Matheson History Museum seeks submissions for COVID-19 archive

Press release from Matheson History Museum

COVID-19 is a historic event of worldwide significance and we want to preserve our community’s stories. The Matheson History Museum’s goal is to create a COVID-19 Community Archive that will be shared digitally over the next few weeks and in exhibitions down the road. We are asking for Alachua County residents to help us document the community’s experience.

We are currently seeking digital submissions of photographs, video clips, stories, or anything else county residents think helps tell their story – feel free to get creative!

Here are a few things residents need to think about when creating their submissions:

• What strikes you visually about Alachua County in lockdown?
• What social distancing and health practices are you following?
• What do you do to stay socially connected?
• What do you miss about your life before COVID-19?
• How are you getting food and supplies?
• What has been hardest about this for you and your family?

In particular we are seeking submissions on how Mother’s Day and Memorial Day has been/will be different for everyone this year.

Kaitlyn Hof-Mahoney, Curator of Collections, has created an online exhibition of the submissions we have received so far. It can be viewed here: https://spark.adobe.com/page/y6RczdvElNYK6/. Kaitlyn is continually updating the exhibition as she receives images and narratives.

Participants should direct all submissions and questions via email (curator@mathesonmuseum.org).

We are also interested in the tangible history of the pandemic. However, we cannot accept artifacts until the museum is fully open. We are asking prospective donors to hold onto objects they wish to donate until it is safe for us to reopen.