Lisa Toy, educational coordinator of Village of Pinecrest – Pinecrest Gardens, a 2014 Knight Arts Challenge winner.

When the opportunity came along for Pinecrest Gardens to apply for a grant to host a six-week traveling museum exhibition, we jumped at it. The exhibition, “The Way We Worked,” is created in partnership between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and the Florida Humanities Council, and is part of the nationwide Museum on Main Street program. The exhibition is a unique representation of the American workforce over the past 150 years, tracing the many changes that have happened over that period and exploring how work became a central element of American culture.

Submarine builder at Electric Boat Company, Groton,Connecticut, by Fenno Jacobs, August 1943.National Archives, General Records of the U.S. Navy

The idea of having a museum exhibition at Pinecrest Gardens was something new and exciting, but what really stood out about this opportunity was the focus on community engagement. The show will travel to six cities in Florida and each is encouraged to tell its own story through unique interactive programming. The Village of Pinecrest will cover the past, present and the future of our community’s workforce. Some initiatives include: a trivia challenge led by Miami historian Paul George, an art exhibition presented by original highwayman artist Robert L. Lewis, a community photo contest, a showcase of documentary films, weekday field trips for school groups and much more.

Young women delivering ice, 1918.National Archives, Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs

Pinecrest Gardens will host “The Way We Worked” from Sept. 5 to Oct. 17, 2015. Admission and community events will be free of charge. Want to participate in programming? Please contact Lisa Toy, educational program coordinator at 305-669-6990. Visit the Florida Humanities Council and the Museum on Main Street for additional exhibition information.

Aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) deck crew guides a fighter jet, by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Snyder, 2008.U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Navy Photo