FORT LAUDERDALE HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC

To provide an enriching guest experience that demonstrates the diversity of South Florida history.
To offer exceptional educational programs based on the museum's collections.
To grow the museums' collections with important artifacts, oral histories, and documents from South Florida's past and present.
To continuously seek community input for improvement of all programs.

Historical Society promotes Seminole Nation artists every year in visual arts exhibits, performances, and exhibits in its permanent collection. A member of the Tribe sits on the Society's Board of Trustees. In a similar way, the Society sponsors African American and Hispanic heritage encounters where present generations can learn the stories of pioneer generations to our region.

Historical Society has expanded its educational programming to include modules in Archaeology, Anthropology, Engineering, Hispanic Heritage, Seminole Culture, and South Florida African American Pioneers. Cultural modules are taught by visiting teaching artists from that tradition. Each module is current with Florida Core Curriculum standards and is adjustable for different age groups.

The museums' collections are constantly expanding. Just this year several pioneer families' collections have been accessioned. The museum staff is currently working on acquiring a significant archaeological collection, and a Smithsonian-worthy local collector's Seminole artifacts. A new oral histories project will launch in 2017 for the Society's 55th anniversary.

Historical Society spent the past year conducting extensive community meetings to seek input on the organization's future mission. One of the projects it has adopted through this process is restoration of the historic Woodlawn Cemetery - Broward County's earliest African American cemetery. Another project born of this community outreach is a new Oral Histories project.

Historical Society's main museum offers 10,000 square feet of exhibit space. Two exhibit rooms in that museum interpret the Seminole experience and the Tequesta First Nation People. The Schoolhouse Museum honors two significant African American pioneers: Dr. Susie Holly and Sylvia Aldridge. Local African American visual artists and performers are featured at the museums throughout the year. The History Museum works with the Mexican Consulate to promote the South Florida Day of the Dead celebrations and offers exhibit space for all visual artists engaged in this celebration.

The organization's current staff includes 8 staff members dedicated to research, collections management, exhibitions and education. This team oversees all temporary and permanent exhibits, audits and manages all collections, ephemera, and library resources. They word with 2 advisory councils: museum and education, which are comprised of educators and museum professionals representing the diverse populations of the region.

The Society's campus, located on the Riverwalk Linear Park in Fort Lauderdale, lends itself easily to outdoor festivals and museum family fun days. For example, the City holds a Jazz Brunch on the Riverwalk every first Sunday. The History Museum offers free admission to its first floor galleries on that Sunday and invites local visual artists to share their work with visitors.

Historical Society's current collections include 400,000 historic photographic images, 15,000 historic blueprints, 2,500 local historic maps, hundreds of oral histories, a full research library of South Florida History, and 6,000 square feet of artifacts. The collection is supported by a full time curator, a full time education director, and a part time research director. The Society manages a campus of six historic buildings - the largest concentration of historic properties remaining in Broward County.

Historical Society is currently celebrating its 60th anniversary. The future plan is to move the History Museum to a state of the art 2 or 3 story building designed by local architect Art Bengochea & Associates. Mr. Bengochea grew up in South Florida and has a good sense of local history and historic preservation. Historical Society has brought a deputy director on the staff with an eye to succession planning.

The Society has engaged a former curator, Rodney Dillon, who is a recognized and published Florida historian and university professor with over 35 years of experience and a passion for the history of Broward County. Rodney has authored books with Dr. Paul George and with Joe Knetsch, the 2 most recognized living Florida historians. Tara Chadwick, a museum expert with national and international curatorial experience, is curator of exhibits. Tara is Belizean by birth and brings her Mezoamerican artistry and diversity experience to every exhibit that is installed in our museusm. Two staffers with MLS degrees handle research requests and manage the Society's large library and research tools.

The Society's educational programs and exhibits have not yet expanded to include interactive technology. This accomplishment is a critical need expressed in community meetings last year. The Society wishes to send all of its staff and volunteer docents for interpretative training and certification on the national level. Once accomplished this will improve the visitor and the volunteer experience.