More than 500 people visited the museum on October 16th and 17th for the Chicago Architecture Center's Open House Chicago!

Great fun last Thursday at the Chicago Maritime Museum's Waterways for All Benefit. Thank you Captain Dave Truitt, Captain Bill Pinkney, Captain Tom Kastle and all our sponsors. Also, a special thanks to our new maritime partners in the swimming, sailing, fishing, conserving, jumping and diving world. Waterways for All indeed!

We raised more than $104,000 last night alone and your donations are still coming in. And with the $1,000,000 endowment announced last night, we're clearly setting sail to new horizons.
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Thanks to all who donated and participated. Fair winds and following seas.

"Tonight, thanks to the generosity and vision of our chairman, we are now the recipient of the largest gift ever to our museum," says Jerry Thomas, CMM Vice Chairman and Treasurer. "The endowment truly puts the Chicago Maritime Museum on the map in terms of sustainability and philanthropy. Most importantly, this gift is the start of sustainable operations funding to allow the museum to focus on providing our patrons and visitors with engaging maritime exhibits and lively educational events.”

The Chicago Maritime Museum, located on the River Level of the Bridgeport Art Center at 35th Street and Racine Ave., opened in July of 2016. The museum offers visitors a chronological walk through local maritime history including the eras of French fur traders, sail and steam-powered vessels, modern commercial Great Lakes frigates, recreational sailing and the Ralph and Rita Frese Canoe Collection. Designed by renowned architect and CMM board member Dirk Lohan, the 10,000-square-foot museum serves as a window into Chicago’s maritime history.

​The museum's newly restored lobby includes interactive storytelling about the importance of the city's waterways by key founders of Chicago. The museum also plans to create an exhibit of the adventures of Chicago-born Captain Bill Pinkney, the first African-American sailor to solo-circumnavigate the globe via the five great capes.

The CMM is now hiring. We are seeking a Receptionist to join our team. You are the first person that a visitor sees when entering the museum: you are the face of the museum. Other duties may include administrative, web, collections and store tasks depending on your background.

Responsibilities:

• Greet and assist onsite guests
• Answer inbound phone calls
• Handle store transactions with visitors
• Help with social media sites and ads such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram
• Help retain and increase membership by keeping accurate records of current membership count, implementing new ways to increase membership
• And sending out new/ renewal letters
• Help with Communications by sending out eblasts using Constant Contact
• Use FlipCause data base to keep track of memberships, create “campaign” buttons for donations and event registration
• Use FlipCause web editor to make changes to the CMM website.
• Support the Communications Committee with the monthly Newsletter using Constant Contact
• Aide in organizing special events
• Depending on background, help in other areas of the museum, such as collections and website development.

 
Qualifications:

• Good people skills: friendly and outgoing
• Supports the mission of the Chicago Maritime Museum
• Responsible and trustworthy
• Flexible to work before/ after normal work hours, on occasion, and on weekends
• Detail oriented with ability to prioritize and multitask
• Excellent written, computer, and verbal communication skills
• High school graduate/ GED, though BA degree, preferred
• Some experience in office administrative work
• Some knowledge of Microsoft Office platforms
• Some knowledge of social media platforms
• Some knowledge of web design, preferred

 
Job Type: Contract
Pay: $13.00 - $15.00 per hour

If you are interested in applying, please contact cmm@chicagomaritmemuseum.org.

Check out the new kayak dock right outside of the CMM...Wateriders, the vendor providing kayak rentals at our Bubbly Creek location is planning to begin operations on August 14th.  Paddle on out from the museum to discover the South Branch of the Chicago River. 

​The Chicago Maritime Museum is saddened to report the passing of our dedicated brand manager and graphic designer Lorraine Freeman.Her keen, artistic eye has enhanced CMM branding with everything from newsletter design to signage to advertising. More importantly, Lorraine was a loyal friend and enthusiastic mariner. She will be deeply missed by her CMM colleagues. Fair winds and following seas Lorraine.