Category: Press Releases

Mystic, Conn. (September 22, 2016) — The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport opens the 37th Annual International Marine Art Exhibition and Sale Sunday, October 2.

The International is the most comprehensive collection of contemporary marine art in the United States. Award-winning artists from around the world will present nearly 100 examples of their most recent work. Represented in this show are exceptional paintings, sculptures, and scrimshaw. The 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 the 37th International Marine Art Exhibition and Sale at the Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport. Award-winning artists from eight countries will be displaying works of contemporary marine art of the highest quality. Paintings on display will include coastal scenes and marine wildlife as well as historic vessels, racing yachts, and working boats. The show will visually inspire and delight art connoisseurs, sailors, and visitors alike,” said Monique Foster, director of the Gallery.

Participating artists include John Stobart, Don Demers, Russ Kramer, Patrick O’Brien, Richard Loud, Neal Hughes, Laura Cooper, and Robert Lagasse.

The exhibition will honor participating artists with five awards of excellence and eight named awards–including the Rudolph J. Schaefer Maritime Heritage Award, which recognizes the work that best documents America’s maritime heritage for future generations.

The exhibition will open to the public at 10 a.m. Sunday, October 2. There will be an artists’ walk from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Gallery. The walk 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 on September 26.

The exhibition runs through December 31, 2016.

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, America’s oldest commercial ship and the last wooden whaleship in the world. The Museum’s collection of more than two million artifacts includes more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography in the country. The state-of-the-art Collections Research Center at Mystic Seaport provides scholars and researchers from around the world access to the Museum’s renowned archives. Mystic Seaport is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. Admission is $26 for adults and $17 for children ages 6-17. Museum members and children 5 and under are admitted free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/  and follow Mystic Seaport on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Museum Celebrates “History on the Half Shell” with Food, Music, and Fun

Mystic, Conn. (September 15, 2016) — Mystic Seaport will host the first ever Mystic River Oyster Festival on Saturday, October 1. The festival is a new event to celebrate the history, growing, and cuisine of the popular shellfish in Mystic and southern New England.

The Museum is opening its grounds to a variety of growers, restaurants, educational and advocacy organizations, and others with an interest in the cultivation, conservation, heritage, and eating of oysters. Visitors will be able to sample all sorts of oysters, both raw and in prepared dishes.

Participants include Mystic’s Oyster Club and Engine Room, the Noank Aquaculture Cooperative, Matunuck Oyster Bar, Fishers Island Oyster Farm, Behan Family Farms, Broad Street Kitchen, Jonathan Island Oyster Co., Norm Bloom & Son’s Copps Island Oysters, and Coastal Gourmet.

Mystic Knotworks and R. Murphy knives will be on hand to sell their wares.

Connecticut Sea Grant, Save the Bay, and CUSH (Clean Up Sound and Harbors) will be present to share information on aquaculture, shellfish conservation efforts, and clean water initiatives in Long Island Sound and Narragansett Bay.  Guest speakers from the Noank Oyster Cooperative and The Nature Conservancy will give presentations on oyster farming, aquaculture, and ocean preservation.

Throughout the day, the Museum’s historic interpreters will offers talks and demonstrations on the history of oystering and New England fisheries, and visitors can check out the Thomas Oyster House exhibit, the 1891 oyster sloop Nellie, and take in an oyster-shucking contest.

Live music will be provided by local musicians Craig Edwards and Don Sineti.

The festival will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Food service will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Mystic River Oyster Festival is free with regular Museum admission. Food is subject to an additional charge.

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, America’s oldest commercial ship and the last wooden whaleship in the world. The Museum’s collection of more than two million artifacts includes more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography in the country. The state-of-the-art Collections Research Center at Mystic Seaport provides scholars and researchers from around the world access to the Museum’s renowned archives. Mystic Seaport is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. Admission is $26 for adults and $17 for children ages 6-17. Museum members and children 5 and under are admitted free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/  and follow Mystic Seaport on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Mystic, Conn. (September 12, 2016) — On September 24, 2016, Mystic Seaport will celebrate the opening of the Thompson Exhibition Building, an event that ushers in a new era at the Museum and completes a transformation of the north end of the grounds that will enhance and increase the Museum’s capacity to succeed in its mission to inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.

There will be a brief ceremony to commemorate the occasion at 9 a.m. on the Cambridge Plaza, the public space in front of the building, after which visitors will be invited inside to explore the structure for the first time.

“The opening of the Thompson Exhibition Building is the culmination of many years of work and the fulfillment of a vision to focus on the display of our collections in ways we have never been able to do before,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport. “This increase in our exhibition capacity creates a more robust year-round experience for the visitor, which makes this project not just an investment in the future of Mystic Seaport, but also an investment in the future of tourism for the entire region.”

The Thompson Building is the cornerstone and final element of the McGraw Gallery Quadrangle, which integrates existing buildings and grounds with new construction and unifies the components of the north end of the Museum by focusing on their common role as formal exhibition galleries.

Named for the late Wade Thompson, a Mystic Seaport trustee for 27 years who believed passionately in the need for new, state-of-the-art exhibition space and its importance for the future of the Museum, the 14,000-square-foot building will house the Collins Gallery, a 5,000-square-foot hall featuring soaring ceilings and a flexible layout to accommodate objects of varying size and installations of all types. This will be the largest among the Museum’s seven formal galleries and will provide the caliber of conditions required to curate not only exhibits from the Mystic Seaport collections, but also permit the borrowing of outstanding art and artifacts from other museums around the world.  A riverfront meeting space, the Masin Room, graces the west side of the building and can be reconfigured for conferences or lectures, additional gallery space, or educational programs adding to its versatility.

The building incorporates a wraparound deck that will allow visitors to enjoy the riverside setting and serve as a covered overlook to the quadrangle’s common area. Other elements include a prominent Museum entrance, a sweeping reception lobby, ticketing center, retail shop, and visitor amenities.

Designed by the Connecticut firm Centerbrook Architects and Planners, the Thompson Building evokes the “geometry of the sea,” drawing design cues from the interior of a wooden ship, the undulating sea, and a spiraling nautilus shell. Construction was managed by A/Z Corporation of North Stonington, CT.

The Thompson Building and McGraw Quadrangle are the result of a decade of strategic and master planning, and will provide:

• An iconic point of arrival at the north end of the campus
• All-weather and all-season operational capabilities
• Sweeping, unobstructed views of the Mystic River
• Outdoor celebration areas for both Museum and community use
• 21st-century upgrades and improved access to existing galleries around the Quadrangle’s perimeter, including those in the Stillman and R. J. Schaefer buildings
• Environmentally responsible features that respond to the riverfront location, including a storm water treatment system and geothermal heating and cooling
• Increased wheeled accessibility for the north campus
• Galleries and venues suitable for schools’ year-round educational visits

The Thompson Building is being funded through private and public sources, including generous support from individual philanthropists and foundations, the Thompson family, and a $2 million grant from the State of Connecticut.

Inaugural Exhibit

The inaugural exhibit in the Collins Gallery, SeaChange, will open on December 10, 2016. The exhibit presents a range of beautiful and unique objects drawn from the vast collections of Mystic Seaport. Each object is a survivor of the past that speaks to a notable transformation – in material, technology, the sea itself, or the broader American culture over the past 200 years. A handful of these intriguing artifacts will be on display for the first time, and all will be presented in a new setting which reveals surprising stories. Together, they give glimpses into people’s lives in different places and times, from scientific surveyors charting the Atlantic coast on the eve of the American Revolution to western merchants trading for silk and tea in 1850s China, from Arctic explorers to laborers harvesting bird guano off Peru for American farmers. The stories of transformation they relate continue to impact a contemporary audience and its experience with the sea.

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, America’s oldest commercial ship and the last wooden whaleship in the world. The Museum’s collection of more than two million artifacts includes more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography in the country. The state-of-the-art Collections Research Center at Mystic Seaport provides scholars and researchers from around the world access to the Museum’s renowned archives. Mystic Seaport is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. Admission is $26 for adults and $17 for children ages 6-17. Museum members and children 5 and under are admitted free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/  and follow Mystic Seaport on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Free Admission for Children All Day

Mystic, Conn. (September 1, 2016) — Mystic Seaport announces Citizens Bank will be hosting Family Fun Day at Mystic Seaport on Saturday, September 17. Children ages 17 and younger will receive free admission when accompanied by a paying adult.

“Citizens Bank is proud to sponsor the Family Fun Day at Mystic Seaport, bringing the community together for a day of learning and fun the whole family can enjoy,” said Lisa Maass, President, Citizens Bank, Connecticut. “It’s a great opportunity for first-time visitors and frequent guests to spend time at this historic museum and enjoy activities for all ages.”

A quintessential New England experience, Mystic Seaport offers visitors of all ages a unique link to America’s seafaring past and the opportunity to immerse themselves in hands-on history.

In addition to the Museum’s exhibits, historic ships, and 19th-century seafaring village, the schedule for the day includes:

• Face painters, balloon artists and glitter tattoo artists on the Membership patio from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Activities for children include crafts and games in Home Port, the Discovery Barn, the Children’s Museum, a Navigation Quest scavenger hunt, and the Playscape playground.
• Free lemonade and coffee served in the Membership Building.
• A free cookie from the Bake Shop to all Citizens Bank card holders, compliments of Citizens Bank.
• Rowboat and sailboat rentals, waterfront cruises, toy boat making and Planetarium shows. (Subject to additional fees.)

Adult admission is $26, with a $3 discount for Citizens Bank employees with identification.

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, America’s oldest commercial ship and the last wooden whaleship in the world. The Museum’s collection of more than two million artifacts includes more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography in the country. The state-of-the-art Collections Research Center at Mystic Seaport provides scholars and researchers from around the world access to the Museum’s renowned archives. Mystic Seaport is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. Admission is $26 for adults and $17 for children ages 6-17. Museum members and children 5 and under are admitted free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/  and follow Mystic Seaport on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

New Exhibition and Sale Opens at the Maritime Gallery July 23

Mystic, Conn. (July 14, 2016) — Internationally renowned photographer Michael Kahn will be the subject of a new exhibition and sale at the Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport. “Photographs of the Sea by Michael Kahn” opens Saturday, July 23.

A practitioner of traditional techniques, Kahn travels extensively to photograph the world’s finest boats and pristine seascapes. Using his 1950s-era camera, he collects images on black-and-white film and produces luminous silver gelatin prints in his darkroom.

Kahn’s work has been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world and has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes Life, Coastal Living, Architectural Digest, Sailing Magazine, WoodenBoat, and Historic Preservation, among many others. He is also the author of three books: Over the Dunes (2015), The Spirit of Sailing (2004), and Brandywine (1990).

“Michael Kahn is an artist who truly captures the essence of photography–the sense of ‘being there’ in the moment,” said Monique Foster, the director of the Maritime Gallery. “His old-school technique united with his distinctive sense of form, vision, and composition has made him one of the memorable photographers of our time, and his presence in the Gallery is an appropriate complement to the Museum’s iconic Rosenfeld Collection of maritime photography.”

Kahn, whose printmaking technique incorporates an elaborate, predetermined combination of exposure sequence, exposure time, and varied enlarger setting, produces handmade photographs that are essentially each originals. Each photograph is signed and created in limited editions.

Kahn will be in the Maritime Galley Saturday, July 23, from 12 to 2 p.m., to sign his books, Over the Dunes and The Spirit of Sailing. That will be followed by an opening reception from 4 to 6:30 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.

The exhibition and sale runs through September 25, 2016.

For more information on the Maritime Gallery and other exhibitions, please visit mysticseaport.org/gallery.

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 35 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.

Summer Performance Series Celebrates New Outdoor Venue

Mystic, Conn. (June 7, 2016) — Mystic Seaport announced today it will host “Arts on the Quad,” a new series of outdoor concerts and theater this summer. Each performance will be staged on the new McGraw Gallery Quadrangle, the center of the redesigned north end of the Museum grounds where the audience will take in the show from the lawn.

The series offers guests the opportunity to experience the diverse talent of local artists in a variety of musical genres as well as some drama and comedy. “Arts on the Quad” is part of a strategic initiative by Mystic Seaport to increase the use of its grounds and location on the Mystic River as a gathering place for the community.

The series kicks off Saturday, July 2, with Flock Theatre’s rendition of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” and continues throughout the summer. All performances begin at 7 p.m.

July 2 – Flock Theatre presents “Romeo and Juliet”

July 6 – Zydecats One of the first Zydeco bands to form in the Northeast, Zydecats will entertain the crowd with their lively blend of Cajun, blues, R&B, and Mardi Gras rhythms.

July 20 – Mystic Horns A swing, R&B, jazz, and dance band from Southeastern Connecticut, the group will perform New Orleans-style rhythm and blues and classic R&B from the songbooks of Buddy and Ella Johnson, Wynonnie Harris, and many others.

August 3 – Salt Marsh Opera Singers and an accompanist straight from the main stage productions of the Stonington, CT-based opera company will perform a 60-minute program of well-known arias, duets, and trios by operatic composers such as Mozart, Puccini, and Verdi.

August 6 – Flock Theatre presents “The Taming of the Shrew” Flock Theatre returns with one of the world’s most timeless comedies.

August 10 – The Trombones of the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra Called the “boiler room of the ECSO” by The Day newspaper of New London for their consistent excellence in major works for orchestra, the Trombones now come to the recital stage on their own.

August 17 – West End Blend This 10-piece band pays classic homage to throwback sounds of pop, soul, funk, and rhythm and blues.

Tickets for each performance are $18 for members, $20 for non-members, children ages 5 and younger are admitted for free. Tickets for the August 3 performance by Salt March Opera are $20 for members, $25 for non-members. Children ages 5 and younger are admitted for free. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling 860.572.0711.

The gate opens at 6 p.m. Guests are expected to provide their own seating on lawn chairs or blankets and picnicking is encouraged. A cash bar will be available for adult beverages and soft drinks. All performances will be held rain or shine. In the event of rain, the performance will be moved under cover and seating will be provided.

Guests are asked to park in the north lot opposite Latitude 41° Restaurant & Tavern and to use the Center Entrance next to the yellow Administration Building at 75 Greenmanville Ave. (Rte. 27).

Links:
mysticseaport.org/artsonthequad/

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, America’s oldest commercial ship and the last wooden whaleship in the world. The Museum’s collection of more than two million artifacts includes more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography in the country. The state-of-the-art Collections Research Center at Mystic Seaport provides scholars and researchers from around the world access to the Museum’s renowned archives. Mystic Seaport is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. Admission is $26 for adults and $17 for children ages 6-17. Museum members and children 5 and under are admitted free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/  and follow Mystic Seaport on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Mystic, Conn. (June 3, 2016) — Mystic Seaport announces today the election of Kenneth S. Siegel, J. Robert Mann, Jr., to its Board of Trustees.

Mr. Siegel is the Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. in Stamford, CT.  He has been with Starwood since 2000.  He is a graduate of Cornell University, and has a J.D. from New York University, and is a member of the New York Bar.

Mr. Siegel has received multiple awards, including a Philanthropic Leadership award, an Employer of Choice award, and earlier this month, the Burton Foundation Legend in Law Award.  His board and non-profit service includes Sacred Heart University, Minority Corporate Counsel Association, International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution, International Tourism Partnership, and the Cancer Hope Network.

Mr. Siegel resides in Weston, CT with his wife, Dina, and their children, and they also have a home in Mystic.  Mr. Siegel has a strong interest in Mystic Seaport and a keen interest in education and maritime history.  He was elected to a three-year term.

Mr. Mann is the current chairman and former CEO of E-J Electric Installation Co., in Long Island City, NY, a successful multi-generational family company, and the oldest independent electrical contractor in the country. He is a Yale University honors graduate and received their meritorious service award, The Yale Medal.  He also has professional engineering licenses in multiple states.

Mr. Mann has had affiliations and leadership roles with the Maritime College at Fort Schuyler, the International Yacht Restoration School, and the New York Yacht Club.   He has also made significant contributions to other organizations, including the Executive Board of Yale Science & Engineering Association, and as Past Chairman of the British-American Fulbright Foundation.

Mr. Mann resides in Mamaroneck, NY, with his wife, Barbara, and summers in Maine.  He is an active boater and has a strong interest in Mystic Seaport, particularly education programs and watercraft, and has been a member since 1990.  He was elected to a three-year term.

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, America’s oldest commercial ship and the last wooden whaleship in the world. The Museum’s collection of more than two million artifacts includes more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography in the country. The state-of-the-art Collections Research Center at Mystic Seaport provides scholars and researchers from around the world access to the Museum’s renowned archives. Mystic Seaport is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. Admission is $26 for adults and $17 for children ages 6-17. Museum members and children 5 and under are admitted free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/  and follow Mystic Seaport on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Polynesian Voyaging Canoe Hōkūle‘a to Make Stop on Worldwide Journey

Mystic, Conn. (June 1, 2016) — The largest gathering of wooden boats and enthusiasts in New England will converge at Mystic Seaport for the 25th annual WoodenBoat Show Friday through Sunday, June 24-26.

The WoodenBoat Show, hosted in a partnership with WoodenBoat Publications, offers something for all wooden boat enthusiasts and maritime history buffs. More than 100 traditional and classic wooden boats of every type will be on display, from hand-crafted kayaks to mahogany runabouts, to classic daysailers and schooners.

In addition to taking in the historic vessels and beautiful boats, visitors can find everything they need to outfit their own watercraft and learn new skills at demonstrations and workshops throughout the weekend. A variety of exhibitors will offer items for sale including maritime art, antiques, tools, books, nautical gear, and much more.

Throughout the weekend, Mystic Seaport staff and guest experts will be conducting demonstrations of a variety of boat-building skills, including rigging, caulking, steam-bending and laminating wood, lofting, plywood-epoxy boat building, and Japanese boat planking.

Other popular features are the “I Built It Myself” display of home-built boats and “Family Boatbuilding,” where families and teams work to build their own pre-purchased kits during the weekend. The kits are opened at 9 a.m. Friday morning and tools are put down around 3 p.m. Sunday, leaving, in most cases, a boat awaiting only final finish work.

Visitors can also try their hand at rowing or sailing a small boat at the Museum’s boat livery, or in one of the boats participating in the John Gardner Small Craft Workshop, which is run concurrently with the show by the Traditional Small Craft Association.

A highlight of the 2016 show will be Hōkūle‘a, a Polynesian voyaging canoe from Hawaii which will make a port stop at the Museum June 23-28. The 62-foot catamaran is in the midst of a multi-year circumnavigation of the globe to raise awareness of Polynesian maritime culture and ocean conservation.

Hōkūle‘a is scheduled to arrive at Mystic Seaport mid-morning Thursday, June 23. Upon tying up, there will be a traditional welcoming ceremony involving the vessel’s crew and representatives of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation.

During her stay, she will be open for visitors to board during designated periods and crew members will be available to answer questions and discuss the voyage. In addition, crew members will be offering two technical talks on Saturday, June 25. Kaleo Wong will lecture on the science and art of traditional Pacific canoe navigation at 10 a.m. and Bruce Blankenfeld will present a demonstration on canoe lashing at 2:30 p.m. The crew will also team up with the Museum’s Planetarium staff to offer special shows on Polynesian navigation and the skies of the Pacific during their stay.

Museum admission provides access to both the WoodenBoat Show and Mystic Seaport. Admission is good for two days upon ticket validation and a three-day ticket is available.

The WoodenBoat Show is produced by WoodenBoat Publications, Inc., which includes WoodenBoat magazine, Professional BoatBuilder magazine, the WoodenBoat Store, the WoodenBoat School, and the WoodenBoat Show. The WoodenBoat Show is an annual festival celebrating the design and craftsmanship of wooden craft.

More information can be found at www.thewoodenboatshow.com.  Tickets can be purchased in advance at mysticseaport.org/event/the-woodenboat-show/.

Information, images, and a live tracking map of Hōkūle‘a can be found at http://www.hokulea.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 Charles W. Morgan, America’s oldest commercial ship and the last wooden whaleship in the world. The Museum’s collection of more than two million artifacts includes more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography in the country. The state-of-the-art Collections Research Center at Mystic Seaport provides scholars and researchers from around the world access to the Museum’s renowned archives. Mystic Seaport is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. Admission is $26 for adults and $17 for children ages 6-17. Museum members and children 5 and under are admitted free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/  and follow Mystic Seaport on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Visitors Can Board, Sail on Replica of Famous Racing Schooner

Mystic, Conn. (May 18, 2016) — Mystic Seaport announces the yacht America will be visiting the Museum June 11-15.

America is a reproduction of the schooner that won the Royal Yacht Squadron’s “100 Guinea Cup” race around the Isle of Wight in 1851. Renamed the America’s Cup, the trophy was successfully defended by the United States against all challengers until 1983 and remains the longest winning streak in sporting history. America owner and captain Troy Sears is taking the vessel on an extensive tour of the East and Gulf coasts and the Caribbean to raise awareness of the 2017 America’s Cup defense in Bermuda.

The yacht is scheduled to arrive at Mystic Seaport sometime during the day on Saturday, June 11. She will be available for Museum visitors to board during the mornings of June 12-15. In addition, she will offer day sails down the Mystic River to Fishers Island Sound during the afternoons of June 11-14.

Also visiting the Museum during the same period will be the Bermuda sloop Spirit of Bermuda, a 112-foot replica of a three-masted Royal Navy sloop-of-war from the 18th century. She also will be open for visitors to board the mornings of June 12-14.

As part of the vessels’ visit and the run up to the 2017 America’s Cup, Mystic Seaport will offer three presentations to discuss the history and significance of the Cup and the Spirit of Bermuda:

• “The History and Evolution of the America’s Cup.” Captain Troy Sears and Mystic Seaport photography curator Mary Anne Stets will discuss the America’s Cup, its past, present, and future. Included in this talk will be still and moving images from the Museum’s vast collection of America’s Cup artifacts. Monday, June 13, at 7 p.m.
• “Up Close with Spirit of Bermuda.” Bermuda Sloop Foundation directors Malcolm Kirkland, Jay Kempe, and Alan Burland will talk about the background of the Foundation and how and why Spirit of Bermudawas built. Also joining the conversation will be Bermuda’s captain Stuart Birnie, who will speak about youth development using traditional vessels such as Spirit of Bermuda, with reference to vessels he has experience with in the Pacific, including Polynesian voyaging canoes like Hokule’a, scheduled to visit Mystic Seaport during the WoodenBoat Show, June 24-26. Tuesday, June 14, at 7 p.m.
• “The America’s Cup with Tucker Thompson.” The official TV and public host of the 35th America’s Cup, Tucker Thompson, will deliver an engaging multi-media presentation about the event. Highlights include the Cup’s storied history, the secrets behind Oracle Team USA’s dramatic comeback in AC34 in 2013, and a behind-the-scenes view of the upcoming 35th America’s Cup in Bermuda. Monday, July 11, at 7 p.m.

Tickets for each event are $15 for Museum members and $20 for non-members. A series ticket for all three events is available for $40 for members and $55 for non-members. All three talks will be held in the River Room at Latitude 41° Restaurant & Tavern.

The day sails on America will depart from and return to Mystic Seaport. Boarding will begin at 1 p.m. and the sails are expected to last 2 ½ hours. Tickets are $85 per adult and $45 for children under the age of 12. Museum admission is not required. Tickets for the day sails and all of the events can be purchased by calling 860.572.5339.

After their stay at Mystic Seaport, America and Spirit of Bermuda will depart for Newport, RI, to participate in the 2016 Newport-Bermuda Race.

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, America’s oldest commercial ship and the last wooden whaleship in the world. The Museum’s collection of more than two million artifacts includes more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography in the country. The state-of-the-art Collections Research Center at Mystic Seaport provides scholars and researchers from around the world access to the Museum’s renowned archives. Mystic Seaport is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. Admission is $26 for adults and $17 for children ages 6-17. Museum members and children 5 and under are admitted free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/  and follow Mystic Seaport on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Performers from Around the World Gather to Celebrate Music of the Sea

Mystic, Conn. (May 12, 2016) —Musicians from around the world will come to Mystic Seaport to celebrate the musical traditions of the Golden Age of Sail at the 37th annual Sea Music Festival, Thursday through Sunday, June 9-12, 2016. The Festival is the premier sea music event in North America.

This year’s roster includes music from Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Canada, along with singers from across the United States. The weekend’s festivities include daytime and evening concerts, special performances for children, instructional workshops, a scholars’ symposium, and a unique opportunity to witness sea music at work aboard the Museum’s historic vessels.

More than 20 individuals and groups will be featured at the Festival representing the gamut of traditional and contemporary sea music. Newfoundland’s Matthew Byrne will perform songs from solo offering, “Hearts & Heroes,” which won Traditional Album of the Year at the 2015 Canadian Folk Music Awards. The Isle of Man’s Barrule trio will bring their fresh approach to traditional Manx music, while Kim & Reggie Harris have a repertoire that combines traditional African-American spirituals and freedom songs with original folk. Returning this year is the popular Canadian acapella group Pressgang Mutiny, whose 2015 performance was a big hit with the audience.

Visitors may also take in performances from Bob Walser, Margaret McCandless, Heather Wood, Cliff Haslam, Boston’s Irish dance company Kieran Jordan Dance, and the Mystic Seaport Chantey Staff, including Geoff Kaufman, Craig Edwards, Denise Kegler, and Don Sineti.

All workshops and daytime concerts in the Festival are included in regular Mystic Seaport admission. Special tickets are required for evening concerts and can be purchased by calling 860.572.0711, or at the Museum’s main entrance. Weekend passes are also available. College students will be admitted into the Festival for the youth rate upon presentation of a current student ID.

For more information, including ticket packages, musicians’ bios, and a schedule of performances, visit mysticseaport.org/seamusicfestival

The annual Music of the Sea Symposium, hosted in partnership with the University of Connecticut at Avery Point, will be held Friday and Saturday, June 10-11. The Symposium, which features presentations of themed papers by some of the country’s leading maritime music scholars, explores the interaction between sea, music, and song. The first day of the Symposium will be held at the auditorium at the University of Connecticut at Avery Point.  Admission is free. The Symposium continues Saturday at Mystic Seaport in the Greenmanville Church. Museum admission is required. For further details and a list of Symposium presenters and topics, visit mysticseaport.org/smfsymposium

This event is made possible by the Friends of the Sea Music Festival, who raise funds each year to generously support sea music at Mystic Seaport.

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, America’s oldest commercial ship and the last wooden whaleship in the world. The Museum’s collection of more than two million artifacts includes more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography in the country. The state-of-the-art Collections Research Center at Mystic Seaport provides scholars and researchers from around the world access to the Museum’s renowned archives. Mystic Seaport is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. Admission is $26 for adults and $17 for children ages 6-17. Museum members and children 5 and under are admitted free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/  and follow Mystic Seaport on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.