(Photo by Rick Kilby; courtesy the Orange County Regional History Center)
ORLANDO, Florida | In celebration of Watermark’s 30th anniversary, The Orange County Regional History Center in downtown Orlando has created an exhibit to showcase some of the most memorable moments and important stories within the local LGBTQ+ community over the last three decades.
“Cover Story: Celebrating Watermark’s 30 Years” features a retrospective of 30 of the publication’s most impactful covers, which illustrate the profound journey of LGBTQ+ history over the past 30 years. Cover Story celebrates Watermark’s journey from a small paper advocating for increased visibility of diverse identities and issues into a multifaceted media company standing at the forefront of LGBTQ+ journalism in Florida.
“When we realized Watermark was reaching this important milestone, we knew it should be recognized in some way,” said Katie Kelley, Orange County Regional History Center’s Curator of Exhibitions. “Three decades is a remarkable achievement for an independent newspaper, much less one covering the LGBTQ+ community. As we started research, it became clear that the covers intrinsically tell both Watermark’s story and the incredible journey of LGBTQ+ history.”
Along with the cover display, the exhibit will feature a colorful timeline, the evolution of Watermark’s logo, a photo collage and an area where clips from Watermark’s award-winning documentary, “Greetings From Queertown: Orlando,” can be viewed. The exhibit will also include a lounge area where visitors can sit and read the latest issue of Watermark.
“I am forever grateful to the team at the Orange County Regional History Center. They approached me about creating this exhibit and it is beyond my expectations,” said Rick Todd, owner and publisher of Watermark. “From the evolution of our logos to the timeline of our history and display of covers, it is an amazing sight to see. I am particularly fond of the clips they display from ‘Greetings From Queertown: Orlando,’ the documentary Watermark created to showcase the brave pioneers who helped build this community.”
“Cover Story: Celebrating Watermark’s 30 Years” is located on the fourth floor of the Orange County Regional History Center, located at 65 E. Central Blvd., Orlando, Florida 32801. All text within the exhibit will be available in both English and Spanish. The exhibit is open now and runs through Dec. 15.
“What is special about Watermark’s history is that it is really a history of the LGBTQ+ community in Central Florida and Tampa Bay,” Todd said. “It is a collection of the important stories and people who continue to advance the LGBTQ+ cause. OCRHC does a great job in showcasing this history. In addition to OCRHC, I want to thank the many employees, freelancers, advertisers and readers who have made these past three decades possible.”
For more information about The History Center’s “Cover Story: Celebrating Watermark’s 30 Years” exhibit, visit TheHistoryCenter.org.
