PR- New Exhibit Opening at Fishing Heritage Center

New Bedford, MA - New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is excited to announce the opening of its new, permanent exhibit, More than a Job: Work and Community in New Bedford’s Fishing Industry.

The Center will celebrate the grand opening of the new exhibit as well as its 5th Anniversary on Saturday, June 26 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. with a free public event. The celebration at 38 Bethel Street will include demonstrations of industry skills, kids' activities, and live music by the Rum Soaked Crooks. A speaking program will begin at noon with remarks delivered by Congressman Bill Keating, State Representative Tony Cabral, and Brian Boyles, Executive Director of Mass Humanities.

“The nation’s most valuable port has long deserved an institution dedicated to telling its story,” said Executive Director Laura Orleans. “The Fishing Heritage Center fills that void, and our new exhibit offers visitors the sort of immersive experience usually reserved for larger museums,”

More Than a Job provides visitors with an introduction to the New Bedford fishing industry. Visitors can explore the changing nature of work and community through displays that present labor history, immigration, and sustainability. They can also experience a working deck, which includes a scallop dredge, galley table and bunks.

Funding for More than a Job: Work and Community in New Bedford’s Fishing Industry is provided by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and significant support from Bristol County Savings Bank. Major in-kind support for this exhibit was provided by Fairhaven Shipyard and Blue Fleet Welding.

Digital Storytelling is Central to New Exhibit
Guests can view historic and contemporary images and footage, and listen to more than 60 audio clips sharing the many voices of the fishing community:

“My husband, he didn’t tell me this, but he fell overboard while they were out to sea. They brought up the net, and he was in it. . . Now those kind of things our husbands didn’t tell us, because they didn’t want us to be upset over it.” -Barbara Calnan, fisherman’s wife

“To be standing all day makes you tired. But sometimes when you are working, cleaning fish, you start thinking of your father or sometimes your mother and you think “I'll send my check this week” … you are always thinking about your people. … we all have the same purpose to earn money to be able to send to our families.” -Lillian Riveira, fish cutter

These quotes are among the bounty of audio excerpts presented in More Than a Job, mined from the Center’s extensive collection of audio recordings to create five listening stations and an interactive touch screen.

In 2004, the Working Waterfront Festival began documenting the history and experiences of the fishing community, Interviewing more than100 active and retired fishermen, workers in shoreside trades, and fishing family members. Additionally, over 100 facilitated discussions on topics ranging from sea stories to regulations were recorded on the Festival’s Narrative Stage. In 2016, when the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center opened its doors, this rich collection became the foundation for the Center’s archive.

Since 2016, the Center has doubled the size of its digital collection, engaging in several significant projects. The Center received an Archie Green Fellowship from the Library of Congress to support Working the Waterfront which produced interviews and photographic portraits of 58 shoreside workers. A two-year project to research the history of organized labor on the New Bedford waterfront produced forty interviews with fishermen, boat owners, union representatives, elected officials, journalists, and others.

In addition to the audio clips, visitors will be able to hear sounds typically heard on an offshore fishing vessel, watch scallops being shucked, and enjoy historic footage from the Blessing of the Fleet.

About the Fishing Heritage Center
Over the past five years, the Fishing Heritage Center has welcomed thousands of visitors, hosted hundreds of local students, recorded dozens of oral history interviews, created numerous exhibits, and hosted a wide variety of educational programs. See the Center’s website for updates on this event, www.fishingheritagecenter.org.

Located in the nation’s most valuable fishing port, New Bedford 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 open Thursday-Sunday, 10:00am-4:00pm. Admission is free through June 30. Beginning July 1, admission is $5; $4 for seniors and students; and free for members and children under 12. To schedule a small group tour of the new exhibit or to learn more about the exhibit, contact programs@fishingheritagecenter.org or call (508) 993-8894.