Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society Inc

FATAL PASSAGE: THE TRANSATLANTIC TRADE IN HUMAN LIVES [THE MARITIME SLAVE TRADE IN NORTH AMERICA BEGINS AND ENDS IN FLORIDA. IT STARTS WITH THE SERVANTS OF THE EARLY CONQUISTADORS AND THE FOUNDING OF ST. AUGUSTINE IN 1565. IT CONTINUES THROUGH THE ABOLITION OF THE MARITIME TRADE IN 1808, TO THE CLANDESTINE VOYAGES THAT CONTINUED TO SUPPLY NORTH AMERICA WITH FORCED LABOR UNTIL SLAVERY ITSELF WAS ABOLISHED IN THE US. THE MUSEUM HAS SHIPWRECK ARTIFACTS SPANNING FROM 1600 THROUGH 1860, ENABLING IT TO PROVIDE HARD EVIDENCE OF ALL PERIODS OF THE TRADE. SINCE 1995, THE MUSEUM HAS TOURED TWO EXHIBITIONS ON THE SLAVE TRADE NATIONALLY BUT WAS NEVER ABLE TO SHOW THE COLLECTION ONSITE DUE TO SPACE RESTRICTIONS. IN 2020, THE MUSEUM BECAME ABLE TO DOUBLE THE SIZE OF ITS PUBLIC AREAS. UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO THE IMPACT OF COVID ON REVENUE, INSTALLATION RESOURCES DRIED UP. THE REQUEST IS TO SUPPORT A 4,000 SF PERMANENT INSTALLATION, ACCOMPANIED BY A RELATED FREE ONLINE RESOURCE.] [PURPOSE: THE GRANT TO THE MEL FISHER MARITIME HERITAGE SOCIETY WILL BE USED TO CREATE A PERMANENT EXHIBITION TITLED "FATAL PASSAGE: THE TRANSATLANTIC TRADE IN HUMAN LIVES" AND RELATED PUBLIC ONLINE RESOURCES. THE EXHIBITION WILL FOCUS ON THE MARITIME SLAVE TRADE IN NORTH AMERICA WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF FLORIDA. THE GRANT WILL BE USED TO RETAIN SEVEN EMPLOYEES AND CREATE FOUR ADDITIONAL CONTRACT POSITIONS.  ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: A NEW PERMANENT EXHIBITION WILL FEATURE MAJORITY OF THE MUSEUM?S TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE COLLECTIONS. THE MUSEUM WILL UTILIZE ITS NEWLY EXPANDED GALLERIES TO ENLARGE THE SLAVE TRADE EXHIBIT FROM 800 TO 4,000 SQUARE FEET. A WALK-THROUGH ENVIRONMENT DEPICTING A SLAVE SHIP?S CAPTIVES? DECK WILL BE BUILT. TWENTY-THREE CUSTOM-MADE, SELF-LIT CASES WILL BE UPDATED WITH NEW LIGHTING. MATCHING AUDIO AND VIDEO MATERIAL WILL BE UPDATED WITH NEW HARDWARE. THE VIRTUAL EXHIBITION OF SLAVE TRADE HOLDINGS LAUNCHED IN 2018 WILL BE EXPANDED WITH ELEMENTS MODIFIED FROM THE ONSITE EXHIBITION. THE EXHIBITION WILL INCLUDE VIDEO INTERVIEWS WITH SCHOLARS, UNDERWATER FOOTAGE OF WRECK SITES, 3D IMAGE OF SELECTED ARTIFACTS, TIMELINES, AND ILLUSTRATIVE MAPS. THE NEW PHYSICAL EXHIBITION WILL BE SUPPLIED WITH OBJECT LABELS BEARING QR CODES TO ENCOURAGE VISITORS TO ACCESS THE ONLINE MODULES USING THEIR SMART PHONES, THEREBY ENHANCING THEIR MUSEUM EXPERIENCE. EXISTING PROGRAM STAFF, INCLUDING THE CHIEF CURATOR, CURATORIAL ASSISTANT AND MARKETING MANAGER AND THREE CONSULTING SCHOLARS WILL BE RE-HIRED.  EXPECTED OUTCOMES: EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT IS A LARGER AND BETTER EXHIBITION SPACE, A MORE FULLY STAFFED MUSEUM ON A FULL TIME BASIS, AN ENHANCED AUDIENCE EXPERIENCE, AND A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE US MARITIME HISTORY OF SLAVERY.  INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: INTENDED BENEFICIARIES OF THE GRANT ARE THE GENERAL PUBLIC, HUMANITIES SCHOLARS AND PUBLIC HUMANITIES EXPERTS IN GENERAL, AND THE MEL FISHER MARITIME HERITAGE SOCIETY STAFF IN PARTICULAR.  SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE RECIPIENT DOES NOT INTEND TO SUBAWARD FUNDS. ]

BENEATH THE SURFACE: PEOPLE OF THE 1622 PLATE FLEET

MEL FISHER MARITIME MUSEUM IN KEY WEST, FLORIDA, WILL HIRE A USER EXPERIENCE/USER INTERFACE EXPERT TO DESIGN A WEBSITE PORTAL TO MAKE IT EASIER TO FIND ITS EIGHT MICROSITES. THIS EXPERT ALSO WILL REDESIGN THE LANDING PAGE FOR THE FLORIDA SLAVE TRADE PORTAL WEBSITE, WITH MUSEUM STAFF REVISING THE CORRESPONDING ONLINE EXHIBIT AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS. IN ADDITION, THE MUSEUM WILL REVISE OR CREATE VIRTUAL EXHIBITS AND ACTIVITY BOOKS FOR ITS EXISTING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, INITIATE A MARKETING STRATEGY—INCLUDING SOCIAL MEDIA—TO HIGHLIGHT ITS COLLECTIONS, AND SUPPORT STRATEGIC DECISION-MAKING TO INCREASE THE MUSEUM’S ONLINE PRESENCE. FINALLY, THE MUSEUM WILL HIRE A GOOGLE ANALYTICS EXPERT TO CREATE CAMPAIGN TRACKING AND USABLE DASHBOARDS. THE MUSEUM WILL TRACK THIS WORK’S PROGRESS USING DATA AND USER SURVEYS. THESE NEW WEB-BASED INITIATIVES WILL ALLOW THE MUSEUM TO ADDRESS THE DESTRUCTIVE EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AS IT CONTINUES TO SERVE ITS COMMUNITY.

MEL FISHER MARITIME MUSEUM COLLECTION HURRICANE IRMA RECOVERY PROJECT