A Note from the Director
    
Dear Friends:

While summer does not "officially" start until June 21, the Floridians among us know the temps and the humidity are about to turn WAY up for the foreseeable future! For the Museum, summer means two things--planning for our coming year and writing GRANTS! Coincidentally, our two biggest grants--the Cultural Services Grant through the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville and the General Program Support through the Florida Department of State's Division of Arts & Culture are BOTH due on June 21! If you see us sweating a little in the next few weeks, it may not just be the temperature!

We are so grateful for both of these opportunities for state and local support and are proud to be on the list with so many esteemed museums and cultural institutions across the state.

With regards to planning, get ready to mark your calendars as we begin to roll out a VERY busy summer and fall! You will not want to miss a partnership with the Jacksonville Historical Society in July, new artists exhibits in August and October, more music and perhaps some theatre in the Chapel and of course, our annual favorites centering around the locomotive! We'll have something for everyone as we work to "preserve and share the distinct history and culture of the Beaches area" and we can't wait to see you there!

Sincerely,

Chris Hoffman
Executive Director

Beaches Museum Announces Beach Legends Nominees

Recognizing that tomorrow’s history is being made today, the Beaches Museum has announced the extraordinary individuals selected to be recognized at its Beach Legends Gala, Friday, September 15 at the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse.

"An annual gala has been part of our organization since its inception. But this year marks the 10th year of honoring Beach Legends." says co-chair Leslee Burch. "Honoring these history-makers is right in line with our mission and we are proud of its success!"

The 2023 Honorees are:

Clare Berry’s life work is seemingly to make people feel welcome in our community. From being one of our area’s top realtors to her decades of service to The PLAYERS Championship through the Player Services, PR and Admissions Committees, Clare helps everyone from new homeowners to internationally known golfers feel right at home. Her generosity of time, talent and treasure to organizations such as the Episcopal School of Jacksonville, BEAM and Audubon Eagle Watchers helps make our community a better place for all.

Joe Mitrick spent his career focused on the health of our community. As a leader in the Baptist Health system, Joe made his most notable mark on our area as the CEO of Baptist Medical Center-Beaches. Leading during a time of tremendous expansion in the health care offerings for our community, Joe was also an engaged and active leader at the beaches through the JAX Chamber-Beaches Division, Mission House, Exchange Club and more.

Coach George Paugh is a true waterman. Countless kids across our community learned how to swim from him at the Beaches Aquatic Club with hundreds more learning how to be Junior Lifeguards under his leadership and commitment to the Volunteer Life Saving Corps since 1964. During his tenure at Fletcher High School, Coach Paugh was a fixture alongside the pool or the wrestling mat as a quiet leader in the swimming, diving and wrestling programs at the school.

“We are thrilled with support of the community for this event and these honorees and expect our tenth year to be the best year so yet” said Gala Co-Chair Heather McConville.

To learn about sponsorship opportunities, tickets, tables and auction, please visit the event website here.

Boardwalk Talk: Guitar Greats of Jacksonville--Michael Ray FitzGerald
Thursday, June 22, 6:30pm

Legions of bands formed, composed of teens making a ruckus in the garage. But who could have guessed how many world-renowned greats would arise from the clangor? Guitar gods came forth from Los Angeles, London, Chicago, Nashville. But there is a southern city often overlooked, an unlikely incubator that produced more than a dozen greats. Legends such as Dickey Betts, Dave Hlubek, Duane Allman, Jeff Carlisi, Mike Campbell and Derek Trucks emerged from Jacksonville, a far-flung city detached from the music hubs. Why did Jacksonville give rise to so many greats? Author Michael Ray FitzGerald explores the origins of this rocking story while paying tribute to the youngsters from Jax who joined the ranks of the guitar gods.

This event is free to Beaches Museum members with a suggested $5 donation for non-members. Please visit the Beaches Museum website www.beachesmuseum.org or call 904-241-5657 for further information.

Register Here

Florida Chamber Music Project Wraps 2nd Season at the Beaches Museum Chapel

The Florida Chamber Music Project successfully moved their concert season to the Beaches Museum Chapel in 2021.

The Florida Chamber Music Project provides live classical music in an intimate chamber music setting for residents of St. Johns County, St. Augustine, Clay County and the surrounding areas of Jacksonville and Northeast Florida.

Dates for their next season will be announced soon. For more information about this group, visit their website here.

Support the Museum through Membership!

Membership at the Beaches Museum is a great way to show your support!

Join us in preserving, understanding and celebrating the history of the Beaches – become a member of the Beaches Museum. Join now, and you receive all the benefits of membership, including access to historic buildings, the Beaches Museum and rotating exhibits showcasing the colorful heritage of our Beaches communities.

You can become a member of Beaches Museum on our website. You can also donate directly to the Museum. When you chose to donate you can select a project that most interests you, including the Chapel Preservation Fund, the Jean McCormick Founders Fund or the Museum’s General Fund.

Wish You Were Here: Tourism at the World's Finest Beach

Take a journey through history to see the growth of the Beaches, with the combination of tradition and innovation that has been the hallmark of Beaches tourism.

Since the 1800s, tourism has brought people from all over the United States and beyond to the Beaches, and many visitors now call the Beaches home. These visitors helped create employment and prosperity that caused the Beaches to grow.

Learn how tourism has supported the Beaches and made this community the inviting and beautiful destination it is today.

Special thanks to Jacksonville Magazine for featuring this exhibit in their April edition. If you missed it on newsstands, you can read the article here.

The exhibit will be on display at the Museum from March 3 to July 9.

Thank you to our sponsors:

Beaches Museum Legacy Circle

Join our Legacy Circle!

Help ensure a future for our past by making a planned gift or a gift to our endowment! To learn more about remembering the Museum in your will or contributing to the future sustainability of our organization, please contact Chris at 904-241-5657 x 113 or [email protected].

About the Beaches Museum

Beaches Museum's mission is "to preserve and share the distinct history and culture of the Beaches area."

The Beaches Museum is generously supported by The Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville and Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs.