Key West Museum Seeks Historic Culinary Artifacts for Smithsonian-Backed Food Exhibit

This vintage dual coffee grinder, once used in a traditional Cuban coffee house in Key West, reflects the deep cultural ties between food, community, and heritage in the island’s history. It’s one of the many types of artifacts the Key West Museum of Art & History hopes to feature in its 2026 exhibit, “FOOD: Celebrating Conch Cuisine,” developed in partnership with Florida Humanities and the Smithsonian Institution. The museum is seeking similar historic objects from the public to help tell the rich and flavorful story of local cuisine. (Photo Credit: Invaluable Auction House)

Vintage metal pie pans like this were once essential tools in baking the iconic Key Lime Pie — a staple of Conch cuisine. The Key West Museum of Art & History is seeking historic kitchenware like this for its upcoming 2026 exhibit, “FOOD: Celebrating Conch Cuisine,” presented in collaboration with Florida Humanities and the Smithsonian Institution. (Photo Credit: National Museum of American History)

August 4, 2025 – (KEY WEST, FL).  The Key West Museum of Art & History is calling on residents of Key West and Monroe County to dig into their pantries, storage nooks, and attics — and share the tools, traditions, and family heirlooms that tell the story of how food has shaped island life over the decades.

As part of an exciting new collaboration with Florida Humanities and the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), the museum is preparing to launch a landmark exhibition titled “FOOD: Celebrating Conch Cuisine”, set to open in late February 2026.

This exhibit is one of the first in a new national initiative, the “Exhibition Starter Kit: FOOD” program, which empowers local museums to explore regional culinary histories through community participation and storytelling.  Thanks to a grant secured in June 2024 from Florida Humanities, and with guidance and resources from the Smithsonian, the Key West Museum of Art & History will bring this innovative and deeply local exhibit to life.

Museum curator and historian Dr. Cori Convertito is inviting residents to lend objects that reflect the unique food culture of the Florida Keys.  These items can include—but are not limited to—vintage kitchen tools, antique cookware, old fishing equipment, family recipe cards, menus from long-gone restaurants, or even furniture that once held a place in historic kitchens.

“This is an incredible opportunity to bring the Smithsonian experience to Monroe County while spotlighting the real stories and heritage of our community,” said Convertito.  “We’re looking for those tangible pieces of the past—perhaps a hand-cranked milk separator, a weathered Key Lime Pie tin, bottles from Adams Dairy, or even a well-used ice chest—that can help us illustrate the culinary history that has shaped our Conch identity.”

Convertito added that objects such as antique dining furniture, aged silverware sets, or long-retired cooking utensils could also provide a compelling window into the everyday lives of past generations.

How to Contribute
Residents who own historically significant or meaningful food-related items are encouraged to share their stories for possible inclusion in the exhibition based on the museum’s curatorial needs.
Contributors should email [email protected] with the following:

• Clear photographs of the item(s)
• A brief description of the object(s)
• Information on who in the family used the item(s) and during what time period

“This is your chance to be part of an important story—to help us preserve and share the flavors, traditions, and voices that define life in the Keys,” Convertito said.

To learn more about the upcoming “FOOD: Celebrating Conch Cuisine” exhibit and how you can get involved, please visit the museum’s website at: kwahs.org/exhibit/food/

Your Museums. Your Community. It Takes an Island.