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CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
Saltzman Cabinet of Curiosities
Vanity: The Last Working Catboat
Built over the winter of 1928-29 by Edgartown boatbuilder Manuel Swartz Roberts for commercial fisherman Thomas Pease and his son Oscar, the catboat Vanity worked the waters of Martha’s Vineyard for over half a century. In this exhibit, explore the life of the last working catboat of Martha’s Vineyard through artifacts, photographs, archival materials, and film footage.
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Beim Gallery
Jaws at 50: An Island Story
Our 2025 exhibition Jaws at 50 was one of the Museum’s most popular shows ever, celebrating the Vineyard’s starring role in Steven Spielberg’s classic. Because of that excitement, we’re keeping the story alive with Jaws at 50: An Island Story. This smaller follow-up highlights the Islanders who built sets, piloted boats, and stepped in front of the camera, showing how their creativity and spirit helped bring Amity Island to life.
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Hollinshead, Cox, and Fleischner Galleries
Let’s Go to Circuit Avenue!
A playful, interactive exhibition for all ages, bringing Circuit Avenue to life through sensory experiences and memories of this iconic Island street.
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Grain Gallery
Tom Maley: Dancing in the Field
Tom Maley lived and worked on Martha's Vineyard for most of his life. In 1971 he co-founded the Field Gallery behind his West Tisbury home with friends and fellow artists. His large white outdoor figures became some of the Island's most recognizable landmarks. Maley also painted and led life-drawing sessions that supported many local artists. This exhibition, based on a generous gift from Maley's daughter, will include sculptures, paintings, drawings, and photographs. It will show Maley's working methods, his role in creating a community gallery, and his lasting importance in the Island's artistic life.
READ MORECOLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS
Woven Bag
Contemporary Wampanoag artists and artisans help us picture the world of their ancestors, the first inhabitants of this Island, by making objects using old and new materials while drawing on old and new techniques.
Mary Norton Sampler
Mary H. Norton made this sampler in Holmes Hole (now Vineyard Haven) when she was around 12 years old.
Jagging Wheel
Though most familiar in the form of whales’ teeth carved with pictures of ships, scrimshaw was an extremely varied art.
Chappy
Mary Drake Coles learned to paint during childhood summers on Martha’s Vineyard, in her teens in Provincetown, and later at Smith College, in Paris, Majorca, Haiti, and New York.
Zeb Tilton Portrait
Benton found inspiration on Martha’s Vineyard from his first visits to the Island in the 1920s until his death in 1975.
Dancing Dolls (Brinquinho)
Mary Paiva Drouin, the daughter of a first-generation Portuguese immigrant family, recalls how her family’s cherished “dancing dolls” in traditional Portuguese dress were paraded through the streets of Oak Bluffs during the Holy Ghost Festival.
Brickman’s Shirt
One of the earliest Jewish families to settle here, the Brickmans operated a shoe business on Main Street in Vineyard Haven that became Brickman’s department store.
Dial Telephone Service Comes to Aquinnah
This photograph, staged in May 1955 to celebrate the introduction of dial telephone service in Chilmark and Gay Head, captures the tension between tradition and modernity.
Gislaine Portrait
In 2017, the Museum exhibited photographer Mila Lowe’s “Local Immigrants Project.” Lowe undertook the project to document the wide diversity of recent immigrants to the Island.
Luce Dressing Box
Captain Richard G. Luce presented this box to his daughter, Abbie Bradford Luce, upon returning from one of his many long voyages.
Life Preserver
Life preserver from the City of Columbus, which crashed on the underwater rocks of Devil’s Bridge in January 1884 when a gash was torn in the hull and seawater rushed into the steamer.
Priscilla Pearl Necklaces
Manufactured in Hyannis at the Priscilla Laboratory, these glass and herring scale “pearls” were named “Priscilla Pearls” and sold around the country through mail order and at Lina Call’s Priscilla Pearl Shop in Edgartown.
Violin
Owned by E. Gale Huntington, this violin was possibly carried around Cape Horn on a voyage by Menemsha fisherman Lyman Cottle.
Monohansett
Monohansett (1862), depicted in this painting by J. P. Winegar, was the first reliable steam ferry to serve Martha’s Vineyard.
Fall River Line Advertisement
Palatial “night boats” like Plymouth connected New York and Martha’s Vineyard.
“Enchanted Isle” Poster
This 1934 travel poster promoted the Vineyard as a playground of the rich and stylish.
Islander
Islander, which operated from 1950-2007, revolutionized ferry service to the Vineyard.
Island Queen Advertisement
Summer “excursion boats” like the Island Queen carried day tourists to Oak Bluffs.
Provincetown-Boston Airlines Timetable
Provincetown-Boston Airline was the Island’s leading air carrier for 40 years.
Islander and Island Home
Islander (1950) passes her successor Island Home (2007) in Vineyard Haven Harbor.
Satinet Sample
Hard-wearing satinet cloth: the West Tisbury woolen mill’s signature product.
Vanderhoops at Aquinnah Circle
Harrison and Selina Vanderhoop selling Wampanoag crafts at Aquinnah Circle.
King’s Paint Mill
Clay pigments from King’s Paint Mill in Chilmark tinted the houses of southern New England.
Bricks on Pier
The signature product of the Roaring Brook brickyard awaits shipment to the mainland.
Erford Burt Bass Boat
One of Erford Burt’s signature “bass boats” in the basin at Burt’s Boatyard on the Lagoon.
Model of the SS Drottingholm
Van Ryper offered its customers affordable “models of ships on which you’ve sailed.”
Dairy Cooperative Bottle
Martha’s Vineyard Cooperative Dairy helped the Island’s small farmers, but could not compete with mainland producers.
Chilmark Chocolates Sign
Chilmark Chocolates was known for its delicious product, and its community spirit.
Black Dog Catalog
The Black Dog began as a year-round restaurant, but became a lifestyle brand.
Harpoon
The ancestors of the Wampanoag people who live here now fished using harpoons such as this one, which was found along the shore in Aquinnah.
Joseph Belain Portrait
Over the course of 20 whaling voyages, Aquinnah-born Joseph Belain (1848-1926), served as harpooner, second mate, first mate, and twice as a replacement master.
Whale and Porpoise Oil Samples
Beginning in the mid-19th century and ending in the 1940s, William F. Nye Company of New Bedford refined and processed whale and porpoise oil for various purposes.
Nomansland Codfish Box
Salted and dried cod was sold to Fischer Brothers of Vineyard Haven, who packaged it in wooden boxes like this one and sold it locally as well as shipping it to New Bedford and Providence.
Eel Pot
Before the 20th century, eels were caught and eaten in great numbers by islanders, who captured them in the fall and winter using pots like this one.
Menemsha Swordfishing Fleet
Equipped by a tall mast for lookouts and a long narrow platform for the harpooner jutting out from the bow, “Sword boats” supplied a market in which swordfish was seen as a delicacy.
“Dorothy and Everett” Weathervane
Using the vessels he knew as inspiration, local fisherman Jimmy Morgan made weathervanes and sold them in his small shop in Menemsha to supplement his income.
Photograph of Fishermen
Fishermen could once make a good living selling the fish they caught in net traps along the northwest shore of the Vineyard.
Chart of Holmes Hole
This view of Holmes Hole (now Vineyard Haven) harbor in 1781 looks familiar at first glance, but a closer look reveals unfamiliar features.
The Harbor of Holmes Hole
Twelve years before this chart was drawn in 1847, the citizens of Holmes Hole blocked Bass Creek with a worn-out schooner filled with rocks, making way for Water Street and Union Wharf.
Martha’s Vineyard Railroad Train on the Beach
The Martha’s Vineyard Railroad operated from 1872 to 1896, carrying passengers from the Oak Bluffs steamer wharf to the outskirts of Edgartown, then to Katama.
1938 Beach Road Flooding
This photograph, looking down Beach Road toward Five Corners, was taken during the 1938 Hurricane.
Bathhouse Debris on Oak Bluffs Steamer Wharf
Bathhouses were a fixture of Oak Bluffs — a monument to the social customs of a bygone era — until September 1944, when the Great Atlantic Hurricane struck the Island.
Bunker on South Beach
This concrete structure, used to train World War II naval aviators, originally stood in the dunes behind the beach; by the late 1960s or early 1970s, it stood at the water’s edge.
Moving the Gay Head Light
The brick tower of the current Gay Head Light was built in 1856, and by the early twenty-first century, erosion had left it dangerously close to the edge of the cliffs.
EVENTS
Inside Circuit Arts: Art, Marriage & Collaboration
A behind-the-scenes conversation with Brooke Hardman-Ditchfield and Brian Ditchfield on shaping Circuit Arts, building a creative life together, and what it takes to sustain a thriving arts community on Martha’s Vineyard.
Alpha-gal Syndrome: What You Need to Know (and How to Cook for It!)
A clinician and local chef explore Alpha-Gal Syndrome, offering medical insight and practical cooking strategies.
Colin Ruel: The Light is Returning Opening Reception
Celebrate the opening of The Light is Returning, a new exhibition by Colin Ruel exploring the changing realities of coastal life on Martha’s Vineyard. Through artwork and archival material, the exhibition reflects on generational shifts shaped by labor, community, and economic change. Meet the artist and experience the work for the first time.
Defending the Seacoast: Martha’s Vineyard in the Revolution, April 1775-March 1778
A look at the first years of the American Revolution on Martha’s Vineyard, where Islanders faced naval threats and played a role in resisting British forces.
The Ripple Effect: Islands, Watersheds, and Change
Island ponds are more than scenic landscapes—they’re vital indicators of environmental health. Join Emily Reddington, Executive Director of the Great Pond Foundation, for a conversation on how ponds and their watersheds reveal the impacts of climate change and development across the Island. This talk explores ongoing conservation efforts, proposed bylaw updates, and the interconnected systems shaping Martha’s Vineyard’s future.
TICK FREE MV: What the Aerial Deer Survey Reveals About Ticks
Explore results from the Island’s aerial deer survey and what they reveal about tick populations and disease risk.
The Tick Panel: What’s New, What’s True, and How to Stay Safe
A panel of local experts shares the latest updates on ticks, prevention, and Alpha-Gal, with audience Q&A.
Flowers, Family, and Figuring It Out: Emily Coulter Of Morrice Florist
An easygoing conversation with Emily Coulter about running Morrice Florist and building a creative life on the Island.
Inside the Edit: Dolores Allen Littles, Time-Life, and the Island Opening Reception
Celebrate the opening of Inside the Edit: Dolores Allen Littles, Time-Life, and the Island, an exhibition exploring the life and influence of a pioneering photo editor. Discover how Littles helped shape 20th-century visual storytelling and the Vineyard’s connection to Time–Life creatives. Be among the first to experience the exhibition.
Life, Science, and the Island: A Conversation with Luanne Johnson
Wildlife biologist Luanne Johnson discusses her conservation work on Martha’s Vineyard, from bat research to beach-nesting bird protection.
Who’s The Duke? The History of Dukes County: Through the Mid-1700s
A panel explores the origins of Dukes County through colonial and Wampanoag perspectives, examining how land, governance, and identity took shape.
Rose Guerin: In Conversation and Concert (with Wine)
An intimate evening of wine, music and storytelling with Rose Guerin, featuring songs from her latest album Death and the Winter Wolves.
Tea and Poetry in the Rose Garden
An afternoon of poetry and tea in the Rose Styron Garden featuring Rose Styron and the Cleaveland House Poets.
Inside PBS’s The American Revolution with Sarah Botstein
An inside look at PBS’s The American Revolution with producer Sarah Botstein, exploring the craft of historical storytelling.
The Kate Cory: A Civil War Sea Story for Martha’s Vineyard
A maritime history talk on the whaling vessel Kate Cory and its capture during the Civil War.
The War for the Dawnland: Reimagining King Philip’s War
Reconsider King Philip’s War through Wampanoag perspectives, place-based history, and Indigenous knowledge.
100 Black Women Serving the Vineyard for 70 Years
Join members of The Cottagers, Inc. for a panel marking 70 years of community, culture, and service on Martha’s Vineyard. Moderated by Linda Moffat, the conversation reflects on the organization’s history, the legacy of Cottagers’ Corner, and the women who have shaped it. Reception with wine and light bites to follow.
Juneteenth: A National Story, An Island Perspective
A conversation exploring the history of Juneteenth through both national context and Martha’s Vineyard’s lived experience.
Founding Foods: Seasonal Eating on Martha’s Vineyard During the Revolution
A lively look at how the Revolution shaped food and daily life at the Cooke House in Edgartown.
The Vineyard Mindset: Where Heritage, Creativity, and Business Meet
A Juneteenth conversation with artist and creative director Gatsby Coram on heritage, creativity, and building legacy through art and business.
Jeffrey Kramer: On Jaws, Life, and the Island
Jeffrey Kramer reflects on filming Jaws, his career, and his life on the Island in this candid conversation.
The Shark Is Still Working: A JAWS Documentary
A special screening of The Shark Is Still Working, an acclaimed documentary on the making of Jaws, featuring rare footage and cast interviews.
Let’s Talk JAWS Live!… LIVE! – This Time It’s REALLY Personal
A live, non-recorded episode of the Let’s Talk JAWS podcast with behind-the-scenes stories, trivia, and audience interaction.
Amity Aftershocks: The Enduring World of Jaws
Exploring Jaws’ legacy and the fans who keep it alive.