Our friends at the Herreshoff Marine Museum /America’s Cup Hall of Fame in Bristol, RI have announced that Evelyn Ansel has assumed the role of Museum Curator.

Ansel joined the Herreshoff Marine Museum in 2016 as a Collections Specialist working closely with Registrar, Archivist and Librarian Norene Rickson on the digitization of the museum’s collection, a critical strategic initiative geared to capture high-resolution digital images for the dual purposes of preservation and accessibility by the public. Prior to joining HMM, she was involved with similar projects at highly regarded institutions including the Vasa Museum in Stockholm, the Cooper-Hewitt Museum in New York, and the MIT Museum in Cambridge. While at MIT, Evelyn was instrumental in the development of the Herreshoff exhibit titled “Lighter, Stronger, Faster”.

Born and raised in Mystic, CT, Ansel is the daughter and granddaughter of Mystic Seaport Museum shipwrights. She spent her formative years in and around the shipyard at MSM, and in 2012-2013 was part of the team that restored the Charles W. Morgan for the 38th Voyage. She attended Brown University where she earned a Fulbright Scholarship and gained experience in conservation, digitization and exhibit development.

“Evelyn has become an integral and critical member of the HMM team,” said HMM President & Executive Director Bill Lynn. “She is great at what she does, and what she’s doing is really important to the future of this museum.”

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2021, the museum is poised for a significant leap forward. “I am humbled and honored to have been offered this role,” said Ansel. “We have a lot of work ahead of us and will continue to strive to make HMM’s collections and the Herreshoff and America’s Cup legacies increasingly accessible to broader audiences through preservation and interpretation.”

Look for updates on a terrific slate of museum programs and events along with new offerings from the Curatorial team as the Herreshoff Golden Jubilee unfolds throughout 2021. To learn more, visit herreshoff.org and herreshoff.org/50th. ■