The Key West Art & Historical Society has been selected as a recipient of a new exhibition partnership program, “Exhibition Starter Kit: FOOD,” which captures and shares local narratives on food.
KWAHS is one of eight non-profit organizations in the state that received funding in June from Florida Humanities, to create the exhibitions, in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Exhibition Service. The KWAHS exhibit will be titled “FOOD: Celebrating Conch Cuisine.”
“Peeling back the layers of our local and regional food, you uncover a much larger story centering around the Key West’s diverse community,” said 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.”
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.
All sites have received initial funding of $5,000 from Florida Humanities to work with the Smithsonian during 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 built and installed at each venue in early 2026 with additional support provided by Florida Humanities.
“Exhibition Starter Kits give small museums a great opportunity to use a Smithsonian framework that gives national context to local exhibitions,” said Carol Harsh, Smithsonian Institution Museum on Main Street program director. “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.”
Founded in 1949, the Key West Art and Historical Society is a 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 — KWAHS is dedicated to community engagement through its diverse educational programs, exhibitions and online resources.
Florida Humanities, the statewide, non-profit 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. Information is available at floridahumanities.org.
The program 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 U.S. Congress. Funding for this project in Florida has been provided by Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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