The WRECKED! exhibit at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum won first place in the Education category from the American Society of Interior Designers. The nomination was submitted by Museum partners Peter and Sharon Exley of Architecture is Fun.

With inspiration and guidance from Museum staff and volunteers, they designed an exhibit that combines art, interactive experiences and traditional museum displays. Highlights include a recreation of an undulating sea floor and “floating ships” in the 1876 keepers’ house basement. These design elements provide a fun and unique way to portray how archaeologists discovered the story of a ship of British loyalist refugees that wrecked off the St. Augustine Coast at the end of the Revolutionary War.

“We are thrilled that this exhibition at the Museum has received recognition for design excellence,” said Kathy Fleming, Executive Director of the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. “With a mission of preservation, discovery and education of maritime history, WRECKED! is an example of how we can showcase our archaeological research into an interactive display that educates the public.”

Discover St. Augustine’s ties to the American Revolutionary War in this interactive exhibition. See artifacts from a 1782 British loyalist shipwreck found right here in St. Augustine and learn how underwater archaeologists locate historic shipwrecks on the ocean floor.

For more details about the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, visit staugustinelighthouse.org or call 904-829-0745. Stay updated on social media at facebook.com/staugustinelighthouse, Instagram.com/stauglighthouse, and twitter.com/firstlighthouse

ABOUT THE ST. AUGUSTINE LIGHTHOUSE & MARITIME MUSEUM:

A pivotal navigation tool and unique landmark of St. Augustine for over 140 years, the St. Augustine Light Station is host to centuries of history in the Nation’s Oldest Port®. Through interactive exhibits, guided tours and maritime research, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is on a mission to discover, preserve, present and keep alive the stories of the Nation’s Oldest Port® as symbolized by our working lighthouse. We are the parent organization to the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP) and an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. (StAugustineLighthouse.org)

 

About the American Alliance of Museums:

The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums. The American Alliance of Museums has been bringing museums together since 1906, helping to develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum community. As the ultimate mark of distinction in the museum field, accreditation signifies excellence and credibility. Accreditation helps to ensure the integrity and accessibility of museum collections,  and reinforces the education and public service roles of museums and promote good governance practices and ethical behavior. Representing more than 35,000 individual museum professionals and volunteers, institutions, and corporate partners serving the museum field, the Alliance stands for the broad scope of the museum community. (www.aam-us.org)