BOATBUILDING LECTURE FEATURES
T.J. McDERMOTT
The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum Community of Scholars Lecture Series continues on Tuesday, June 7th with “Boatbuilding in Key West: History and Future.”
Thomas J. McDermott (“TJ”), who recently joined the staff at the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum as Assistant Curator of Education, will give his presentation on boatbuilding at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, June 7th at the Tropic Cinema on Eaton Street. TJ is from a boatbuilding family and will provide a compelling history of boatbuilding in Key West as well as a glimpse into the future.
Historic vessels are TJ’s passion, and he will be building a historic Key West sponge boat in the Museum’s Discovery Room starting a “living exhibit” in August/September of 2005.
His experience includes Director of Marketing and Shop Manager for James Betts Enterprises, Inc. in California where he managed production of high profile vessels such as America’s Cup and Around the World Alone racing yachts. He returned to university after these experiences to graduate on the Dean’s List from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. His areas of focus were theology, science, technology and values. TJ is a member of the board of directors for the Key West Maritime Historical Society.
TJ is best known throughout the Keys as owner and boatbuilder with Bone Island Boatworks. He is also founder and director of Key Education, Inc. Key Education is a private not-for-profit educational organization. In July of 2003 and 2004, TJ and his wife Maggie spearheaded family boatbuilding for the Keys community that included a diversity of participants ranging from traditional family units to disadvantaged youth. This weekend event is an outreach program initiated by Maine’s Wooden Boat Magazine.
This year’s event in Key West is planned for July 23 and 24 and is a part of the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum’s 20th Anniversary celebration of the finding of the main pile of the Atocha.
TJ will direct Mel Fisher Maritime Museum’s MER ACADEMY summer program which will be held for four weeks: June 6-10; June 13-17; June 20-24 and July 18-22. For information on that program, call 294-2633 x 20 or check the museum website www.melfisher.org.
The Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum is a 501 c (3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the research, preservation and education of New World History. Founded in 1982, it is the most visited non-profit history museum in the southeastern United States and has been accredited by the American Association of Museums.
