by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
“We need one because we don’t have one.”
That’s how Sherrie Corrie, president of the nonprofit Jacksonville Museum and Cultural Center, describes the motivation behind an all-volunteer effort to create a new historical and cultural resource center Downtown.
Corrie is the point person in an effort to open a museum and information center that would tell of Jacksonville and its people’s history, plus offer locals and visitors a source of information on how to discover the area’s arts and recreational opportunities.
“We want to create a central location where we can combine Jacksonville’s assets with all the activities that are available and also to showcase our cultural institutions, which are Downtown,” said Corrie.
She and her fellow volunteers have already come up with a list of exhibits for the center. It includes public art, Jacksonville’s history of medical care, churches and the faith community and exhibits about local homegrown products from manufacturing to celebrities and entertainers.
Corrie said the group is also working with Springfield Restoration and Revitalization Council (SPAR) to develop a tour of historic Downtown suburban parks.
The original plan was to locate the museum at the Landing, but changes due to space availability at the riverfront retail and entertainment center have led organizers to consider other Downtown options.
The group is currently looking at possible sites for the museum and resource center on East Bay Street and around Hemming Plaza.
“We want the museum to be Downtown because Downtown is its own space,” said Corrie. “It’s the center of the city and there is space available. It’s where the museum should be.”
Another planned exhibit would showcase the story behind the effort to bring Super Bowl XXXIX to Jacksonville and what hosting the event meant to the community.
Dalton Agency president Jim Dalton, who was part of the group that created the Super Bowl spark and then promoted the proposal to NFL owners, said he has offered to loan some of his collection of Super Bowl Host Committee memorabilia and artifacts to the museum after it opens its doors.
“I think it’s an interesting project,” said Dalton. “It could give people insight into what the event was all about.”
The intention of the museum is not to replace any existing organizations, but rather to add to the resources available to promote the city.
“The Visit Jacksonville Welcome Centers have plenty of maps and information, but they don’t tell the story of Jacksonville’s people and it’s not intended to be another historical society.” said Corrie. “We want to tell the story from the 1950s forward.”
Corrie admits that as is the case with most projects like the museum, raising funds is the first step and the biggest challenge. She said it could take as much as $1 million to get the project off the ground and open for visitors. The museum’s supporters are also looking for volunteers and ideas, she said.
For more information, visit www.jaxmuseum.org.
356-2466