The gardens of the Ships of the Sea Museum will come alive with light and song on Friday, Nov. 20 as music and culture lovers mingle and relax under a starry night sky.

The highly acclaimed “Museum in the Moonlight” series returns from 7-9 p.m., this time featuring renowned artists from the Savannah VOICE Festival. With the performers’ heavenly voices contributing to the evening’s dreamy ambiance, guests are invited to enjoy the illuminated Scarbrough and North Gardens as well as the museum itself.

Refreshments will be served under a courtyard pavilion, and inside the museum, attendees will be treated to two sets – approximately 30-40 minutes – of classic Italian opera. Selections from the more popular composers, such as Verdi, Puccini and Mascagni, will be on the program in recognition of the Italian heritage of Captain Joseph Gallettini, Ships of the Sea’s first ship model builder.

The museum’s collection houses a few of Gallettini’s models, which they’ll proudly display during the walk-through open house. The exhibition, titled “From Bankers to Presidents, the Works of Joseph Gallettini,” will feature the well-known Wilmington Island resident’s John F. Kennedy model, which was specially requested by the 35^th president, and other works created expressly for the museum’s founder, Mills B. Lane, Jr.

“We’re grateful for this opportunity to pair fine music with exquisite craftsmanship during ‘Museum in the Moonlight.’ It has been a pleasure to partner with the Savannah VOICE Festival, and we’re confident guests will thoroughly enjoy perusing the Gallettini collection as they are peacefully serenaded by accomplished and talented vocal artists,” said Tony Pizzo, Ships of the Sea Museum Executive Director.

“Museum in the Moonlight,” a collaborative effort with the Savannah VOICE Festival, is free and open to the public. For more information on the event or the Gallettini exhibit, please visit www.shipsofthesea.org, call 912-232-1511 or email [email protected]. For more information on the Savannah VOICE Festival, please visit savannahvoicefestival.org, call 855-766-7372 or email [email protected].