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Commission approves rotating exhibits at Visitor Information Center; Irish exhibit to open March 8
Summary
The City Commission approved establishing a rotating exhibit space in the Visitor Information Center’s South Gallery and authorized the city manager to sign a vendor contract. The inaugural exhibit, developed with University of South Florida and the Irish Consulate, will highlight early Irish residents of St. Augustine and is slated to launch March 8.
The City Commission voted to approve a program to host limited rotating exhibits in the Visitor Information Center (VIC) and granted the city manager authority to sign a vendor contract for the project.
Corey Sackard, director of the general services department, told commissioners the South Gallery is an unused, self-contained 17-by-17-foot space that can host exhibits without impinging on the VIC’s regular operations. "If it remains open during regular VIC operating hours, it requires no additional staffing," Sackard said in his presentation.
Dr. Michael Francis, Huff Family Chair of Florida Studies at the University of South Florida, described the first proposed show: an Irish-focused exhibit that will profile more than 200 Irish-born people who lived in St. Augustine between about 1595 and 1840. "One feature is a projected, looping video that tells the stories of men and women who formed a central thread in St. Augustine's colonial fabric," Francis said, explaining physical and digital elements planned for the space.
Sarah Kavanaugh, the Irish consul general to Florida, said the consulate and academic partners plan a public inauguration on Sunday evening, March 8, and hope to bring visiting scholars and period musicians to the event. "There's a strong educational element to this," Kavanaugh said. "We hope this will add depth and substance to what St. Patrick's Day is about."
Commissioners discussed the expected duration and format of rotating exhibits; Sackard said the city manager would negotiate precise terms with each exhibitor and that timing could vary by proposal. The motion to approve the concept and authorize city manager signature passed by roll call vote.
Why it matters: The VIC is one of the city's primary visitor-orientation points and is funded in part by visitor-generated revenues. Proponents said rotating exhibits increase cultural programming without recurring staffing costs; commissioners noted the proposal supports historic interpretation and visitor experience.
What’s next: City staff will finalize the vendor contract and schedule details for the Irish exhibit’s opening on March 8. The commission asked staff to ensure exhibit installations are sensitive to the VIC’s historic setting and to confirm environmental and security protections for exhibit materials.
