Florida Maritime Museum

Story

Thank you for visiting The Folk School at Florida Maritime Museum’s Facebook.
Please note if you post a comment, The Folk School at Florida Maritime Museum reserves the right to delete submissions that are not topically related to the particular social medium article being commented upon; comments that contain vulgar language, personal attacks of any kind, or comments that are offensive to a person with reasonable sensitivity or target or disparage age, race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sexual preference, handicapped or disabled, genetic information, or status as a veteran or disabled veteran of the U.S. armed forces.

Further, The Folk School at Florida Maritime Museum also reserves the right to delete comments that:
• are spam or include links to other sites;
• are clearly off topic;
• advocate illegal activity;
• promote or oppose particular services, products, or political organizations and candidates;
• infringe on copyrights or trademarks; or
• would be offensive to community standards of decency.

The comments expressed on this site, other than those posted by The Folk School at Florida Maritime Museum, do not reflect the opinions and position of the Florida Maritime Museum/Manatee County Clerk of Court or its officers, employees, or volunteers. If you have any questions concerning the operation of this online moderated discussion site, contact the Florida Maritime Museum Supervisor at 941-708-6121.

Mission

The Folk School supports the mission of the Florida Maritime Museum to collect, preserve and share traditional knowledge, cultural artifacts, and personal stories specific to Florida's fishing and maritime heritage.

The Folk School is a “school for life.” With a focus on providing a supportive environment, the Folk School provides a place where anyone, of any class, can come to learn skills that will give our community a sense of pride and dignity in themselves and our local culture.

Why a folk school? The folk skills and heritage crafts of Cortez Fishing Village, and early communities throughout Florida, are at risk of being lost. As geographic distance between families continues to grow, new ways of passing on information need to emerge.

People are craving a connection to the past. The fast pace of development and technology has left people with a longing for moments of simplicity and nostalgia. Studies have shown that learning about the past creates a stronger sense of connection to a place, thus helping new-comers or visitors relate more personally to the area.

We offer myriad folk-related experiences that enable immersion in hand-made crafts, story-telling, writing, and other traditional skills such as quilting, canning, candle-making, soap-making, woodcrafting, boat building, shell craft classes, skin-on-frame kayak building classes, kids crafts and numerous other offerings to meet the needs of our residents and visitors. These classes will also provide the opportunity for visitors to build shared memories around common interests, further knitting community ties and a sense of place.

Our programs are offered year-round, with courses tailored to the interests of adults and youth of all ages. Affordable pricing options will be available for members, groups and individuals. We hope to see you soon!