Category: News

Waking up in a hospital after a 3-day coma from a drug overdose was the low-point in artist Joyful Enriquez’s life. But she strongly believes that a divine intervention saved her life and brought her to the many high points she’s experienced since then, among them getting clean, graduating from art school, and becoming a full-time and well-respected marine wildlife artist.

Joyful Enriquez is the current Artist-in-Residence at Mystic Seaport Museum, where she lives aboard the sailboat Noel and spends her days painting marine life works of art in a studio at the Burrows House within the Seaport Village. She was named the second Artist-in-Resident of 2021, following Patrick O’Brien earlier this summer. The Center for Marine Art sponsors this program, which seeks to engage a younger generation. As a charismatic and open young artist, Enriquez was recommended for the program, where she encourages creativity among youth daily, showing them that art is a feasible career path.

“I’m able to actually show them that classic marine artwork is not dead and that yes, people can still make a living from painting,” Enriquez said.

Whether it’s giving them a painting kit or providing them with plenty of honest and thoughtful insight on the profession, her ability to connect with people is evident from the moment you meet her.

Enriquez’s fascination with the water and its inhabitants began at a young age, when she went bass fishing with her grandfather. She remembers a feeling of peacefulness as she watched them swimming beneath the lily pads and wondered what it must be like to see the world from their perspective. Growing up in Michigan, she wasn’t around the water much, but that didn’t stop her passion for it. She recalls having frequent dreams as a child swimming amongst the whales and breathing underwater. When a neighborhood friend received a “How to Draw Animals” book for Christmas one year, Enriquez claimed it as her own when her friend deemed it “boring,” and she began practicing her animal sketches daily.

When it came time for college, Enriquez did not initially pursue art, as her family and others steered her toward a “more stable” career. But pent-up resentment got the best of her, and she ultimately dropped out of school. When she was just 22, a friend was awoken in the middle of the night from a dream with a strong calling to go check on Enriquez, whom she found unresponsive. The first responders who saved her life said that if it had been 15 minutes later, she would not have survived. Enriquez adamantly believes that God intervened that day, giving her a second chance at life, and a second chance at pursuing her dreams. This time, Enriquez followed her heart, which brought her to Florida to live by the water and attend art school.

Being in the water was just the healing Enriquez needed.

“For me, it washes away my troubles. It’s one of the few places you’re perfectly present, and not distracted by all the things,” she said.

Enriquez earned both her undergraduate and master’s degrees, got Scuba-certified, and took underwater photography lessons, all with the goal of using her artwork to share the energy and excitement of the underwater environment with others.

“As a kid you start out with a natural wonder of the world, you’re not thinking about bills, life is simple and exciting and fun, but then you grow up and go through trauma and hard experiences, and it starts to diminish or taint that natural wonder,” she said. “When I’m in the water I feel like that sense of wonder is reawakened.”

As someone who got a second chance at life, she hopes to help reawaken that wonder for people and give them an escape from everyday life.

For years she worked multiple jobs while hustling to sell her art and make it her full-time gig. She says of her success, there was no “big break” but rather a gradual growing of her collector base and establishing relationships over time, since art is so personal.

Fast forward to today, where Enriquez has an impressive resume of accomplishments and accolades, including membership in highly competitive art organizations such as The American Society of Marine Artists, Oil Painters of America, and The Society of Animal Artists.

As Enriquez approaches 40, she’ll be checking at least one more item off her bucket list. Coming full circle with her childhood dreams, Enriquez was recently chosen to receive the prestigious Stobart Foundation grant which offers emerging young artists financial assistance to further establish themselves professionally by working directly with their subjects, in Enriquez’s case, this means swimming with humpback whales off the coast of Tonga, an island north of New Zealand.

Joyful Enriquez will be at Mystic Seaport Museum through Saturday September 4th. Stop by and see her at the Burrows House Wednesdays – Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and follow her on Instagram at @joyfulfineart to see updates from her residency.

An exhibit featuring stories of maritime history from diverse perspectives will be installed throughout the grounds of Mystic Seaport Museum this week.

A series of panels, called “The Sea Connects Us,” is designed to be striking, with bold colors and powerful images on each, said senior curator Akeia Gomes. “The panels are bright and beautiful, and we want people to be drawn in by them. The boldness of the colors is meant to draw attention to visitors.”

Not only will the panel – which are 3 feet by 5 feet – have strong images on them, but also the stories they tell are equally as profound. “When people think of maritime history, they don’t think of people who are African American and Native American,” Gomes said.

The exhibit, part of the Museum’s Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion initiative, will explain how greatly African American and Indigenous people were harmed by colonization and slavery and how they persevered and not only survived but they contributed significantly to maritime history.

Unfortunately, these stories have not been widely told before now, Gomes said.

Each panel will contain 100 words or less, giving visitors a snapshot of a specific piece of history. “We wanted to point out how complex the history of Mystic really is,” Gomes said. “We wanted to introduce people to this history and tell African American and Native American stories, and we wanted to show how they contributed to the country’s maritime narrative.”

Many museums have come to the realization that the way history has been presented is not accurate, Gomes said. “You want to be representative of who comes through your doors, so you want to tell everyone’s stories.”

One of the panels describes the 1637 Mystic Massacre during the Pequot War. It details one of the most brutal slaughters of Indigenous people in U.S. history. It also explains how Mystic was the site of impassioned abolitionist activity in the mid-19th century. And it describes how Mystic had a thriving seaport that provided a livelihood for Indigenous men. The maritime industry created relative racial equality for mariners while onboard a vessel. It also offered stable income and social status for free African American men and provided a means of escape for enslaved African American men.

Other panels focus on people, like Venture Smith, a Stonington resident born to a prince in Guinea around 1729. He is an example of the double-edged nature of maritime culture. He was enslaved during a tribal war and brought to the British colonies, where he used money from whaling, fishing, and boat rentals to buy freedom for himself and his family. He purchased land in East Haddam, where he constructed several houses and was one of the earliest African-American mariners to leave an autobiographical account of their life.

Gomes wanted to ensure that women’s voices were part of the exhibit. Two of the stories told in this exhibit are of women.

The panel focusing on Hannah Miller, 61, of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, explains the broader story of how older women were left to deal with tribal politics and act as chiefs to represent the interests of the reservation when the Mashantucket Pequot men left for economic opportunities. Many went to work in the maritime industries in Mystic and other port towns, which caused them to live apart from their families for weeks or years.

Sadly, what occurred is the political leadership of women was not respected among Euro-American communities, and the absence of men from Indigenous communities reinforced Euro-American notions of “disappearing Indians.”

Gomes said she hopes that museums will not have to continue to host special exhibits like this in the future, because everyone will be involved in the narrative at some point. “These are great first steps,” she said.

Mystic Seaport Museum announced the appointment of Chris Sanders as the new director of the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard. Sanders succeeds longtime director Quentin Snediker, who will stay on at the Museum in his role as the Clark Senior Curator for Watercraft.

“Chris brings a wealth of ship and boatbuilding experience to the leadership of the duPont Preservation Shipyard. He has proven his knowledge and skill during the Mayflower II restoration project and many others since he started here, and I am excited to appoint him to this new position,” said Peter Armstrong, president of Mystic Seaport Museum.

Sanders is a native of Connecticut and attended the University of North Carolina, where he studied physics and psychology before he began his career in wooden boat restoration and construction. He is a graduate of the apprentice program at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum as well as the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport, Rhode Island. Since his graduation, he has worked on restoration projects in six states, including several years in both Northern and Southern California. He ran his own boat restoration shop in San Diego for several years before deciding to return to New England. He returned with his family to Connecticut to work on the Mayflower II restoration at Mystic Seaport Museum. He has served as the lead shipwright in the duPont Preservation Shipyard for the last two years, and lives with his wife, Dr. Megan McCarthy Sanders, and daughter Vann in North Stonington.

The appointment is effective immediately.

As the Clark Senior Curator for Watercraft, Snediker is responsible for providing direction and leadership in the preservation and development of the Museum’s watercraft collection, which presently numbers more than 500 vessels of all sizes, ranging from small rowboats and kayaks to four National Historic Landmarks, including the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan. Under Snediker’s leadership, the shipyard completed large-scale restorations on the Charles W. Morgan, the Mayflower II, the fishing vessel Roann, and the steamboat Sabino. He led the construction of the schooner Amistad, which was launched in 2000, and he managed the completion of significant maintenance work on the rest of the Museum’s fleet during his tenure in the position.

Mystic Seaport Museum hauled the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan for routine maintenance and preservation work on Monday, July 19.

The ship was moved from its berth on the Museum’s waterfront to the shipyard at the south end of the property. The public was invited to watch as the ship is pushed and towed down the river beginning around 3:30 p.m.

Once at the shipyard, staff hauled the Morgan out of the water on the yard’s synchronized shiplift and then moved it onto dry land so the Museum’s shipwrights could access the hull for work. Once pulled into the work area, the hull was power washed and inspected. Of note was a significant level of corrosion of the copper sheathing that protects the keel.

The Museum hauls the ship approximately every 3 years for inspection, maintenance such as painting and caulking, and repairs as needed. The ship should be out of the water for about a month and will remain open to the public to go on board during much of that time.

“This is a rare opportunity to see an historic vessel such as the Charles W. Morgan high and dry, where one can walk right up and see the shape and details of the hull, which is normally invisible under the water,” said Peter Armstrong, the president of Mystic Seaport Museum.

About the Charles W. Morgan

The Morgan is the last of an American whaling fleet that numbered more than 2,700 vessels. Built and launched in 1841, it is America’s oldest commercial ship still afloat.

The 107-foot long whaleship typically sailed with a crew of about 35, representing sailors from around the world. Over an 80-year whaling career, the Morgan embarked on 37 voyages with most lasting three years or more. Built for durability and not speed,  it roamed every corner of the globe.

The Morgan was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966 and it is also a recipient of the coveted World Ship Trust Award. Since its arrival at Mystic Seaport Museum in 1941, more than 20 million visitors have walked its decks. While built to hunt and process whales for profit, its purpose now is to tell an important part of America’s maritime heritage for current generations.

Mystic Seaport Museum announces it will be hauling its 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan for routine maintenance and preservation work on Monday, July 19.

The ship will be moved from its berth on the Museum’s waterfront to the shipyard at the south end of the property. The public is invited to watch as the ship is pushed and towed down the river beginning around 3:30 p.m.

Once at the shipyard, staff will haul the Morgan out of the water on the yard’s synchronized shiplift and then move it onto dry land so the Museum’s shipwrights can access the hull for work. The Museum hauls the ship approximately every 3 years for inspection, maintenance such as painting and caulking, and repairs as needed.

“This is a rare opportunity to see an historic vessel such as the Charles W. Morgan high and dry, where one can walk right up and see the shape and details of the hull, which is normally invisible under the water,” said Peter Armstrong, the president of Mystic Seaport Museum.

The ship should be out of the water for about a month and will remain open to the public to go on board during much of that time.

About the Charles W. Morgan

The Morgan is the last of an American whaling fleet that numbered more than 2,700 vessels. Built and launched in 1841, it is America’s oldest commercial ship still afloat.

The 107-foot long whaleship typically sailed with a crew of about 35, representing sailors from around the world. Over an 80-year whaling career, the Morgan embarked on 37 voyages with most lasting three years or more. Built for durability and not speed,  it roamed every corner of the globe.

The Morgan was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966 and it is also a recipient of the coveted World Ship Trust Award. Since its arrival at Mystic Seaport Museum in 1941, more than 20 million visitors have walked its decks. While built to hunt and process whales for profit, its purpose now is to tell an important part of America’s maritime heritage for current generations.

We are thrilled to welcome Akeia de Barros Gomes to Mystic Seaport Museum as our new Senior Curator of Maritime Social Histories. Akeia comes to us from the New Bedford Whaling Museum, where she was the Curator of Social History. In that role, she was responsible for the curation and installation of exhibitions, historical research, and interpretive public programs and public outreach. Raised in Newport, RI, Akeia received a Ph.D. and M.A. in Anthropology with a focus in Archeology, from the University of Connecticut in 2008, and became a college professor before shifting to museum work.

Akeia was interested in archeology starting at the young age of 8. She says, “I feel like everyone wanted to be an archeologist growing up, but I never grew out of it.” We have Indiana Jones to thank for her passion for the subject. While watching the movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” she was so excited and captivated by what she saw, her grandfather gave her a subscription to National Geographic. Yes, the National Geographic, not the kid’s subscription! She recalls sitting in the closet learning about all of these incredible cultures and what makes them so different from one another.

Her fascination with global perspectives and her passion for social history at such a young age has guided her and greatly impacted those communities around her along the way.

Akeia’s doctoral dissertation focused on her hometown of Newport and the black community that lives there. When reaching out to ask about places in Newport that reflect black history, she came back with results showing that very few people, if any, could think of just one location. This is something that she encounters regularly, as “history” is usually told through only one lens. The black or indigenous perspective is commonly overlooked, she says, so it is important to her that all stories be told rather than stressing specific viewpoints.

As senior curator of social maritime history, Akeia will be responsible for working on curatorial projects of race, Indigenous histories, ethnicity, and diversity in New England’s maritime activities as it relates to the site and collections of Mystic Seaport Museum. She will lead a multi-disciplinary team to examine the museum’s and other regional collections to develop contemporary re-imaginings of people’s actions in the past and present, and translating that into content relevant to today’s social environment. The first 2 years of the work will culminate in a major exhibition in the Fall of 2023 that will map a more complex historical framework of New England’s maritime history by engaging with questions of race and sovereignty, weaving a new narrative with a creative use of visual and material culture, archaeology, oral traditions, and songs and performance. Additionally, Akeia will lead a curatorial team in the development of educational programs, both in-house and online, related to those themes.

The position is supported by a $4.9 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to Brown University’s Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice. Part of the Foundation’s Just Futures Initiative, the grant funds a partnership with Brown, Mystic Seaport Museum, and Williams College that uses maritime history as a basis for studying historical injustices and generating new insights on the relationship between European colonization in North America, the dispossession of Native American land, and racial slavery in New England.

In her new position — which she will inaugurate — Akeia hopes to share the stories of these communities through outreach. It is important to her that she directly connects with these communities rather than flipping through a book to learn about their history. When talking about her goals when it comes to Mystic Seaport Museum, she says “I am looking forward to incorporating the stories of indigenous people, Africans, and African Americans into the narrative at the Museum so that their stories become part of the story of maritime history in the United States.  My goal is to work collaboratively with these contemporary communities so that they give us this story from their perspectives and within their meaning systems to make this narrative holistic and multi-vocal.”

We look forward to welcoming her to Mystic Seaport Museum team on July 6.