A SPOTLIGHT ON WOMEN

2/15/2024

February 20, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kerry Gallagher, Director of Education, [email protected]

Media Contact: Kirsty Gaukel, Press & Marketing Manager, [email protected]

Women’s History Month Events at Hudson River Maritime Museum Announced

KINGSTON, N.Y. (February 20, 2024) – The Hudson River Maritime Museum has planned a series of events in March timed to coincide with Women’s History Month. From an all-girl boat building workshop to a special presentation by a guest author and a women-led sailing conference, the programming strives to commemorate and celebrate the historic role of women in the Hudson Valley while inspiring and fostering a new generation of women and girls to embrace the river as their playground and classroom.

‘LADIES OF THE VALLEY’-FOLLOW THE RIVER PRESENTATION

On Wednesday, March 13, HRMM’s Follow The River lecture series will feature special guest presenter, Mary Mistler, who will discuss her book, Ladies of the Valley: Women of the Great Estates of the Hudson Valley. Mistler, who has lived in the Hudson Valley area for most of her life, has worked as an administrator and teacher, and has volunteered as a docent at the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Vanderbilt Mansion and the Wilderstein Historic Site. Learn about the powerful women of this region as Mistler shines the spotlight on those ladies who were born into families of great privilege and owners of large tracts of land in the Hudson Valley. These women were mothers, wives, sisters and daughters of wealthy landowners, and were often left in charge of these estates while the men were off pursuing political, military and business glories. Despite little education in these fields, these women often took on the roles of farmer, landlord, accountant, merchant, horticulturist and nurse to do what was required to maintain their families, their employees, and their properties. At the same time, they worked to fulfill their roles as society matrons, matriarchs, and philanthropists in the society of New York City and the Hudson Valley, overseeing the education of their children, arranging appropriate marriages, and ensuring their heirs’ successes in that small society of Old New York. This presentation will highlight several of these women and offer insights and anecdotes from their lives, which largely reflect women’s changing roles over centuries. The presentation will begin at 7pm and will be held in-person in the Wooden Boat School at HRMM. The event is FREE to HRMM Members and $7 for the general public. Reservations in advance are encouraged and available at www.hrmm.org/lecture-series

SPRING BREAK BOAT BUILDING CLASS
During Spring Break (March 25-29), Hudson River Maritime Museum’s Wooden Boat School will host a special all-girl Boat Building Class. Registration is open to youth girls ages 11 and up, in celebration of Women's History Month. Students will work as a team to build a Kingston Pram rowboat from start to finish over the duration of the five-day course. This is a unique opportunity to work with the Museum’s master woodworker and shipwright, Wayne Ford, to successfully construct a small boat. Aside from the shop experience, this program also teaches teamwork, communication, and supporting one another in order to complete a large project. Students have the option to participate in as many, or as few, days of the class that they want. The cost of the course is $175 per day with discounts available to HRMM Members. For more information and to register for the course, visit www.hrmm.org/youth-classes

RIVERPORT WOMEN’S SAILING CONFERENCE

The 7th Annual Riverport Women's Conference will be held on Saturday, March 23, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Co-sponsored by the Kingston Sailing Club, this annual gathering of sailors and aspiring sailors welcomes all genders of people with a focus on those individuals who have not traditionally been able to learn to sail into the maritime community. Experienced female sailors from across the region will lead hands-on workshops and presentations on a range of topics offering attendees the opportunity to gain and improve their sailing skills. All events associated with the conference take place on-land. The conference kicks off with a pre-conference dinner on Friday, March 22 featuring guest speaker, Captain Nitzan Levy--a sailor, social entrepreneur, and the founder of Neptune’s Daughter - an international boat charter brokerage. For a full line-up of the conference sessions, information on presenters, and how to register, visit www.hrmm.org/riverport-womens-conference.

For details on HRMM’s current exhibitions and upcoming events and classes go online to www.hrmm.org or call 845-338-0071.

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The Hudson River Maritime Museum is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the maritime history of the Hudson River, its tributaries and related industries. In addition to extensive collections documenting maritime transportation, industry, recreation, and natural science, the museum offers classes and programs at its Wooden Boat School, Sailing and Rowing School, and aboard Solaris, the 100% solar powered tour boat and floating classroom. The museum is located along the historic Rondout waterfront in downtown Kingston. Visit www.hrmm.org for more information.