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 19th-century toys, games and puzzles in the Museum’s Pastimes and Playthings activity space.
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.”
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.
Holiday Tradition Takes Visitors Back to Christmas Eve, 1876
Mystic Seaport will open the 33rd season of its Lantern Light Tours on Saturday, December 1, 2012.
A New England holiday tradition, Lantern Light Tours is a 70-minute progressive play that takes its audience back to Christmas Eve, 1876. A cast of almost 70 people, including actors from Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, tells the story of lost love, temptation, and Christmas miracles.
The Lantern Light Tour story is changed every year and the writing and production planning begin in February.
This year’s story draws inspiration from the legend of St. Nicholas as the Patron Saint of sailors, thieves, and young women looking to marry. The plot contains several exciting and humorous elements, including a bank robbery on Christmas Eve and the return of a sailor thought lost at sea. As in years past, this year’s production will include a dance, a sweet treat, a scene on one of our historic vessels, a horse-and-carriage ride, and a visit from St. Nicholas.
Visitors join a group of 16 to tour the Museum’s 19th-century village on foot, stopping at designated points to take in the next chapter in the story.
Performances are December 1, 7-8, 14-16, 21-23, and 26-27. Tours begin at 5 p.m. and leave every 15 minutes.
For the first time, two tours on Saturday December 8 have been set aside for deaf and hearing impaired visitors. A sign language interpreter will be accompanying each tour for the duration. The tours are at 6:45 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. To purchase tickets for these tours please call the Museum’s Central Reservations line 860.572.5331 (tickets for these tours are not available for purchase online). Tickets must be purchased in advance.
Advance reservations are strongly recommended for all Lantern Light Tours. Tickets are $28 for adults ($26 for members) and $21 for children ages 4-17 ($19 for youth members). Walk-in tickets the day of the performance are $30 for adults ($28 for members) and $23 for children ($21 for youth members). Lantern Light Tours are not recommended for children under 4 years old.
The tour route covers uneven terrain and tour-goers will walk or stand for the entire production and are advised to wear appropriate footwear and dress for the weather. Visitors are asked to indicate the need for a handicap-accessible tour at the time of reservation.
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, America’s oldest commercial vessel still afloat. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/.
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
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/.
Museum Open to the Public for Free after 1 p.m. Oct. 31
Mystic Seaport will resume normal operation and be open to visitors on Thursday, November 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition, the Museum will open its grounds and exhibits to visitors for free from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, October 31.
Recovery from Hurricane Sandy is nearly complete and the Museum’s exhibits, historic vessels, and village will be open and available for visitors. Food service, the Mystic Seaport Stores, the Bake Shop, and the Maritime Art Gallery are dependent on the local power status and may not be open.
Tonight’s Halloween Trick or Treat activity is cancelled. However, the 7 p.m. presentation by champion sailor Ken Read will go on as scheduled. The talk has been moved to the Greenmanville Meeting House on the Museum grounds. Visitors are directed to use the north entrance next to Latitude 41° Restaurant & Tavern to get to the event.
People should monitor the Museum’s website, Facebook and Twitter feeds for updates on hours and scheduled programs.
Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, it is the home of four national Historic Landmark vessels, including the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan, the oldest American merchant vessel in existence. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/.
Historic Whaleship Charles W. Morgan Safe and Sound
Mystic Seaport emerged from Hurricane Sandy with no damage to its collections and negligible damage to its buildings and grounds.
The Museum’s historic watercraft sustained no damage. Many were hauled out of the water in advance of the storm. Those that were left in were carefully secured and rode out the high winds and storm surge with no difficulty.
The 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan, currently out of the water in the Museum’s shipyard for a multi-year restoration, received no damage from Sandy.
The storm surge on the Mystic River briefly rose above the waterfront’s bulkhead and flooded the village green and some of the adjacent roads, but it did not reach into the historic buildings. There were some wet foundations and basements that will need drying out and the grounds will need to be cleared of debris.
The Museum’s Collections Research Center was untouched. The Center houses the institution’s more than two million historic artifacts and documents.
“We are very pleased with the way the Museum emerged from Hurricane Sandy,” said Mystic Seaport President Steve White. “Once again our staff executed our emergency plan flawlessly, and as a result we essentially suffered no damage from the storm.”
The Museum is currently closed, but anticipates reopening for public visitors as early as noon as Wednesday once the grounds are cleaned up and reconfigured for visitation. People should monitor the Museum’s website, Facebook and Twitter feed for updates on opening hours and scheduled programs.
Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, it is the home of four national Historic Landmark vessels, including the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan, the oldest American merchant vessel in existence. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/.
Nat Benjamin, co-founder of Gannon & Benjamin Marine Railway on Martha’s Vineyard; Stephen C. White, President of Mystic Seaport; Jon Wilson, founder of WoodenBoat; and Richard Vietor, Chairman of the Museum’s Board of Trustees.
The 2012 America and the Sea Award was given to Jon Wilson and WoodenBoat for their commitment to the celebration and preservation of the skills, treasures, and traditions of the sea and shore. Wilson, the founder of WoodenBoat, accepted the Award Saturday, October 27, at a gala held in his honor at Mystic Seaport.
“By recognizing and unifying a passion for the allure of the design and beauty of wooden boats, Wilson helped transform a nascent renaissance in the early 1970s into a 21st-century industry, in the process ushering in a new golden age for wooden boats in America,” said Mystic Seaport President Stephen C. White. “Those who know Jon Wilson best speak to his passion for humanity and his desire to foster a meaningful connection to the greater community.”
Wilson founded WoodenBoat Publications in September of 1974 with the first issue of WoodenBoat magazine. Jon assembled the magazine in his cabin in North Brooksville, Maine. This was accomplished without electricity or plumbing, and with his telephone nailed to a tree — half a mile down the road. Taking the inaugural issue to the Newport Boat Show, he sold 400 individual copies and signed up 200 subscribers.
From that inauspicious start, the publication has become a touchstone for enthusiasts and professional practitioners from every far flung bay and harbor in the world. WoodenBoat is published six times each year, and now has a circulation of approximately 100,000. With 37 volumes and more than 200 issues in print, the magazine’s backlist comprises one of the most complete and important archives of wooden boat construction, use, and maintenance in existence today.
WoodenBoat has expanded into a book publishing arm; a school on the art of seamanship and wooden boat building; another magazine, Professional BoatBuilder; and event management, holding the WoodenBoat Show annually for 21 years, most recently at Mystic Seaport where it typically draws an audience of 13,000 boating enthusiasts.
Currently, Wilson divides his time between WoodenBoat and his national nonprofit, JUST Alternatives, an organization that fosters face-to-face dialogue between victims of violent crimes and their still-incarcerated offenders. The goal is to help the victims finally be heard by their attackers while at the same time assisting the offenders to become ready to listen and respond in sensitive and authentic ways.
In 1988, he was elected to the Mystic Seaport Board of Trustees and currently serves as Trustee Emeritus.
With its commitment to the celebration and preservation of the skills, treasures, and traditions of the sea and shore, Wilson considers WoodenBoat’s missions to be in total consonance with the missions of Mystic Seaport. He credits the inspiration for WoodenBoat’s somewhat “rigorous” approach to the subject to the late John Gardner. Gardner, the Museum’s small craft curator from 1969 to 1995, was a seminal figure in the documentation, preservation, and renewed appreciation of American small watercraft through his research, writing, speaking, teaching, and building. Much as Gardner was responsible for regenerating interest in an important part of America’s maritime heritage, Wilson has achieved a similar feat for wooden boats in modern times.
Mystic Seaport is pleased to name Tom Brillat the Museum’s new Director of Interpretation.
Brillat has been an Interpreter at the Museum for the past three years. In his new role, he will oversee the day-to-day management and strategic planning of the Interpretation Department, which is responsible for the programs and activities that interpret America’s maritime history across the Museum, including the 19th-century village and the formal exhibit galleries.
“Tom is distinguished by his first-hand experience working with the public and in the contemporary maritime world, as well as his commitment to historical accuracy, creative presentation style and engaging programs,” said Mystic Seaport President Steve White. “We are impressed by the way he can make history come alive for our visitors.”
Prior to joining Mystic Seaport, Brillat has served as Executive Director of the Tall Ship Bounty Foundation, President of Educational Exchange in Wakefield, RI, and Executive Director of the League for the Advancement of New England Storytelling.
Brillat graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a degree in history and earned an M.A. in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island. He also holds a teacher certification from Providence College and a Non-Profit Management Certificate from Columbia University.
Brillat lives in Richmond, Rhode Island with his wife Susan.
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 country’s oldest commercial vessel still afloat. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/.
Mystic Seaport will open its Halloween event, Sights & Frights, on Friday, October 19. The family-friendly production offers haunted Halloween fun for all ages.
Performance nights are October 19-20 and 26-27, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Visitors can walk the decorated grounds of the Museum’s 19th-century village to encounter spooky locations and activities. Storytellers will tell tales of maritime misfortune, the schooner L.A. Dunton will be converted into a haunted ship, roving characters will entertain or frighten, and tradespeople in the shops will be manufacturing items of a creepy nature.
Family activities include mask-making, face-painting, temporary tattoos, free horse-and-carriage rides, and live music of a slightly sinister nature from the Museum’s chantey staff. Children are encouraged to dress in costume and are invited to participate in a nightly parade at 7:30 p.m.
New this year is a pumpkin patch filled with elaborately carved jack-o-lanterns and a free planetarium show, “Whoo’s Up in the Night Sky?”
The experience is self-guided and all “scary” activities are located inside, permitting families with young children to avoid them.
Tickets are $13 ($12 for Museum members). Children three and under are admitted for free. Advance tickets are strongly recommended and can be purchased at mysticseaport.org/sightsandfrights or by calling 860.572.5322 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Food and beverages will be available for purchase at the event.
Sights & Frights is recommended for all ages. Not all portions of the production are wheelchair accessible. Visitors will be walking outdoors and are encouraged to dress appropriately.
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 remaining wooden whaleship in the world. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/.
Inspirational speaker Sarah Everhart Skeels will kick off the 2012-2013 Adventure Series with her presentation “Pushing the Boundaries to Engage Life” at Mystic Seaport Thursday, October 18.
Skeels sustained a spinal cord injury after being hit by a car while riding her bicycle. She has been paralyzed from the chest down and living life from a wheelchair for 22 years.
However, determined not to let her misfortune impair her enjoyment of life, she concluded life doesn’t end after disability; it just continues in a different way. Since the accident she has hand-cycled across the United States, swum across the span of the Newport Bay Bridge, voyaged off Guadeloupe, and has gone scuba diving in Bonaire. She is a volunteer adaptive-skiing instructor and is an avid sailor. Skeels will discuss her adaptation to her disability, living life on her terms, and how pushing boundaries helps to determine character.
Presentations will be given at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. in the River Room at Latitude 41° Restaurant.
The Mystic Seaport Adventure Series runs once a month from October 2012 through April 2013. Individual tickets are $14 ($12 for members) for the afternoon presentation and $15 ($13 for members) for the evening presentation. Tickets are available online at https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/ or by calling 860.572.5322.
The series will continue Thursday, November 15, with Laurel Schultheis recounting her pilgrimage in Spain along the Basque region’s El Camino De Santiago (The Way of St. James).
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 country’s oldest commercial vessel still afloat. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/.
The 57th annual Community Carol Sing at Mystic Seaport will be held Sunday, December 23, from 3 to 4 p.m.
