Category: Press Releases

Crews from New England to Harvest Live Oak for Historic Ship

Mystic, Conn. and Plymouth, Mass. (March 20, 2017) – Shipwrights from Mystic Seaport and Plimoth Plantation will be on the Gulf Coast this week to harvest live oak trees to be used in the restoration of the Mayflower II, a reproduction of the ship that transported the Pilgrims to America in 1620.

Crews from the New England museums will be working at two locations in the area beginning today, one in Pass Christian, MS, and the second in Belle Chasse, LA.

Pass Christian resident Diane Brugger will be donating a tree as a legacy to her late husband, Tony, who died during Hurricane Katrina. Diane rode out the storm by clinging to the branches of two live oaks on their property. Recently, a live oak on her property – but not the one that saved her during Katrina – was struck by lightning and needs to be taken down.

The trees in Belle Chasse are being removed to make way for a new power line project. Sam Bordelon, whose family has owned the property over which the lines will pass for nearly 100 years, said he was at first sad at the loss of trees, but that seeing them go to such a special use “was a redeeming outcome.”

Wood from the trees will be used to replace frames and structural pieces on the ship, which is being worked on at the Mystic Seaport Shipyard in Mystic, CT, to prepare it for the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ arrival.

“Live oak is highly sought after in wooden shipbuilding because it is very dense, hard, and resists rot better than almost all other species in North America,” said Quentin Snediker, the Shipyard Director at Mystic Seaport. “The crooks and curves typical of the trees are ideal for the fabrication of many of the structural parts as there are few straight lines and right angles on a wooden ship.”

Whit Perry, Plimoth Plantation’s Director of Maritime Preservation and Operations, expressed appreciation for the generous contribution that the landowners have made to the restoration of the historic Mayflower II. “These trees will live on in perpetuity, and make it possible for the ship to sail on for generations to come.”

Mayflower II was built from 1955-57 at Upham Shipyard in the town of Brixham in Devon, England. She sailed to the United States in 1957 and was presented to Plimoth Plantation as a gift to commemorate the historic ties between England and America in the wake of World War II.

The celebrated ship is a major exhibit of Plimoth Plantation and a leading tourism attraction in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, drawing millions of people from around the world to Plymouth’s historic waterfront to learn about the 17th-century Atlantic world and our Nation’s earliest beginnings.

About Plimoth Plantation
Plimoth Plantation is a 501(c)3 charitable organization and a living museum dedicated to telling the history of Plymouth Colony from the perspective of both the Pilgrims and the Native Wampanoag people. Located less than an hour’s drive south of Boston in Plymouth, Massachusetts, (Exit 4, Route 3 south) and 15 minutes north of Cape Cod, the Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 7 days a week, from the third Saturday in March through the end of November 2015. Plimoth Plantation is a private, not-for-profit educational institution supported by admission fees, contributions, memberships, function sales and revenue from a variety of dining programs/services/special events and Museum Shops. Plimoth Plantation is a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate and receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, private foundations, corporations, and local businesses. For more information, visit www.plimoth.org.

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 newly opened Thompson Exhibition Building provides a state-of-the-art gallery to host compelling, world-class exhibitions, beginning with the current show SeaChange. The 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 $28.95 for adults ages 15 and older and $18.95 for children ages 4-14. Museum members and children three and younger are admitted free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/  and follow Mystic Seaport on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Newest Exhibition Highlights Work of Leading Papercut Artist

Mystic, Conn. (February 3, 2017) — In her first exhibition on the Eastern Seaboard, papercut artist Nikki McClure brings her vision of the world to Mystic Seaport with “Life in Balance: The Art of Nikki McClure,” a collection of original pieces that is now open in the museum’s C.D. Mallory Building. Considered one of the leading papercut artists in the world, McClure’s specialty is chronicling the details of everyday life.

The exhibition consists of 36 original papercuts by the Washington state artist, representing a cross section of her work spanning the last 20 years. McClure’s art is made by cutting a single black piece of paper with an X-ACTO knife. The papercuts represent her singular vision of life at the edge of Puget Sound, and feature the themes of water, nature, family, and respect for the land. Many of the works will be familiar to readers of McClure’s children’s books, whose striking black-and-white illustrations have built a national audience for her art.

“Life in Balance” will be the public’s first opportunity to see the work used to create “Away,” the 59-foot long mural on display in the lobby of the Museum’s Thompson Exhibition Building. The decision to pursue the new exhibition was based in part on the popular reception of the mural at the building’s opening in September 2016.

“Her art is infinitely relatable. Everybody has picked up a knife or scissors and cut paper and each one of us can relate to the experience of trying to make art by cutting paper, even if it is remembering as a child how you cut out a snowflake,” said Nicholas Bell, senior vice president for curatorial affairs at Mystic Seaport. “What really impresses people is just how intricate and nuanced these scenes are in spite of how simple that technique is. She can create depth and give the viewer a sense of an intricate and complex world through a single sheet of paper without ever adding anything to it.”

McClure has built a large following through her many books, note cards, and popular annual calendar. The exhibition provides a chance to see her work firsthand. The experience of seeing the original provides a sense of the relationship between the originals and the published work and shows just how intricate and detailed her art is. Included in the exhibition will be supporting materials and video that illustrate her artistic process and how she creates her art. On display will be some sketches of the mural “Away” in development so visitors can see how the idea evolved.

The exhibition expresses a recurring theme of life on the water that one finds throughout McClure’s work.

“McClure has the ability to speak to the mission of this museum, but she does it in such a way that is unexpected for our audience. She approaches the connection to the sea and water in a way that comes from a different direction from what we often see at Mystic Seaport,” said Bell. “We were looking for that marriage of a new look, a new perspective with something that is also timeless, and I think she does that perfectly.”

McClure will hold a public book signing in the lobby of the Thompson Building at Mystic Seaport from noon to 1 p.m., Saturday, February 18. The exhibition will be on display through March 4, 2018.

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 newly opened Thompson Exhibition Building provides a state-of-the-art gallery to host compelling, world-class exhibitions, beginning with the current show SeaChange. The 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 $28.95 for adults ages 15 and older and $18.95 for children ages 4-14. Museum members and children three and younger are admitted free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/  and follow Mystic Seaport on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Registration Open for Camps, Sailing Instruction, and Schooner Cruises

Mystic, Conn. (January 12, 2017) — There’s no better way to ward off cabin fever than browsing the summertime offerings at Mystic Seaport. Registration is now open for Summer Day Camps, Community Sailing programs, and excursions on the schooner Brilliant.

Mystic Seaport Summer Camps offer children the chance to delve into the region’s maritime history, learn to sail, and master new skills. With both full-day and half-day camps for ages 4-16, from June 19 through August 18, there is a camp for every child’s interest.

New this year to the camp roster is Junior Detectives for 4- to 6-year-olds, a half-day camp similar to the popular Junior Explorers. In addition to the usual camp fun of crafts, games, and activities, junior detectives will try their hand at potting their own herbs, using basic weaving skills, and seeing what kinds of food we harvest from the ocean.

“Children are naturally curious, and this camp gives them a great opportunity to explore how people lived in the past, while also having that classic summer camp experience,” said Sarah Cahill, Mystic Seaport Director of Education.

Cahill noted that “our popular partner camps with the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center and Mystic Aquarium are back, as well as camps that focus on transportation, Victorian life, sea monsters, astronomy and navigation, and of course sailing.”

Registration is now open for all summer camps, with a 10 percent discount for registrations received by March 31. A Summer Camp Open House will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, April 8 to learn about the camp programs. The full schedule is online at mysticseaport.org/learn/summer-camps/day/

This summer, Mystic Seaport is adding to its Community Sailing a free Counselor-in-Training program for 14- and 15-year-olds and Summer Evening Sailing, a $10 drop-in program for adults and families.

“The C.I.T. program is an excellent way for local teens to log volunteer experience, build their resume and learn leadership skills, while spending their summer on the Mystic River,” said Cahill. Regarding the drop-in evening sailing program, “We hope people make evenings at the Museum a part of their summer routine. We want to provide a way for sailors to continue practicing their skills in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.”

The Museum’s Community Sailing classes offer ages eight and older a wonderful chance to learn to sail, hone their skills, or simply enjoy time on the water. Both half-day and full-day classes provide a flexible schedule. Community Sailing begins in mid-April and runs through late October. Summer Evening Sailing runs from late June through mid-August. Applications for the Counselor-in-Training program are available online and are due by March 17. Visit mysticseaport.org/learn/sailing/community-sailing/ for more information.

Another season of sailing on board the 61-foot wooden schooner Brilliant begins in June, with six Teen Sailing cruises planned as well as seven adult trips.

“We are looking forward to another eventful season aboard Brilliant,” said Shannon McKenzie, director of Watercraft Programs. “This year, as we celebrate the 85th anniversary of her launch, we kick off the teen season at the Sail Boston event in June. This fall, in addition to short cruises, she will head south to participate in the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race in October. Exciting transits to and from Maryland and Virginia, as well as the race itself, are available to adventurous adult participants for a longer experience aboard.”

Participants are not passengers on Brilliant; they are crew members who assist in steering the vessel, raising the sails, standing watch and learning navigation. Teenagers ages 15-18 can choose from a five-day or a 10-day overnight cruise, learning sailing, navigation, teamwork, and seamanship. Adults can choose from a one-day trip to attend the Connecticut Maritime Festival in New London to multi-day excursions to Block Island, Greenport, N.Y., Baltimore, Md., and Portsmouth, Va. Visit mysticseaport.org/learn/sailing/brilliant-programs/ for more information on each trip and registration information.

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 newly opened Thompson Exhibition Building provides a state-of-the-art gallery to host compelling, world-class exhibitions, beginning with the current show SeaChange. The 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 $28.95 for adults ages 15 and older and $18.95 for children ages 4-14. Museum members and children three and younger are admitted free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/  and follow Mystic Seaport on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Exhibition is the First for Museum’s New Thompson Exhibition Building

Mystic, Conn. (November 30, 2016) — Mystic Seaport will open its newest exhibition, SeaChange, an exploration of the theme of transformation through select maritime artifacts, on December 10. The exhibition will be the inaugural installation in the Collins Gallery of the newly constructed Thompson Exhibition Building, which opened this past September.

SeaChange will present a range of striking, surprising, and unusual objects drawn from the rich collections of Mystic Seaport.  Some of these intriguing artifacts will be on display for the first time, others may not have been seen for many years, but all are presented in a new setting with surprising stories.  Each 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.

“In creating this exhibit, we were drawn to pieces in the collections that are visually compelling and that tell stories about people, places, and events far from our own that nevertheless resonate today. They speak to the human transformation of natural materials, to massive shifts in technology, to changes in the natural world, and to the personal changes – metamorphoses even – caused by contact with the sea,” said Elysa Engelman, director of Exhibits at Mystic Seaport. “We hope the visitor is similarly transformed by the rich narratives these artifacts tell and leaves the exhibit moved and inspired to learn more.”

SeaChange is organized around ten primary objects. 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 Artic explorers to laborers harvesting bird guano off Peru for American farmers. They touch on a full range of human concerns, from foodways to family, art to science. In keeping with the bold design, clean lines, and natural materials of the Thompson Building, the exhibit design uses large, free-standing abstract structures evocative of sails or icebergs to frame each central artifact, taking advantage of the soaring heights in the Collins Gallery. The overall effect is visually stunning, an inviting space that entices visitors to contemplate, discover, discuss – and return to the exhibit.

SeaChange extends the sensory approach beyond the visual with more than a dozen custom-created interactives. Among them, visitors will have the opportunity to:

• Peer through a scope at various “dazzle” ship camouflage designs from World War I to see which is most visually disruptive to a submarine commander
• Use an endoscope to see inside the detailed interior of an 18th-century ship model
• Tap to smell the scents related to one of the more curious cargoes of the Pacific trade
• Listen to experts from a range of fields relate the backstories and answer common questions about each primary artifact through video touchscreen programs.

The exhibit will open to the public at 10 a.m. with a special Museum members preview at 9 a.m.

SeaChange was designed by the McMillan Group of Westport, CT, and the audio-visual and interactive programming was produced by Trivium Interactive of Boston, MA.

The exhibition is the centerpiece of the Museum’s initiative to increase its year-round, all-weather offering to visitors.  SeaChange will be open into fall 2017.

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 newly opened Thompson Exhibition Building provides a state-of-the-art gallery to host compelling, world-class exhibits, beginning with SeaChange, which opens December 10, 2016. The 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 younger are admitted free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/  and follow Mystic Seaport on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Mystic, Conn. (October  21, 2016) — Mystic Seaport will present its 2016 America and the Sea Award to Bob and Rod Johnstone–J/Boats. Given annually by the Museum, the prestigious award recognizes individuals or organizations whose contribution to the history, arts, business, or sciences of the sea best exemplify the American character.

The Johnstones will receive the award Saturday, October 22, at a gala dinner held in their honor at Mystic Seaport. The gala will be the first and only dinner held in the Collins Family Gallery of the new Thompson Exhibition Building prior to its ongoing use to display exhibits. The America and the Sea Award Gala is the single largest fundraising event for the Museum. Proceeds from the event benefit the mission of the Museum to inspire an enduring connection to America’s maritime heritage.

“Over the past 39 years, the Johnstone family and their company have influenced American yachting and sport of sailing in incomparable ways. They have established a record of accomplishment that few will ever challenge, and they have instilled in countless Americans a passion for enjoying time on the water with family and good friends aboard good boats,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport. “For these reasons and many more, Mystic Seaport is proud to bestow its America and the Sea Award to Bob and Rod Johnstone–J/Boats.”

Past recipients of the America and the Sea Award include oceanographer and explorer Sylvia Earle, historian David McCullough, legendary yacht designer Olin Stephens, President and CEO of Crowley Maritime Corporation, Thomas Crowley, philanthropist William Koch, former Secretary of the Navy John Lehman, WoodenBoat founder Jon Wilson, yachtsman and author Gary Jobson, maritime industrialist Charles A. Robertson, and author and historian Nathaniel Philbrick.

About J/Boats

The J/Boats story began in 1974 when Rod, then an ad salesman for Soundings Magazine, designed and started building the 24-foot sailboat Ragtime in his Stonington, CT garage. Launched in the Spring of 1976, it beat everything in sight. Bob, then vice president of marketing at AMF Alcort, saw the potential in Rod’s design and a 50/50 partnership was formed in February 1977 to build and market the J/24. Today, some 14,000 “J’s” in 40 different designs are sailing in more than 35 countries. “J” owners have won silver in major sailing events worldwide including Fastnet, SORC, Transpac, Pacific Cup, Swiftsure, Ensenada, Middle Sea, Sydney-Hobart, OSTAR, Chicago-Mac, and the Bermuda Race. The J/24 was named “Best Keelboat in 30 years” by SAIL Magazine in 1981. A decade later, the J/105 revolutionized keelboat design with its retractable bowsprit and asymmetrical spinnaker. Nineteen other “J” designs have earned Boat-of-the-Year or Hall of Fame recognition. Five designs have achieved World Sailing’s International Class status. J/Boats Inc. was named by Fortune in 1991 as one of America’s Best 100 Products. J/Boats in the USA are built in Rhode Island and by licensed builders in France, Italy, South Africa, Argentina, and China. J/Boats remains a family business.

Bob and Rod grew up racing Long Island One-Designs and Lightnings at the Wadawanuck YC in Stonington CT, where from 1947 to 1954 they took home many club and ECYRA trophies. With their father, Rob, they built Lightning #3310 in a suburban Glen Ridge, NJ, garage, setting them on a course of sailing for life.

After Princeton (’56), Bob spent 17 years managing Quaker Oats subsidiaries in Colombia and Venezuela. Returning to Chicago, he became Quaker’s Marketing Man of the Year. Later at AMF Alcort, he acquired marine market experience, a key to start-up success of J/Boats. In 2002, with the next generation in place at J/Boats, he founded MJM Yachts. The MJM 50z received the 2014 AIM Editors Award for Best Down East Cruiser 50 Feet Plus. Bob has won the 1969 Penguin Internationals, National Hospice Regatta, Maine Retired Skippers Race, New York Yacht Club Queen’s Cup plus Antigua, Block Island, Charleston, Key West and Down East Race Weeks. He was runner-up in the 1983 J/24 Worlds, served as Secretary/Treasurer of the United States Olympic Sailing Committee and was founding chairman of both the United States Youth Sailing Championship and J/24 Class Association. Bob and his wife, The Reverend Mary Johnstone, reside in Newport RI.  He is a member and Past Commodore of the Northeast Harbor Fleet and a member of the New York Yacht Club and Little Cranberry Island Yacht Club.

After Princeton (’58) Rod started designing and building sailboats while teaching history at the Millbrook School in NY from 1959 to 1962. He then ran a yacht brokerage in Stonington, later becoming a planner for submarine builder Electric Boat Co. Rod sold ads for Soundings from 1970 to 1977 when he came to know the key players in the sailboat industry, especially Everett Pearson, whose role as builder of J Boats designs for over 25 years was key to their success. In 1988 Rod co-founded Johnstone Yachts, Inc. with nephew Clay Burkhalter to produce his JY 15 sailboat design. Nephew-in-law, David Eck, took over in 1991 and produced over 3,300 JY 15s. Mystic Seaport uses JY 15s in its sail training program. Rod still helps design new J/ Boats and continues to race actively. He has won championships in the J/24, J/22, J/30, J/35, J/120, J/70 and J/88 classes and at various Race Weeks. Rod and his wife, Lucia, live in Stonington. He is a member and Past Commodore of the Wadawanuck Yacht Club, Past Chairman of the Stonington Board of Education, and member of the Stonington Harbor Management Commission.

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 newly opened Thompson Exhibition Building provides a state-of-the-art gallery to host compelling, world-class exhibits, beginning with SeaChange, which opens December 10, 2016. 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. (October 13, 2016) — Mystic Seaport announces it is honoring the Pacific Class owners and the San Diego Yacht Club with the 2016 William A. Baker Award. The award is given to promote the awareness and appreciation of fine examples of one-design classes or boats of like kind, and to foster faithful preservation and restoration, and encourage their continued use.

The Pacific Class (PC) owners and the San Diego Yacht Club are being recognized for their effort to preserve and maintain a significant class of American sailing craft.

The PC is the first wooden one design racing sloop designed and built especially for Southern California waters. Designed by George Kettenburg, Jr., in 1929, the 31-foot-long sailboat has survived more than 80 years and is still enjoyed today. While the largest of the fleets is in San Diego, there are smaller groups in Marina del Rey, Los Angeles and Washington State. Of the 84 hull numbers assigned, all but 19 are still sailing. Hull number 8, Wings, believed to be the oldest hull in existence, is now on display at the San Diego Maritime Museum.

Antique and classic boat festivals throughout the country typically present awards for the preservation of wooden boats. As a rule these awards are presented to individual owners or vessels, recognizing some superlative aspect of the work that has been done to keep them up, most-original, or the finest craftsmanship.

The William Avery Baker Award is somewhat unique in that it is customarily presented to a class association or group of owners. The purpose is to recognize the people and communities that do the bold, arduous and often expensive work of keeping a large group or class of vessels actively sailing.

“It is this authentic notion of active use that is being recognized and commended,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport. “It is one thing to save an old wooden boat from inevitable destruction; it is another thing entirely to save a class of vessels from extinction. It has been our experience that this can only occur when a community of like-minded enthusiasts comes together with a common purpose. Thus, we are proud to honor the Pacific Class owners and the San Diego Yacht Club for their effort to save the PC from the brink of extinction and thus allow future generations to sail and enjoy these fine boats.”

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 newly opened Thompson Exhibition Building provides a state-of-the-art gallery to host compelling, world-class exhibits, beginning with SeaChange, which opens December 10, 2016. The 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 younger are admitted free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/  and follow Mystic Seaport on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Donation Fulfills Goal for Major Capital Campaign

Mystic, Conn. (October 5, 2016) — Mystic Seaport announced today it has received a $1 million gift from the Thompson Family Foundation to support the Thompson Exhibition Building, the Museum’s first new exhibition building in more than four decades. The Thompson Building opened to visitors on September 24, 2016.

The Thompson Family Foundation’s latest gift caps the $15.3 million required to fund the exhibition building and the McGraw Gallery Quadrangle project. This fundraising effort was scheduled to conclude on December 31.

“We are extremely grateful for the continued generosity and confidence in the future direction of the Museum that the Thompson family has demonstrated with this gift,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport. “Their support has been critical to the genesis and completion of the transformation of the Museum’s grounds and our capability to usher in a ‘New Era for Exhibitions’ at Mystic Seaport.”

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

Wade Thompson was a Mystic Seaport trustee for 27 years who believed passionately in the need for contemporary exhibition space and its importance for the future of the Museum. The Thompson Building houses the Collins Gallery, a 5,000-square-foot hall featuring soaring ceilings and a flexible layout that provides 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.

“We are deeply appreciative to all donors who made extraordinary gifts to complete this ambitious project so vital to the Museum’s future sustainability and institutional growth, many of whom were inspired by Wade Thompson and his family’s example of philanthropy,” said Elisabeth Saxe, the Museum’s vice president for Advancement.

The first exhibit to be featured in the Thompson Building will be “Sea-Change,” a dramatic presentation of a range of beautiful and unique objects drawn from the collections of Mystic Seaport. A special grouping 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 of transformation that continue to impact a contemporary audience and its experience with the sea. The exhibit opens on December 10.

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 newly opened Thompson Exhibition Building provides a state-of-the-art gallery to host compelling, world-class exhibits, beginning with SeaChange, which opens December 10, 2016. The 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 younger 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 28, 2016) — The world’s largest Viking ship, the Norwegian Draken Harald Hårfagre, will be docking at Mystic Seaport beginning October 2.

The Draken will arrive at Mystic Seaport 11 a.m. on Sunday, October 2. They will be docked near the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan, and there will be a brief ceremony welcoming the crew. Pending US Coast Guard inspection on Monday morning, the ship will be open to the public from 2 to 4 p.m. each day from Monday, October 3 to Monday October 10.

Draken Harald Hårfagre is a clinker-built Viking longship, a reconstruction of what the Norse Sagas refer to as a “Great Ship.” On April 26, 2016, Draken left her home port Haugesund in Norway to begin an expedition to sail to America. The aim of the expedition is to explore and relive one of the most mythological sea voyages – the first transatlantic crossing and the Viking discovery of the New World, more than 1,000 years ago. So far the ship has crossed the Atlantic, sailed throughout the Great Lakes, and ventured through the Erie Canal and Hudson River to New York City.

Captain Björn Ahlander will recount their adventures as the first speaker in the Museum’s 2016-2017 Adventure Series. He will give two presentations Thursday, October 13, at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. in the River Room at Latitude 41° Restaurant. Tickets are $15 for Museum members and $20 for the general public. Tickets are available online at the Museum’s website: http://bit.ly/2dmdSjU

Draken Harald Hårfagre will stay at Mystic Seaport for the winter, but the crew will cover the boat in November and she will not be open to the public.

Link to dropbox for still images and video:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/abvi1h636vbg85g/AADgJgRIfqZQs2JVhTX3RUQLa?dl=0

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 newly opened Thompson Exhibition Building provides a state-of-the-art gallery to host compelling, world-class exhibits, beginning with SeaChange, which opens December 10, 2016. The 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 Completes Transformation of Grounds, Strategic Expansion of Indoor Exhibit Capacity

Mystic, Conn. (September 24, 2016) — Mystic Seaport celebrated the opening of the Thompson Exhibition Building, a 14,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility to enhance and increase the Museum’s ability to host world-class exhibits and succeed in its mission to inspire an enduring connection to America’s maritime heritage.

“Today we embark on a new era for the Museum,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport. “The Thompson Building provides expansive, modern exhibit space that enables us to showcase the treasures of our vast collections in new and exciting ways. With its completion, we strengthen our position as a year-round destination and create a new gateway to Mystic Seaport and the Mystic area.

“This is an exciting expansion that will add to the magnetism of one of eastern Connecticut’s most cherished institutions,” said U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT 2nd). “Mystic Seaport has long been a leading attraction in our region for both locals and out-of-state visitors alike. The addition of the brand new Thompson Exhibition Building and the completion of the north end of the museum will greatly enhance its ability to tell the story of our maritime past.”

The Thompson Building is the cornerstone and final element of the McGraw Gallery Quadrangle, a $15.3 million project which integrated existing buildings and grounds with new construction and unified the buildings 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 modern exhibition space and its importance for the future of the Museum, the Thompson Building houses the Collins Gallery, a 5,000-square-foot hall featuring soaring ceilings and a flexible layout that provides 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.

Other elements of the building include a prominent visitor’s entrance, a sweeping reception lobby, a ticketing center, a retail shop, and a meeting space, and the Masin Room, a conference room and meeting space which looks out over the Mystic River. A wraparound deck invites visitors to enjoy the riverside setting and serves as a covered overlook to the quadrangle’s common area.

Designed by the Connecticut firm Centerbrook Architects and Planners, the building seeks to evoke 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 was 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.

Unveiled Saturday was a mural commissioned specifically for the lobby. Titled “Away,” the 59-foot-long work of art was created by Nikki McClure, an artist from Olympia, WA. The image was cut from black paper using an X-ACTO knife, then enlarged and fabricated in vinyl to install on wall. “Away” depicts a figure in a boat dragging his or her hand in the water, reflecting the continuing human desire “to touch the water and feel the wake,” in the words of the artist.

The first exhibit to be installed in the Collins gallery will be SeaChange, a dramatic presentation of a range of beautiful and unique objects drawn from the collections of Mystic Seaport. 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 of transformation that continue to impact a contemporary audience and its experience with the sea. The exhibit opens December 10.

The Collins Gallery will also be the site of the presentation of the 2016 America and the Sea Award honoring Rod and Bob Johnstone and their company J/Boats. Given annually by the Museum, the prestigious award recognizes individuals or organizations whose contribution to the history, arts, business, or sciences of the sea best exemplify the American character. The award will be presented at a gala dinner on October 22.

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.