Florida Humanities Selects the Key West Art & Historical Society to Host Smithsonian Institution Food Exhibition in 2026

Florida Humanities Selects the Key West Art & Historical Society to Host Smithsonian Institution Food Exhibition in 2026

Key West, Florida (July 1, 2024) — Florida Humanities, in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), has launched a new exhibition partnership program, “Exhibition Starter Kit: FOOD” and selected the Key West Art & Historical Society as an inaugural recipient. In total, eight nonprofit organizations received funding from Florida Humanities in June 2024 to create exhibitions that capture and share local narratives on food, utilizing templated resources as well as virtual and in-person support from the Smithsonian Institution.

Exhibition Starter Kits provide a Smithsonian-developed framework to guide selected venues through the development of local humanities-based exhibitions using their own collections and cultural content. While working on their exhibition project, funded venues will receive guidance from the Smithsonian on how to design and develop compelling exhibitions that highlight their local history and culture through the lens of food. By incorporating local elements directly into the exhibition, each installation will be unique while broadly addressing the same national themes curated by the Smithsonian.

“Peeling back the layers of our local and regional food, you uncover a much larger story centering around the Key West’s diverse community,” says Dr. Cori Convertito, curator for the Society who will also serve as the project’s manager. “We are elated to have been selected by the Smithsonian and Florida Humanities to be one of eight partners in the state.  It gives the Society an opportunity to tell the abundant Florida Keys food story that has been shaped by a mixture of Indigenous, Bahamian, Cuban, and international peoples. It is our hope to get the community involved in the exhibition, but also in a robust series of public programs and oral histories.”

All sites have received initial funding of $5,000 from Florida Humanities to work with the Smithsonian over the next year to create their exhibition script, collect physical objects such as artifacts and images to accompany their exhibition, and design an exhibition floor plan. Exhibitions will then be fabricated and installed at each venue in early 2026 with additional support provided by Florida Humanities.

The funded sites include:

• African American Cultural Society (Palm Coast, Flagler County)
• Citrus County Historical Society (Inverness, Citrus County)
• Florida Remembered Society (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County)
• Hastings Main Street (Hastings, St. Johns County)
• Historical Society of Bay County (Panama City, Bay County)
• Key West Art & Historical Society (Key West, Monroe County)
• Main Street Apopka (Apopka, Orange County)
• West Nassau Historical Society (Callahan, Nassau County)

“Exhibition Starter Kits give small museums a great opportunity to use a Smithsonian framework that gives national context to local exhibitions,” said Carol Harsh, Director, Smithsonian Institution Museum on Main Street program. “Florida Humanities contributes state-specific resources and scholarship, which adds an even richer training opportunity for host organizations to bring out the unique local flavors of each community.”

“Exhibition Starter Kit: FOOD” is a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Exhibition Service and State Humanities Councils nationwide. It is based on an exhibition by the National Museum of American History called “Key Ingredients: America by Food”. Support for the Smithsonian Institution has been provided by the United States Congress. Funding for this project in Florida has been provided by Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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About Key West Art & Historical Society

Founded in 1949, the Key West Art and Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization tasked with the promotion of the humanities, art, and history of the Florida Keys by educating the public and by collecting, preserving, restoring, and exhibiting significant art, artifacts, and historical properties. With its four culturally distinct museums – Key West Museum of Art & History, the Key West Lighthouse & Keeper’s Quarters, Fort East Martello and the Tennessee Williams Museum – the Key West Art & Historical Society is dedicated to community engagement through its diverse educational programs, exhibitions and online resources.

www.kwahs.org

About Florida Humanities
Florida Humanities, the statewide, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and sharing the history, literature, cultures, and personal stories that offer Floridians a better understanding of themselves, their communities, and their state. Since 1973, Florida Humanities has awarded more than $20 million in support of statewide cultural resources and public programs strongly rooted in the humanities. These programs preserve Florida’s diverse history and heritage, promote civic engagement and community dialogue, and provide opportunities to reflect on the future of Florida. Learn more at www.floridahumanities.org.

About Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES)
SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for more than 65 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play. For exhibition description and tour schedules, visit sites.si.edu.

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