Welcome to the Buffalo Maritime Center. We invite you to learn more about who we are and what we do on the Buffalo waterfront and throughout communities in Western New York.

We invite you to be a part of our inaugural Fair Winds Gala. All proceeds from the Gala will benefit our educational programs as well as support all of the annual activities that celebrate maritime history, promote craftsmanship and experiential learning, and strengthen community connection to the Buffalo waterfront.

Our education programs use wooden boatbuilding as an opportunity for students to learn STEM principles (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), practice quality craftsmanship, and gain critical thinking and problem-solving techniques. Experiential learning at the BMC offers a non-traditional setting for students to learn applicable life-skills and gain professional development. Typically, our programs are well-suited for high school students, but we adapt to suit the needs of younger students and families.

Thank you, in advance, for supporting the Buffalo Maritime Center and the Fair Winds Gala!

WHO WE ARE

Our Mission

The Buffalo Maritime Center’s mission is to provide everyone the opportunity to experience the joy of being on the water, to learn maritime history, and to achieve higher levels of craftsmanship.

Through collecting, preserving, and interpreting maritime artifacts, we widely share our passion for traditional skills, experiential learning, and the rich maritime culture of the Niagara Frontier.


Our Vision

Buffalo Maritime Center will expand on a cohesive range of facilities and programming:

  • A vibrant boat shop and waterfront facility for building and using wooden boats.
  • Quality maritime heritage exhibits, artifacts, and resources available to the diverse communities that we serve.
  • A fleet of traditional boats accessible to the public for on-the-water instruction and use.
  • A library and collection that is the leading resource for researching maritime history and the design and construction of regional watercraft.
  • A machine shop and foundry for producing maritime hardware and teaching the metal arts.
  • Educational programs that teach craftsmanship, the application of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), art and design principles, and self-reliance through boatbuilding.
  • The launch of the Erie Canal Boat, Seneca Chief, which will be a floating exhibit commemorating the Erie Canal and its history.

We seek to engage a broader audience in order to share the many benefits of the maritime experience of our region.


Our Values

Stewardship

  • We research and document maritime history, practice traditional maritime skills, and preserve maritime material culture that may otherwise be lost.

Education

  • We promote experiential learning across generations, providing access to all who seek empowerment through the acquisition of traditional hand skills and the work ethic of a craftsman.

Inclusion

  • We seek collaboration through partnerships, engaging with diverse communities to promote access to our services and programs.

Design

  • We study established traditions of boatbuilding to understand, appreciate, and replicate the design elements of regional watercraft.

Historical Authenticity

  • We study maritime material culture to accurately interpret our maritime regional history.

Passion

  • We believe boats change lives and communities.
ABOUT THE FAIR WINDS GALA
Fair Winds Gala

The Buffalo Maritime Center is pleased to announce the inaugural Fair Winds Gala: An Evening on the Waterfront. This year, we will honor our Founder & President Emeritus, Dr. John Montague.

The gala will take place on the waterfront at Acqua on Niagara Street. With breathtaking views of the river, the event will feature an open bar, hors d’oeuvres, dinner & dancing while being entertained by Broadway star Robert Creighton.

Our silent and live auctions will feature unique items & experiences, and all proceeds will benefit the Buffalo Maritime Center’s educational programming.

A sunset champagne toast on the patio will honor our Founder, Dr. John Montague, whose vision, determination, perseverance, and dedication to preserving maritime culture and craftsmanship has been the fair winds in the sails of BMC.



Fair Winds Gala Details:

  • Saturday, October 1, 2022 | 6:00pm - 9:00pm
  • Entertainment by Broadway star Robert Creighton (Veteran of 8 Broadway shows including Frozen, Anything Goes, Chicago, Cagney)
  • Hors d'oeuvres and dinner + open bar during cocktail hour and wine throughout the evening
  • Silent auction + live auction featuring unique items and experiences
  • Sunset champagne toast honoring Dr. John Montague
  • One ticket: $150 | Two tickets: $250
  • BMC Members receive a discount on all tickets purchased
  • Honorary Gala Chair: David Rogers of Life Storage
BECOME A SPONSOR

To become a sponsor of the Fair Winds Gala, please complete this form.




PRESENTING SPONSOR: $20,000


Naming Rights: FAIR WINDS GALA: AN EVENING ON THE OUTER HARBOR Presented by “your company name”

Two Gala Tables: 20 Complimentary Tickets (value: $3,000)

Pre-Party Invitations: Six passes to an exclusive Pre-Party at the Longshed held for sponsors at the Gold Level and higher

Special Recognition:

  • Acknowledgment of your company’s generosity from the stage
  • Recognition in Gala recap article featured in one email blast (2500 members, volunteers and community members)

Logo Representation: Company logo on all event materials, including invitation mailed to 1,500+

Advertisement:

  • “Your Company” on the back cover of the event program (300 produced)
  • Listing as Presenting Sponsor projected on screen at Gala, seen at regular intervals by 300+ attendees
  • Recognition on the Corporate Sponsor page of the Buffalo Maritime Center website
  • Recognition on a banner posted at the event
  • Logo and link on BMC website and social media platforms that reach over 10,000 followers.
  • Presenting Sponsor listing on four Gala email blasts (email list = 1,500+)

Museum Usage:

  • One lunch and private tour of the Longshed with the Buffalo Maritime Center executive director for 30 guests.

Membership: Complimentary BMC Memberships for 20 company representatives (Bosun Level)

Right of First Refusal the following year


PLATINUM SPONSORSHIP $10,000


One Gala Table: 10 Complimentary VIP Tickets (value: $1,500)

Pre-Party Invitations: Four passes to an exclusive Pre-Party at the Longshed held for sponsors at the Gold Level and higher

Special Recognition:

  • Table sign with your company name on your reserved table
  • Recognition in Gala recap article featured in one email blast (2500 members, volunteers and community members)
  • Recognition as Platinum Sponsor on BMC website and social media platforms that reach over 10,000 followers
  • Recognition on a banner posted at the event

Advertisement:

  • Full page advertisement in the event program (300 produced)
  • Listing as Platinum Sponsor projected on screen at Gala, seen at regular intervals by 300+ attendees
  • Platinum Sponsor listing on four Gala email blasts (email list = 1,500+)

Membership: Complimentary BMC Memberships for 10 company representatives (Bosun Level)


GOLD SPONSORSHIP $5,000


One Gala Table: 10 Complimentary Tickets (value: $1,500)

Pre-Party Invitations: Two passes to an exclusive Pre-Party at the Longshed held for sponsors at the Gold Level and higher

Special Recognition:

  • Recognition in Gala recap article featured in one email blast (2500 members, volunteers and community members)
  • Recognition on the Corporate Sponsor and Gala pages of the BMC website

Advertisement:

  • Half page advertisement in the event program (300 produced)
  • Gold Sponsor listing on four Gala email blasts (email list = 1,500+)

Membership: Complimentary BMC Memberships for 5 company representatives (Bosun Level)


SILVER SPONSORSHIP $2,500


One Gala Table: Complimentary table of ten (value: $1,500)

Advertisement:

  • Quarter page advertisement in the event program (300 produced)
  • Silver Sponsor listing on four Gala email blasts (email list = 1,500+)

Membership: Complimentary BMC Memberships for 2 company representatives (Bosun Level)


TABLE SPONSORSHIP $1,500


One Gala Table: Table of ten (value: $1,500)

Advertisement:

  • Name of your organization listed in the event program (300 produced)
  • Table Sponsor listing on four Gala email blasts (email list = 1,500+)

HISTORY OF THE BMC

From its beginnings as a bright idea in the Design Department at Buffalo State College, to its present status as an independent not-for-profit, the Buffalo Maritime Center has played - and continues to play - a central role in elevating awareness and appreciation of Western New York’s rich maritime heritage.

Through our youth and adult programs in hands-on learning, our historical research, and our wide range of boat building projects, the Maritime Center has become a leading advocate for the revival and recapture of Buffalo’s waterfront and waterways.

While the Buffalo Maritime Center officially became an independent not-for-profit in 2010, the Center had its origins just over three decades ago as a creative experiment for teaching 3-D design at Buffalo State College. From a design point of view, there are few objects better than a boat for studying and exploring form and function and human culture. The Center for Watercraft Studies in 1993 offered an introductory course in Wood Design and taught eleven female students how to build a wooden kayak. We began collecting and restoring important local boats, and in several cases constructed full sized replicas of lost vessels.

It was in this context that what would become the Buffalo Maritime Center first began to take shape. In addition to special youth programs, we have welcomed to the Center adult members and volunteers from all walks of life. Over the years, we have met an endless supply of talented, energetic men and women, many of whom have stayed on as permanent volunteers.

From the beginning it has been our goal to engage as many members of the community as possible.

We welcome your involvement and, of course, your support.

Hand-to-Hand Student Boatbuilding Program


Hand-to-Hand Program | Student Boat Launch

Olmsted Skiff | Build Timelapse

Erie Canal Boat Project | "Seneca Chief"


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