New director takes helm at East End Seaport Museum

The East End Seaport Museum and Marine Foundation has tapped Erin Kimmel as their new director. According to EESM, Ms. Kimmel has worked locally on projects for The Water Mill Center, Stony Brook University, as well as globally recognized arts organizations like ArtForum and Ballroom Marfa. 

Earlier in her life, Ms. Kimmel spent time in Texas, California and South Carolina. Though she comes from a varied background geographically, she connected deeply with her adopted Long Island home.

“I am an art historian by training. I’m a Ph.D. candidate in art history at Stony Brook, and I completed my masters there and my B.A. in art history at McGill University.” said Ms. Kimmel. “I ended up really falling in love with a very local context. [I started] to do a lot of research about the cultural production of small maritime communities in Long Island, and so I ended up living what I was also writing about, which is so lovely.” 

Ms. Kimmel said her interests have always leaned towards preservation and the arts. Her background includes 15 years of wide-ranging experience in curating, nonprofit administration and fundraising.

“From a young age, I was interested in art and history … So I think I’ve always known I would be going into museums,” said Ms. Kimmel. “I think the combination of the experience in museums and working in arts nonprofits, as well as my passion about the history of our local area [helped me connect.]”

Ms. Kimmel brings more than just her art history background to EESM. She is also an avid sailor, deepening her perspective on the museum and the history it presents.

“I’m a sailor, and that’s actually pretty relevant. A lot of our members are really diehard sailors, and that is the one of the wonderful idiosyncrasies of our museum, that is specifically maritime focused,” said Ms. Kimmel. “In that way, it’s super fun for me as a sailor to take the helm here.”

Her unique lived experience allows Ms. Kimmel to explore where art, history and science meet. 

“I’m really excited to show people what an incredible history we have here and show how alive it is in the present,” said Ms. Kimmel. “I am really excited to focus on some of the science of the oceans and look at the intersection of science and arts. I think the ocean is so wonderfully mysterious, and we get to teach people about it.”

Ms. Kimmel is looking forward to expanding the museum’s programming through partnerships with other organizations and nonprofits such as Orient State Park and Stony Brook University. 

“There’s so much potential, and this museum is so beautiful and so uniquely located. I would love to do something about shells and guided walks and tours. I’d love to bring scientists out here to give talks about the ocean,” said Ms. Kimmel. “The possibilities are sort of endless, because we’re in such a beautiful area. I think we could have so many programs like outdoor programming that’s geared around the environment and the ecosystem out here.”

In other staffing news, Shelter Islander Shelly Fox has also moved into a new position at the museum as operations assistant.

“I am elated to be a part of the community outreach and am so happy to be a part of this very special team. I am looking forward to a very exciting summer and the future that Erin and I can help bring to our mission,” said Ms. Fox in an email.