Mystic, Conn. (September 20, 2022) – Mystic Seaport Museum has launched a creative partnership with event production agency Westerly Sound, founded by nationally-recognized artist, musician and Westerly resident, Sean W. Spellman. The new collaboration seeks to expand the current live music programming at the Museum, providing visitors with diverse performances from musicians and bands from around the country. The new partnership is discussing a monthly music series as well as a potential multi-day music festival on the Museum’s 19-acre campus sometime in the future.
The kickoff event, dubbed “Mystic Folkways,” will happen as part of the Museum’s 3-day Riverfest celebration happening October 8, 9, and 10. Mystic Folkways (presented by Westerly Sound) will take place on Sunday, October 9 and feature a number of national and regional acts, as well as notable locals. The lineup includes Deer Tick (acoustic), Ian Felice (Felice Brothers), Martin Courtney (Real Estate), Nick Panken (Spirit Family Reunion), Tim Easton, James Maple, Karl Blau, The Can Kickers, Wildflower, and Sol/Rio Family Band. The event will run 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“Sean brings a ton of experience, creativity, energy and vision to this partnership, as well as a deep appreciation for the Museum’s unique location and long tradition of offering affordable, family-friendly entertainment.” says Kevin O’Leary, VP of Marketing & Business Development for Mystic Seaport Museum. “The whole area around Mystic is really buzzing, the state is enjoying live music more than ever, it’s the right time and place for a partnership like this.”
“Kevin’s vision for growing the Museums live music programming is something we immediately connected on” Spellman says. “I’m super excited to work with him and the rest of the staff there to do some really cool things at such a unique location. It’s an incredibly valuable cultural asset to our community and I’m grateful to be a part of it, and to work alongside a person with equal passion and understanding of the positive role music can play in bringing people together.”
All shows are included with the Museum’s general admission and free for current Museum members. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online at www.mysticseaport.org.
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Media Contact
Sophia Matsas
Director of Marketing & Communications
Mystic Seaport Museum
860.572.5317 (o)
sophia.matsas@mysticseaport.org
About Mystic Seaport Museum
Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s leading maritime Museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research and education with the mission to “inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.” The Museum’s grounds cover 19 acres on the Mystic River in Mystic, CT, and include a recreated New England coastal village, a working shipyard, formal exhibit halls, and state-of-the-art artifact storage facilities. The Museum is home to more than 500 historic watercraft, including four National Historic Landmark vessels, most notably the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan. For more information, please visit mysticseaport.org and follow the Museum on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.
About Westerly Sound
Westerly Sound is an ongoing series of cultural events programmed in and around the coastal community of Westerly, RI, midway between New York City and Boston. Each with a music component, Westerly Sound presents art, food, film and concert events in unique spaces throughout Westerly and surrounding areas. Curated by Sean W Spellman, and first introduced as the United Folk Festival in July ‘17, Westerly Sound has grown to include a diverse lineup of artists in a constantly evolving series of locations…from music venues and historic buildings, to public parks and small studios. It has brought nationally recognized artists and musicians to the Westerly area and hopes to continue to do so in an attempt to support a creative community by promoting diverse cultural events of quality and recognition, open to people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy. For more information, please visit westerlysound.org and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
