October 2016 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 9. Waterfront News Mystic Seaport Opens Thompson Exhibition Building


MYSTIC, CT — 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 exhib- its 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


Maine Maritime Museum Honors Eimskip USA with 2016 Mariners Award BATH – On Wednesday, August 24, Maine Maritime Museum presented Eimskip USA with the 11th


annual Mariners Award,


given to an individual or organization that has made extraordinary contributions to Maine’s maritime heritage and signifi cantly impacted the state’s culture and economy. The Icelandic shipping company’s


decision in 2013 to make Portland its pri- mary U.S. port of call has had—and will continue to have—a transformative eff ect on Maine’s economy. At Eimskip’s urging, and with the support of Senator Angus King, Maine has become an active member of the multinational Arctic Council, the leading intergovernmental forum for the discussion of sustainable development, environmental protection, and other issues in the Arctic. This fall Portland will host the fi rst Arctic Council forum in the United States outside of Alaska. John Henshaw, Executive Director of


the Maine Port Authority, provided the key- note address, and Eimskip USA’s Managing Director Larus Isfeld accepted the award on the company’s behalf. The Mariners Award has been presented


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 Build- ing 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 cor-


nerstone and fi nal element of the McGraw Gallery Quadrangle, a $15.3 million project which integrated existing buildings and grounds with new construction and unifi ed


Maine Maritime Museum News


annually since 2006. Past recipients include former Bath Iron Works President William Haggett, the National Maritime Historical Society, and the Maine Pilotage Commis- sion & The Port of Portland Board of Harbor Commissioners. Jane Parker Morse Passes Away Jane Parker Morse, a loyal member of


Maine Maritime Museum since 1974 and a valued member of the Board of Trustees, passed away on August 22, 2016. Jane Morse grew up in Phippsburg, and graduated from Morse High School (1969) and Colby College (1973). She became a lawyer in Boston, but gave up her career in law, re- turning to the Bath area to manage the family businesses after the death of her father in 1993. She was enormously infl uential in the business world of downtown Bath, helping to found Main Street Bath and serving on the boards of businesses and many orga- nizations. She was deeply interested in the maritime history of the area, and became a valued member of the board of trustees of Maine Maritime Museum, as her father, John G. Morse Jr., had done earlier. Jane had a broad knowledge of local history, a history that many generations and branches of her family had helped to create. She leaves a


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 mod- ern 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 fl exible 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 in- terior 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 fund-


ed through private and public sources, including generous support from individ- ual philanthropists and foundations, the


legacy at Maine Maritime Museum that will be perpetuated by the establishment of the Jane Parker Morse Maritime History Stew- ardship Fund. Donations to the fund will create reserves to be used for preservation, collections care, and stewardship of the historic buildings and collections at Maine Maritime Museum. Donations may be sent to: Jane Parker


Morse Maritime History Stewardship Fund, Maine Maritime Museum, 243 Washington Street, Bath, ME 04530


A C A D E M Y N E W S


Maine Maritime Academy Gains New Staff in Admissions, Development CASTINE—Maine Maritime Academy Admissions and Advancement departments are welcoming newly hired staff who will support enrollment management and fund- raising.


Kelly Gualtieri, Director of Admis-


sions and Enrollment Management, comes to MMA from the United States Merchant Marine Academy at King’s Point where she held various positions in Admissions for nine years, including serving as Acting Director. Kelly joined the admissions staff at King’s Point after coaching softball for the Academy, which followed two bas- ketball coaching appointments; Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach at the United States Military Academy, West Point and First Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach for Montclair State University. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics from


City University of New York, College of Staten Island and will complete her master’s degree in Higher Education at Bay Path University in October. “We are excited to start the new student


recruiting season with Kelly at the helm,” said V.P. for Student Aff airs and Enroll- ment Management, Dr. Elizabeth True. The admissions director position was held for nearly 20 years by Jeff rey Wright, who left the post when he was hired as MMA Alumni Relations Director in April, 2015. Major Gifts Offi cer, Sharyn Pohlman,


comes to Maine Maritime from the Knox County Homeless Coalition/Hospitality House, where she consulted on donor events, funding appeals and fundraising planning, and from Hurricane Island Out- ward Bound School, where she served as an event planning consultant. Previously, she served as development offi ce manager for the Community Schools at Opportunity


Farm and Camden Alternative High School. Sharyn lives in Rockport, Maine with her family and has served on the town’s budget committee and worked as a volunteer moun- tain steward/ambassador at the Camden Snow Bowl. Sharyn earned her BS in Busi- ness Administration/Information Systems from San Diego State University. “This is a new, dedicated position for


major gift cultivation at MMA. We are very pleased to welcome Sharyn, and to add this capacity to reach out to potential donors,” said V.P. for Institutional Advancement, Christopher Haley.


Thompson family, and a $2 million grant from the State of Connecticut. Unveiled Saturday was a mural com-


missioned specifi cally 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 fi gure in a boat drag- ging his or her hand in the water, refl ecting the continuing human desire “to touch the water and feel the wake,” in the words of the artist. The fi rst exhibit to be installed in the


Collins gallery will be “Sea-Change,” a dramatic presentation of a range of beautiful and unique objects drawn from the collec- tions of Mystic Seaport. A handful of these intriguing artifacts will be on display for the fi rst 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 organiza- tions whose contribution to the history, arts, business, or sciences of the sea best exem- plify the American character. The award will be presented at a gala dinner on October 22.


A view looking west from Smith's Lobster in West Jonesport.


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