How About a New Tradition?

What’s your Thanksgiving holiday tradition?  Do you watch the Macy’s parade on TV?  Do you bundle up to watch a local football game? Or, if you’re in charge of preparing the Thanksgiving feast, do you even have time to relax at all?

Well!  Here’s a new tradition for you to consider.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast; take your seat in the bleachers at a football game or sit in your easy chair at home and flip the TV channel to the Macy parade. Then, sometime between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., meander over to Mystic Seaport country and celebrate the season’s bounty at the Seamen’s Inne Thanksgiving Grand Buffet. Just think how nice it would be to simply enjoy the food without worrying if the turkey is tender, the mashed potatoes lumpy or the gravy too thick or too thin!

Then, right next door is Mystic Seaport, Yes, even on Thanksgiving Day the Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and….admission is half-price!  True, not all the exhibits will be open, but you can either work up your appetite or walk off the calories you just ate by climbing the staircase up to the Charles W. Morgan whaling ship deck. If that’s too strenuous, than board the L.A. Dunton.  Visit the Buckingham-Hall House and imagine cooking a Thanksgiving feast in that kitchen!  Then, visit the Voyages exhibit where it’s easy to spend a good chunk of time, either before or after your dinner.

Mystic Seaport this time of year has a tranquil charm. The village streets are quiet and the allure of the sea is ever present. It’s a special place for all seasons.

So how about it? Ready to start a new tradition? Then make your reservations for the Thanksgiving Day Grand Buffet at Seamen’s Inne (860.572.5303) and pop over to Mystic Seaport to  enjoy the view along the Mystic River and visit the open exhibits. Don’t forget to tell the exhibit interpreters  you’re thankful for them working on this day of thanks!

We wish you all a happy Thanksgiving!

Blog posted by Trudi Busey.

Five Questions with…Exhibit Graphics Specialist Arleen Andersen

I’ll wager that most staff and Mystic Seaport visitors tend to take for granted the signage found in Museum exhibits. But those specialized and creative designs are the work of Arleen Andersen, exhibit graphics specialist for the Museum. Arleen’s “workshop” is located at the far side of the Collection Research Center at Mystic Seaport.

Arleen Andersen

1.  How long have you been employed at Mystic Seaport?
AA:  I‘ve worked at Mystic Seaport for 21 years. I’m from Long Island, but I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD. It is beautiful out there, but I missed the ocean and I convinced my husband to move back East.

2.  What’s the best part of your job?
AA:  My job lets me be creative, which is great. I enjoy the close contact with maritime history here at Mystic Seaport, through the collection and the people. Working with those at the Museum who know that history best makes it possible for me to graphically interpret that information for visitors. 

3.  What’s the most challenging aspect of your job?
AA: Getting everything done that needs doing. Of course, nothing ever runs smoothly! Also, it’s important to me to try to keep things fresh and new for Museum visitors. Just keeping exhibit graphics in good shape can be a challenge.

4.  What’s the funniest or most notable on-the-job experience you’ve had?
AA:  There was a period when there were special times for staff sails aboard Brilliant. Sometimes it was just a short-term sail; sometimes an overnight. It was wonderful. As for funniest, once a co-worker and I went to Elm Grove Cemetery to gather nuts for a display in the VRC. We wondered what people who saw us might be thinking! The same goes for anyone who saw us trying to match restaurant oyster shell halves for the Museum’s Oyster House exhibit. Every day is a new experience!

5.  What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
AA:  Spending time with my family. I have two children, a son and a daughter, who practically grew up at Mystic Seaport – taking advantage of some of the programs offered to youth, and as they grew old enough – working here. I have my own sailboat, so you’ll find me sailing on the Mystic River, time and weather permitting. Other than that, I enjoy gardening, usually with my dog Luna at my side. 

Arlene was interviewed by volunteer Trudi Busey and photographed by Dennis Murphy.

The Plein Air Painters are Just Plain Talented!

If you’ve stopped by the Maritime Gallery recently, you may have noticed that all of the art in the current exhibition, Plein Air Painters of the Maritime Gallery, has a central theme – the beauty of Mystic Seaport. Open through September 1, the exhibit details the Museum’s picturesque scenery, all of which was painted on grounds  this past June. (For those unfamiliar with the term, plein air artists follow the tradition established by painters in the 19^th and 20^th centuries – choosing an outdoor venue rather than an indoor studio to work their craft.)
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I was able to observe some of the painters at their easels last month and learned a little bit more about their craft…

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I spoke with William Hanson, who has been a part of the Mystic Seaport Plein Air Painters for all of the 13 years it has been a Museum event – more recently by invitation only.  At the other end of the spectrum, I met Brechin Lee Morgan, for whom this was an “exciting” first.

Maritime Gallery artist Leonard Mizerek painting on grounds last year.

Both extolled the virtues of natural light for capturing the essence of their paintings. “So inspiring” is how William describes the Mystic Seaport setting.  Brechin feels the realism of on-site painting trumps studio paintings, where imagination is the key component.

Maritime art is William’s emphasis. Today, near Mystic Seaport’s shipyard, a rowboat with a wood-filled shed as backdrop caught his attention. He thinks the smaller 6” by 8” size he mounted on his easel may have greater “sale” appeal in today’s economy, although his repertoire includes paintings of different sizes. 

Brechin chooses his subject by walking around the Museum until a scene strikes him as being dramatic enough to capture on canvas with his acrylics. This day the huge live oak timber in the H.B. duPont Preservation Shipyard was his subject. “It reminds me  of timbers I imagine were used to build Noah’s Ark.”  He considers himself fortunate to be included as one of Mystic Seaport’s Plein Air Painters.

William’s and Brechin’s paintings, along with those of their fellow Plein Air Painters, will be on display and available for purchase in the Museum’s Maritime Gallery all summer. Come take a look. 

For more information, visit www.mysticseaport.org/gallery or call 860.572.5388.

Blog post written by Trudi Busey.

Mapping out Fun at Mystic Seaport

I went to see what Mystic Seaport’s new interactive Map Spot was all about. It’s supposedly geared to kids, but Interpreter Lindsey Pyrke-Fairchild claims that adults like Map Spot as much as the children do. I can see why.

Suzzanah was making a map of her bedroom; Abby and Maddy were mapping their respective neighborhoods; Emma’s imaginative map was of a forest with horses. So, I gave it a try myself, mapping my own neighborhood. A  cartographer I’ll never be, but it was fun trying. Hmm… maybe next time I’ll try making a dream vacation map!

One of the coolest things in Map Spot is the “smart board,” a touch screen with a few games that test your smarts and your speed. The object is to move a state into its proper location on the map in a given amount of time. It can be tricky, believe me! 

Next I teamed up with precocious 18-month-old Hannah to choose where I wanted to visit or live, or pinpoint where my ancestors lived on a wall-sized map of the world. Hannah and I marked our spots with red and yellow magnetic discs. Watch out, world, Hannah’s on her way!

Moving on, the next challenge was making a coastline map of the model island in the glass case. The task – simulate the coastline on the magnetized glass via a beaded necklace-like tool. Not as easy as it looks!

Well, it was time to take a drive, but Driving to Distraction was so popular with both the boys and the girls that I couldn’t get in the driver’s seat! This is a GPS concept with a voice directing you to places in the town of Mystic. It can be a wild ride with the likes of Juan and Jose behind the wheel!

Yelitza motioned me over to the topographical map to help her locate some of the things you are supposed to find. We had to duck down to find shipwrecks, shown through a glass window beneath the map. Interpreter Lindsey votes this her favorite display. 

My Map Spottour ended with Francelis, who was designing a bedroom by moving dollhouse size wooden furniture around on the large grid floor. Francelis could then copy her final “map” onto a paper with small grids, knowing the furniture would fit where she wanted it.

Final conclusion: Map Spot is a great spot! Lots to do with soft-sell teaching and learning wrapped up in fun. Check it out.

Another Typical Day at Mystic Seaport…

So we started off the day like this:

Finally!

The Planetarium at Mystic Seaport was officially dedicated as the Treworgy Planetarium at Mystic Seaport — honoring long-serving employee Don Treworgy, pictured here in his traditional red suspenders.

Then, in the afternoon, a certain vessel was itching to get back in the water.

Amistad started the day like this.

And ended her day back in the water -- where she belongs.

All in all, just another day at America’s leading maritime museum.

You are There!

Have you ever viewed a photograph or painting of such realism that you almost  feel you are right there – experiencing what the artist or photographer has captured on canvas or film?

That’s the sensation you’ll likely have when you visit the mini-gallery of Rosenfeld pictures in Mystic Seaport’s G.W. Blunt White Building at the Museum’s north end.

“It’s a Rosenfeld” is usually all that needs to be said to identify the magnificent images of sailboats and other watercraft that Morris Rosenfeld and his sons masterfully captured on film over the span of their professional lifetimes.

A minuscule portion of the humongous Rosenfeld Collection now complements the Museum’s Rowing Exhibit and Olin J. Stephens Reading Room. Pictures along the stairway and the 2^nd floor gallery are wonderful examples of the Rosenfelds’ talents. 

For instance, there’s the dramatic shot of the catamaran “Delight,” hull way out of the water, that almost intuitively makes you lean back to share the exhilaration of that moment.

Then there’s the beautiful “Flying Spinnakers” – sails filled – their graceful beauty conjuring up a pallet of  memories reminiscent of warm breezy days spent on open waters.

Or maybe the young sailors pictured in “Beam End” will trigger instant recall of your own youthful sailing days.

Whether a photographer, sailor, rower or landlubber, this small, artfully selected Rosenfeld exhibit is a special treat for the soul. Make certain you check it out when you visit Mystic Seaport.

The Museum’s website: www.mysticseaport.org is jam packed with what, when and where information. Check it often so you don’t miss anything!

Mystic Seaport’s New Map Exhibit is Worth Shouting About!

If maps are your passion, Mystic Seaport has an exhibit opening May 2 in the Museum’s Mallory Building that will blow you away!

 

Mapping the Pacific Coast: Coronado to Lewis and Clark, The Quivira Collection may be a mouthful to say, but this awesome private collection, on loan to the Museum, gives visitors plenty to digest!

 

Two larger than life maps dominate the room, while more than 30 historic maps dating from 1544 to 1802 comprise the exhibition. Many of them are works of art in themselves, drawn meticulously and in bright colors by cartographers of the era. These mapmakers performed their craft in their respective countries, so in the poetic words of exhibit researcher Elysa Engelman, “The room whispers in different languages.” Complementing the maps are illustrations, books and display items linked to this period in maritime navigation history.

 

Available audio players give visitors a virtual pick and choose  tour of the exhibit, augmenting the written signage. It’s a chronological journey that includes interesting tidbits reflective of thinking and knowledge of those times. Example: for more than 100 years, cartographers assumed that California was an island!

Installation of "Mapping the Pacific Coast"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now here’s the icing on the cake, especially geared to families with children. Connected to the map exhibit is Map Spot, a fun and educational experience with hands-on activities that just might inspire a youngster or adult to become a serious cartographer. Map Spot can also help Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts complete badge requirements.

 

Both Map Spot and Mapping the Pacific Coast exhibit are included in Museum admission. For more information, visit www.mysticseaport.org/mappingthepacific. Don’t miss this one!

You’ll Be Seeing Stars!

Did you know there’s an ice cream cone in the sky?  Did you know there’s a grouping of six stars that was adopted as the trademark for Subaru vehicles? When you hear the name Polaris, do you first think of the NASA flight mission capsule or the North Star up in the sky? Did you know there’s a hole in the Big Dipper that empties out on Leo’s back?

 

If you are a bit astronomy challenged; if outer space intrigues you; or if the stars have ever served as your compass  – then you MUST take in  a program at the Treworgy Planetarium at Mystic Seaport.

 

The magnificent new Spitz A3P Star Projector takes center stage in the auditorium. It is an imposing sight in and of itself.  In addition to the stars shining more brightly, the southern sky can now also be projected for visitors, a new perk.
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So take a seat and watch the horizon slowly disappear. Light gives way to darkness. Overhead an awesome sight meets the eye as stars come out of daylight hiding. Whether you’re a first time visitor or a return visitor, it is breathtaking.

 

A journey amongst the galaxies with R.M. Maxwell leading the way is a special treat. Max takes our miraculous overhead universe and brings it down to planet earth for his audience’s entertainment and knowledge. You will definitely come away knowing much more than when you went in.

 

One thing is absolutely certain – after experiencing the Planetarium show, you will no longer only think candy bar when you hear the words Milky Way!.

 

The Planetarium show is a minimal add-on to Museum admission ($2.50), but well worth it for visitors of all ages. The  lobby exhibits are always free of charge. Visitors can opt to chart a course using a sextant (a historic navigation tool) and also look at and learn from the interesting visuals showcasing the role of astronomy throughout history.  

 

So next time you’re at Mystic Seaport, make sure to stop by the Planetarium and take a seat. We promise, you’ll soon be seeing stars.

 

For more information, visit www.mysticseaport.org/planetarium.

I’m Hooked

“What did you do at work today?”

“Oh, you know, pounded iron.”

Working at Mystic Seaport definitely has its privileges. Having a bad day? Can’t seem to escape writer’s block? A visit to the Museum’s Shipsmith shop and a lesson with blacksmith Craig Hill quickly erases all worries. Emails, deadlines and meetings are long gone. Now, for a brief respite, it’s just the methodical pounding of iron, the twisting of molten metal and the practicing of tried and true 19th-century techniques.

Mystic Seaport’s James Driggs Shipsmith shop can be found in the heart of the Museum’s  re-created village. Originally located in Mew Bedford, MA, the shop arrived at Mystic Seaport in 1944. It is the only manufactory of ironwork for the whaling industry known to have survived the 19th century.

Museum visitors can not only visit the shop and watch Craig in action, they can try their hand at the trade as well. Hands-On History returns in late June, giving everyone (not just lucky Museum employees like me!) the chance to hammer away on something other than a computer keyboard. And when you’re finished, you walk away with a one-of-a-kind keepsake.

Make a bit of your own history at Mystic Seaport.

Not too bad, huh?  I think I just might quit my day job.

For more information about the Museum and its offerings, visit www.mysticseaport.org.

Warm up by the fire

It’s March in New England, and as of about 7 a.m. this morning, Mother Nature dumped a little inside joke on us. Between 8-15 inches of fluffy, white inside joke, depending on where you are.

Given what’s going on outside, I can think of a lot of places INSIDE that I’d like to be, and near the top of my list would be the Buckingham-Hall House at Mystic Seaport. I’d like to head inside, and warm up in a room heated by a fireplace so big I could stand in it.  I’d like to linger in the warmth of the kitchen while watching the deft work of the Museum interpreter while drinking in the heavenly aroma of baking bread, codfish cakes and warm, cinnamon-scented apple pie.

Want to try this yourself? The Buckingham-Hall House will be open for an evening of cooking by the fire this winter. For one night, on March 7, you can join the calico-skirted Museum interpreter at Mystic Seaport and learn just how a woman in the 1870s fed her family without a gas range and a microwave oven—and no takeout menus, either.

Just be sure to save me a piece of pie.

Open-Hearth Cooking at Mystic Seaport

DATES	TIME	COST
March 7, 2009	6 – 9 p.m.	$50 / $45 (member)

To register, go to www.mysticseaport.org/registration.