Commission approves rotating exhibits at Visitor Information Center; Ireland exhibit to open March 8

The City Commission on Jan. 27 approved a plan to restore rotating exhibits at the Visitor Information Center (VIC), designating an Irish-history installation as the first exhibit and authorizing the city manager to execute the required vendor contract.

Corey Sackard, director of the General Services Department, described the VIC’s South Gallery as a roughly 17-by-17 enclosed space suitable for self-guided, low-staff exhibits and said existing policies and the county’s tourist development agreement support the use. "It is approximately 17 by 17 feet...so rotating exhibits can be accommodated in this by operating as a self guided and self contained installation," Sackard said.

Dr. Michael Francis, Huff Family Chair of Florida Studies at the University of South Florida, outlined the Irish exhibit concept, which will profile more than 200 Irish-born people who lived in St. Augustine between about 1595 and 1840, highlight an early Irish parish priest (Ricardo/ Richard Arthur), and include a three-dimensional map based on an 1788 Mariano de la Roque survey. "We're profiling some of these stories, people who are not particularly well known," Francis said.

Sarah Kavanaugh, Consul General of Ireland in Florida, said the consulate hopes to participate in a launch event planned for Sunday evening, March 8, and is exploring ministerial and academic involvement and period-appropriate music. "So we're looking at Sunday evening, the March 8," Kavanaugh said, adding that the event could feature visiting scholars and musicians.

Commissioners asked about exhibit duration and logistics; Sackard said the city manager would negotiate terms and that the city has flexibility on scheduling and contract length. After discussion, the commission voted to approve the concept and give the city manager authority to sign the vendor contract for the Irish exhibit and for the rotating-exhibit program.

The commission did not adopt a detailed calendar or guaranteed run length at the meeting; staff said the timing and turnover would be set in vendor negotiations. The city indicated the VIC’s rotating-exhibit program would be operated to avoid attachment to historically sensitive features of the adjacent old St. Augustine Civic Center and to limit staffing impacts.

The city clerk recorded a roll-call vote approving the concept and authorization; the exhibit launch event is scheduled for March 8, subject to final contract arrangements and event planning.

The commission's approval restores the VIC’s ability to host temporary, interpretive displays intended to support visitor orientation and local historical interpretation.