Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2013
Media Contact: Suzanne Jalot
(252) 728-7317
suzanne.jalot@ncdcr.gov
MUSUEM MOVES FORWARD WITH
PLANS FOR PERMANENT EXHIBITS
HATTERAS – The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum is moving forward with plans for the Museum's
permanent exhibits. This spring, the community was invited to a presentation on the proposed concept by
Riggs Ward Design. Attendees were encouraged to provide comments and suggestions.
The exhibit will focus on Outer Banks shipwreck history and its wider context including stories of
humanity, heroism, and community. Charlotte Andrews, an exhibit specialist with Riggs Ward Design,
says they want to carefully select the stories which are most compelling.
"This concept is based on lots of research," says Andrews. "We are trying to zero in on great stories. This
is not only an exhibit about shipwrecks. This is an exhibit about this special place and the people who live
here."
Visitors will be introduced to shipwreck stewardship and the importance of preserving, researching, and
sharing underwater cultural heritage.
"We want people to engage with the exhibit," Andrews explains. "It's not a passive experience. The
history and the heritage is ongoing."
The design team will spend the next six to nine months planning more interactive exhibits and fine-tuning
the stories to be told. The design process was made possible through a grant from the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration. Funding is still needed to build the exhibit once the design process is
done. Danny Couch, the president of the Friends of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, says the group
will need to raise $2.5 million to build the exhibit.
About the Museum
The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum is located at 59200 Museum Drive in Hatteras, N.C Museum
hours are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., and admission is free. The North Carolina Maritime
Museum system is comprised of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras, the North Carolina
Maritime Museum at Beaufort and the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport. All three museums
are part of the Division of State History Museums in the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources,
www.ncdcr.gov.
###