The 14th annual Evening of Discovery took place on Saturday, June 30, at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum’s new property, the old Marine Hospital and St. Pierre Camp, overlooking Lagoon Pond in Vineyard Haven.
This was the first time that the new property hosted the annual event, and one of the evening’s highlights was a tour of the former hospital, which will become the main campus of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, though the Cooke House in Edgartown will continue to operate as a seasonal museum.
The Vineyard Haven property has been made ready to host events, and a master plan for the development for the property was on display on Saturday. Funds are still being raised for the project, and the renovation has not yet started.
The event drew a crowd: 295 people attended, according to David Nathans, Executive Director of the Museum. “Parts of the auction are ongoing, but the silent auction made twice what we thought, and we expect to do better than $60,000 when all is said and done,” he said.
“The important thing is the enthusiasm, the number of people, and the evening being a great success,” he continued. “The money is for annual operating expenses of the museum. Fundraising for the restoration will be a separate campaign down the road.”
