The Bronze Door Society Awards The Mariners’ Museum $65,000
On Friday, October 9, 2015 The Bronze Door Society held their annual dinner and project selection at The Mariners’ Museum & Park. This year the Society, in an unusual climax to the voting dinner, awarded funds to four of the presented offerings totalling $65,000.
The Bronze Door Society’s purpose is to provide funds directed to the acquisition, conservation, interpretation of artifacts and to provide for programs that will enhance the public’s access and understanding of the thousands of items in the Museum’s collections. The Society holds an annual meeting of its members and invites curators, collectors, and conservators to present a request to the Society and ask for specific funding.
This year, the awards in excess of $65,000 will fund the conservation of six rare books in The Mariners’ Museum Library’s collections, provide a “Set Sail” scholarship program that will provide access to students in Title I schools during the 2015-16 school year, fund the creation of a Living History interpretive group focused on Spanish and English Pirate hunters, and a much-needed general conservation survey of the entire permanent collection of the Museum.
Awards over the years have restored the magnificent lions that guard the Lions Bridge, commissioned the building of a 6th century Greek trireme that is now on display in the Museum’s Collections gallery, and acquired the original documents and plans for the USS Monitor from the Rowland family, descendants of the owners of the Greenpoint, New York shipyard, Continental Ironworks, the builders of the Monitor. Awards have exceeded half-a-million dollars since 1997.
The Bronze Door Society was founded by John Hightower, then President and CEO of The Mariners’ Museum, with Ann Hunnicutt and Cynthia Katz. The society was named after the beautifully sculpted bronze doors which adorn the old main entrance, now the Business Entrance, to the Museum.
Veterans Day
The Museum is celebrating military families with discounted admission on Veterans Day, November 11. Any military personnel can receive Museum admission for only $5. Additionally on Saturday, November 14, the Museum is hosting the inaugural Touch a Boat event where local military and law enforcement agencies are bringing their watercraft for interactive opportunities with families. Guests are invited to explore the watercraft and learn about life at sea. Discounted admission will be available to all military, first responders and their families.
Civil War enthusiasts will thoroughly enjoy the expanded Civil War Lecture Series happening on select Saturdays throughout the year. This series highlights the continuing story of the USS Monitor, which is unfolding every day in the Batten Conservation Complex at The Mariners’ Museum. Guests will hear from USS Monitor Foundation staff and Monitor Center conservators. Lectures are scheduled for October 17, November 14, December 5 and December 12.
The entire family will love the special holiday programming scheduled throughout December. December 12 will be a magical day filled with multiple events including Breakfast with Santa, the Holiday Pomander Workshop and the premier evening event, Christmas on the Monitor. During the week of December 26-30, families are invited for special holiday programming throughout the galleries.
The Museum’s newest exhibition Liquid Light: Photography Beneath the Sea is open now through January 31, 2016. This stunning photography exhibit features the work of nine California photographers who’ve captured black-and-white images that are illuminated by the ocean depths. There are two remaining workshops being offered in conjunction with this exhibition on October 24 and November 21.
The Mariners’ Library recently opened its fall exhibition The Sport of the Game: Rum Running with Bill McCoy. Learn about one of the most sought-after outlaws running booze up and down the Atlantic coast. The Mariners’ Library is located in the Trible Library at Christopher Newport University. This exhibition is open through the end of the year and free to attend.
The Explorers Theater is showing fascinating 3D movies this fall and winter including James Cameron’s DeepSea Challenge 3D, Jean-Michael Cousteau’s Secret Ocean 3D and Rescue 3D.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
On-going:
Gallery interpreters - Every Saturday and Sunday
James Cameron’s DeepSea Challenge 3D- Now playing through November 27, 2015
Jean-Michael Cousteau’s Secret Ocean 3D- Now playing through January 29, 2016
Rescue 3D- Playing November 28, 2015 – May 1, 2016
November:
Civil War Site Tour - November 7
Titanic Overnight Adventure - November 13
Touch a Boat - November 14
Civil War Lecture Series: USS Monitor Center staff - November 14
Liquid Light Workshop: Sunprint - November 21
December:
$5 Community Day - December 5
Civil War Lecture Series: USS Monitor Center staff - December 5
Museum Members Holiday Open House - December 9
Fall Lecture Series: Dr. James Delgado - December 10
Breakfast With Santa - December 12
Holiday Pomander Workshop - December 12
Christmas on the Monitor - December 12
Family programming - December 26-30
For more information on any of these events, please visit www.MarinersMuseum.org or call
(757) 596-2222. For any of the ticketed events above, tickets are available for purchase online.
