The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center has a new look and a host of events coming up in October and November, including interesting films, live music and a new exhibit entitled "Casting a Wider Net."

We talked this week with Joe Ritter, the FHC's Director of Programs, about the upcoming schedule and the new look of its Bethel Street headquarters.

"A lot of hard work went into the design and creation of our new exterior look," Ritter said. "Our recently-hired Marketing Specialist Matt Moyer Bell, a local artist, designed the project with help from Reidar's Trawl Gear and Marine Supply. He also worked with local photographers to curate their photos of New Bedford's Working Waterfront. 'Catch the Tradition' is a permanent art installation for us."

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Returning this month is the Fishing Heritage Center's Dock-U-Mentaries film series.  The films, all dealing with fishing and fishing communities, are screened every third Friday of the month from October through April at the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park auditorium on William Street.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and admission is always free. The film Saving the Ocean: Swordfish will be shown October 18.

If you enjoy maritime music, check out the free concert by Debra Cowan on October 10 at 7 p.m. at the Fishing Heritage Center.

A new exhibit will open to the public on Thursday, November 14. "Casting a Wider Net" is part of a community oral history project, featuring immigrant voices of New Bedford's working waterfront.

"The exhibit will showcase video and photographs from interviews with about 20 immigrants," Ritter said.

The FHC recruited and trained members of various immigrant groups in New Bedford to conduct the interviews and transcribe what they were told.

"One of the FHC's major goals is to continue collecting stories to broaden the public's understanding of the people working on the waterfront, now and in the future," Ritter said.

The resulting photographs, recordings and transcripts will become part of FHC's archive and will be uploaded to the NOAA Voices web-based archive as well.

If you would like your organization featured on Townsquare Sunday, please email the host at jim.phillips@townsquaremedia.com.

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