it will help us articulate the importance of the Charles W. Morgan in our nation’s maritime experience. “

The Morgan is the oldest American commercial ship still in existence. The 113-foot vessel was built and launched in New Bedford in 1841 and had a whaling career that lasted 80 years and 37 voyages that spanned the far reaches of the globe. The ship came to Mystic Seaport in 1941. More than 20 million people have walked her decks since she arrived.

The launch is a key milestone in her restoration, which has been carried out at the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard at the Museum. Once back in the water, work will continue with the installation of her spars and rigging, additional interior carpentry, and preparation for her 38th Voyage to begin in May, 2014. The Voyage will take the ship back to sea on a tour to historic ports in New England, including New London, Newport, Vineyard Haven, New Bedford, Provincetown, and Boston. Each port visit will include an interactive dockside program designed to inspire excitement and interest in America’s maritime heritage.  The ship will also sail through the whale-watching grounds of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary to recognize the changing relationship of mankind to the whale.

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 and America’s oldest commercial vessel. For more information, visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/.

Museum Reopens to Visitors with Free Admission for Children February 16-24

Mystic Seaport celebrates its reopening with Winter’s Aweigh, nine days of special activities beginning Saturday, February 16. Children ages 17 and under will be admitted for free when accompanied by a paying adult during this period.

Visitors can explore the Museum’s 19th-century seafaring village, historic vessels, and maritime exhibits, and take in a Planetarium show or a horse-and-carriage ride. Special children’s activities include arts and craft projects, storytelling, songs and musical activities, and outdoor games.

There will be return visits by the New England Newfoundland Dog Club on Saturday, February 16 and by a group of malamutes Sunday, February 17. The dogs will demonstrate various winter work tasks and be available for petting from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The Children’s free admission offer at Mystic Seaport is not transferable. No other discounts apply. There is a small fee for the Planetarium shows, the horse-and-carriage ride, and a toy boat building activity.

After Winter’s Aweigh, the Museum will be open Thursday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., until March 30, when it resumes daily operations. For more information on hours and ticketing, please visit mysticseaport.org/visit.

About Mystic Seaport

Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime history museum. Founded in 1929, it is the 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/.

Event to Raise Funds for the 2013 Sea Music Festival

Mystic Seaport will host a Pub Sing and Chantey Blast Saturday, January 5, from 1-5 p.m.

Attendees are invited to join with the Mystic Seaport chantey singers and many outstanding performers from across New England as they sing maritime ballads, chanteys, and songs of the sea.

Admission is free, but donations are accepted to help support the Museum’s Sea Music Festival, one of the world’s premier sea music events. Fans of traditional sea music gather at Mystic Seaport each year to hear the best American and international performers of maritime music celebrate the classic musical traditions of the Golden Age of Sail. The 2013 festival will take place from June 6-9.

“The Chantey Blast is a fun way for us to get people excited about the festival,” said Geoff Kaufman, a musician and member of the interpretation staff at Mystic Seaport who is one of the organizers of the festival. “It is open to anyone who has an interest in sea music, and all are invited to participate. We gather some great performers and just have a fun time making music.”

The event is co-sponsored by the New York Pinewoods Folk Music Club and will be held at the Mystic German Club’s Frohsinn Hall, located at 54 Greenmanville Ave, across from the Museum’s main entrance. Beverages will be available for purchase by the club. All ages are welcome.

About Mystic Seaport

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

Free Admission with Donation of a Non-Perishable Food Item

The 57th annual Community Carol Sing at Mystic Seaport will be held Sunday, December 23, from 3 to 4 p.m.

The Museum will be open to visitors from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and admission is free with the donation of a non-perishable food item or by cash donation. All contributions will be donated to and distributed by the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center.

The Mystic Seaport Carolers will perform a holiday concert in the Greenmanville Church at 2 p.m. The carol sing will commence at Anchor Circle at 3 p.m. led by choral director Jamie Spillane and backed by the Museum Carolers and a brass quartet.

The Treworgy Planetarium will present “The Star of Bethlehem” at 12, 1 and 2 p.m. The free program explores the winter skies, merging science, mythology, religious observance, winter traditions and music.

Additionally, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. visitors can hear stories of holidays at sea, print a Victorian Christmas card keepsake at the Print Shop, observe carving and shipsmithing demonstrations, and more.

Children are invited to make a souvenir toy or enjoy holiday stories at the Children’s Museum, or play with 19^th-century toys, games and puzzles in the Museum’s Pastimes and Playthings activity space.

For more information, visit mysticseaport.org/carolsing.

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, visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/.

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.

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/.