Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and Charles W. Morgan paintings unveiled

BOSTON, May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation recently unveiled a set of paintings commemorating the historic 38^th voyage of the whaleship Charles W. Morgan and its return to the whaling grounds in Stellwagen Bank.

Created by Thomas W. Freeman, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation artist-in-residence, one painting depicts mother and calf humpback whales and other elements relating to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary's efforts to protect whales. The second Freeman work is the official 2014 painting for the Morgan's unprecedented voyage next month to historic ports on the New England coast.  

The Morgan, a National Historic Landmark built in 1841, is the oldest American commercial ship still afloat. Over an 80-year whaling career, the ship sailed on 37 voyages to the remote corners of the globe. The Morgan's voyage to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary represents the vessel's full-circle transformation from being a hunter of whales to one bearing a message about their conservation.

"Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary offers some of the best whale watching in the world," said Jason Patlis, president and CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. "Tom's paintings represent not only this special place and the iconic whales that depend on it for survival, but also a larger message of national whale conservation. NMSF is proud to be a part of the Morgan's exciting voyage this summer."     

Freeman is a nationally and internationally recognized artist whose paintings hang in many galleries around the nation as well as in the White House. He said his goal in creating the paintings is to raise awareness about the various human and natural threats facing humpback and other whales and highlight the innovative research the sanctuary conducts in order to better understand how whales use the water column relative to human activities.

Through summer, Freeman's paintings will be exhibited as part of the Morgan's historic voyage. Media images available for download are available at this link: nmsfocean.org/artist-in-residence-program.

About the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation
The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, a private, non-profit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, was created to assist the federally managed National Marine Sanctuary Program with education and outreach programs designed to preserve, protect and promote meaningful opportunities for public interaction with the nation's marine sanctuaries.

CONTACT:
Katie Zacharkiw, NMSF
301-608-3040, ext. 5

SOURCE National Marine Sanctuary Foundation