Looking Ahead: A Letter from CIMM's Executive Director

The new year brings fresh momentum at the Channel Islands Maritime Museum, and we’re excited to share a message from our Executive Director about our progress and plans for 2026.

Dear Valued CIMM Community,

As we begin 2026, I recently had the opportunity to step back and reflect with our Board of Directors on where the Channel Islands Maritime Museum is today. It felt important to share that same perspective with our members, supporters, and community, because our progress belongs to all of us.

My first two years at CIMM were focused on strengthening the Museum in ways that better serve the people who walk through our doors and support our mission. Much of that work happened behind the scenes, and the goal throughout was simple, to make CIMM more engaging, more welcoming, and more relevant to our community.

Over the past year, you’ve seen those efforts take shape. Our speaker series has grown into a more dynamic and compelling program. Our exhibitions have been refreshed and reinvigorated. We’ve reestablished consistent communication with our members and supporters through email, social media, and the return of The Call Pipe (our monthly newsletter), making it easier to stay connected to what’s happening at the Museum. We were also thrilled to bring back Chowderfest, reconnecting the Museum with the broader community through a shared celebration of our coastal culture. These improvements were key to strengthening engagement and helped lead to a doubling of our membership in 2025.

As we look ahead, the Museum is poised for its next stage of growth. We are excited about expanding programs that deepen CIMM’s role in our community. The Maritime Pathways Academy, developed in partnership with the Port of Hueneme, CSU Channel Islands Boating Center, and Fish with the Finest, will connect high school students to maritime heritage, ocean stewardship and hands-on STEAM learning. The program culminates onboard a working vessel, where students will have direct exposure to real-world maritime careers right here in our backyard.

Another initiative we are excited to launch in 2026 is the Channel Islands Maritime Museum Artist-in-Residence Program, developed in partnership with the Nelson Maritime Arts Foundation. Inspired by our world-class Nelson Collection, this program will bring contemporary artists into dialogue with the collection that defines our galleries. The Art In Residence program is designed to lift maritime art in our community while strengthening arts education and public engagement, positioning CIMM not only as a place that preserves maritime art, but as a place that actively advances it.

I want to close by saying how grateful I am to be part of this Museum and this community. Your support makes these programs possible and shapes what CIMM can become. I hope you are as excited about what lies ahead as I am, and I look forward to sharing more with you in the months to come.

Doug Riffenburgh

Executive Director

Channel Islands Maritime Museum