Changes are coming to Mystic Seaport in the form of Monique Foster, the new director at the Maritime Gallery.

Foster, who is from Old Lyme, worked for Christie’s Auction House in New York for 20 years after graduating from Smith College with a degree in art history. She became the director of the Maritime Gallery last June when her predecessor, Jeanne Potter, left.

“We specialize in contemporary marine art” Foster said.

The Maritime Gallery, which was established in 1979, features maritime artwork, including paintings, sculptures and ship models. The subject matter of the work can be anything maritime related, such as historical ships to marine life.

This year, the annual exhibit is going beyond paintings of the sea.

“We’ve always done Modern Maritime Masters” said Foster. Artists submit their work based on the maritime theme to the exhibition.

The “Modern Maritime Masters” exhibition has been the annual spring exhibition and sale but this year the event will feature “New Horizons in Modern Maritime Art.” The new exhibition is meant to challenge the Maritime Gallery artists, Foster said.

“I wanted to attempt to place more emphasis on form and color when portraying maritime,” said Foster, “I wanted to make more modern and contemporary pieces without them becoming too abstract.”

While the challenge may scare some of the artists away, Foster said that “the request has been received very well.”

There are around 60 artists participating in the show with 70 to 75 pieces, mostly paintings. The exhibition opens Saturday, April 30, with an opening reception 5 to 7 p.m. The show runs through June 12.

The new spring exhibition is not the only change Foster is bringing to the gallery; she is also putting together the Maritime Gallery’s first photography exhibition.

“It’s another facet of art and it hasn’t been included in the past,” she said. Incorporating photography into the gallery is to draw in a broader audience and to highlight the medium. While the photos will be a new addition, the subject matter will still be in the maritime realm with the exhibition focusing on seascapes.

Despite the changes, many programs will remain the same, such as the Behind the Canvas series, which focuses on artists who use different mediums and techniques. The series, which was introduced to the Maritime Gallery six years ago, has made its way to the Ocean House in Westerly as “Up Close and Personal.” Both series were introduced by Jeanne Potter, Foster’s predecessor.

“Behind the Canvas is an offer to members, patrons and visitors to go behind the scene when painters are producing” said Foster. Each presentation in the series varies depending on what the artist wants to show and how they create.

“How they create depends on their subject matter, medium, location, lighting and background,” said Foster. “How they view and portray subjects on the canvas,” changes the outcome.

Techniques range from using cold wax with oil paint to using sand to create texture. Artists who have participated in the series are even including paintings made at the demonstrations in the Horizon gallery, including Nella Lush’s The Calm Before the Storm.