FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – History Fort Lauderdale, proud steward of our community’s past by making our heritage accessible and engaging to residents and visitors, will celebrate its 60th Anniversary in the South Florida community beginning February 23. As part of its diamond anniversary year, History Fort Lauderdale will present its second visual tribute to impactful female leaders in South Florida, a PRIDE month LGBT+ exhibit, an environmental artists showcase, an Hispanic heritage celebration and a narrative showcasing the rise of craft beer and breweries in Broward County. These events will add to the nonprofit organization’s annual celebration of Black History Month, Native American History Month and its signature History Makers Fundraiser.
“It has been an honor for History Fort Lauderdale to serve local and residents and visitors to the area since 1962 by providing historical contexts for development, housing archives, spearheading preservation initiatives, shining a spotlight on culture and offering fun, educational tours and outreach,” said Patricia Zeiler, executive director of History Fort Lauderdale. “We’re excited about our anniversary programming and we hope to reach larger and more diverse audiences by celebrating the significant and inspiring people, places and events that shaped our past and continue to influence the future of our vibrant city.”
60th Anniversary Celebration Exhibits and Events
Currently on exhibit at History Fort Lauderdale’s New River Inn, in celebration of Black History Month (February), residents and visitor may explore “60 Years of Black Art,” a fine art exhibit featuring works for show and sale from Dillard Center for the Arts’ Advanced Placement (AP) students, through the newly extended date of April 10. The exhibit, curated by instructor Celestin Joseph, represents historical and contemporary themes of equality from the perspective of students at the very school that was instrumental in overturning segregation laws in the City of Fort Lauderdale 51 years ago.
Beginning March 10 at 5:30 p.m., kicking off with a special honoree reception, will be History Fort Lauderdale’s “Women Trailblazers: Champions of Change - Broward County” presented by Memorial Healthcare System at Galleria Fort Lauderdale (2414 East Sunrise Blvd). Six prominent women of today who are proponents of change - Sebrina María Alfonso, music director for South Florida Symphony Orchestra, Alexandra Anagnostis-Irons, founder and owner of Total Marine Solutions, Kathleen Cannon, president and CEO of United Way Broward County, Melanie Dickinson, president and publisher of South Florida Business Journal, Bertha Henry, county administrator for Broward County and Carolyn Michaels, executive vice president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce - along with their historical female predecessors who helped to pave the way for our community, will be honored during Women’s History Month. The reception, $35 per person with tickets available at https://bit.ly/HFLWomenTrailblazers2022, and a special Dillard’s pop-up shop will benefit History Fort Lauderdale. The free photo exhibition will run through March 31 at Galleria Fort Lauderdale. “Women Trailblazers: Champions of Change - Broward County” is presented by Memorial Healthcare System and is sponsored by Galleria Fort Lauderdale, United Way of Broward County, South Florida Business Journal, City & Shore PRIME magazine, Dillard’s, Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille and GPR | Goodman Public Relations.
From June 1 – 30, coinciding with PRIDE Month, History Fort Lauderdale will present “I Am What I Am: A Tribute to South Florida’s Drag Pioneers” at Galleria Fort Lauderdale. This interactive presentation will chronicle the rich history of the art of drag performance and will profile past and present South Florida performers who continue to elevate entertainment experiences locally and nationally. The exhibit will include an opening reception on May 31 and will contain video vignette interviews and perspectives, a photo wall, colorful costumes and more.
From July 10 – September 11, South Florida landscape artist Tim Forman returns with “Tranquil Tropics,” an all-new juried summer art exhibit featuring Forman’s award-winning work alongside lauded local artists including Dan Caldwell, Linda Apriletti, Hitomi Saito, Diane Deloray, Tammy Seymour, Danielle Perry and Connie Commette whose visions focus on Florida’s natural beauty and its conservation. The exhibit will open with an artists meet and greet reception.
