Fundraising and Outreach Events

The Annual Art of Great Bay Show and Sale
Art of Great Bay:
Re-Imagined Art and Fine Crafts
May 4-6

This annual fundraiser involves the local artist community and supporters of the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Great Bay Stewards (the non-profit friends group of the Reserve). The 2012 event is the seventh annual Art of Great Bay show. It is also the second year re-purposed art and fine crafts will be featured as the theme (and not, as in previous shows, traditional works depicting Great Bay, the Seacoast, and the Gulf of Maine). Proceeds from artwork sold will benefit both the artist as well as the Great Bay Stewards, so please pencil the event in your calendar and come peruse and purchase local re-imagined art!

Details regarding participation, registration, and criteria are available for interested artists . If you know of an artist who might be interested in participating and whose work would fit within the criteria, please forward along this information. The deadline for Request to Participate submissions is Friday, April 6th.

The poster for this year's event is now available electronically ; please feel free to print this off and share with colleagues, family, and friends!

For information on last year's successful show, please visit our Facebook page and see the Notes section.

Great Bay Alive
The Children's Section of Art of Great Bay
May 5-6

Does your child love to draw, sculpt, or paint? This year, in conjunction with the annual Art of Great Bay event, the Great Bay Discovery Center will be featuring artworks of any medium (except photography) done by children. The theme of the children's section is Great Bay Alive; submissions should depict some aspect of Great Bay, such as marsh grasses, waterfowl, fish, horseshoe crabs, raptors like osprey and eagles, etc.

Submissions will be displayed in the exhibit room of the Great Bay Discovery Center, which opens for the season May 5th and 6th, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM. Family and friends of the displaying young artist are certainly encouraged to come show their support; admission to the Discovery Center is free!

Paintings and drawings should be no larger than 16" by 24" preferably framed or matted, ready for display. All sculptures must be free standing. All entries will receive a certificate for participation and the artwork will be judged by the Art Show Committee for "Best in Show" and three runners up. These works will not be for sale but for exhibit only.

All art must be submitted by Friday, April 27th. Artworks may be dropped off at the Center, Mondays-Fridays, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM or mailed to the Center: Student Art Work, Attn: S. Roberge, GBDC, 89 Depot Road, Greenland, NH 03840. Please email Sheila Roberge if you have any questions or call the Discovery Center at (603) 778-0015.

The poster for this year's children's section is now available electronically ; please feel free to print this off and share with colleagues, family, and friends!

Special Event
Horseshoe Crab Spawning Extravaganza
Saturday, June 9

For the past 445 million years horseshoe crabs have come up from the depths of the ocean to lay their green eggs on sandy beaches along the Atlantic coast. Join experts from the Gulf of Maine Marine Education Association (GOMMEA), the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GBNERR), and Ronald N. Berzofsky, Ph.D., to learn about the secret lives of these "living fossils". Discover why they are so important in keeping humans free of disease and witness this incredible annual spawning event occurring only in May and June.

Family Program (appropriate for ages 5+)
3:00 - 5:00 pm, June 9
Join us for a hands-on educational program at the Great Bay Discovery Center (89 Depot Road, Greenland, NH 03840), followed by a short walk to the shore of Great Bay to witness the annual horseshoe crab spawning ritual. Children ages 5-18 are FREE; Adults $10; GOMMEA and Great Bay Stewards active members FREE. Space is limited to 50. Please call (603) 778-0015 to register.

Adult Evening Program - How do Horseshoe Crabs Keep us Safe from Germs?
7:00 - 8:30 pm, June 9
Join us for an evening adult lecture at the Great Bay Discovery Center (89 Depot Road, Greenland, NH 03840) presented by Dr. Ron Berzofsky, internationally-recognized horseshoe crab expert. Learn about the important extract of the horseshoe crab's blood known as "LAL" and how it is used by the pharmaceutical and medical industries. $5 per person, cash/check only; GOMMEA and Great Bay Stewards active members FREE. Space is limited to 100. No registration required. Please call (603) 778-0015 for more information. (Join us 6:30 - 7:00 pm on the shore to witness the annual spawning event.)

The poster for this special event is now available electronically ; please feel free to print this off to share with colleagues, family, and friends!