Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: NEW BEDFORD FISHING HERITAGE CENTER LEASES DOWNTOWN SPACE

March 2, 2016 — The following was released by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is pleased to announce its plans to lease space at 38 Bethel Street beginning on April 1st of this year. Located in the heart of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, the 3000 square foot, handicap accessible space will accommodate changing exhibits, public programs, school groups, archives, and community gatherings.  Exhibits are under development with a public opening planned for late June.

“The commercial fishing community deserves a place to preserve and present its stories and artifacts, share its skills and knowledge, and educate the public about its rich traditions, heritage, and contemporary existence. We are excited to provide that opportunity.” Executive Director, Laura Orleans. 

During 2016 the Center will continue to present Dock-u-mentaries, its monthly film/speaker series and Something Fishy, its free summer camp program, in collaboration with the National Park and Whaling History Alliance. Weekly cruise ship programs and fishermen-led walking tours will be offered during the summer months.  A variety of public programs including author readings, talks, occupational demonstrations, and performances will be presented.  In addition, an interactive website with digital exhibits, an industry timeline, and standards-based curriculum materials will be launched in April. The Center is also working in collaboration with UMass Dartmouth, UMass Boston, and the New Bedford Public Library on a year-long initiative to create a digital archive of fishing community history. 

The Fishing Heritage Center is dedicated to preserving and presenting the story of the commercial fishing industry past, present, and future through exhibits, programs, and archives. The Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. For more information visit www.fishingheritagecenter.org. 

Fishing Heritage Center Executive Director and members of the Board pose in front of the space they will lease in downtown New Bedford. (from the left: Phil Mello, Kirsten Bendiksen, Laura Orleans, Cassie Canastra, Madeleine Hall-Arber, and David Martins. Not pictured: Ann Jardin-Maynard, Stephanie Rafael-DeMello, and Jeff Pelletier)

New Bedford, Mass. Fishing Heritage Center Lands 12K NEH Grant

December 14, 2015 — New Bedford, MA — 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 $12,000 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Cultural Heritage Grant. The grant will support a project to digitize the cultural heritage of New Bedford’s fishing community. The project is a collaboration involving the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center (NBFHC), University Archives and Special Collections at the University of Massachusetts Boston, MIT Sea Grant, the New Bedford Public Library, and New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park.

Commercial fishing is often a family activity with skills and knowledge passed from one generation to the next. Consequently, much of this history resides in the photo albums, documents, and artifacts of fishing families.  This project will digitize these materials through a day-long public event (tentatively slated for May) in combination with “house calls” to digitally document materials from individuals who are unable to attend the event.  The project will be bookended by a variety of public programs which will serve to inspire community participation, evoke memories, and provide an interpretive framework for materials that are brought forward.  Digitizing these materials, making them publicly available, and using them to tell the story of the fishing community will create a lasting legacy for families who have spent generations working the water in what is one of the nation’s oldest occupations.

“We are thrilled to receive this funding which will further our efforts to document and preserve the rich heritage of New Bedford’s fishing community. We look forward to engaging active and retired fishermen, shoreside workers, and their families in this project.” (Laura Orleans, Executive Director).

Following the digitization event, UMass Boston will process images and metadata and will provide storage and public access through the University’s online repository. These materials will be included in the Digital Commonwealth and Digital Public Library of America.  In addition to UMass Boston’s online repository, the resulting digital collection will be publicly archived as part of digital collections at the New Bedford Public Library, and the Massachusetts Public Library Digital Initiative, and shared as part of digital exhibits on the NBFHC website (currently under development).  Those who participate by sharing their photographs, documents, or artifacts will be given a USB drive containing the scanned images of their materials.

Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at: www.neh.gov.

Fishing industry artists to present gallery talk; Exhibit at New Bedford public library extended through November

October 29, 2015 — Inside Out: The New Bedford Fishing Industry Through Industry Eyes, is a multi-media exhibit featuring the work of six artists who are all employed in or retired from the local fishing industry. The exhibit which is on display at the main branch of the New Bedford Public Library (613 Pleasant Street) has been extended through November 30th. The public is invited to a gallery talk on November 12th (AHA night) from 7:00-8:00 pm. The exhibit, which features photographs of Alan Cass, Serina Gundersen, and Phil Mello, illustrations of Bob Bowers, knot work of Manny Vinagre, and boat models of Manuel Silva, is a project of the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center.

At the gallery talk on November 12th, each of the artists will talk about the relationship between their work and their art. While many past exhibits have explored aspects of the working port and the fishing industry through the eyes of artists and photojournalists, this exhibit features the work of those on the inside. From this vantage point, these artists have access to what is often a closed world. Their often intimate work provides viewers a unique opportunity to see the fishing industry from the “inside out”.

Read the full story at New Bedford Guide

MASSACHUSETTS: Exhibit to Showcase Fishing Industry Artwork

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — September 2, 2015 — The following was released by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center:

Inside Out: The New Bedford Fishing Industry Through Industry Eyes, a multi-media exhibit featuring the work of six artists who are all employed in or retired from the local fishing industry will be on display at the main branch of the New Bedford Public Library (613 Pleasant Street) through October 31st. The public is invited to meet the artists at an exhibit opening on September 10th (AHA night) from 6:30-8 pm.  The exhibit, which features photographs of Alan Cass, Serina Gundersen, and Phil Mello, illustrations of Bobby Bowers, knot work of Manny Vinagre, boat models of Manuel Silva, is a project of the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center.

While many past exhibits have explored aspects of the working port and the fishing industry through the eyes of artists and photojournalists, this exhibit features the work of those on the inside. From this vantage point, these artists have access to what is often a closed world. Their often intimate work provides viewers a unique opportunity to see the fishing industry from the “inside out”.

Each of the artists focuses on a unique aspect of the fishing industry. Serena Gundersen’s photographs industry objects and provides an intimate portrait of a single family business.  Phil Mello documents shoreside workers over a forty year period. Alan Cass captures the everyday and extraordinary aspects of life at sea.  Bobby Bowers creates detailed drawings of the boats and their gear.  Manny Vinagre uses his knot tying skills to create pieces that are both decorative and functional. Manny Silva, who recently passed away, created, in miniature, the workboats on which he spent so much of his life.

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is dedicated to the preservation and presentation of the history and culture of New Bedford’s fishing industry through archives, exhibits, and programs. For more information contact the Center at 508-993-8894 or nbfishingheritagecenter@gmail.com.