By Jackie Garbarino
Museum Gift Shop and Volunteer Manager
Dr. Don Keith had his hands full with the Molasses Reef Wreck and the downstairs gallery renovation. The AND Construction crew had their hands full moving 12-foot long anchors. But they all persisted as these photos show.
Downstairs gallery room BEFORE . . . remember this old grey carpet?
Don ponders moving the delicate wood pieced from the wreck. Candianne and Pat are ready to assist.
The new floor is tongue and groove pine, but to get a plank floor effect we used the “wrong” side of the wood. This required sanding off all the factory markings and then staining it. An arduous task in the August sun.
The AND Construction crew starts the installation. Two boards down, many to go.
With the floor complete the exhibit is reassembled. Here the AND crew is returning the anchor … the VERY heavy anchor . . . next the cannon.
The fantastic team of sanders, stainers, artifact movers, floor installers and gift shop re-arrangers. There is nothing this crew can not do! Painting is next.
Dr. Keith secures the cannon and breathes a sigh of relief that we and the artifacts survived the chaos of construction.
Jakaira Bascombe admires the new floor on a final weekday visit to the museum before school starts next week.
