New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center to lease downtown space

THE NEW BEDFORD FISHING HERITAGE CENTER is leasing space in the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park in order to open a physical space for its exhibits and programs. The center's programs celebrate the city's marine heritage, which is also recognized during the New Bedford Working Waterfront Festival. / COURTESY NEW BEDFORD WORKING WATERFRONT FESTIVAL
THE NEW BEDFORD FISHING HERITAGE CENTER is leasing space in the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park in order to open a physical space for its exhibits and programs. The center's programs celebrate the city's marine heritage, which is also recognized during the New Bedford Working Waterfront Festival. / COURTESY NEW BEDFORD WORKING WATERFRONT FESTIVAL

NEW BEDFORD – The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center announced today its plans to lease space at 38 Bethel St. beginning April 1. The 3,000-square-foot, handicap accessible space is located in the heart of the New Bedford Whaling National Park and will accommodate changing exhibits, public programs, school groups, archives and community gatherings.

“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,” said center Executive Director Laura Orleans.

Exhibits are currently being developed and will open to the public in late June. The center plans to continue presenting 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. In the summer months the center will offer weekly cruise ship programs and fishermen-led walking tours, in addition to a variety of public programs including author readings, talks, occupational demonstrations and performances.

The center plans to launch its new interactive website in April, which will feature digital exhibits, an industry timeline and standards-based curriculum materials.

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The center is also collaborating with the University of Massachusetts’ Dartmouth and Boston campuses, and the New Bedford Public Library on a year-long initiative to create a digital archive of fishing community history. In Dec. 2015 the center received a $12,000 grant to help digitize the cultural heritage of the city’s fishing community from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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. For more information visit fishingheritagecenter.org.

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