The Martha’s Vineyard Museum in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts, stands as a beacon of cultural heritage, artistic expression, and historic preservation. As someone with a passion for both history and the visual arts, Valerie Grant, CFA, is an enthusiastic supporter of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum and its exceptional exhibits.
Below, Valerie Grant, CFA, shares her insights about what makes the Massachusetts icon so special.
A Unique Mission and History
The Martha’s Vineyard Museum’s core mission is to preserve and share the stories of Martha’s Vineyard. Since its founding, the museum has been dedicated to fostering a deeper understanding of the island’s unique history and culture.
Founded in 1922 as the Dukes County Historical Society, the Martha’s Vineyard Historical Society met in libraries, churches, and private homes until 1932, when it acquired the 1766 Cooke House in Edgartown. In 2019, after a $31M campaign, the Museum opened a new, state-of-the-art campus that boasts contemporary galleries, interactive exhibits, and wide-open outdoor spaces designed to engage visitors and provide an immersive educational experience.
According to the 2023 Annual National Snapshot of United States Museums, 66% of U.S. museums have not rebounded to their pre-pandemic attendance figures, and 25% have not returned to pre-pandemic staffing levels. But this is not the case for the Martha’s Vineyard Museum — people are coming to the campus in increasing numbers for a variety of events, exhibitions, and educational programs. It’s the hub of the artistic community in Martha’s Vineyard and a hopeful beacon for private museums nationally.
Our Big Red Dog Exhibit
The “Our Big Red Dog” exhibit is a favorite of Valerie Grant, CFA. It celebrates the beloved children’s book series Clifford the Big Red Dog, which chronicles the adventures of Emily Elizabeth and her titular pet: a giant red dog named Clifford.
This interactive exhibit invites children to engage with Clifford via games, books, displays, videos, and a cozy reading room — simultaneously educating and entertaining young visitors.
Grant is fond of the exhibit because of its ability to nurture a love of reading among children. She’s passionate about educating the next generation, a feat that the Our Big Red Dog exhibit does exceptionally well.
The series was written and illustrated by long-time Martha’s Vineyard resident Norman Bridwell (d. 2014). His lucky break came in 1963 when a Harper & Row employee pocketed his manuscript and took it to Scholastic, leading to the publication of his first Clifford book. Over time, the Clifford canon has expanded into a series of books, movies, and cartoons that are immensely popular with educators and children alike.
The comical yet educational antics of Clifford and Emily Elizabeth have inspired young readers for decades, and the curators at Martha’s Vineyard Museum have seamlessly integrated both the spirit of Bridwell’s work and his storied journey into the “Our Big Red Dog” exhibit.
Sailing to Freedom Exhibit
“The Sailing to Freedom” exhibit is presented in the Grain Family Gallery — a family that’s been an integral part of the Martha’s Vineyard community for decades. David Grain is currently Vice Chair of the museum and plays a crucial role in guiding the museum’s strategic initiatives, having helped bring back popular programs like Tales of Edgartown and Discovery Days. His father moved his family to Martha’s Vineyard in 1974. His mother, Dora Grain, was a longtime community activist and active member of the Vineyard chapter of the NAACP.
Throughout this exhibit, visitors can learn more about the maritime routes that enslaved people used on their journey to freedom. Many of these routes were connected to the waters around Martha’s Vineyard, as Massachusetts was considered a welcoming place to the formerly enslaved. For example, by 1853, almost 30% of residents of New Bedford, Massachusetts, said they were born in the South.
Grant found this exhibition illuminating because it highlights the rarely told stories of those who utilized the network of maritime routes in their quest for emancipation. The conventional narrative of the Underground Railroad depicts it as a network of covert overland routes and safe houses used by enslaved individuals to seek freedom. However, a lesser-known facet of this history involves those who pursued liberation by sea. Many enslaved people were clandestinely transported via the Atlantic Ocean from the South to the North. Despite offering a quicker passage to freedom, this means was fraught with peril, as the 1793 Fugitive Slave Act criminalized assisting enslaved individuals in escaping by boat. It is estimated that approximately 100,000 individuals escaped enslavement through the diverse methods encompassed by the Underground Railroad.
“The Sailing to Freedom” exhibit borrows from and expands on the New Bedford Whaling Museum exhibit of the same name, with both exhibits drawing connections to the book Sailing to Freedom: Maritime Dimensions of the Underground Railroad by Timothy D. Walker. This book is comprised of ten essays that discuss the various routes along the eastern coastal states that enslaved people used to reach safe harbors. The book also delves into the impact of African American’s labor on the waterfront. It’s available for purchase at the museum and serves as an excellent companion to the exhibit.
Visit the Martha’s Vineyard Museum
Valerie Grant, CFA, encourages anyone with a passion for art, history, and creativity to visit the Martha’s Vineyard Museum. It’s a pillar of the Martha’s Vineyard artistic community and can enrich the lives of all who visit.
About Valerie Grant, CFA
Valerie Grant, CFA, is a Managing Director and Equity Portfolio Manager at a global investment management firm. As a thought leader in her industry, Valerie is a sought-after speaker and has been a guest lecturer and presenter at Harvard Law School, the Yale School of Management, and the CFA Institute. She also provides market commentary on CNBC, Bloomberg News, and other media outlets. She is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a trustee at Morehouse College, and a member of the Harvard Business School Alumni Board. Valerie holds an MBA with high distinction from Harvard Business School and a B.S. in Economics from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
