The Martha’s Vineyard Museum will honor three distinguished Vineyarders at this year’s Martha’s Vineyard Medal award ceremony.
The museum introduced the Martha’s Vineyard Medal in 2009 to honor Island leaders for their commitment to preserving arts, history and culture on the Vineyard. This year’s honorees are the late F. Patrick Gregory, Patricia Morgan, and Cynthia Riggs.
Mr. Gregory was a schoolteacher and business owner who served as the West Tisbury town moderator for 23 years; he was also involved with a number of Island organizations, including the public charter school and the Daybreak Clubhouse. Mr. Gregory was killed while on vacation in the spring of 2014; his kindness and spirit are remembered on the Island. West Tisbury selectman Cynthia Mitchell will present the medal to his son in law Dan Carbon on behalf of the Gregory family.
Ms. Morgan is the senior trustee of the Beagary Family Charitable Trust, which provides grants to preserve and teach U.S. history, with an emphasis on New England maritime history. Ms. Morgan and the trust have given grants to a number of institutions, including sponsoring educational initiatives in connection with the museum. She is also on the board of directors for the YMCA and the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust. YMCA executive director Jill Robie-Axtell will present her with her award.
Ms. Riggs, an accomplished writer with deep Island roots, owns and operates Cleaveland House, a bed and breakfast for poets, writers, artists, and other creative people. Her mystery novels are often set on the Island, and Ms. Riggs teachers courses at the Adult and Community Education program, ACE-MV, and interviews Islanders for series that run on the local community access channel. Fellow West Tisbury resident and friend Dan Waters will present Ms. Riggs with her award.
The awards will be bestowed as part of the museum’s annual meeting on Monday, August 10 at 5 p.m. at the future home of the museum, the former Marine Hospital on Lagoon Pond Road in Vineyard Haven. The free event will take place under a tent, with a reception to follow, and all are invited.
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