Join MOFAD and WNYC’s The Greene Space for a celebration of our favorite bivalve mollusks, the oyster.
Learn how to shuck oysters like a pro and prepare three different types of oyster toppings in a demo led by Ben “Moody” Harney, owner of Mother Shuckers, a nomadic oyster cart based in Brooklyn that harkens back to the days when New York City was a bustling port town with oyster carts lining the streets.
Hear from Scott Maurer, oyster farmer and owner of the Louisiana Oyster Co., a sustainable oyster company working to save Gulf Coast Oysters from the devastating effects of climate change.
In a talk led by international oyster expert Julie Qiu of In a Half Shell , Ben Harney and historian Skip Finley, author of Whaling Captains of Color: American’s First Meritocracy, will discuss the African American history of oysters, including the legacy of Thomas Downing, a Black oysterman and an abolitionist who was known in the late 1800’s as the Oyster King of New York. Additionally, Dr. Kathleen Whalen will speak to the central historic role that Japanese immigrant and Japanese American oyster laborers in Washington State played in creating and facilitating transnational networks in the mid-20th century.
We look forward to an evening of shucking, slurping, and good conversation with you!
* This event will be held online from 8-9:30 PM EST on October 27th, 2020. You will receive the viewing link from The Greene Space in a separate email before the event.
*By purchasing tickets to Oyster Soiree, you are agreeing to sign up for emails from The Greene Space.
Special thanks to our partner Essex Market for providing test kitchen space.
SKIP FINLEY
Since beginning his career in media in 1971, Skip Finley became a well-known executive who was responsible for 44 radio stations (5 that he owned) in 18 US markets. Having attempted to retire five times, he keeps returning to communications, currently as Director of Sales and Marketing for the Vineyard Gazette on Martha's Vineyard, where he has lived since 1999.
From 2012 to 2017 Finley wrote the Vineyard Gazette’s weekly Oak Bluffs Town Column and is a regular contributor to the Martha’s Vineyard Museum Quarterly, Martha’s Vineyard Magazine, Martha’s Vineyard Island Weddings and Cape Cod and the Islands Magazine. He has penned articles for Sea History Magazine and the Maritime Executive and is the author of two books, Historic Tales of Oak Bluffs, published by Arcadia Publishing in 2019 and Whaling Captains of Color-America’s First Meritocracy published by the Naval Institute Press on June 15, 2020.
BEN “MOODY” HARNEY JR.
Ben “Moody” Harney is the founder of Mother Shuckers, the only oyster cart in Brooklyn, New York.
Inspired by the legacy of Thomas Downing, the son of freed slaves who went on to earn the moniker, “the Oyster King of New York” in the late 1800s, Harney envisioned operating his own oyster cart, which he now does. He believes the oyster should regain its place as an everyman’s food and dedicates his life to educating people about the importance of New York City oyster history and making eating oysters more of a pastime in the Black community.
Mother Shuckers, along with more than 75 purveyors in New York City, donate all their used shells to Billion Oyster Project, an initiative to restore a billion oysters to the New York Harbor by 2035. The shells rebuild the reefs so that new oyster populations can grow, improve the water quality, and stimulate a return of sea life.
Follow @therealmothershuckers on Instagram for updates on location and events.
JULIE QIU
Julie is an international oyster expert and founder of In A Half Shell, a guide to oyster appreciation. She hosts the Around the World in 80 Oysters webcast and is the co-author of the 33 Oysters on the Half Shell tasting journal. Julie’s work as an oyster sommelier and educator has been featured by Vogue, The Chicago Tribune, NPR, Food & Wine, and Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix.
Instagram: @inahalfshellblog Facebook: @inahalfshellblog
KATHLEEN WHALEN
Katy Whalen is a historian of race, labor, and immigration in the American West at Washington State University. Her book project, The Immigrant Oyster: Japanese America and the Making of a Trans-Pacific Empire, 1850-1960, examines the role that first and second generation Japanese Americans (Nikkei) oyster laborers played in creating and facilitating transnational networks in the early to mid-20th century which moved the Pacific Northwest more fully into the economic and geo-political world of the larger Pacific. She has presented her research at many academic conferences as well as campus events. An article based on her research was published in the Pacific Northwest Quarterly.
THE LOUISIANA OYSTER CO.
The Louisiana Oyster Co. is an eclectic mix of friends, entrepreneurs, fisherman and mermaids. Built upon the generations of well-weathered and conscientious fishermen, along with the latest innovations and science of cultivating oysters, we are pleased to present high-quality products that bespeak the values that we hold dear. The Louisiana Oyster Co. is focusing its efforts on ways to provide oysters that are sustainable long-term both ecologically and economically.
ESSEX MARKET
Essex Market is New York City's most historic public market, proudly located in the Lower East Side. Visit the market for the most diverse and delicious food experience in New York. Now offering outdoor seating -- order in and dine out! Learn more at essexmarket.nyc.
THE GREENE SPACE
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