Alexa Shelton, Events Director, Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce
The Mystic Outdoor Art Festival is excited to announce their collaboration with the Mystic Seaport on this year’s featured artwork. The design, which focuses on the restoration of the Charles W. Morgan, will be showcased on the 2010 Art Festival t-shirts as well as on the cover of the Art Guide.
The Charles W. Morgan is the last wooden whaleship in the world and the oldest commercial vessel afloat. A registered National Historic Landmark, the Morgan was built in 1841 in New Bedford, MA. The Morgan made 37 voyages during its 80-year whaling career, traveling to every ocean on the planet. The Morgan arrived at Mystic Seaport in 1941 and is undergoing a multi-million dollar restoration project. Much of the wood used in the restoration project is Live Oak, a species that grows only in the south and was the preeminent material for shipbuilders in the 19th century. Protected by the federal government, Live Oak can only be acquired after a natural disaster or an infrastructure project such as road construction. Much of the Live Oak for the restoration has been salvaged from Hurricanes Katrina and Ivan. These fallen trees are truly becoming part of American history.
The artist of this year’s piece, Julia Sverchuk, chose to highlight Live Oaks in her design. Julia was born in Moscow, Russia, and moved to New York in 1994. She received her BFA at Parsons The New School of Design and also studied at Dalvero Academy. As part of her post graduate work at Dalvero, Julia and her fellow students have visited Mystic Seaport and, while focusing on the Charles W. Morgan, have all created unique individual works of art. Because of the restoration, Julia’s Live Oak: One Life for Another, truly adds a unique element to the project.
The Mystic Outdoor Art Festival Committee was delighted to collaborate with the Seaport and with Julia to feature this stunning and thoughtful piece of art work. To pick out your own piece of art don’t miss this year’s 53rd Annual Mystic Outdoor Art Festival on August 14th and 15th, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, along the streets of historic downtown Mystic. Views of the Mystic Seaport and the famous Mystic Drawbridge display the community’s maritime history while over 275 artists and artisans participate in this annual event, showcasing over 100,000 pieces of artwork. For more information and to view this year’s signature art work please visit: www.mysticchamber.org
Sincerely,
Alexa Shelton
Events Director
Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce
