2019 NMGL Annual Holiday Card Released

November 7, 2019 (Toledo, Ohio) – The National Museum of the Great Lakes today revealed their 2019 Holiday Card for purchase. For the past fifty-one years, Director Emeritus, Alexander B. Cook has painted a watercolor that is used exclusively by the organization to create the holiday card that is then sold to the public to benefit the museum. The museum estimates that the sale of holiday cards featuring Alex Cook’s watercolor has raised over $100,000 for the organization over the past fifty years.

“At age 95, Alex Cook is like the energizer bunny of marine artists,” said Christopher Gillcrist, Executive Director of the museum. “His paint brushes are never more than a few feet away from him at all times.”

This year’s image features two Great Lakes Towing Company tugs in the foreground with an Interlake Steamship freighter in the lock. Cook said, “I have loved tugboats since my earliest days in St. Joseph, Michigan, and I thought this year I would include two Great Lakes Towing Tugs because of the company’s wonderful gift of the Tug Ohio to the museum.”

Gillcrist noted that the cards have become somewhat of a collector’s piece over the years with dozens of people ordering cards year after year. Cards can be ordered online at nmglstore.org or by calling 419-214-5000 extension 200. The cards are shipped in packs of ten cards and envelopes for $16.95 plus shipping and handling.