Curator’s Chat & Live Music
Thursday, March 20, 2025 | 5p (doors), 5:30 (Program)
Tickets: $10 | $12 at the door | MMAM Members Free
Limited tickets available at the door.
Step into history and immerse yourself in the wonder of 1848! Discover the magic of the Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World while listening to Sea Shanties sung by the Loreweavers. Then join MMAM Curators as they share their favorite behind the scenes stories and historical facts about the exhibition.
This themed educational evening celebrates the opening of A Spectacle in Motion—a breathtaking exhibition that revives one of America’s most extraordinary artistic achievements, an astonishing 1,275-foot moving panorama that once captivated 19th-century audiences from coast to coast.
Event Highlights
5:30-6:30 PM – Explore the exhibition, mingle, and enjoy the enchanting sounds of Loreweavers performing in the gallery.
6:30-7:00 PM – Gain expert insights during a Curator’s Chat inside the exhibition space.
7:00-8:00 PM – Continue your journey through the show, meet fellow art lovers, and let the music transport you back in time.
Tickets are limited! Save your seat today!
About the Exhibition
In 1848, artists Benjamin Russell and Caleb Purrington unveiled a grand visual spectacle—a sweeping moving panorama chronicling the perils and adventures of a whaling voyage. This rare surviving masterpiece, owned and preserved by the New Bedford Whaling Museum, captures the excitement of 19th-century maritime life.
Long before the silver screen, panoramas like this were the height of immersive entertainment, thrilling audiences with vivid scenes of exploration, adventure, and the unknown. Now, MMAM invites you to relive the era’s wonder and witness a masterpiece of storytelling, art, and history.
Don’t miss this chance to experience A Spectacle in Motion in a way only MMAM can offer!
About the Band + Curators:
Loreweavers
Loreweavers, Bards of the Modern Age, focus their efforts on bringing tavern and fantasy soundtracks to a wider audience. Inspired by the tavern music presented in video games such as The Witcher and Skyrim, as well as traditional Irish tunes and sea shanties, Loreweavers seek to immerse their audience in a world of wonder and adventure. Showcasing a wide variety of musical talents and instrumentation ranging from accordion and fiddle to bodhrán and guitar, Loreweavers are sure to grab the attention of any crowd and pull them in to ensure an experience they'll never forget.
Heather M. Casper, CUrator of Engagement, Learning and Impact
Heather Casper has been the Curator of Education at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona, MN since February 2007. In this position she has developed a variety of public programming, touring programming, school partnerships, and educational resources for the galleries. Casper holds a MS degree in Art Education from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and a BFA in Ceramics from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Casper is an active member of the SPARK! Alliance of cultural institutions promoting programming for people living with memory loss, a member of the American Association of Museum’s EdCom committee, the National Art Education Association, and the former chair of the Winona Association of Volunteer Administrators, and former member of the Ready, Set, School board. She currently sits on the board of the Elizabeth Callender King Foundation, and serves on the board for the Spanish Language Immersion Parent Association.
In 2011, Casper won “outstanding community educator award” from the Winona Area Education Association. She was selected to participate in the Teaching in Museum Education Seminar at the School of the Chicago Art Institute in August of 2014 which was made possible by the Samuel Kress Foundation.
Casper is passionate about making museums matter to everyone in her community, and works hard to accomplish this through innovative programming, relationship building and training volunteers to create a welcoming and friendly environment for visitors.
Dave Casey, Director of Engagement
Dave Casey is the Director of Engagement at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum (MMAM). Casey has served in a number of roles at MMAM over the past 13 years; including managing visitor services and the MMAM Store and serving as Assistant and Associate Curators, before taking on his current role in early 2024. Casey and been involved with the creation and production of numerous exhibitions, as well as the development of accompanying educational content and programming to inform and engage museum visitors, volunteers and staff. He as a BA in History from Winona State University.
In addition to his work at the museum, Casey has been involved with a number of arts and cultural organizations in the region. He has served on the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council Arts Advisory Panel for the past six years, as a board member of Sanborn Storytelling since its inaugural season in 2022, as a Artist Residency Review Panelist for the Anderson Center in 2023, for three years on the City of Winona’s Heritage Preservation Committee, and for four years as the Assistant Director of Mid West Music Fest. He has contributed artistically to the community as a musician, performing extensively in the region.
Jon Swanson, Curator of Collections and Exhibitions
Jon Swanson is the Curator of Collections and Exhibitions at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum (MMAM). Since the opening of the Museum in 2006 he has created and produced more than 180 exhibitions of great art inspired by water, featuring historic and contemporary art by regional, national and international artists. Swanson has a BFA in Fine Art from the University of Minnesota, Duluth, a MA degree in the History of Art from the University of London, Courtauld Institute of Art, and completed the Nautical Archaeology/ Anthropology program at Texas A&M University. He has worked as nautical archaeologist with the Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA), an archaeological conservator with Conservation Research Laboratory, and a curatorial intern at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum prior to his position at MMAM.
Swanson is a passionate supporter of regional art and has served on many planning commissions, the Winona Fine Arts Commission, and and a former panelist and current board member for the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council (SEMAC). His personal interests include photography, woodworking, gardening, and travel.
Support Comes From
This exhibition project is presented by the Minnesota Marine Art Museum, a nonprofit mission-driven art museum located on the shores of the Upper Mississippi River. MMAM gratefully acknowledges sustaining support from generous contributions from foundations, corporations, individuals, members and volunteers.
Lead sponsor: HBC