Tampa Bay History Center Hosts Pecha Kucha 7

Join the History Center on Friday, November 5th at 7:00 p.m. for Pecha Kucha 7.

Pecha Kucha, Japanese for "chit chat" or the sound of conversation, has taken over the creative world. What started in Tokyo in 2003 and has spread virally to over 200 cities across the world, is now coming to the Tampa Bay History Center.

Featured on NPR, a recent issue of Wired Magazine described it this way:

Creators Mark Dytham and Astrid Klein, two Tokyo-based architects have turned PowerPoint, that fixture of cubicle life, into both art form and competitive sport. Say what you need to say in six minutes and 40 seconds of exquisitely matched words and images and then sit the hell down. The result, in the hands of masters of the form, combines business meeting and poetry slam to transform corporate cliché into surprisingly compelling beat-the-clock performance art.

Part open mike, part happy hour, Pecha Kuch is a forum for new ideas. The History Center is the perfect backdrop for the seventh instalment of Pecha Kucha, which will focus on ideas for Tampa's future. Friday's panelists, including Mayoral candidate Ed Turanchik, arts entrepreneur Hampton T. Dohrman, Janet Pantaleo of Metropolitan Minestries, and others will each present 20 slides, shown for just 20 seconds each. The idea is to keep presentations concise and interest levels up.

Pecha Kucha 7 begins at 7:00 p.m. Presentations begin at 8:00 p.m. $5.00 donation is requested. The Columbia Cafe will be open for dinner/full bar.

For more information, visit Pecha Kucha Tampa Bay or call the History Center at (813) 228-0097.

Mosaic Donates $25,000 to the Tampa Bay History Center

Mosaic, a Fortune 250 company and leading employer in Central Florida, surprised the management and trustees of the Tampa Bay History Center on October 5th with a donation of $25,000 during a community reception with the company’s board of directors at the museum.

The funds will be used for educational programs about one of the region’s oldest industries – phosphate. Mosaic and its predecessor companies have been operating in Central Florida for more than a century and have played a key role in the development of the Port of Tampa as well as countless small businesses that support the phosphate industry. The company is the world's leading producer and marketer of phosphate-based crop nutrients vital to farmers throughout the U.S. and the world.

“Mosaic was pleased to underwrite the Port City exhibit when the History Center was built, and now this gift is focused on helping with its education mission,” said David Townsend, assistant vice president of public affairs for Mosaic and a member of the History Center’s board of trustees. “Our industry has a rich history that is closely tied to this region’s economic development, and there’s no better place to tell that story than the Tampa Bay History Center.”

According to C.J. Roberts, the Frank E. Duckwall President & CEO of the History Center, “As part of our mission to preserve and interpret the Tampa Bay region’s heritage, we welcome the opportunity to highlight the phosphate industry’s importance to the region.”

Tampa Sports History, Interview with The Fabulous Sports Babe

Radio personality Nanci Donnellan, better known to her legions of fans as “The Fabulous Sports Babe,” began her career here in the Tampa Bay area in 1982. After moves that took her to Seattle, Bristol, Conn., and New York City, the Babe took several years off from broadcasting earlier in the decade, but she is once again a fixture on the local airwaves. Always opinionated and willing to tell it like it is, the Babe can be heard weekdays on WHBO 1040-AM from 12-3 p.m. She recently took some time to talk about the changes in sports radio, the issue of local baseball attendance, and some fond memories involving the late George Steinbrenner.

 
To read more, check out the Tampa Sports History blog, or the October 22 print edition of La Gaceta newspaper. 

Tampa Bay History Center Hosts Home School Day

Learn about Florida’s Indians, how they lived and what happened to them during Home School History Day, Thursday, Nov. 4, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Tampa Bay History Center.

Meet archaeologists from the Florida Public Archeology Network and the Central Gulf Coast Archaeology Society and find out how they unlock clues to life in the past, all while exploring the world of Florida’s first people. Children ages 4 to 17 and their parents will meet representatives from the Seminole Tribe of Florida, participate in hands-on activities, and experience interactive exhibits and demonstrations. Parents will receive educational materials to take home.

Home School History Day is $10.00 per person, ages four to adult, and includes admission into the History Center galleries. Members of the Tampa Bay History Center receive a $3.00 discount for both children and adults. Space is limited, pre-registration is required.

For more information on Home School History Day, contact the History Center’s Curator of Education, Julie Matus at (813) 675-8981 or visit our website.

Tampa Sports History, 10/13/85

25 years ago this week, the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers welcomed into town the undefeated Los Angeles Rams. Having just traded their All-Pro linebacker Hugh Green to the Miami Dolphins, the Buccaneers figured to be vulnerable to a Rams' attack led by star running back Eric Dickerson. Would the defense falter or play well enough for an upset?

To read more, check out the Tampa Sports History blog, or the October 15 print edition of La Gaceta newspaper. 

Why do they call it that? Fowler Avenue and Dobyville

Tampa Sports History, 10/13/85

This week 25 years ago, Tampa lost a true legend when former University of Tampa football coach Marcelino "Chelo" Huerta died of a heart attack. His contributions to the community, however, extended far beyond the football field.

To read more, check out the Tampa Sports History blog, or the October 8 print edition of La Gaceta newspaper.

From the Orange Blossom Special to High-Speed Rail: Train Travel in Tampa Bay

Orange Blossom Special, ca. 1930s
Tampa Bay History Center Collection

The Tampa Bay History Center's latest exhibition, From the Orange Blossom Special to High Speed Rail: Train Travel in Tampa Bay, opens today, Friday, October 8 at 10:00 a.m.

This exhibition focuses on the history of trains and rail travel in Tampa Bay and Florida, including the development in the 1800s of various rail lines throughout the state, the influence of Henry Plant and Tampa’s streetcar system. The exhibition will also touch on current rail usages, developments and initiatives.

From the Orange Blossom Special to High Speed Rail will be on exhibit through December 31st in the History Center’s Third Floor Gallery and is included with regular gallery admission. For more information, contact the Tampa Bay History Center at 228-0097 or online.

Check out these great images from the exhibit:

Tampa's Union Station, ca. 1920- Courtesy of Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library

Hauling timber, ca. 1920s. Courtesy of Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library

Seaboard Air Line, ca. 1950s. Courtesy of Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library

Why do they call it that? Charlie Creek & West Tampa

Tampa Bay History Center Uncovers ‘Museum Mysteries’ During "A Little History"

The Tampa Bay History Center continues its preschoolers’ program, A Little History, on Wednesday, October 13 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. with Museum Mysteries.

Enjoy a spooky (not scary!) adventure as you solve the case of the missing artifact. Fingerprints may be taken as we search behind-the-scenes and through the galleries to find the culprit. Age appropriate crafts and games add to the mystery.

A Little History is open to children ages 3 to 5 with an adult companion. Programs are held one weekday per month from 10:30 -11:30 a.m. Each program is $10 per child and $6 per adult. Members of the History Center receive a $2 discount for both children and adults. Gallery admission is included. One adult must accompany every two children. Space is limited, pre-registration is required.

For more information contact the History Center’s Assistant Curator of Education, Jennifer Tyson, at (813) 675-8960 or visit our website.

Tampa Sports History, Interview with Mark Carrier

Mark Carrier, a third round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1987, is Tampa Bay's most prolific receiver of all-time. He still owns the most 100-yard receiving games in team history (15), and the single-game receiving yardage record (212). A Buccaneer from 1987-1992, Carrier played 12 seasons in the NFL and finished his career with 8,763 yards and 48 touchdowns. Carrier can now be heard weekdays alongside Ronnie Lane on WHBO 1040-AM from 3-7 p.m.

To read more, check out the Tampa Sports History blog, or the October 1 print edition of La Gaceta newspaper. 

Inaugural “HISTeria” Costume Party to Benefit Tampa Bay History Center

Halloween with the kids? The Zoo has you covered. Halloween with 100,000 people? Try Guavaween. Halloween with history’s notorious gangsters, thieves and tyrants? The History Center is the place to be.

On Saturday, October 16th, the Tampa Bay History Center wants you to explore the dark side of history with HISTeria, a night of costumed revelry. A Halloween fundraiser in the heart of downtown Tampa, HISTeria will feature food from some of Tampa’s best local restaurants including SideBern’s, Fly Bar and Restaurant, Cafe Hey, AJA, Datz Deli, Ella’s Folk Café, and the Columbia Cafe, among others.

Performance artists, psychics and Tampa’s D.J. Blenda will transform the History Center into downtown Tampa’s premier Halloween destination. Don’t miss what will be Tampa’s must-attend Halloween event.

Plus, proceeds will benefit the History Center’s educational programs.

HISTeria will take place Saturday, October 16th from 8:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Tickets $50.00 prior to October 16th and $60.00 on the day of the event. Tickets include one complimentary beverage and parking. A special $80.00 VIP package includes valet parking and an additional complimentary beverage.

Tampa Bay History Center is located at 801 Old Water Street in the Channelside District of downtown Tampa. Support for the event is provided by St. Petersburg Times, *tbt, Yuengling Brewery and Mama Razzi Foto, Constellation Wines and the Tampa Downtown Partnership.

Visit http://www.histeriaevent.com/ for more information and to purchase advance tickets or call Visitor Services at (813) 228-0097 ext. 0.