Montauk Oceans Institute Helping You Get To “Know Your FISHerman”

On Sunday, July 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. there will be an Opening Night cocktail event held at the Montauk Lighthouse for the inauguration of the Montauk Oceans Institute’s (MOI) Know Your FISHerman art exhibition. MOI is part of the Montauk Historical Society.

“The mission of the MOI is to build community, educate, and heighten awareness surrounding our local ocean’s health through an interactive museum space and outdoor oceanfront amphitheater in Montauk.” MOI “Seeks to execute installations, interactive exhibitions, and programs that highlight and explore the wonders and environmental complexities of the ocean, [and to] serve as a platform that enables the organizations, foundations, policymakers, and philanthropic voices of our community to pool their findings and ideas in solving today’s oceanographic issues.”

The show will include a Commercial Fisherman Photo show by Grant Monahan and a fish species art display curated by Scott Bluedorn. (Photo: MOI)

This year’s exhibit will focus “On the concept of getting to Know Your Fisherman. The show will have an expert mix of science and art about local seafood sources with facts and figures provided by F.I.S.H. (Fresh, Indigenous, Sustainable, Healthy), aimed to increase interest, awareness and demand for locally harvested, wild-caught and grown seafood while creating alternative markets and distribution points for Long Island seafood through Community Supported Fishery (CSF) programs.”

The show will include a Commercial Fisherman Photo show by Grant Monahan and a fish species art display curated by Scott Bluedorn. Additional contributing exhibitors will include Dock to Dish, Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Marine Program, Center For Sustainable Fisheries, Montauk Historical Society, The Montauk Elementary School, Greenport artist Cindy Pease Roe, and Hamptons and New York City photographer Rossa Cole.

MOI began in 2015, when a group of surfers “Approached the Montauk Lighthouse with the idea for their museum to be a part of the Lighthouse Museum complex. The fog signal building, built in 1897, located next to the main building, was selected to house new exhibits. The building originally housed machinery for the old fog signal.”

Exhibitions have included shows related to both the ecology and surf culture, and have served to “Educate the public in the areas of marine science, oceanography and physical science, as well as the part surfing played in the history of the Montauk region.”

Attendance to the evening is free, however, “All additional donations made during the evening will go to the continued growth of MOI’s elementary school Ocean Health curriculum and funding for the museum’s 2018 exhibit.”

Montauk Lighthouse is located at 2000 NY-27 in Montauk. For more information, go to www.montaukoceansinstitute.org.