 Adirondack chairs built at the Hudson River Maritime Museum's Wooden Boat School. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
KINGSTON, N.Y. – The Hudson River Maritime Museum is thrilled to announce that Wooden Boat School classes will resume this fall! We have made the appropriate changes to accommodate safe distance teaching techniques so that students can once again learn and improve their woodworking skills. We urge interested students to sign up soon as classes are limited in size. Classes which are already open for registration include:
To learn more about the classes, register or view the extra guidelines we will be following please visit www.hrmm.org/woodworking. For more or any questions, please contact Wooden Boat School Coordinator, John Phelan at jphelan@hrmm.org or call 845-338-0071 ext 11.
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RiverWise Fleet Sail Around Statue of Liberty Hudson River Maritime Museum Partners with Classic Harbor Line Kingston, NY – As part of the RiverWise project, the Hudson River Maritime Museum is pleased to announce that the museum’s solar-powered boat Solaris and carbon-neutral Schooner Apollonia will be conducting a fleet sail to the Statue of Liberty with five vessels from the Classic Harbor Line on Thursday, August 20, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. Carbon-neutral vessels Solaris, a 100% solar-powered boat from the Hudson River Maritime Museum, and Schooner Apollonia will lead this fleet sail, joined by New York City's own Classic Harbor Line with its majestic tall ship schooners America 2.0 and Adirondack, as well as their vintage replica commuter yachts Manhattan II, Kingston and Full Moon. Classic Harbor Line's fleet, which is built in Albany, NY, by Scarano Boat Building, is the embodiment of one of the RiverWise themes for this year: local boatbuilding. This fleet of seven unique vessels against the backdrop of the Statue of Liberty near sunset offers a stunning photographic opportunity. Vessels are expected to arrive at the Statue of Liberty around 6:30 PM and Battery Park by 7:30 PM. The public is encouraged to view the vessels from shore. Battery Park is the best viewing area. Or, tickets are available for the trip aboard Classic Harbor Lines vessels. For ticket information, please visit www.sail-nyc.com. Daily updates of the RiverWise: South Hudson Voyage, including live video, blog posts, and links, will be posted on the Hudson River Maritime Museum’s Facebook page and Instagram account. The public is invited to like the museum’s pages to be notified of updates. Daily updates will also be posted at the end of the day, along with additional history articles, on the RiverWise website’s Captains’ Log at www.hudsonriverwise.org/log. The South Hudson Voyage is part of a broader effort the museum calls “RiverWise.” During the voyage museum staff and crew will collect film footage, conduct interviews, and produce short films, photos, and social media content to teach the general public about the Hudson River and allow them to experience it in real-time, as the crew does, from the comfort of their own homes. After the voyage, museum staff will process the hundreds of hours of film footage collected on both voyages and begin to create short documentary films about the Hudson River and its history, with emphasis on the four themes highlighted this year – lighthouses, shipbuilding, towing, and sail freight. The museum is seeking donations to support both the voyage and the documentary films. The South Hudson Voyage is funded by individual donations and sponsorships. Mid-Hudson Federal Credit Union has sponsored in part Solaris, Apollonia, and the documentary films on Hudson River shipbuilding. The Daley Family Foundation has sponsored Apollonia. General support comes from the many individuals who have donated to the by-the-mile voyage campaign through PledgeIt. The North Hudson Voyage was sponsored in part by the Phelan Family Foundation, Ann Loeding, David Eaton, and the many individuals who donated to the PledgeIt campaign. Additional funding for both campaigns has been provided by the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. The museum is still seeking sponsorships to help cover the costs of the South Hudson Voyage as well as this year’s four documentary film themes – lighthouses, tugboats and towing, shipbuilding, and sail freight. If you would like to support the South Hudson Voyage and the museum’s documentary films, please visit www.hudsonriverwise.org/support for more information on sponsorship and donation opportunities. ### About the Hudson River Maritime Museum. Located along the historic Rondout Creek in downtown Kingston, N.Y., the Hudson River Maritime Museum is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the maritime history of the Hudson River, its tributaries, and related industries. HRMM opened the Wooden Boat School in 2016 and the Sailing & Rowing School in 2017. In 2019 the museum launched the 100% solar-powered tour boat Solaris. www.hrmm.org About Solaris. Solaris was built by the Hudson River Maritime Museum’s restoration crew under the direction of Jim Kricker. Solaris is the only US Coast Guard-approved 100% solar-powered passenger vessel in the United States. It does not plug in. Designed by marine architect Dave Gerr from a concept developed by David Borton, owner of Sustainable Energy, Solaris is commercial in design, meeting all U.S. Coast Guard regulations for commercial passenger-carrying vessels. www.hrmm.org/meet-solaris About the Schooner Apollonia. The Apollonia is the Hudson Valley’s largest carbon-neutral merchant vessel. Powered by the wind and used vegetable oil, Apollonia can transport her cargo sustainably. This mission-driven, for-profit business has a transparent and reproducible business model - to provide carbon-neutral transportation for shelf-stable local foods and products. Connecting the traditions of slow food, fair trade, and carbon neutrality, we will inspire and train a new generation of Hudson River stewards and create green living-wage jobs in the growing river-based economy. www.schoonerapollonia.com  Solaris and Apollonia passing Kingston Point, June 20, 2020, on the RiverWise: North Hudson Voyage. Photo by Carla Lesh, courtesy Hudson River Maritime Museum. “RiverWise” Voyage Departs Thursday, August 13, 2020
Maritime Museum’s Educational Voyage Makes Stops From Kingston To NYC FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Kingston, NY – Are you RiverWise? Carbon-neutral vessels Solaris, of the Hudson River Maritime Museum, and Schooner Apollonia depart the museum’s Kingston, NY docks around 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 13, 2020 for the RiverWise: South Hudson Voyage. Over the next nine days they will travel to New York City, making stops in Hudson Valley communities each night. The two vessels will spend two days exploring New York Harbor, before returning up the Hudson River to Kingston. The schedule is as follows:
On the evening of Thursday, August 20, 2020, Solaris and Apollonia will be joined by several vessels from Classic Harbor Line for a fleet sail to the Statue of Liberty and Battery Park. Vessels are expected to arrive at the Statue of Liberty around 6:30 PM and Battery Park by 7:30 PM. Visitors are encouraged to view the vessels from shore or purchase tickets for the trip aboard Classic Harbor Lines vessels. For ticket information, please visit www.sail-nyc.com. Spectators are encouraged to view the vessels from shore at a variety of public park locations throughout the Hudson Valley. These parks are highlighted on the Hudson River Maritime Museum’s interactive map of the Hudson River, which includes historical information and photos of a variety of landmarks, including lighthouses, shipwrecks, historic sites, and more. The interactive map will also be updated throughout the day with times and locations of the vessels for the duration of the trip. All public programs will be done virtually. When the vessels are in port, no shore programs will be provided and visitors will please refrain from gathering in groups and practice social distancing at ports and parks to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Daily updates of the voyage, including live video, blog posts, and links, will be posted on the Hudson River Maritime Museum’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/hudsonrivermaritimemuseum. The public is invited to like the museum’s page to be notified of updates. Daily updates will also be posted at the end of the day, along with additional history articles, on the RiverWise website’s Captains’ Log at www.hudsonriverwise.org/log. The South Hudson Voyage is part of a broader effort the museum calls “RiverWise.” During the voyage museum staff and crew will collect film footage, conduct interviews, and produce short films, photos, and social media content to teach the general public about the Hudson River and allow them to experience it in real-time, as the crew does, from the comfort of their own homes. After the voyage, museum staff will process the hundreds of hours of film footage collected on both voyages and begin to create short documentary films about the Hudson River and its history, with emphasis on the four themes highlighted this year – lighthouses, shipbuilding, towing, and sail freight. The museum is seeking donations to support both the voyage and the documentary films. The South Hudson Voyage is funded by individual donations and sponsorships. Mid-Hudson Federal Credit Union has sponsored in part Solaris, Apollonia, and the documentary films on Hudson River shipbuilding. The Daley Family Foundation has sponsored Apollonia. General support comes from the many individuals who have donated to the by-the-mile voyage campaign through PledgeIt. The North Hudson Voyage was sponsored in part by the Phelan Family Foundation, Ann Loeding, David Eaton, and the many individuals who donated to the PledgeIt campaign. Additional funding for both campaigns has been provided by the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. The museum is still seeking sponsorships to help cover the costs of the South Hudson Voyage as well as this year’s four documentary film themes – lighthouses, tugboats and towing, shipbuilding, and sail freight. If you would like to support the South Hudson Voyage and the museum’s documentary films, please visit www.hudsonriverwise.org/support for more information on sponsorship and donation opportunities. ### About the Hudson River Maritime Museum. Located along the historic Rondout Creek in downtown Kingston, N.Y., the Hudson River Maritime Museum is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the maritime history of the Hudson River, its tributaries, and related industries. HRMM opened the Wooden Boat School in 2016 and the Sailing & Rowing School in 2017. In 2019 the museum launched the 100% solar-powered tour boat Solaris. www.hrmm.org About Solaris. Solaris was built by the Hudson River Maritime Museum’s restoration crew under the direction of Jim Kricker. Solaris is the only US Coast Guard-approved 100% solar-powered passenger vessel in the United States. It does not plug in. Designed by marine architect Dave Gerr from a concept developed by David Borton, owner of Sustainable Energy, Solaris is commercial in design, meeting all U.S. Coast Guard regulations for commercial passenger-carrying vessels. www.hrmm.org/meet-solaris About the Schooner Apollonia. The Apollonia is the Hudson Valley’s largest carbon-neutral merchant vessel. Powered by the wind and used vegetable oil, Apollonia can transport her cargo sustainably. This mission-driven, for-profit business has a transparent and reproducible business model - to provide carbon-neutral transportation for shelf-stable local foods and products. Connecting the traditions of slow food, fair trade, and carbon neutrality, we will inspire and train a new generation of Hudson River stewards and create green living-wage jobs in the growing river-based economy. www.schoonerapollonia.com  Schooner Apollonia and 100% solar-powered tour boat Solaris pass by the Rondout Lighthouse as they return to the Hudson River Maritime Museum on June 25, 2020 at the end of the RiverWise: North Hudson Voyage. Photo by Jody Sterling, courtesy Hudson River Maritime Museum. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
“RiverWise” Kingston to NYC Hudson River Trip Maritime Museum’s Solaris and Apollonia Partner on Educational Voyage Kingston, NY – Are you RiverWise? After a highly successful “RiverWise: North River Voyage” completed in June, 2020, the Hudson River Maritime Museum, in partnership with the Schooner Apollonia, is pleased to announce the continuation of its educational initiative to bring the Hudson River to the general public through virtual programs. “RiverWise: South Hudson Voyage,” brings carbon-neutral vessels Solaris and Apollonia together for a fleet sail from Kingston, NY to New York City in mid-August, 2020. The vessels leave the museum docks on Thursday, August 13, 2020 and will be gone for approximately 12 days. The South Hudson Voyage is part of a broader effort the museum calls “RiverWise.” During the voyage museum staff and crew will collect film footage, conduct interviews, and produce short films, photos, and social media content to teach the general public about the Hudson River and allow them to experience it in real-time, as the crew does, from the comfort of their own homes. After the voyage, museum staff will process the hundreds of hours of film footage collected on both voyages and begin to create short documentary films about the Hudson River and its history, with emphasis on the four themes highlighted this year – lighthouses, shipbuilding, towing, and sail freight. The museum is seeking donations to support both the voyage and the documentary films. Members of the public can follow along via the voyage website – www.hudsonriverwise.org – tracking the boats themselves, reading the daily Captains’ Log, and learning more about the history and maritime heritage of the Hudson River through interactive maps, educational videos, documentary films, and more. Livestreamed footage from each boat will also be available on the museum’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/hudsonrivermaritimemuseum. All public programs will be done virtually. When the vessels are in port, no shore programs will be provided and visitors will please refrain from gathering in groups at port to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The public is encouraged to view the vessels on their voyage from suggested public parks listed on the interactive map available on the RiverWise website. This trip is funded by individual donations and sponsorships. If you would like to support the South Hudson Voyage and the museum’s documentary films, please visit www.hudsonriverwise.org/support for more information on sponsorship and donation opportunities. ### About the Hudson River Maritime Museum. Located along the historic Rondout Creek in downtown Kingston, N.Y., the Hudson River Maritime Museum is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the maritime history of the Hudson River, its tributaries, and related industries. HRMM opened the Wooden Boat School in 2016 and the Sailing & Rowing School in 2017. In 2019 the museum launched the 100% solar-powered tour boat Solaris. www.hrmm.org About Solaris. Solaris was built by the Hudson River Maritime Museum’s restoration crew under the direction of Jim Kricker. Solaris is the only US Coast Guard-approved 100% solar-powered passenger vessel in the United States. It does not plug in. Designed by marine architect Dave Gerr from a concept developed by David Borton, owner of Sustainable Energy, Solaris is commercial in design, meeting all U.S. Coast Guard regulations for commercial passenger-carrying vessels. www.hrmm.org/meet-solaris About the Schooner Apollonia. The Apollonia is the Hudson Valley’s largest carbon-neutral merchant vessel. Powered by the wind and used vegetable oil, Apollonia can transport her cargo sustainably. This mission-driven, for-profit business has a transparent and reproducible business model - to provide carbon-neutral transportation for shelf-stable local foods and products. Connecting the traditions of slow food, fair trade, and carbon neutrality, we will inspire and train a new generation of Hudson River stewards and create green living-wage jobs in the growing river-based economy. www.schoonerapollonia.com  Solaris underway on an Industrial Waterfront tour on Rondout Creek. Hudson River Maritime Museum. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Kingston, NY – As the Mid-Hudson Region enters Phase 4 of re-opening, the Hudson River Maritime Museum is pleased to announce the return of Solaris public tours starting Friday, July 17, 2020. In compliance with Phase 4 of New York's reopening strategy, Solaris will operate at 33% capacity (10 guests and 2 crew members) and require all staff and guests to wear protective face coverings to ensure their safety and the safety of the crew. All surfaces will be disinfected between each trip and those aboard the vessel will maintain strict social distancing practices, including the sectioning off of a "crew only” area. A separate on-shore restroom will be available for passengers before and after the tours and guests will please gather at the gazebo in the museum yard prior to departure. Tour options include an Ecology Cruise, where guides will discuss some of the ecology of the Hudson River and the wildlife we may encounter along the way, an Industrial Waterfront Tour, including the industrial history of the Rondout waterfront, a Dual Lighthouse Tour, which visits (but does not enter) the Rondout and Esopus Meadows Lighthouses, and the ever-popular Sunset Cruise. Tours are available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in the afternoons and evenings. Tour dates and times are subject to change with vessel availability. For more information and to book a tour, visit www.hrmm.org/all-boat-tours or call 845-338-0071 between noon at 5:00 PM. Solaris is also available for private charters as of July 10, 2020. For more information about charters, including our charter request form, visit www.hrmm.org/book-a-charter. The museum is open to the public 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM, Fridays through Sundays starting Friday, July 10, 2020. Capacity is limited to 25 people at a time and all visitors must wear face coverings while in the museum. As always, the museum’s outdoor exhibits are open to the public, but we encourage social distancing at all times. The museum’s docks are open to transient boaters but shore facilities remain closed for the time being. ### About the Hudson River Maritime Museum. Located along the historic Rondout Creek in downtown Kingston, N.Y., the Hudson River Maritime Museum is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the maritime history of the Hudson River, its tributaries, and related industries. HRMM opened the Wooden Boat School in 2016 and the Sailing & Rowing School in 2017. In 2019 the museum launched the 100% solar-powered tour boat Solaris. www.hrmm.org About Solaris. Solaris was built by the Hudson River Maritime Museum’s restoration crew under the direction of Jim Kricker. Solaris is the only US Coast Guard-approved 100% solar-powered passenger vessel in the United States. It does not plug in. Designed by marine architect Dave Gerr from a concept developed by David Borton, owner of Sustainable Energy, Solaris is commercial in design, meeting all U.S. Coast Guard regulations for commercial passenger-carrying vessels. www.hrmm.org/meet-solaris  Solaris underway on an Industrial Waterfront tour on Rondout Creek. Hudson River Maritime Museum.  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kingston, NY – As the Mid-Hudson Region enters Phase 4 of re-opening, the Hudson River Maritime Museum will be open to the public on a new reduced schedule starting Friday, July 10, 2020. Open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays 12:00 p.m. to 5 p.m., the museum galleries will operate at 25% capacity. Admission pricing remains the same as before the pandemic - $9 for adults, $6 for seniors and children. All visitors must wear masks inside the museum building and adhere to social distancing whenever possible. If visitors do not have masks, masks will be provided by the museum. The museum will also operate with a unidirectional entrance and separate exit. All hands-on activities, touch screens, and interactive displays will be closed for everyone’s safety. Bathrooms will be open and hand sanitizer stations available. The Wooden Boat School will remain closed to the public. Boat rides aboard the 100% solar-powered tour boat Solaris are currently available for private charter only. Public rides will be available starting next weekend, July 17, 18, and 19, 2020. All passengers must wear masks while on board and each ride will be limited to 10 passengers. As always, the museum’s outdoor exhibits are open to the public, but we encourage social distancing at all times. The museum’s docks are open to transient boaters but shore facilities remain closed for the time being. For details, including Solaris charter and tour information, please visit our website at www.hrmm.org or call 845-388-0071.  Members of the Lopez Radio Patrol aboard a Hudson River Day Line steamboat. Hudson River Maritime Museum Collection. History in the United States is largely recorded from a white perspective. Black stories and histories can be hard to find because what was saved from the past does not reflect the whole picture. At the Hudson River Maritime Museum we are working to add more Black history resources to our collection and partner with organizations in our region that are expanding access to the knowledge of the way in which Africans and their descendants have profoundly shaped American history, including the maritime history of the Hudson River.
Museums play a unique role in shaping the narrative and connecting communities to resources that help everyone better understand local and national histories. To that end, here are some of the organizations working in the Hudson Valley, as well as some local and national resources, that show how Black history is American history. The Library at the A.J. Williams-Myers African Roots Center works in the Ponckhockie neighborhood and throughout Kingston with community programs, children’s literacy and after school programs, and more, with hundreds of books available. The African Roots Library partners with the Hudson River Maritime Museum in co-hosting the Conference on Black History in the Hudson Valley. You can learn more and donate at africanrootslibrary.org. The Underground Railroad Education Center in Albany, NY tells the story of Stephen and Harriet Meyers, the Underground Railroad in New York, and its connections to today. The Underground Railroad Education Center is a new partner in the Conference on Black History in the Hudson Valley. You can learn more and donate at undergroundrailroadhistory.org. Other local Black history organizations to seek out and support include:
For information on Africans and African Americans in the Hudson Valley:
For information on Black maritime history:
Several organizations have also collected readings lists about Black history and addressing racism with children, including:
To learn more about race relations today, how to become anti-racist, and the history of racism in the United States:
We encourage you to use your local library or local independent booksellers when sourcing the books listed here. This list was compiled by Hudson River Maritime Museum staff with assistance from our community partners. Please let us know of other sources and organizations. Email us at education@hrmm.org and we’ll add them to this post.  Youth Instructor and Boatwright Wayne Ford (left) and Wooden Boat School volunteer Ben Geskie (right) illustrate how the boat looks with people in it for the production crew. Photo courtesy Hudson River Maritime Museum. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE KINGSTON, NY – The Hudson River Maritime Museum is temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. If you thought you saw a familiar image on Amazon Prime recently, you weren’t alone. Rowboats built at Hudson River Maritime Museum’s Boat Building Challenge were featured in Season 3, Episode 8 of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” available now on Amazon Prime. Last summer, the museum was approached by film producers working in the area looking for boats to use in filming. The museum had several small rowboats – called Carolina bateaus – left over from that spring’s National Boatbuilding Challenge, generously donated by the challenge participants. John Phelan, Hudson River Maritime Museum's Boat School Coordinator and Dockmaster said, “The producers liked the boat and the deal was done. They needed the boats in only a few days. So Wayne Ford went to work with the help of several great volunteers. We cleaned up the boats, faired some rough edges and installed a bow seat. In just one day the boats were ready to go.”  Screenshot from "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" featuring the rowboat from the Hudson River Maritime Museum.  Screenshot from "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" featuring the rowboat from the Hudson River Maritime Museum. The museum was informed of the appearance of the boats in the show by Tom Russell and Rob Dwelley, both organizers of National Boatbuilding Challenges across the country. Russell and Dwelley recognized the distinctive lines of the Carolina bateau – the only design used in the National Boatbuilding Challenge competition – and called the museum immediately. “We are so pleased we were able to accommodate the production’s needs and look forward to potential collaborations with other films in the future,” said Lisa Cline, Executive Director of the Hudson River Maritime Museum. Another museum boat may be featured in an upcoming Netflix film. Stay tuned for more news when the film is released. Those who are able to donate, we encourage you to visit www.hrmm.org/covid19. Thank you for your support. We won’t get through this without you. * * *
For interviews or additional information, please contact Executive Director Lisa Cline at lcline@hrmm.org or 845-338-0071 ext. 20. The Hudson River Maritime Museum is a 501(c)3 organization established in 1979 to collect, preserve, research, exhibit, and interpret a collection of historical artifacts related to the maritime heritage of the Hudson River and its tributaries. This is the only museum in New York State exclusively dedicated to this mission. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, April 9, 2020 KINGSTON, NY – The Hudson River Maritime Museum is now temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. PROGRAMS All spring events have been cancelled or postponed until the end of May, 2020. Programs occurring after May will be assessed on a rolling basis. All program registration is currently on hold, but interested parties are encouraged to sign up for a wait list. When the program is opened back up or rescheduled, waitlist applicants will have first choice of confirming their registration with payment. Those who have already paid for cancelled or postponed programs have the option to pause and reschedule for a later date, receive a full refund, or donate their payment to the museum. CAMPUS USE The museum campus is still open for social distancing walking, but all buildings are closed to the public. Our partners at the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater will remain on our docks and in the Kingston Homeport and Education Center for the foreseeable future. Clearwater crew are living on board the boat and we ask that members of the public avoid the areas near the boat and the Homeport building (also known as “The Barn”) for the safety of the crew. The museum docks will be open for limited, pre-arranged seasonal docking. In addition, docks will be available for any transient boaters in need of overnight docking. Transient boaters in need must register online through Dockwa or by calling the museum’s dock phone (845-706-8881). All payments must be made by credit card online or over the phone. All boaters must adhere to social distancing rules. Museum buildings, including restroom/shower facilities, the Wooden Boat School, and the museum itself will not be open to boaters for everyone’s safety. Water and electricity will be available. For more information, visit www.hrmm.org/docking. The museum’s rowing docks will be available to qualified users (contact the museum to see if you qualify), but only for the use of single person boats. No multi-person boats allowed. Members of the public are not allowed on the Museum’s docks for insurance and safety reasons. Docks are for registered boaters only.  Hudson River Maritime Museum Wooden Boat School volunteer Ben Geskie with the museum's donation of PPE, including 175 N95 masks, to transport to Vassar Hospital. PPE DONATION The Hudson River Maritime Museum’s Wooden Boat School had a number of nitrile gloves and N95 masks on hand prior to the pandemic. Over the last few weeks museum staff had been coordinating with the state to try to donate them to the state stockpile. At the same time, a Boat School volunteer contacted us, offering to make a donation to cover the cost of any personal protective equipment we could donate to local hospitals. Last week, YouthBoat graduate and Boat School volunteer Ben Geskie asked whether or not the Boat School had any PPE on hand. Ben’s father works as an ICU nurse at Vassar Hospital in Dutchess County and they were in need of supplies. Sometimes, things just come together. On Tuesday, April 7, 2020, Ben and his mother picked up 170 N95 masks and 700 nitrile gloves to transport to Vassar Hospital. The Boat School volunteer (who prefers to remain anonymous) has made a donation to the museum to cover the cost of the supplies. Once the pandemic is over, the museum will be able to restock the Boat School. NEW ONLINE PROGRAMS As the museum is closed, we are working on expanding our online offerings through our history blog (www.hrmm.org/history-blog) and through Museum At Home (www.hrmm.org/museum-at-home), where members of the public can browse online exhibits, articles, oral histories, images, and more, completely free of charge. Museum staff and volunteers are working hard to ensure seven days a week of blog posts, including history articles, steamboat biographies, Throwback Tuesdays, Music Mondays, historic newspaper articles, videos, and travelogues on the Hudson River. We encourage those interested to sign up for our email list to receive updates and blog posts highlighting the history and culture of our valley in their inboxes daily. The museum is also launching a series of social media initiatives, including the Hudson Riverscapes photo contest on Facebook. Participants can submit photos weekly for weekly awards of free museum memberships to photos that garner the most likes and comments. At the end of the pandemic, the photo with the most likes and comments overall will be awarded a free charter aboard museum’s the solar-powered tour boat Solaris. The charter can be redeemed as soon as Solaris is back in the water and allowed to take passengers, or through the end of the 2021 season. The museum will also be launching Hudson River Bingo on Facebook and Instagram, as well as sharing blog posts, videos, historic photos, and more. You can join us at facebook.com/hudsonrivermartimemuseum or instagram.com/hudsonrivermaritimemuseum. FUTURE OF MUSEUM In the past several years the Hudson River Maritime Museum has grown exponentially and programs have grown along with it. The Hudson River Maritime Museum has become a destination for tourists and locals alike, open 7 days a week in the summer and all winter long. History tours, lectures, school field trips, youth boatbuilding, sailing, and rowing programs, along with adult woodworking, boatbuilding, sailing, and rowing programs have all made significant contributions not only to the museum’s coffers but to the revitalization of downtown Kingston. Unfortunately, this increased reliance on program income has meant that the prospect of a closed museum for the spring and potentially the summer has put a huge dent in the museum’s budget. More than 60% of the budget comes directly from program income, with additional funding from general admissions to the museum. For this reason, the museum has been forced to lay off over half of its staff and remaining staff are working at 40% of their normal hours. Even if the museum is able to open in the fall, the winter months provide less income than spring and summer. The museum is in dire financial straits without program income. We are currently applying for federal relief funding under the Small Business Administration, which, if awarded, will help us in the short-term. But the long-term success of the museum and its vibrant community programs depends on individual and business support. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Hudson River Maritime Museum depends on donations. The newly passed CARES Act has changed tax filings and now allows for those who itemize their taxes to deduct 100% of charitable donations in 2020. Even those who do not itemize can still deduct up to $300. 2020 is the 40th anniversary of the Hudson River Maritime Museum opening its doors on the Rondout and we had planned the best season yet. Sadly, that season as planned is not to be, but the remaining museum staff are working hard to ensure that we can come back stronger than ever to make our 41st year better than ever. The museum is asking the entire Hudson River Valley community to please help ensure that we are around for another 40 years. Our river’s heritage and culture are too valuable to lose. Those who are able to donate, we encourage you to visit www.hrmm.org/covid19. Thank you for your support. We won’t get through this without you. * * *
For interviews or additional information, please contact Lisa Cline at lcline@hrmm.org or 845-338-0071 ext. 20. The Hudson River Maritime Museum is a 501(c)3 organization established in 1979 to collect, preserve, research, exhibit, and interpret a collection of historical artifacts related to the maritime heritage of the Hudson River and its tributaries. This is the only museum in New York State exclusively dedicated to this mission.  The Hudson River Maritime Museum is excited to announce that the Hudson Valley Center for Veteran Reintegration (HVCVR) is taking a little trip! Led by two HVCVR board members, the group is expected to expand as all organizations and individuals are invited to join on the river, fly their banners, share their mission, support HVCVR, and show Veterans the many assets available to them!
Depending on weather and water level conditions, the group will Kayak from either Lake Tear of the Clouds (identifies as the source of the Hudson River) or backpack until they hit the first navigable waterway, beginning on June 12. The trip will conclude in Manhattan with a visit to Ground Zero, totaling approximately 315 miles upon conclusion. The goal is to cover 22 miles a day, but this will vary at certain stretches due to hazards, weather, tides, and geographic challenges. The mission of this trip is twofold: first to bring awareness to the needs of the Veteran community, alternative therapeutic programs that help battle the fight against Veteran/active duty suicide, and mental health challenges and homelessness. Second, to help the HVCVR raise desperately needed funding to continue their programs by finding a permanent location that includes office space, classrooms, and workshop areas. HRMM and the HVCVR hope that many kayakers will join in on this adventure and help share this message of awareness! To learn more about the HVCVR, please visit hvcvr.org or Facebook.com/HVCVR. |
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