Shell Museum Awarded Arts and Attractions Grant

Written by: Kathleen E. Hoover
Publication Date: September 28, 2009

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Dr. José H. Leal, Director/Curator of The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum, announced that the Museum was awarded an Arts and Attractions Grant by the Southwest Florida Community Foundation in partnership with the Tourist Development Council, City of Fort Myers, and the Alliance for the Arts. 

 

The purpose of the Arts and Attractions grant is to assist in “reinventing” Lee County as a tourist destination, to strengthen the public’s perception of the county’s offerings in the arts, to encourage Lee County Arts and Attractions Industry growth, and to partner with professionals to ensure a quality return on the community’s investment.

 

The grant was prepared by Kathleen E. Hoover, Public Relations Manager for the Museum, based on the premise that shells provide the perfect venue for building long-term relationships with visitors.  Lee County hosts approximately 5 million visitors a year. Surveys conducted by the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau (VCB) report that shelling ranks seventh out of the top ten Lee County visitor activities. Eighty-three percent of Lee County visitors spend time at the beach and thirty-nine percent collect shells.

 

Grant funding will support development, production, and distribution of an informational brochure referred to as “Shelling 101,” designed to get visitors “hooked” on the hobby of shell collection.  Brochure content will guide visitors through how to find, clean, identify, and transport shells as well as provide tips for caring for shells placed in a collection. 

 

The Museum plans to distribute the brochure through accommodation partners to assure travelers receive information early in their stay.  This communication project will “piggyback” on the Museum’s packaging efforts with lodging providers and participation in the VCB’s new booking engine, ARES.  “Enhancing relationships with local business community and building long term relationships with first time visitors are strategic imperatives for the Museum.  As many of our devoted volunteers attest, shelling was responsible for their return trips and ultimately led to retirement on the beaches of Southwest Florida.  The Museum wants to serve as an ongoing resource for visitors as they embark on this journey,” reports Hoover.

 

 

 

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