Lydia Stewart is the museum administrator for The Ritz Theatre & LaVilla Museum.
HOW LONG ON THE JOB?
“I’ve been the administrator since before we opened in 1999. I was hired by our executive director, Carol Alexander.”
WHAT DOES SHE DO?
“As museum administrator, I am responsible for developing our permanent collection. By that, I mean gaining acquisitions and objects to help tell the story of African life in Jacksonville. I am also responsible for maintaining the collection with repairs and daily cleanings. Donations are not normally in exhibit condition. Some restorations such as simple wood refinishings are done on-site by us. The delicate, intricate things we take to the professionals. Additionally, I work with community groups and organizations to bring visitors in. We do workshops and performances based on the exhibits, too. Each year, we hold an orientation to introduce ourselves to area teachers so they can incorporate the museum into their curriculum with field trips. Other things I do include the detail work involved with preparing the traveling galleries for show: shipping, installation, layout, research to provide information pieces and opening activities.”
WHERE DOES SHE GET THE EXHIBITS?
“Periodically, we receive publications and we are members of several museum organizations and historical organizations, so we get quite a bit of information from them. We also search the Internet to see what’s out there. It’s a mixed bag of resources. After that, we look at our budget to see if we can afford it and check our calendar to see if we can fit it in a certain time frame. They usually run three to four months. We were able to get an extension on the Henrietta Marie [a slave ship that sunk 300 hundred years ago] exhibit due to popular demand. It allowed us to have a great summer exhibit. This is a time when there are lots of field trips and summer campers.”
WHO ELSE TOURS THE MUSEUM?
“Another large segment of our visitor population is senior citizens. Many times they will have their own tales, experiences or information. They may have photographs or other belongings. They have all sorts of things they keep as stewards of their history. That’s one more way we continue to acquire things.”
WHAT GOES ON IN THE THEATER?
“Performance is not my area. I coordinate the museum activities. Teneese Thomas [the production coordinator] handles our scheduling and presentations. Each month we have spoken word, an open mic night for local poets to share with the community. I’m excited about incorporating a literary extension to what we do. We have our annual exhibit, Through Our Eyes, by local African-American artists. This is probably one of the few professional gallery spaces for them to work in. I started it 10 years ago while I was at Ch. 7. We also have the capability to rent the facility to community groups. For example, last Saturday we had a dance recital. Other organizations have had programs, graduations or town meetings. We are a facility of the City, so Jacksonville is our governing body.”
HOMETOWN
Washington, D.C.
WHAT BROUGHT HER HERE?
“I married someone from Jacksonville. I’ve been in Jacksonville since 1974. My interest in history started after I moved. My husband’s grandmother had a phenomenal memory. She could sit and talk for hours, telling us about all the neighbors on the block, where their children were, who did what and all of the events that were significant in her experience. There was no central repository of this information. A lot of it was not in history books, just in people’s memories. That sparked my interest in recording history. It’s worth writing down and passing on. It grew into a real passion.”
EDUCATION
Elementary education was Stewart’s major at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
WHERE DID SHE TEACH?
“I taught briefly in Philadelphia, before I started a family. I had to give so much as a teacher that I felt I wouldn’t have much left for my children.”
WHERE ELSE HAS SHE WORKED?
“My first job here was as a reporter for The Florida Star. Then I worked at Ch. 7 for 17 years as a producer/on-air personality. I had the “Black Family” public affairs live talk show.”
FUNNIEST TV MOMENT?
“My microphone became unplugged so my manager had to go across the floor to plug it back in. He wound up with his head almost in my lap and I had to keep talking like nothing was going on.”
WOULD SHE GO BACK INTO JOURNALISM?
“I still have an affinity for writing, understanding human nature and problem solving. I don’t think I would go back into broadcasting, though. There is a real need for journalists that have passion and integrity. We depend so heavily on them to tell the story and get it right. It’s one of those professions like teaching where you don’t get as much credit as you should.”
WHAT IS HER ONGOING CHALLENGE?
“Being able to truthfully represent the heritage, legacy and history of this community. It’s a privilege to be trusted with that. The challenging part is getting it right so people feel this is their story and their institution. And, of course, making it interesting so people feel it’s a place worth coming to.”
HOBBIES
Shopping for antiques. She also likes cooking, collecting scallop shells from the beach and tuning into the Home & Garden network. She considers tending her house plants an almost mediative practice. Sushi and Italian food top her list of favorite dishes.
— by Monica Chamness