(ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ) -- A collaboration between the Atlantic Highlands Arts Council (AHArts) and the Navesink Maritime Heritage Association (NMHA), this month-long celebration of the maritime heritage of the greater Atlantic Highlands and Navesink areas will include a canoe building event in the AHArts gallery, a canoe painting contest, kids camp classes, an exhibition on the history and art of boat painting, and more. SetSail! will take place from July 10 through August 20, 2022.
In coastal communities, we live in a unique environment where land meets water – a rich liminal place full of life, commerce, and activity. Canoes, boats and ships have been navigating these waters for centuries alongside migrating birds, seals, and fish. From the Lenape, to Henry Hudson, to the Seastreak Ferry, our maritime history is a long and continuous one. Join them as they explore and honor this heritage.
Canoe Painting Contest: July 7-27. Stop by the gallery or the Atlantic Highlands Library to pick up a blank Canoe Design Sheet. Illustrate your design on the canoe, color it in, and drop it off at the AHArts Gallery before July 27th.
Open to youth 15 and under. Winner will be selected by three jurors, and the winning design will be painted onto the canoe in the gallery the weekend of July 30-31. Winning artist will be invited to paint the canoe! Click here to download the canoe design page.
All entries will be displayed on the walls of the gallery July 7th -27th. Jurors include an individual from NMHA, AHArts, and Ms. Caroline Northrup (AHES Art Teacher).
Canoe Painting: July 30-31. TWO canoes will be painted in the gallery this weekend! The first canoe will be painted with the winning design by the winning student artist (along with help from AHArts artists)!
The second canoe will be a collaborative, community painting effort. EVERYONE is invited to stop by the gallery to dip their hand in paint and place their handprint on the canoe — the final effect will look like fish scales.
Canoe Launch at the Cat Club: August 20. Local groups and summer art camp students will help us launch our two freshly painted canoes, along with a dozen others from the NMHA collection, into the shoreline at the Catamaran Club in Atlantic Highlands!
Students and their families are welcome to attend! Registration is free. Life jackets and instructions will be provided by NHMA on-site.
Atlantic Highlands Arts Council (AHAC) is located at 54 First Avenue in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. AHAC is an all-volunteer organization comprised of a dedicated group of core volunteers who make up our Board of Directors, as well as many volunteers who gallery sit and offer their services on committees. Their mission is to strengthen community through the arts.
Formed in 2004, the Atlantic Highlands Arts Council transitioned from acting as “Mayor’s Council on the Arts” in 2006 to an incorporated 501(c)3 nonprofit organization starting in 2007. Over the years, new partnerships and creative programming has blossomed. AHAC presents rotating exhibitions in their main gallery and window displays; an ArtSHOP boutique for local arts, wares, and jewelry; adult art classes and workshops; free summer art camp for youth; free Art Kits for Kids to local elementary and middle schools; community events; and their annual international and award-winning FilmOneFest. Founded in 2008, FilmOneFest is the Jersey Shore’s preeminent showcase for all forms of short film under two minutes in length.
Navesink Maritime Heritage Association is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving knowledge and appreciation of Monmouth County's maritime heritage through programs that teach wooden boat building and boat handling skills; through preserving the history of Monmouth County's wooden boat builders and other maritime history; and through the experiental on-the-water programs of River Rangers for middle school children and Sea Scout Ship Navesink for co-ed youth age 14-21.
Image by Navesink Maritime Heritage Association
