Milestones at Mystic Seaport

Scaffolding around the Charles W. Morgan whaleship during restoration.

This upcoming Labor Day weekend of 2013 marks the end of a year-and-a-half-long gallery exhibit at the Museum of America and the Sea, Mystic Seaport, CT, for our Dalvero art group. "Restoring A Past, Charting A Future" opened in the spring of 2012, and it is a major milestone for us as an artist collective. We curated and produced our first museum exhibit, led by our beloved visionaries, artists, teachers and founders of Dalvero Academy, Margaret Hurst and Veronica Lawlor. They brought us to Mystic one freezing winter of 2009 to reportage an on-going restoration of the world's last surviving wooden whaleship, the Charles W. Morgan. And we have been returning to Mystic a few times a year ever since. The weekend of July 21st 2013, Henry B. DuPont Preservation Shipyard at Mystic Seaport, under the leadership of a great man and our big supporter, director Quentin Snediker, witnessed a milestone in the life of the ship. The Charles W. Morgan was lowered into the water, after spending 4+ years in restoration. It's the 172nd anniversary of the vessel’s initial launch!

Scaffolding around the Charles W. Morgan whaleship during restoration.

The Morgan has been covered by so many various arrangements of scaffolding over the course of the last 4 years, that I began to see much poetry in it. The scaffolding, I mean. And I drew it on various visits, attracted to its transient nature and beauty. It's a support system and a symbol of commitment to change and completion of what's set in motion. Its role is that of a bridge: to connect past with the future. And then it's gone... Fascinating to draw its complications and spaces.

The ship spent years being cocooned, looking like a whale in scaffolding.

Charles W. Morgan whaleship, cocooned in scaffolding during restoration.

Until she finally emerged, a new kind of symbol. And people rushed to greet and embrace the new beginning.

Emerging new symbol of restored whaleship, the last of it's kind in the world.

Right before the launch ceremony, cleaning and applying last touches to the ship. July 21 of 2013.

The lowering of the ship into the water attracted many spectators, there were notable speakers, and our art group received a special invitation to draw during this ceremony. A few of us had passes to be on board of Sabino, a boat parked right next to the Morgan. I had a breath-taking view of the Mystic river at it's busiest. I've never seen so many boats in it. People sailed in to watch, and had celebratory parties afloat. 

Here in the middle is Quentin Snediker, the director of restoration. This was a big day for him.

A very expensive and complicated dolly was created just for the Charles W. Morgan.

The Sheriff of the Mystic police department at the ceremony.

Sabino, the boat on which I was stationed during the ceremony.

View from the Sabino onto the Mystic river and thousands of floating spectators.

The ship is slowly being lowered into the water, as the men hold ropes.

The Charles W. Morgan, Ship Of Hope.
Getting ready for its 38th voyage in 2014. ‪‪
A historic event for America.
Another milestone. 

Mystic Outdoor Art Festival 2010

I am very honored to have my stamp design commissioned by The Museum of America and The Sea at Mystic Seaport for the upcoming Mystic Outdoor Art Festival. Can't wait to see how this looks on brochure covers and tees. Thank you, Mystic, and Thank you, Dalvero Academy, for this amazing opportunity!

August of 2010 marks the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and Mystic Seaport commemorates the tragic event by receiving live oak donations to be used in restoration of the last surviving wooden whaling ship Charles W. Morgan [built in 1841].
It truly is One Life For Another.

The festival is scheduled for the second weekend in August:
Saturday, August 14th, 10 am to 6 pm
Sunday, August 15th, 10 am to 5 pm

If you've never been, Mystic Seaport is an incredible destination for the entire family.

Mystic Seaport Show :: Follow Us on FB & Twitter

In light of our approaching gallery opening at The Museum of America and The Sea at Mystic Seaport, artists of Dalvero Academy have launched a Facebook page> and Twitter @DalveroMystic>. Follow us to see the behind-the-scenes photos from 2009 up to date!

The Preservation Shipyard at Mystic Seaport, 2011

The Morgan Restoration, 2011

The Charles W. Morgan

The Charles W. Morgan in Scaffolding. Mystic Seaport, CT. Pen and Ink, 2011

Meet the Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden American whaling ship in existence. It is under the restoration at the Mystic Seaport, CT. Artists from the Dalvero Academy, myself included, have been recording the restoration process over the past 3 years, in both analog and digital artistic formats. Here's a pen-and-ink (analog) drawing of the ship's rudder in scaffolding from 2011. In less than 2 months, we will be ready to open doors to our group exhibit at the Museum of America and the Sea at Mystic Seaport,  CT, where our diverse art works will offer interpretations of the whaling legacy and history of America. More info: www.dalveromystic.com >

Portrait of a Great Man

This is a busy and exciting time for me and my fellow artists from the Dalvero Academy, as we're preparing for our group art exhibition opening in just a few months at the Mystic Seaport, CT. Here's a portrait of the director of Mystic Seaport's Preservation Shipyard, Quentin Snediker, who has been a major source of inspiration, information and support to us. Stay tuned for the details on our show! It's coming soon...

Quentin Snediker, Director of the Preservation Shipyard at Mystic Seaport, CT

The 38th Voyage of the Charles W. Morgan

The Charles W. Morgan whaling ship, the last of its kind in the world, left Mystic Seaport on Saturday, May 17, for the first time since 1941, to commence the historic 38th voyage. As the news reporter, who was doing a live report right behind me, pointed out, the Morgan was at Mystic before Pearl Harbor happened and before WWII began. I thought to myself "…and before my father was born."

One of the two tug boats at Mystic Seaport that pulled The Morgan

She was toed by a tug boat via Mystic River across Fishers Island Sound and up the Thames River to New London. As the ship disappeared from view at Mystic, we jumped into cars and drove to Avery Point by UConn to watch her pass in the distance from a scenic overlook.

Watching The Morgan from Avery Point

Welcoming crowds in New London's City Pier

Charles W. Morgan docked in New London's City Pier

Charles W. Morgan in New London

New London's train station right across from the pier

The ship docked in New London's City Pier and that's where she will be outfitted for June sea trials.

Worker bending sails on top of the mast

Following Sunday the outfitting began with workers bending sails, i.e. attaching them to masts. It was so amazing to watch and draw them!

Bending Sails on the Morgan

Bending sails on the Morgan

I have yet to see and draw the Morgan in her full glory, with opened sails. Can't wait till June!

Dalvero Academy is working on a new show, scheduled to open in 2015 at the Museum of America and the Sea. Stay tuned for more on that! 

Dalvero Mystic Augmented Reality Trailer

Dalvero Mystic AR gallery at the Museum of America and the Sea is viewable to visitors on their iPhone and Android devices. Artworks of 24 participating artists are spread all over the Mystic Seaport at locations that inspired them, as an extension of "Restoring a Past, Charting a Future" physical gallery exhibit. Through September 2013.



To view the AR gallery,
1. Download free AR app Layar
2. Search for "Dalvero Mystic AR"
3. Launch it on premises of Mystic Seaport

*Special thanks to Sander Veenhof for making this possible.

Home Sweet Home

Susan Funk of Mystic Seaport

The Charles W. Morgan whaling ship, the last surviving wooden whaling vessel in the world, has successfully completed her 38th Historic Voyage, and settled back at Mystic Seaport, the very place that spent 5 years on her restoration at the Henry B. DuPont Preservation Shipyard. These brief drawings capture the homecoming celebration that Mystic held for the ship on August 6th, 2014. The Morgan is now on view in Mystic Village Chubb’s Wharf.  Home Sweet Home.

"Restoring a Past, Charting a Future" Exhibit is Open!

Today is a big day for me and the Dalvero Academy: our group gallery show "Restoring a Past, Charting a Future" that we curated for the Museum of America and the Sea is officially open to the public, and will be on view through September 2013. I'd like to commemorate this big day by posting a drawing I did during our very first visit to Mystic Seaport three years ago. The temperatures were way below freezing and my watercolors turned to frost right on paper.

Mystic Seaport became a milestone: never before have I had such a dive into American history.

On May 19th, we will be launching an Augmented Reality exhibit for this in-gallery show: visitors are able to experience artworks at locations that inspired them, visible on mobile devices, while walking the grounds of the Seaport. I believe this new technology will become ubiquitous one day, and it's a beautiful extension to our show as a connector between "Restoring a Past" and "Charting a Future".

*Special thanks from all 24 of us to Sander Veenhof for making this possible*

Stay tuned!

Mayflower II Restoration in Mystic Seaport

The Museum of America and the Sea at Mystic Seaport is restoring Mayflower II, the 57-year-old wooden ship, a faithful replica of the 17th century Mayflower that brought Pilgrims to the New World. The original didn't survive. Mayflower II was built in Great Britain and then gifted to the United States; it symbolizes collaboration of Great Britain and the United States during the WWII.

Mayflower II is expected to be fully restored in time for the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims' arrival, in 2020.

Meeting the Wampanoag People. Without their help, the Pilgrims wouldn't have survived the first winter in the New World.

We visited Mayflower II this winter and early spring with Dalvero Academy, at the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard. It is much smaller than the whaling ship Charles W. Morgan, and it has a cheerful personality. Presently, during restoration, there are only two masts on the ship. I look forward to seeing it fully rigged in Plymouth, where Mayflower II will spend the summer. 

Positive Feedback Loops in Wood Planks

I spent many contemplative hours drawing planks of wood inside the belly of the world's last surviving wooden whale ship at the Mystic Seaport. As I was drawing ship's interior undergoing restoration (old planks are taken out, new planks are put in), I was thinking about healing and regeneration. Regeneration is essentially the creation of a positive feedback loop: making an old whaling vessel seaworthy again gives it a new meaning in today's context. 

I kept looking at these drawings over time, they held true to me for an unknown reason. Until I looked up meanings of "positive feedback loop":

"Feedback Loops can enhance or buffer changes that occur in a system.

 Positive feedback loops enhance or amplify changes; this tends to move a system away from its equilibrium state and make it more unstable."

"Positive feedback is used in digital electronics to force voltages away from intermediate voltages into '0' and '1' states."

And...back to looking at these drawings. Now they become abstract illustrations of binary code and how information is encoded in digital electronics. Or maybe it's my attempt at understanding how events are encoded within the wood fibers as the tree grows. Thinking through the hand makes new connections happen. I'll keep looking...

Breathing new life into the boat

P.S. The installation of the upcoming gallery show at the Mystic Seaport's Museum of America and The Sea has officially commenced on Monday, April 16th. I'm one of the 24 participating artists. More info here: dalveromystic.com

Mystic Seaport in New Year

New wood in the belly of the whale ship C. W. Morgan

Here are a few most recent drawings from Mystic Seaport. The Morgan restoration is coming to completion. It's all about new wood, new interior, new exterior, new energy and new mission.

C. W. Morgan is in the water. The masts are in. Rigging is in process.

New wood in the belly of the whale ship C. W. Morgan