Sea Bags goes 'Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee'

Courtesy / Sea Bags Children's book author Chris Van Dusen displays the limited-edition Sea Bags creation that will benefit the Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine.

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By Staff

Sea Bags, the iconic Maine brand of totes made from recycled sailcloth, is going "Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee."

The company has teamed up with best-selling children's book author Chris Van Dusen for a design inspired by his well-known work. It plans to donate a portion of the sales proceeds to the Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine, which plans to build a new site at Thompson's Point in Portland.

Van Dusen is often referred to by children as Mr. Magee, the main character from his work "Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee," a beloved ocean adventure story.

The author has also worked with Children's Museum to design its current popular outdoor exhibit, "Chris Van Dusen’s Down to the Sea: An Outdoor Adventure," and to develop a performance of "The Circus Ship," another of his best-selling books.

“When I was approached about Sea Bags supporting the growth of the Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine, I immediately knew I wanted us to be a part of it,” said Don Oakes, CEO of Sea Bags, in a news release. "We really enjoyed Chris’ enthusiasm and close involvement throughout the whole design process with our team to produce a final product we are all excited about.”

The special-edition tote will be available for a limited time at select Sea Bags retail stores and online, and 20% of sale proceeds will go towards learning-through-play opportunities for children and families, Sea Bags said.

The Portland-based company, incorporated in 2006, has its workshop on Portland's waterfront and 24 retail locations all along the eastern seaboard down to Vero Beach, Fla.

Lucia Stancioff, deputy director of the Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine, said the institution was thrilled to have the generous support of Sea Bags and Van Dusen on the "exciting" project, adding: "Bringing a storybook to life through this playful, recycled sailcloth bag will bring Chris’ story into the community in a new way while contributing to the Museum & Theatre’s work nurturing healthy children and families.”

Two events in Camden

As part of the promotion, two events are scheduled next month at the Sea Bags store in Camden.

On Saturday, Oct. 5 at 9:30 a.m., Van Dusen is scheduled to read from "Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee" and sign books.

And on Friday, Oct. 25, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., the store will host a public reception, during which 10% of all sales will be added to the donation total.