Press Release - USS Monitor Center AAM Award

For Immediate Release

The Mariners' Museum's and NOAA's USS Monitor Center Ironclad Revolution exhibition wins prestigious American Association of Museums 20th Annual Excellence in Exhibition Competition Award

Newport News, Va.-- Timothy J. Sullivan, president and CEO of The Mariners' Museum, is pleased to announce America's premier Civil War attraction, the USS Monitor Center's Ironclad Revolution exhibition, is the proud recipient of the American Association of Museums' (AAM) 20th Annual Excellence in Exhibition Competition Award. The new $30 million Center that opened March 9, 2007, is one of four winning entries out of the 33 AAM received this year. According to AAM, judging was based on content, exhibition design, or educational programming.

"Without the dedication of the Museum's board, leadership, staff, members and our partners at NOAA, the USS Monitor Center could not have won this prestigious award," said The Mariners' Museum Board of Trustees Chairman Alan Diamonstein.

"This award symbolizes the caliber of talent and dedication in the staff of The Mariners' Museum," said Museum President and CEO Timothy J. Sullivan. "Similar to an actor winning an Academy Award, this honor designates us as world class and cutting-edge."

On March 9, 2007, The Mariners' Museum and its partners at NOAA opened the doors to the new $30 million, 63,500-square-foot USS Monitor Center. This wing is home to artifacts such as the turret, steam engine and cannon; a major interactive exhibition entitled Ironclad Revolution which tells the story of the USS Monitor, the CSS Virginia; the men who served on both vessels, and the story of the men and women of the 20th and 21st centuries who have gone to heroic lengths to discover, recover and conserve over 1200 artifacts from the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. Visitors can walk on a full-scale replica of the Monitor, experience the drama of the Battle of Hampton Roads in a high definition theater and observe the intricate hands-on conservation taking place in one of the largest state-of-the-art conservation facilities on the East Coast. NOAA oversees the wreck site of the USS Monitor through the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. The Monitor wreck site was designated the first national marine sanctuary in 1975. It comprises a column of water one nautical mile in diameter extending from the ocean's surface to the seabed around the wreck, which lies 16 miles off Cape Hatteras, N.C. NOAA and the U.S. Navy recovered major portions of the Monitor, including its propeller, steam engine and revolving gun turret, between 1998 and 2002. The Mariners' Museum is the primary repository of Monitor artifacts and documents.

All four awards were given on April 29, 2008, during the AAM Annual Meeting in Denver. Photos and information about the Center's Ironclad Revolution exhibition were also on display during the AAM meeting. In addition, the exhibition will be featured in the fall issue of Museum News as one of the four winners. Information about AAM can be found online at www.aam-us.org.

 The USS Monitor Center is included with Museum admission. For more information, visit www.marinersmuseum.org or call (757) 596-2222.

For more information:
Contact: Amy Richie, Public Relations Director
(757) 591-7738 or (800) 581-7245
E-mail: pr@MarinersMuseum.org

The Mariners' Museum, an educational, non-profit institution accredited by the American Association of Museums, preserves and interprets maritime history through an international collection of ship models, figureheads, paintings and other maritime artifacts. The museum is open from 10 A.M. until 5 P.M. Monday through Saturday, and 12 to 5 P.M. Sunday. It will be closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. For information, visit www.marinersmuseum.org, call (757) 596-2222 or (800) 581-7245, or write to The Mariners' Museum, 100 Museum Drive, Newport News, VA 23606.

The Mariners' Museum and The South Street Seaport Museum of New York City are partners in America's National Maritime Museum, an innovative alliance recognized by an act of Congress in June 1998 to share collections, exhibitions, educational programs, publications, and other endeavors.