BEAUFORT, NC – The director of the North Carolina Maritime Museums will be in Beaufort next week, and he’s set aside some time to meet with the community.
“I always try to remain open and accessible,” Joseph Schwarzer, director of the three museums in the system, said. “This is the first time we’ve formalized it.”
The Friends of the Maritime Museum will host Coffee with the Director on Wednesday, Sept. 25, starting at 10:30 a.m. in the auditorium of the museum, located at 315 Front St. in Beaufort. The free, relaxed event will feature coffee, doughnuts and conversation and is open to the general public. Registration is not required.
Brent Creelman, director of the Friends, said the event is designed to get dialogue flowing between Schwarzer and the community. While it was initially floated as an event limited to Friends of the Museum members, Creelman saw the benefit in expanding the invitation to the wider community.
“He can get input from the community about how the museum is doing, and the community can get updates from him,” Creelman said.
Any museum-related topic is up for discussion, but Creelman thinks the future of the museum and its planned move to Gallants Channel will be the “hot topic.” Schwarzer said the topics are up to the attendees.
“Anything that they want to discuss will come up,” Schwarzer said. “While we are a state-run museum, we exist in the Beaufort community and are a part of the Beaufort community.
“The residents need to understand this is their museum.”
For more information on Coffee with the Director, contact the Friends of the Maritime Museum at (252) 728-1638 or visit maritimefriends.org.
About the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort
The North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort reflects coastal life and interprets lighthouses and lifesaving stations, the seafood industry, motorboats, and more. Studies in marine life, science, and ecology are available for all ages. The Beaufort museum is the repository for artifacts from Blackbeard’s wrecked flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, among them cannons, grenades, belt buckles and beads. The Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center teaches boatbuilding for all ages.
The North Carolina Maritime Museum, located at 315 Front Street in Beaufort, is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is open to the public with free admission. Donations are always appreciated. For more information about the museum, call 252-728-7317 or visit ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com.
The North Carolina Maritime Museum system is comprised of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras, the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort and the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport. All three museums are part of the Division of State History Museums in the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The system website is www.ncmaritimemuseums.com.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, call 919-807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.
Submitted by: Cyndi Brown, North Carolina Maritime Museums