The Matheson History Museum presents ‘Cocoa & Culture: Sweet Stories from Trinidad to St. Augustine’
Press release from the Matheson History Museum
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Matheson History Museum will present “Cocoa & Culture: Sweet Stories from Trinidad to St. Augustine,” with Dr. Clarissa Carr and Anthea Grant, on Wednesday, December 3, at 7 p.m. The program is free with registration.
Join Dr. Clarissa Carr and graduate researcher Anthea Grant of the University of Florida Historic Preservation Program for a fascinating journey into the cultural and historic legacy of chocolate in two richly layered places: Trinidad and Tobago and St. Augustine, Florida. Funded by the Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Research Grant, their projects highlight how cocoa has shaped landscapes, identities, and economies across time and place.
Anthea Grant, born and raised in Trinidad, will share her research into the island’s cocoa traditions, from colonial-era plantations to today’s cultural rituals like “Dancing the Cocoa.” Learn how oral histories and immersive digital storytelling are helping preserve the voices and stories of cocoa farmers, descendants of enslaved Africans, Indian indentured laborers, and Indigenous peoples.
Dr. Carr will then unwrap Sweet Beginnings: St. Augustine’s Chocolate Legacy, an exhibit that explores how chocolate-making in one of America’s oldest cities intersected with immigration, innovation, and nostalgia. This exhibit highlights archival discoveries, a 1641 shipwreck, and the stories of families who shaped the city’s sweet tooth.
You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how preservationists document and share chocolate’s global story through interviews, maps, 360-degree video, and digital exhibits.
In-person registration: https://mathesonmuseum.networkforgood.com/events/89710-cocoa-culture-sweet-stories-from-trinidad-to-st-augustine
Clarissa Carr, Ph.D.
Dr. Clarissa Carr is the Digital Scholarship Specialist for the UF Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere. She teaches courses on heritage communication, interpretive design, and the use of digital tools like ArcGIS StoryMaps. Her research explores modernist architectural heritage, graphic design in preservation, and innovative storytelling through exhibitions and digital media.
Her recent projects include a preservation history of the UF campus, the National Register nomination of Lakeshore Towers, and the exhibit Sweet Beginnings: Unwrapping St. Augustine’s Chocolate Legacy. Dr. Carr holds a Ph.D. in Historic Preservation from UF, along with certificates in Museum Studies, Web Design, and Historic Preservation. She also earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in interior design from UF. An active preservationist, she serves on the boards of Gainesville Modern and UF’s Preservation of Historic Buildings and Sites Committee.
Anthea Grant
Anthea Grant is a graduate student in Historic Preservation at the University of Florida, where she will earn her MHP in Fall 2025. A seasoned museum professional and former Assistant Curator at the Rotunda Gallery in the Office of the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago, Ms. Grant brings over a decade of experience in curating, public engagement, and content development. She currently serves as a Graduate Research Assistant with the University of Florida’s Preservation Institute Nantucket, contributing to projects focused on intangible cultural heritage.
For her thesis project, Ms. Grant has studied both the built and intangible history of the chocolate-making process in Trinidad and Tobago. A unique strength of this work lies in her personal connection to the subject: born and raised in Trinidad, she brings firsthand knowledge of the island’s culture, traditions, and agricultural history. Her deep ties to the local community provide her with unparalleled access to cocoa farmers, historians, and cultural practitioners, allowing her to explore and preserve this heritage not only as a scholar but also as a community stakeholder.
This program is sponsored in part by Visit Gainesville/Alachua County, FL, and the City of Gainesville.