CAMM President Greg Gorga is delighted to announce that Cathy Green has been selected to be CAMM’s new administrator.
Cathy has spent the last 16 years working as a marine archaeologist, educator and program manager in state and federal government. Her most recent work centers on grant writing and grants administration with NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries in the Great Lakes Region as Program Manger for the Great Lakes Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program.
Her work in the maritime world over the past 20 years has intersected with maritime museums from the beginning – with one of her first post-college jobs at the Bermuda Maritime Museum to her East Carolina University MA thesis research at The Mariners’ Museum. She has taught maritime history and literature aboard several historic vessels for Long Island University’s SEAmester Program, visiting maritime institutions along the East and West Coasts, the Caribbean and Hawaii. Moreover, during her 13 years with NOAA, she has had the opportunity to work with CAMM members and organizations many times, as well as having attended several joint CAMM Conferences though her involvement in the North American Society for Oceanic History (NASOH).
She and her family recently moved to Wisconsin where she is looking forward to staying engaged with the maritime and museum communities through this new administration position with CAMM.
Candace Clifford has served as CAMM’s administrator since April 2013. She recently became the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s historian. Since the Society is a CAMM affiliate, she hopes to remain connected with CAMM in her new position. Candace has certainly enjoyed working with CAMM’s membership and hopes to see everyone at the 2017 meeting in San Francisco.
SMOOTH TRANSITION FOR MARITIME MUSEUM Lisa Cline Assumes Position of Executive Director as Russell Lange Retires
Kingston, NY — There will be a changing of the guard at the Hudson River Maritime Museum this fall with Russell Lange stepping down from his position of Executive Director. Over the past several years, Lange has guided the Museum, stabilizing and strengthening the organization through a tremendous period of growth. Lange will resume his position on the Board.
Board of Trustees President Allan Bowdery comments on this transition, “Russell’s vision of community involvement and his skill for engendering partnerships has helped the Museum in building an active and successful Board of Trustees and professional staff. This board and staff, including a fleet of dedicated volunteers, have joined Russ to establish new exhibit and venue spaces, improved facility and grounds, as well as innovative education programing, including the newly opened Riverport Wooden Boat School.”
Assuming the position of Executive Director is Lisa Cline, who will begin her tenure as Executive Director after serving as the Museum’s Chief Operating Officer for just shy of one year. Growing up on the Esopus Creek in Saugerties, she learned about boats and Hudson River history from both sides of her family. Her father was an avid sailor and maritime history buff, and her mother was the daughter of a prominent brickyard owner in Newburgh. Both her parents served on HRMM’s Board in the early years and introduced her to the Museum’s mission.
Moving to New York City and San Francisco and then back to New York, Cline forged a 30-year career in film and theater production, with a special focus on scenery construction. Throughout that period of professional commitment, her interest in the Museum and its mission never waned, and she kept returning to the Museum, both as a volunteer and as Acting Executive Director in the early 1990’s.
Cline assumes the position of Executive Director as Russell and Allynne Lange are both honored at the Pilot Club Gala, the Museum’s annual fundraising event. She adds “I am tremendously excited to accept this position and be given the chance to build upon the excellent foundation that has been laid by my predecessors”.
Allynne Lange will continue serving as the Hudson River Maritime Museum’s Curator while Russ Lange will remain active at the Museum with a special focus on collections and exhibits.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Mariners’ Museum and Park’s Board of Trustees has named Howard H. Hoege III the new President and CEO. Hoege has been acting as the interim President and CEO since May 1 and also helped lead the Museum’s strategic planning process as a consultant in 2015.
The announcement was made by Board of Trustees Chair Anne Conner in late September. Conner was instrumental in bringing Hoege on board. “The Museum is fortunate to have such a visionary and transformational leader to take the institution, staff, and volunteers in a new direction, which will better serve our region and beyond,” said Conner. “The Board selected Howard because he possesses the passion and ability to energize the Museum and bring greater international awareness to our unrivaled collection.”
Hoege graduated from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, in 1994 and was commissioned as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army. He later earned his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and served as an Army JAG officer in Tal Afar, Iraq, and elsewhere. After leaving the service, Hoege was a counsel on the staff of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee and later an Assistant Dean at UVA’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Before his current role as the President and CEO of The Mariners’ Museum and Park, Hoege founded a consulting firm that advised clients on the intersection of leadership development, strategy, and culture in organizational and civic contexts. Hoege’s wife of 22 years, Cinda, is a small business owner, and the couple has two children.
When Hoege talks about The Mariners’ Museum and Park, his message is simple: “For us, it begins and ends with our purpose: We connect people to the world’s waters – to our maritime heritage – because through the water, we are connected to one another.” For Hoege and the staff and volunteers at the Museum, the positive promise of building strong community through water is not only relevant for Newport News and the Peninsula, but for Hampton Roads, the nation, and the world. “Every day, we see and hear news of the forces that tear our communities apart, that separate us. We believe that The Mariners’ Museum has a very powerful narrative to tell about about where we have come from as a maritime people and nation and the forces that bind our community together,” said Hoege.
Acting on that purpose, The Mariners’ Museum and Park reduced its admission price to one dollar during the month of August as a way to make the Museum more accessible to those in the community who might not otherwise be able to afford admission. Tens of thousands of people visited the Museum during the month. According to Hoege, “Our collection is deep enough and broad enough to tell the powerful human stories of the cultures of our local, national, and international communities.”
Submitted by Crystal Breede, The Mariners’ Museum, October 4, 2016
Long-time Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum employee Eric Applegarth of Claiborne, Md. recently retired after 28 years of service. Applegarth worked as the Exhibits Specialist at CBMM, creating diverse props, art, and structures from his various creative talents, including woodcarving, metal-working, and painting.
Connected to the Eastern Shore and the Chesapeake Bay through a long line of heritage and through personal interest in what the Bay has to offer, Applegarth joined CBMM in 1988 after a few years of part-time work.
“Eric’s impact can be seen in virtually every corner of CBMM, from the perfectly cluttered decoy carver’s shop in our Waterfowling exhibition, to the metal outline mannequins in At Play on the Bay and the carved wooden faces and hands of the crew on the skipjack E.C. Collier in Oystering,” says CBMM Chief Curator Pete Lesher. “Eric’s cheerful willingness to do absolutely anything that needs to be done, his self-deprecating humor, and his sunny demeanor made him the most beloved member of CBMM’s staff for more than a quarter of a century.”
In his retirement, Applegarth will spend time in Claiborne, Md., and in New Haven, Ct., with his wife Michelle Zacks, an associate director at Yale University. With hopes to continue his passion for art and carpentry, Applegarth plans on volunteering with New Haven’s local museums and will stay connected to CBMM through continued work on exhibitions.
“I’ve really enjoyed the challenge of creating non-technical interactives to continue the story line of CBMM’s exhibitions,” says Applegarth. “I’ve also enjoyed the time that I’ve spent growing up along the Chesapeake, doing the things I love—from trapping muskrats, to boatbuilding, and working with watermen.”
Submitted by Tracey Johns, CBMM, September 29, 2016
Steve White became president of the International Congress of Maritime Museums (ICMM) at their November 2015 meeting in Hong Kong. Twenty countries were represented at this meeting hosted by the Hong Kong Maritime Museum. In his President’s Page message after the meeting, Steve stated “In Hong Kong, we explored the past and the heritage of trade while looking from the present and into the future in a port that is one of the global leaders in maritime trade today. In this environment, we were confronted with the juxtaposition of past and present, and thanks to a well-planned Congress, including our trip to Macau and to several museums in Macau and Hong Kong, the overall program illuminated our understanding of these parallel worlds.”
The next Congress is set for October 15-20, 2017, in Valparaiso, Chile. According to Steve, “It will be our first time in South America, and I ask all members to please put our bi-annual event on your calendar and to plan for the expense in your budgets. The program planning committee is already beginning its work under the direction of Kristen Greenaway (Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum). The theme for the program and the congress is DISCOVERIES! which is appropriate for our first congress in South America as we discover the rich and diverse maritime history of a country that includes the iconic Cape Horn. Please visit our website from time to time to see more information regarding this important Congress.”
Extracted from the ICMM newslettter and website by Candace Clifford, April 11, 2016
Mystic, Conn. (April 7, 2016) – Mystic Seaport announced today that Nicholas R. Bell has been named Senior Vice President for Curatorial Affairs, a new position at the Museum that will be responsible for the care, management, strategic development, and exhibition of the Museum’s collections. Bell will assume the position June 1, 2016.
Bell is presently The Fleur and Charles Bresler Curator-in-Charge at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery in Washington, DC, where he led the Gallery’s recent relaunch following a $30 million, two-year renovation. The reopening exhibition, entitled “WONDER,” explores the museum’s value to American culture and identity by presenting nine gallery spaces to site-specific installations by leading contemporary artists. The innovative project brought success and tremendous acclaim to the Renwick—museum attendance has increased 1,000 percent since its reopening.
“We are very proud to have a curator of Nicholas’s caliber join Mystic Seaport. We believe his deep knowledge of material culture, understanding of the public audience, and demonstrated leadership and creativity will take our collections and exhibitions program to a new level,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport. “The combination of the Thompson Exhibition Building opening this fall and this new leadership position truly signify that Mystic Seaport is moving into a new era of exhibitions.”
During his eight years at the Renwick, Bell curated six major exhibitions. The diverse projects included the thematic “WONDER;” a highly praised generational survey “40 under 40: Craft Futures,” organized to celebrate the Renwick’s 40th anniversary; the monographic “Untitled: The Art of James Castle;” and the presentation of groundbreaking research in “A Measure of the Earth: The Cole-Ware Collection of American Baskets.”
Bell’s vision expanded the Renwick’s focus from a narrow definition of craft to include a broad array of creative practices illustrating skilled making as a multifaceted approach to living in the modern world. He reinvigorated the museum’s permanent collection through targeted purchases and gifts, including the gift of a landmark Dale Chihuly chandelier, the acquisition of the largest public collection of American revival baskets, and the second largest public collection of works by seminal self-taught artist James Castle.
Along with his curatorial accomplishments, Bell worked with the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s development team to raise funds to endow two curatorships and support the Renwick’s renovation. He also was part of a select group of Smithsonian experts who participated in TED talk-style presentations across the U.S. for the Smithsonian’s $1.5 billion capital campaign.
Bell has published seven books in the last five years, including six peer-reviewed exhibition catalogues and one edited anthology. He additionally positioned the Renwick as a center for scholarship with two international symposia in the past three years that have featured nearly 40 speakers.
”No matter how far we live from it, as Americans, the sea is bred in our bones. I believe the inclusiveness with which Mystic Seaport defines this relationship is the Museum’s greatest asset to building new connections with the public it serves,” said Bell. “Expanding on these connections is a thrilling opportunity, and I could not ask for a stronger team with which to embark on this adventure than the one already in place at the Museum.”
Bell earned a bachelor’s degree from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia, and a master’s degree from the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture at the University of Delaware. Bell, his wife, Allison, and their three children will be relocating to Mystic, Conn. this spring.
Submitted by Dan McFadden, Mystic Seaport, April 7, 2016
Peter Stanford, one of the 1972 founding members of the Council of American Maritime Museums, died today. The National Maritime Historical Society has posted a tribute to their late President Emeritus on their website.
Stanford was the founding president of South Street Seaport Museum, New York, and was instrumental in saving numerous historic ships, including the Lightship Ambrose; Brigantine Black Pearl; Barques Elissa, Moshulu, and Peking; Schooners Ernestina, ex-Effie Morrisey and Lettie Howard, Liberty Ship John W. Brown, steam tug Mathilda, and Wavertree.
In addition to CAMM, Peter Stanford was involved with the evolution of the American Society of Marine Artists (1977), the American Ship Trust (1978), the Hudson River Maritime Museum (1979), and the National Maritime Alliance (1987). He also co-founded and supervised both OpSail 1976 for the nation’s bicentennial and the Statue of Liberty Parade of Sail in 1986.
A remarkable leader in the early days of ship preservation, Peter Stanford played a crucial role in bringing maritime heritage to the attention of the nation’s cultural resource community.
Submitted by Candace Clifford, using information from the National Maritime Historical Society posting, March 24, 2016
The Board of Directors of Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (LCMM) is pleased to announce the appointment of J. Michael “Mike” Smiles as our new Executive Director. Mike assumes the role from Erick Tichonuk, who is stepping down from the position. He begins the leadership role on January 5, 2015.
“Mike brings a breadth of experience that will broaden the Museum’s impact in reaching and serving diverse audiences through our collection of historic replica vessels, innovative education programs, hands-on rowing programs, publications, research, and permanent and traveling exhibits,” said Board Chair Bob Beach. “We’re delighted to have him join our team of highly dedicated staff, committed volunteers, and engaged members and donors as we begin our 30th year of operation.”
Click here to read more about Mike and this exciting transition for LCMM.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Hull Lifesaving Museum, I am very pleased and excited to announce the selection of Peter Wild as the organization’s new Executive Director, effective in early December. Peter brings more than 30 years of marketing and management experience to this role, along with an extensive nautical and maritime background – a great combination for us!
His professional experience has included strategic marketing and advertising for major corporate accounts, growing a sustainable magazine and conference business, and most recently serving as Executive Director of a disease research non-profit. Through these positions he has gained extensive experience in fund development, program development and evaluation, marketing and communications and financial management.
In addition, Peter has developed and published award-winning video instructional programs related to the sea, such as The Annapolis Book of Seamanship (5 volumes), and has logged over 10,000 blue-water miles as crew on offshore racing sloops in UK and US, and as owner of a 38ft. offshore cruising sloop. A native of England, he has received life-saving awards from the UK’s Royal Life Saving Society, including Instructor, Bronze Cross and Award of Merit. He also is a Triathalon and Offshore Swim Competitor.
Peter and his wife Kay are relocating to the Boston area from Connecticut. I look forward to introducing him to you in person soon.
Under Peter’s leadership, we will begin a new phase of growth and opportunity for HLM, building on our wonderful existing programs and developing new ones. We are excited to be moving forward and appreciate your continuing support.
The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) is pleased to announce the hiring of Michael R. Harrison in the position of Robyn & John Davis Chief Curator. Harrison will officially begin his duties in his new role on Monday, June 30, 2014.
“The collections and properties of the NHA provide a welcome opportunity to combine my interests in maritime, social, and architectural history,” says Harrison. “I’m excited to work with my new colleagues to create exciting exhibitions and programs that link local stories and the local built environment to regional, national, and even international themes and developments.”
“The history of whaling has been featured in other museum projects I’ve done, so the island’s historic importance is very familiar,” says Harrison. “I’m looking forward to diving more deeply into the many aspects of Nantucket’s history and seeing what stories we at the NHA can tell about the island and its people over time.”
In his position as Robyn & John Davis Chief Curator, Harrison will head the curatorial and historic properties departments and have oversight of the association’s collections and exhibition programs, including its historic properties. He will be responsible for the management, care, research and interpretation of the NHA holdings in the fine and decorative arts, historic and prehistoric artifacts, historic structures and NHA Research Library holdings.
Cathy has spent the last 16 years working as a marine archaeologist, educator and program manager in state and federal government. Her most recent work centers on grant writing and grants administration with NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries in the Great Lakes Region as Program Manger for the Great Lakes Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program.
