Saving Seafood

Federal grant to fund New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center film

May 2, 2016 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — A $20,000 Maritime Heritage Grant is going to be used to produce the orientation film for the fledgling New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, according to Executive Director Laura Orleans.

She told The Standard-Times it was the full amount the center sought from the the Maritime Heritage Program, which is part of the National Park Service’s Park History Program. “We got the full amount I was flabbergasted,” Orleans said.

Tentatively titled,“Resilience: The Story of New Bedford’s Fishing Industry,” the film will be produced by local filmmaker Kevin Kertscher, whose Big Ocean media is located on lower William Street near the Whaling Museum.

The plan is to have the film ready to roll in June 2017.

The heritage center is already using a $12,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. It is paying to digitize all the materials being brought in by private parties to build a digital library for the center, which is opening June 25 at 39 Bethel St.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center Awarded $20K Maritime Heritage Grant

April 29, 2016 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — The following was released by The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is pleased to announce its receipt of a $20,000 Maritime Heritage Grant. The grant will be used to fund the creation of a 15-minute orientation film, tentatively titled “Resilience: The Story of New Bedford’s Fishing Industry”.

The Center will work with Big Ocean Media to produce the film which will present an overview of the history and development of New Bedford’s commercial fishing industry from 1900 to the present, exploring life at sea, life on shore, and sustaining the resource. The Center expects to complete the film in time for the 2017 summer season.

The film will be shown at the Fishing Heritage Center (opening June 25th in the heart of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park). In addtition, the film will be shown at the City’s Waterfront Visitor Center, the State Pier Ferry Terminal, to passengers on board the Seastreak Fast Ferry (providing transit between New Bedford and Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket), and to passengers on cruise ships that visit New Bedford on weekly basis during the summer months. Copies of the film will also be made available to local schools and libraries.

The Maritime Heritage Program is part of the National Park Service’s Park History Program. For centuries, Americans have used waterways for commerce, transportation, defense, and recreation. The Maritime Heritage Program works to advance awareness and understanding of the role of maritime affairs in the history of the United States. Winners of the 2015 Maritime Heritage Grants were announced on Monday, April 25, 2016 on board the USS Constellation in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.  A total of $2,580,197.37 was awarded to 34 projects in 19 states.