Mystic, Conn. (July 3, 2018) —Mystic Seaport Museum’s summer performance series Arts on the Quad begins Saturday, July 14. For 2018, the series has been reimagined so each of the four performances will share a theme with one of the Museum’s exhibitions and it will be paired with related speakers and activities. In addition, visitors will have access to the featured gallery for the evening.
“We re-envisioned the program this year so Arts on the Quad would more closely reflect and enhance what we have going on at the Museum,” said Arlene Marcionette, public programs project manager at Mystic Seaport Museum. “The exhibitions on our McGraw Quadrangle were a starting point for us to jump off and find interesting and fun connections between the stories we are telling in the galleries and the live performances.”
Arts on the Quad this year is sponsored by CT Humanities and Charter Oak Federal Credit Union.
The performances are free with a suggested donation of $10 per person. Visitors are invited to bring their own picnic and non-alcoholic beverages. A cash bar and concession snacks will be available.
In the event of rain, performances will take place in a covered location on the Museum grounds. Rain location seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. All performances begin at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 14: Monument Man
The Museum’s first artist-in-residence, Kevin Sampson, is a nationally renowned artist from Newark, N.J., who transforms found materials such as cement, bones, tiles, fabric, paints, and wood into powerful sculptures that speak to family, memory, and loss through the lens of the African-American experience.
This evening’s concert will be by Sounds Great, a quartet from the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra. They will perform selections from Mozart, Beethoven, jazz works by Ellington and Gershwin, Sea Songs, and other music that inspires Sampson in his work. The concert begins at 6:30 p.m.
At 5:30 p.m., visitors can meet Sampson and view his latest work created during his time in residence.
The Kevin Sampson exhibition, “Monument Man”, in the C.D. Mallory Building will be free and open to the public between 5 and 8 p.m.
Sunday, July 29: The Vikings Begin
To celebrate the current Vikings exhibition, “The Vikings Begin: Treasures from Uppsala University, Sweden,” the Museum has invited The American Rogues to perform and explore the connections between Viking and Irish culture. The American-Canadian group is known for their epic, multi-instrumental sound that crosses the musical landscape to include jigs, reels, hornpipes, ballads, originals, covers, soundtracks, patriotic and military music, Irish foot-stompers, and more. The concert begins at 6:30 p.m.
At 5:30 p.m., award-winning author James L. Nelson will discuss the fascinating history of Viking raiding, settling, and assimilation into Irish culture.
“The Vikings Begin: Treasures from Uppsala University, Sweden,” exhibition in the Collins Gallery will be free and open to the public between 5 and 8 p.m.
Saturday, August 11: Voyaging in the Wake of the Whalers
Flock Theatre returns to Arts on the Quad with a medley of nautically themed Shakespeare scenes. Based in New London, and the resident theater company at Mitchell College, Flock Theatre is one of the most adventurous classical theater companies in New England. Working with the timeless words of Shakespeare, Moliere, Sophocles, and more modern classics, Flock Theatre is dedicated to creating original, collaborative, and educational theater. The performance begins at 6:30 p.m.
At 5:30 p.m., Dr. Steve Mentz will discuss Shakespeare and the sea, including scenes that Flock Theatre will present. Dr. Mentz teaches Shakespeare, literary theory, and maritime literature at St. John’s University and is the author of “At the Bottom of Shakespeare’s Ocean,” among other books.
The “Voyaging in the Wake of the Whalers” exhibit in the Stillman Building will be free and open to the public between 5 and 8 p.m.
Saturday, August 25: Science, Myth, and Mystery: The Vinland Map Saga
Visitors to the new exhibition “Science, Myth, and Mystery: The Vinland Map Saga” will note the music that greets them as they walk in the door. When the Vinland map was introduced to the world by Yale University in 1965, the map created a controversy with its “proof” that the Vikings reached the Americas before Columbus. On this evening, The Beatles cover band Penny Lane will recreate that time and others with selections from throughout the Fab Four’s history. The concert begins at 6:30 p.m.
At 5:30 p.m., Nicholas Bell, senior vice president for Curatorial Affairs at Mystic Seaport Museum, will give a talk about the Vinland Map, and Fred Calabretta, senior curator at the Museum, will speak about the music in the era during which the map was unveiled to the public.
“Science, Myth, and Mystery: The Vinland Map Saga” in the Schaefer Building will be free and open to the public between 5 and 8 p.m.
For more information, please visit mysticseaport.org/artsonthequad
About Mystic Seaport Museum
Mystic Seaport Museum, founded in 1929, is the nation’s leading maritime museum. In addition to providing a multitude of immersive experiences, the Museum also houses a collection of more than two million artifacts that include more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography. The iconic Thompson Exhibition Building is a state-of-the-art gallery that is hosting The Vikings Begin: Treasures from Uppsala University, Sweden through September 30, 2018. Mystic Seaport Museum is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/ and follow Mystic Seaport Museum on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.
