December 4, 2023 – (KEY WEST, FL). The Key West Art & Historical Society is delighted to announce the opening of its forthcoming temporary exhibition “Our Working Waterfront.” Lauding the island’s protracted maritime history, this exhibition will explore the various industries and people that have operated from Key West’s Historic Seaport district. The Society welcomes the public to a special reception on December 15 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Key West Museum of Art & History, 281 Front Street, to mark the exhibit opening.
“Our Working Waterfront” will examine the diversity of maritime industries and occupations along the Key West waterfront. It will reveal the complex interconnections of seafront work, while integrating never before exhibited historic photos and a range of special artifacts from the Society’s permanent collection. Diverse forms of employment ranged from shipbuilding, wrecking, military, sponging, turtling, and shrimping. Our maritime legacy includes those who lived in the Florida Keys and deemed the littoral waters their backyard as well as deep-sea travelers who dropped anchor for a brief time when transiting the Florida Straits.
“Key West boasts a hardy and diverse maritime history. Its early story was shaped by surging maritime activity brought forth by European colonization, an increased federal and military presence, and seafaring industries that defined the city’s growth and development,” say Dr. Cori Convertito, curator and historian for the Society. “During its history, Key West has been compelled to reinvent itself and its industries several times in order to remain self-supporting. Each time we evolve and grow in new ways, one constant remains—our economic dependence and use of our coastal waters. Exploring the various ways we interact with our waterfront will be an stirring reminder of our past and a glimpse into our future.”
“Our Working Waterfront” runs until February 11, 2024, in the Bryan Gallery and is sponsored by the Florida Department of State, Division of Arts & Culture, with additional support provided by The Helmerich Trust. For more information, call Cori Convertito at 305-295-6616 x 507 or [email protected]. Your Museums. Your Community. It Takes an Island.
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IMAGE 1: Key West’s diverse maritime industries will be the subject for the forthcoming exhibition “Our Working Waterfront” which opens with a special reception that is open to the public at the Key West Museum of Art & History on the evening of Friday, December 15 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Photo Credit: Key West Art & Historical Society)
