IT’S HOLIDAY CHARM ON OVERDRIVE
The Park Avenue District is set to supercharge its seasonal spirit.
If you think Park Avenue has always been lovely during the holiday season (which is undeniably true), just wait until you see it this year.
The City of Winter Park and the Park Avenue District have joined forces to make the downtown shopping and dining area even more charming with “Christmas on Park 2024.”
“This is going to make a huge impact,” says Carina Sexton, executive director of the nonprofit district, which was formed in 2019 and is an affiliate program of Main Street Florida and an apprentice program of Main Street America.
These programs, national in scope, are dedicated to reenergizing and strengthening older and historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts nationwide by providing technical assistance.
The local district’s goal is to support businesses “by promoting economic vitality, celebrating our rich history and fostering community engagement through collaborative partnerships between businesses, residents and investors: creating a vibrant and welcoming downtown for all.”
The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency has approved two grants totaling $100,000 to enhance and improve holiday decorations along Park Avenue, while district members have chipped in another $100,000 (and counting)—which includes a $50,000 gift from AdventHealth.
“We want to create hometown holiday décor that embraces Winter Park’s rich history,” says Tracy Brand, the district’s design chairperson and owner of downtown’s New General Café.
Consequently, lampposts will be decorated with 100 wreaths comprised of oranges, white poinsettias and other plants and flowers associated with the region’s agricultural heritage.
And more than 800—yes, 800—of those luminous globes that have for years been hung along the avenue will dazzle shoppers. That’s eight times as many globes as have been typically displayed.
In Central Park, there’ll be a tunnel of lights between the city’s traditional Christmas Tree and the Veterans Memorial Fountain. And what’s that lovely fragrance? A diffusing device will release a beguiling citrus scent into the city’s signature greenspace.
Buildings that line the avenue will look like gingerbread houses, with lighted piping defining their rooflines. And holiday music will play in the background, further enhancing the spirit of the season. Hopefully, says Sexton, there’ll be even more enhancements soon to be announced.
There are about 100 businesses within the geographical confines of the district, more than 70 of which have upgraded to paid memberships. That relatively modest investment will allow participating businesses to be listed on a soon-to-debut district website and to attend informational meetings, among other perks.
For more information about the Park Avenue District, visit partkavenuedistrict.com.
—Randy Noles
VISUAL ARTS
Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens. This lakeside museum, open since 1961, is dedicated to preserving works of the famed Czech sculptor for whom it was both home and studio for more than a decade. The museum offers tours of Polasek’s home Tuesdays to Saturdays. And it offers tours of the adjacent Capen-Showalter House three times weekly: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:30 a.m., and Saturdays at 10:15 a.m. Built in 1885, the Capen-Showalter House was saved from demolition several years ago and floated across Lake Osceola to its current location on the Polasek’s grounds. Continuing through December 1 in the gallery is Natural Florida: Art by Emma Sears Marsh and Joy Postle (see page 100), which features botanical watercolors and oil paintings that capture the state’s biodiversity as it was in the early 20th century. And opening December 10 is Wild at Heart: Environmental Sculptures by Paul Baliker, which showcases the contemporary Florida artist’s works in bronze and wood. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $3 for students and free for children. 633 Osceola Avenue, Winter Park. 407-647-6294. polasek.org.
The Art & History Museums — Maitland. The Maitland Art Center, one of five museums that anchor the city’s Cultural Corridor, was founded as an art colony in 1937 by visionary artist and architect J. André Smith. The center, located at 231 West Packwood Avenue, Maitland, is Central Florida’s only National Historic Landmark and one of the few surviving examples of Mayan Revival architecture in the Southeast. Opening October 19 at the art center is Man and Machine (see page 98), an exhibition by multidisciplinary artist Mauro Wieser that explores male identity and the multilevel relationships that men have with the tools of their trades through a fusion of traditional woodworking techniques and A.I.-assisted technology. Admission to the art center’s galleries is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and students (ages 5 to 17) and free for children ages 4 and under. Maitland residents receive a $1 discount. The Cultural Corridor also includes the Maitland Historical Museum and Telephone Museum at 221 West Packwood Avenue, and the Waterhouse Residence Museum and Carpentry Shop Museum, both built in the 1880s and located at 820 Lake Lily Drive. 407-539-2181.
artandhistory.org.
Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art. With more than 19,000 square feet of gallery and public space, the Morse houses the world’s most important collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany creations, including jewelry, pottery, paintings, art glass and an entire chapel interior originally designed and built for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. In celebration of the chapel’s 25th anniversary at the museum, two new exhibits will debut October 15: After the Fair, which charts its incredible journey from Chicago to Winter Park; and Fathers of the Church, a glass mosaic on loan from The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass that was also crafted for the Columbian Exposition (see page 30). October 15 will also mark the return of View of Oyster Bay, a notable example of Tiffany’s artistry in leaded glass which has been on loan from the Morse to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Other current exhibitions are The American Arts & Crafts Movement, which features distinctive furniture, metalwork and design created during the turn of last century; and Fascinating Clutter: American Taste During the Reign of Victoria, which explores the rich, romantic aesthetic landscape of the 19th century and how industry, expansion and war influenced personal and artistic expression. Also on view are Lamps & Lighting: Tiffany and His Contemporaries, a showcase of Tiffany’s most innovative and iconic designs; and Vignette, a collection of décor items from the Ayer Mansion in Chicago, one of Tiffany’s most complete residential design commissions. Another ongoing exhibition is Revival & Reform: Eclecticism in the 19th-Century Environment, which provides a rare look at the diversity of decorative arts in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with pieces by Tiffany, William Morris, Frank Lloyd Wright and others. Additional displays include Watercolors from Louis Comfort Tiffany’s “Little Arcadia,” which invites visitors to look beyond Tiffany’s legacy to discover the gifts of other talented artists—especially women—who worked in his studios. Regular admission to the museum is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $1 for students and free for children younger than age 12. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays. 445 North Park Avenue, Winter Park. 407-645-5311. morsemuseum.org.
Crealdé School of Art. Established in 1975, this nonprofit arts organization on Winter Park’s east side offers year-round visual-arts classes for all ages taught by more than 40 working artists. Visitors may take a self-guided tour through the campus’s lakeside sculpture garden, which includes more than 60 pieces of contemporary outdoor art and related educational panels. Continuing through January 25, 2025 is From Common Clay (see page 92), which features ceramics by Iranian Raheleh Filsoofi and Ghanaian Eric André. Admission to the school’s galleries is free, although there are fees for art classes. 600 Saint Andrews Boulevard, Winter Park. 407-671-1886. crealde.org.
Hannibal Square Heritage Center. Established in 2007 by the Crealdé School of Art in partnership with residents of Hannibal Square and the City of Winter Park, the center celebrates the city’s historically African American west side with hundreds of archival photographs, original artwork and oral histories from longtime residents that are collectively known as the Heritage Collection. The center also offers a walking tour of Hannibal Square, Now and Then, with Fairolyn Livingston, chief historian. Tours, offered on the third Saturday of each month from 10 to 11:30 a.m., requires reservations; the cost is $10, or $5 for those with student IDs. 642 West New England Avenue, Winter Park. 407-539-2680. hannibalsquareheritagecenter.org.
Rollins Museum of Art. The Rollins College campus is home to one of the most eclectic collections of fine art in Florida, including ancient artifacts, contemporary collections and Central Florida’s only collection of paintings by European Old Masters. Continuing through January 5, 2025, are The Fantastical Mundane: Selections from the Grasset Collection, an assortment of 17th-century Dutch paintings that feature lush still lifes, detailed landscapes and rich domestic scenes; Book Arts, which explores the ways in which text can function as image; Nostalgia for My Island, a collection of works by Puerto Rican artists from the late 18th century through the 1960s loaned by the Museo de Arte de Ponce; and Beyond the Surface: Capturing Meaning Through Portraiture, which examines how art can influence perceptions of its subjects and tell stories of their historical context. Guided tours take place at 1 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays at the nearby Alfond Inn, where a selection of more than 400 works is on view from the museum’s Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art. Happy Hour tours of the Alfond Collection are also conducted on the first Wednesday of most months at 5:30 p.m. If you prefer historic works, Throwback Thursday tours are offered at the museum from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of most months. Admission is free, courtesy of PNC Financial Services Group. 1000 Holt Avenue, Winter Park. 407-646-2526. rollins.edu/rma.
PERFORMING ARTS
Annie Russell Theatre. “The Annie,” on the campus of Rollins College and in continuous operation since 1932, opens its 92nd season with Mike Lew’s Bike America (October 3 to 6), a contemporary off-
Broadway production about a young woman who joins a cross-country cycling excursion in search of a place that feels like home. That’s followed by Kate Hamill’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s Regency classic Pride & Prejudice (November 21 to 24); Anthony Neilson’s Narrative, an absurdist comedy/drama from London’s Royal Court Theatre (February 20 to 23, 2025); and Michael Gore’s Carrie: The Musical, based on Stephen King’s legendary horror novel (April 24 to 27, 2025). Curtain times are 7:30 p.m., 4 p.m. or 2 p.m., depending upon the day of the week. Individual tickets are $25. 1000 Holt Avenue, Winter Park. 407-646-2145. rollins.edu/annie-russell-theatre.
Winter Park Playhouse. Winter Park’s only professional, nonprofit theater continues its 2024-25 season with Snapshots: A Musical Scrapbook (through October 13), which incorporates more than two dozen of Stephen Schwartz’s beloved showtunes from Wicked, Pippin, Godspell and more. Up next is Wreck the Halls (November 15 to December 21), a holiday-themed musical comedy. The season continues with The Bikinis (January 24 to February 22, 2025), about the reunion of a girl group from the 1960s that features hits from the era; Gigolo: The New Cole Porter Revue (March 14 to April 12, 2025), which uses the composer’s iconic songs to tell the story of an international playboy and his relationships with four beautiful women; and Route 66 (May 9 to June 8, 2025), a musical journey across the country set to pop favorites from the 1950s and 1960s. Performances are Thursdays to Sundays, with evening performances at 7:30 p.m. and matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets range in price from $20 for students to $46 for evening shows. 711 Orange Avenue, Winter Park. 407-645-0145. winterparkplayhouse.org.
FILM
Enzian. This cozy, nonprofit alternative cinema offers a plethora of film series. Tickets are usually $12 for regular admission; $10 for matinees, students, seniors and service members (with ID); and $9.50 for Enzian Film Society members. Children under age 12 are admitted free to Peanut Butter Matinee Family Films, shown on the fourth Sunday of each month at noon. Other series include Saturday Matinee Classics (the second Saturday of each month at noon), Cult Classics (the second and last Tuesday of each month at 9:30 p.m.) and Midnight Movies (every Saturday night). FilmSlam, which spotlights Florida-made short films, takes place most months on the second or third Sunday at 1 p.m. 300 South Orlando Avenue, Maitland. 407-629-0054 (information line), 407-629-1088 (theater offices). enzian.org.
Friday Brown Bag Matinees. The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art presents three film series each year on topics related to the museum’s collection as well as art in general. Admission is free to these lunchtime screenings, which span the noon hour on select Fridays in the Jeannette G. and Hugh F. McKean Pavilion on Canton Avenue, just behind the Morse. Attendees are invited to bring their own lunches; the museum provides soft drinks and themed refreshments. 161 West Canton Avenue. 407-645-5311. morsemuseum.org.
Popcorn Flicks in the Park. The City of Winter Park and Enzian collaborate to offer classic, family-friendly films free in Central Park on Park Avenue. These outdoor screenings are typically held the second Thursday of each month and start at 7 or 8 p.m. Don’t forget to pack a picnic and bring blankets or chairs. 407-629-1088. enzian.org.
HISTORY
Casa Feliz Historic Home & Venue. This stunningly restored Spanish farmhouse-style home, designed by acclaimed architect James Gamble Rogers II, is now a community center and museum. Free open houses are hosted by docents on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon. 656 North Park Avenue (adjacent to the Winter Park Golf Course), Winter Park. 407-628-8200. casafeliz.us.
Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Florida. The center is dedicated to combating antisemitism, racism and prejudice, with the goal of developing a moral and just community through educational and cultural programs, permanent and temporary exhibitions, archives and a research library. Continuing through December 13 is The Holocaust by Bullets, a touring exhibition that reveals how Einsatzgruppen, the Nazi mobile killing unit, was responsible for the cold-blooded murder of about 2 million people—approximately one third of all those lost during the extermination campaign. The multimedia display includes historical photographs and video interviews with eyewitnesses to the atrocities, as well as five triangular panels that explain the various steps in the coldly methodical extermination process. The museum’s ongoing exhibition, Tribute to the Holocaust, is a presentation of artifacts, videos, text, photographs and other works of art. Admission is free. 851 North Maitland Avenue, Maitland. 407-628-0555. holocaustedu.org.
Winter Park History Museum. The museum’s current exhibition, Hello Sunshine: Selling Florida Through the Art of Postcards, offers a colorful look at local history through vintage postcards from the collection of Rick Frazee, owner of the fondly remembered Best Western Mount Vernon Inn, who gifted more than 1,000 fun and kitschy images to the museum. Partnerships with the Orange County Regional History Center, the Winter Garden Heritage Museum and the Henry B. Plant Museum in Tampa expands the exhibition to take on a statewide focus. A visitor center-style display contains brochures that represent a variety of attractions, while a timeline marks notable dates in local history. A rotating installation—currently a look back at area hotels—focuses on a new topic each quarter. Admission is free. 200 West New England Avenue, Winter Park. 407-644-2330. wphistory.org.
Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts. Eatonville is strongly associated with Harlem Renaissance writer and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston, who lived there as a girl and recorded her childhood memories in her classic autobiography, Dust Tracks on a Road. The museum that bears her name provides information about the historic city and sponsors exhibitions that feature the works of African American artists. Admission is free, although group tours require a reservation and are charged a fee. 344 East Kennedy Boulevard, Eatonville. 407-647-3188. zoranealehurstonmuseum.com.
HOLIDAYS
14th Annual Veterans Day Celebration. Come to Hannibal Square’s Shady Park (Pennsylvania and New England avenues) Friday, November 8 to celebrate our nation’s veterans. The program will begin at 10 a.m. with speakers, musical tributes, presentations of Quilts of Valor and recognition of veterans according to the military branches in which they served. 407.599.3428, cityofwinterpark.org.
Handel’s Messiah. The Messiah Choral Society is a Winter Park-based nonprofit that assembles volunteer vocalists to perform George Frideric Handel’s most famous composition every Thanksgiving-to-Christmas season. The main event this year—its 52nd annual local performance—is Sunday, November 17, at 3 p.m. in Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center, 155 East Anderson Street, Orlando. Admission is free; reservations are required. messiahchoralsociety.org.
46th Annual Christmas in the Park. The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art and the City of Winter Park present this annual exhibition of century-old Tiffany windows combined with a free outdoor concert of holiday favorites by the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park’s choir and brass ensemble. This year’s event is set for Thursday, December 5, from 6:15 to 8:30 p.m. in Central Park. 407-645-5311. morsemuseum.org.
Winter on the Avenue. Park Avenue is transformed into a winter wonderland—now with supercharged decorations (see page 82)—during this annual holiday street party, slated this year for Friday, December 6, at 5 p.m. Festivities include the traditional tree-lighting ceremony at dusk, carolers and other live music, snacks such as s’mores, a showing of It’s a Wonderful Life and a visit from Santa Claus (the real one, not just a guy dressed up in a red suit). As a gift to the community, the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art will offer free admission from 4 to 8 p.m. 407-599-3580. winterpark.org/winter-on-the-avenue.
72nd Annual Ye Olde Hometown Christmas Parade. This venerable holiday tradition, slated this year for Saturday, December 7, at 9 a.m., has delighted locals since the early 1950s. More than 80 parade units are expected to make their way south along Park Avenue beginning at Cole Avenue and ending at Lyman Avenue. Participants in the 90-minute event include marching bands, dance troupes, police and fire departments, local dignitaries and, of course, Santa Claus (who may seem a bit weary since he’ll have appeared the night before at Winter on the Avenue). 407-599-3580. winterpark.org/christmas-parade.
A Classic Christmas. Take part in yet another cherished Winter Park holiday tradition—this one purely musical. The program, part of the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park’s Choral Masterworks series, features beloved holiday music performed by the society’s choir, youth choir and orchestra. Knowles Memorial Chapel on the campus of Rollins College is the venue for the performances, which are slated this year for Saturday and Sunday, December 14 and 15, at 2 and 5 p.m. Tickets start at $30. 407-646-2182. bachfestivalflorida.org.
LECTURES
Central Florida Anthropological Society. Do you want to preserve Florida’s historic heritage? Are you curious about prehistoric Florida? Join the CFAS for this new lecture series at the Winter Park Library that will highlight current anthropological and archaeological investigations with a special focus on Central Florida. Upcoming dates are October 21, November 18 and December 16. Enjoy light refreshments and socializing when the doors open at 6:30 p.m., followed by a presentation at 7 p.m. Admission is free. 1050 West Morse Boulevard, Winter Park. cfasorlando.com.
Morse Museum Wednesday Lecture Series. The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art regularly invites recognized scholars in the field of late 19th- and early 20th-century art to speak on topics related to the museum’s collection and exhibitions. Call or check the website for upcoming dates and subjects. Programs take place at 2:30 p.m. Admission is free. 161 West Canton Avenue, Winter Park. 407-645-5311. morsemuseum.org.
University Club of Winter Park. Nestled among the oaks and palms at the north end of Park Avenue’s downtown shopping district—a block beyond Casa Feliz—is another historic James Gamble Rogers II building, this one home to the University Club of Winter Park. Members are dedicated to the enjoyment of intellectual activities and socializing with one another. The club’s various activities, including lectures, are open to the public, although nonmembers are asked to make a $5 donation each time they attend. (Some events include a buffet lunch for an added fee.) For a full schedule of events and speakers, check the website. 841 North Park Avenue, Winter Park. 407-644-6149. uclubwp.org.
MUSIC
Bach Festival Society of Winter Park. This season—the society’s 90th—has been a grand one indeed thus far. Up next is the first installment of the Insights & Sounds Series with The Greatest Composers You’ve Never Heard Of: Volume 2 (Thursday, October 3, 7:30 p.m., Tiedtke Concert Hall). You’ll discover the forgotten melodies and intricate harmonies of brilliant composers who, often due to a lack of patronage, have slipped through the cracks of history. Insights & Sounds will continue with Jiji Guitar: Chamber Concertos (Thursday, October 17, 7:30 p.m., Tiedtke Concert Hall). Sure, she has a stage name—Jiji Guitar is actually Jiyeon Kim—but she’s the real deal otherwise and a superstar in the classical guitar world. The South Korean guitarist and composer is best known as a member of the musical collective Wild Up, which in 2019 earned a Grammy nomination for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance. She’ll also perform a recital on Sunday, October 20, at 3 p.m. That’s also in Tiedtke Concert Hall. Now, how about a little pump organ music? The Bach Vocal Artists—an elite professional chamber ensemble—will perform Rossini’s Petite messe solennelle (Thursday, October 24, 7:30 p.m., Tiedtke Concert Hall) accompanied by a piano and, yes, a pump organ—just as Gioachino Antonio Rossini wrote it. On the keyboards will be Gloria Cook, a professor of music at Rollins, and her sister, Cynthia Lawing, an artist associate at Davidson College in North Carolina. (Lawing will get to play the pump organ.) The Choral Masterworks Series will begin with Mozart’s Requiem; Sibelius’s Finlandia; and Ricketts’s Songs of War and Peace (Sunday, November 3, 3 p.m., Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center). Of course, you recognize the names of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Jean Sibelius. But who is Ricketts? That would be Santa Rosa, California-based Ted Ricketts, a longtime music director and producer at Walt Disney World. Songs of War and Peace, his new work, was inspired by the wartime correspondence of writers Stephen Crane and Walt Whitman. It was written specifically for the society’s choir and orchestra. The Visiting Artist Series will continue with Edgar Meyer with Tessa Lark and Joshua Roman: String Trio (Sunday, November 10, 3 p.m., Tiedtke Concert Hall). Meyer, a renowned bassist whose repertoire includes everything from classical to bluegrass, has been nominated for 17 Grammys and won 10. He’ll be joined by violinist Tessa Lark and cellist Joshua Roman. Then comes Christmas. Which can only mean that it’s time to enjoy Christmas in the Park (Thursday, December 5, 6:15 p.m., Central Park Stage). This huge event fills the city’s downtown district and features the full choir and an ensemble of the orchestra. Other reasons to attend: There’ll be lighted Tiffany stained-glass windows, courtesy of the Charles Hosmer Morse of American Art, displayed throughout the park. And the City Commission has approved enhancments to its usual holiday decorations—as if it could get any more charming along Park Avenue. Still can’t get enough good cheer? The Choral Masterworks Series will offer another helping of holiday spirit with A Classic Christmas (Saturday, December 14, 2 and 5 p.m., and Sunday, December 15, 2 and 5 p.m., Knowles Memorial Chapel). This concert, which features the full choir and orchestra as well as the youth choir, was filmed last year for national broadcast on PBS. Rollins College is located at 1000 Holt Avenue, Winter Park. Dr. Phillips Center is located at 445 South Magnolia Avenue, Orlando. 407-646-2182. bachfestival.org.
Candlelight Concerts at Mead Garden. Enjoy live music by candlelight in Mead Botanical Garden’s Azalea Lodge. String quartets will perform a selection of works by a particular artist or dedicated to a special theme. Upcoming dates are October 11, October 24, October 25 and November 22. Ticket prices start at $46. 1300 South Denning Drive, Winter Park. 407-622-6323, meadgarden.org.
Central Florida Folk. This Winter Park-based nonprofit is dedicated to promoting and preserving live folk music, primarily through concerts usually held on the last Saturday of each month (unless a holiday intervenes) at 2 p.m. Upcoming dates are October 26, November 16 and December 14. The group’s primary venue is the Winter Park Library, 1052 West Morse Boulevard, Winter Park. A donation of $15 for nonmembers is suggested. 407-679-6426. cffolk.org.
Music at the Casa. The Casa Feliz Historic Home and Venue presents acoustic performances on most Sunday afternoons in the museum’s cozy main parlor. Upcoming shows, sponsored by Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts (see page 88), will feature Cigano Swing (October 13), Terri Binion (November 10), and Daniela Soledade & Nate Najar: Love and Bossa Nova (December 8). All shows run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and admission is free, although reservations are required. A $5 donation is suggested. Upcoming dates are October 13, November 10 and December 8. 656 North Park Avenue (adjacent to the Winter Park Golf Course), Winter Park. 407-628-8200. casafeliz.us.
Performing Arts Matter. This nonprofit organization collaborates with various organizations to promote performances for and by local musicians. It supports various groups, including the Maitland Symphony Orchestra, Maitland Market Music, the Maitland Stage Band, the Bravo Chamber Orchestra and the Orlando Contemporary Chamber Orchestra. For a full schedule of events, call 321-303-1711 or visit pamatter.org.
MARKETS
Maitland Farmers’ Market. This year-round, open-air market—held each Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.—features fresh produce, seafood, breads and cheeses as well as plants, all-natural skin-care products and live music by Performing Arts of Maitland. The setting on Lake Lily boasts a boardwalk, jogging trails, a playground and picnic areas. 701 Lake Lily Drive, Maitland. itsmymaitland.com.
Winter Park Farmers’ Market. The region’s busiest and arguably most popular farmers’ market is held every Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Central Park West Meadow—located at the corner of New York Avenue and Morse Boulevard—and offers baked goods, produce, plants, honey, cheese, meat, flowers, crafts and other specialty items. After shopping, make a morning of it with a stroll along nearby Park Avenue. Dogs are welcome to bring their people. 200 West New England Avenue, Winter Park. cityofwinterpark.org.
WRITING
Orlando Writers Group. Join fellow scribes for lectures by guest speakers and discussions led by local authors. The local chapter of the Florida Writers Association meets on the second Thursday of each month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Upcoming meetings are October 10, November 14 and December 12 at the Maitland Public Library, 501 South Maitland Avenue, Maitland. floridawriters.org.
Storytellers of Central Florida. Experienced and fledgling storytellers gather to share stories and practice their craft on the first Tuesday of each month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Winter Park Library. Upcoming meetings are October 1, November 5 and December 3. 1052 West Morse Boulevard, Winter Park. 321-439-6020. storytellersofcentralflorida.com.
Wednesday Open Words. One of the area’s longest-running open-mic poetry nights is held every Wednesday, 9 p.m. at Austin’s Coffee, 929 West Fairbanks Avenue, Winter Park. 407-975-3364.
austins-coffee.com.
Writers of Central Florida or Thereabouts. This group offers various free programs that attract writers of all stripes. Short Attention Span Storytelling Hour, a literary open-mic night, meets at 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday of most months at Stardust Coffee (1842 Winter Park Road, Winter Park). It’s for authors, poets, filmmakers, comedians, musicians, bloggers and others who enjoy creative pursuits. Upcoming meetings are October 9, November 13 and December 11. Orlando WordLab, a workshop that challenges writers to experiment with new techniques or methods, meets at 7 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Winter Park Library (1052 West Morse Boulevard, Winter Park). Upcoming meetings are set for October 23, November 27 and December 25. meetup.com/
writers-of-central-florida-or-thereabouts.
BUSINESS
Connections. Hosted by the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce at local eateries, Connections provides local businesspeople and entrepreneurs an opportunity to network, socialize and share ideas. Held the fourth Wednesday of most months, upcoming events are October 23, November 13 and December 11 (locations TBA). Admission is $35 for members and $50 for non-members. 407-599-3580. winterpark.org/connections.
Good Morning, Winter Park. Hosted by the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, these gatherings feature coffee and conversation about community issues. Held the first Friday of most months, upcoming events are October 4, November 1 and December 13. Networking begins at 8:45 a.m. followed at 9:15 a.m. by a 45-minute program. Admission, which includes coffee, is free, but registration is required. Winter Park Welcome Center, 151 West Lyman Avenue, Winter Park. 407-599-3580. winterpark.org/good-morning-winter-park.
Winter Park Professional Women. Hosted by the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, these meetings—held the first Monday of most months from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.—feature guest speakers and provide networking opportunities for women business owners. Topics are related to leadership development, business growth and local initiatives of special interest to women. Upcoming events are October 7, November 4 and December 2. Tickets, which include lunch, are $25 for chamber members and $35 for nonmembers. Reservations are required. Winter Park Welcome Center, 151 West Lyman Avenue, Winter Park. 407-599-3580. winterpark.org/winter-park-professional-women.
NATURE
GrowVember. Mead Botanical Garden’s annual plant sale, held Friday and Saturday, November 8 and 9, will feature a fabulous array of plant vendors and exhibitors, kids’ activities, live music, food trucks, a beer garden and more. Shoppers will find a wide selection of beautiful plants, including annuals, perennials, house plants, medicinal plants and native plants that attract hummingbirds and other pollinators. A tree giveaway will be sponsored by Winter Park’s Urban Forestry Department. Admission and parking are free. 1300 South Denning Drive, Winter Park. 407-622-6323, meadgarden.org.
Keep Winter Park Beautiful. Volunteer to help the city keep local watersheds beautiful all season long with cleanups held throughout the year. Call or check the website for dates and locations. Litter grabbers, safety vests, gloves and garbage bags are provided at City Hall, 151 West Lyman Avenue, Winter Park. Volunteers should contact kwpb@cityofwinterpark.org for more details and to complete a waiver. 407-599-3364. cityofwinterpark.org.
Owl Prowl. Come to the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey on Friday, October 11 for a family-friendly evening with the owls. There’ll be up-close encounters with native Florida owl species, a presentation on owls and how to find them in the wild, plus an after-dark walk around the center as the owls awaken for the night. Costumes are encouraged! Tickets are $20; space is limited. 1101 Audubon Way, Maitland. cbop.audubon.org.
Winter Park Garden Club. The club’s general membership meetings, which always offer something intriguing for lovers of gardening and the great outdoors, are typically held on the second Wednesday of each month from September to May at 10 a.m. Field trips and other community events are also held throughout the year. All meetings are at the club’s headquarters at 1300 South Denning Drive. For more information about the club, which was founded in 1922, and upcoming programs, call 407-644-5770, check winterparkgardenclub.com or email winterparkgc100@gmail.com.
EVENTS
Winter Park Autumn Art Festival. This two-day art show and sale, now in its 51st year, is the only juried fine-art festival in the state to exclusively feature Florida artists. The event, held in Central Park along Park Avenue, runs Saturday and Sunday, October 12 and 13, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to art, there’s live entertainment, food, a beer garden and more. winterpark.org/autumn-art-festival.
Best of Winter Park. Celebrate Winter Park’s businesses and cultural institutions at this block party, sponsored by the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, where winners in more than 40 “Best Of” categories will be announced. Enjoy live music, beer, wine and light bites from local favorites. The event will be held at the Winter Park Farmers’ Market, 200 West New England Avenue, on Tuesday, October 29, from 5 to 7 p.m. 407-544-8281. winterpark.org/best-of-winter-park.
Maitland Rotary Art Festival. The 48th edition of this boutique art festival brings the park around Lake Lily to life with artists, live entertainment and other free activities on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 8 through 10. Friday evening will see a return to the festival’s “Art Under the Stars” theme, lasting from 5 to 9 p.m. Weekend hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Only 150 artists are admitted to this juried show, held near the heart of downtown Maitland. 701 Lake Lily Drive, Maitland. maitlandartfest.org.
Cows ‘n’ Cabs. This annual fundraiser features food from more than 25 gourmet local restaurants and more than 200 varieties of wine and beer. Best of all, 100 percent of the proceeds go to charities supporting local children in need, including After-School All-Stars, 4Roots, Winter Park Day Nursery and many others. The party-with-a-purpose is expected to draw about 3,000 participants to the Central Park West Meadow, located at the corner of New York Avenue and Morse Boulevard, on Saturday, November 9, at 6 p.m. Check the website for ticket prices: cowsncabs.com.
CAUSES
CoffeeTalk. These free gatherings, sponsored by the City of Winter Park, are held on the first Thursday of most months and offer residents an opportunity to discuss issues of concern with local officials. Coffee is supplied by Barnie’s Coffee Kitchen. Upcoming guests include city commissioners Kris Cruzada (October 3), Craig Russell (November 7) and Marty Sullivan (December 5). The hourlong sessions begin at 8:30 a.m. at City Hall, 401 South Park Avenue, Winter Park. 407-644-8281. cityofwinterpark.org.
A DESIGN BUFF’S GUIDE TO LIBRARY’S ARCHITECTURE
Offering architecture buffs a rare glimpse into how the proverbial sausage is made, the Winter Park Library will host a public presentation to discuss the conception and construction of its attention-grabbing facility, which opened its doors in late 2021.
World Architecture Day—Tuesday, October 8—provides an ideal occasion for representatives of the library to explain how moving from the old location on East New England Avenue to the current $42 million facility impacted the library’s services, activities and operations.
In addition, some of the architects involved in the project will discuss the 35,155-square-foot building’s design, structure and overall intent. The session, held in the library’s Edyth Bush Theatre, will begin at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free but advance registration is required.
Leading the discussion—and presenting illustrative visuals—will be Maurizio Maso and his colleagues from Orlando-based HuntonBrady Architects, who’ll share details about the building and its neighboring 18,200-square-foot events center and 2,457-square-foot porte-cochère entryway.
Did you know, for example, that the shapes and colors of the structures are inspired by local flora? And that all of the materials used in their construction were Florida-sourced?
And for those who love process talk, Maso will also discuss the collaboration between his company—the architects of record, who were responsible for delivering the project—and Adjaye Associates, the high-profile international firm that came up with the design.
Ruth Edwards, the library’s director of education, says that her team has been looking for a time to formally address some of the questions they’re frequently asked about the campus, which inspired passionate (pro and con) discussion in 2016 when a $30 million bond issue to fund construction was narrowly approved by voters.
The Winter Park Library is located at 1052 West Morse Boulevard, Winter Park, in Martin Luther King Jr. Park. For more information, call 407-623-3300 or visit winterparklibrary.org.
—Steve Schneider
MUSIC CONTINUES WHILE ‘THE BOO’ REBOOTS
Guitarist Chris Cortez penned a song in the late 1980s about a man with no arms, whom he saw painting with his feet. “It’s not what happens to you, it’s what you do about it,” goes the chorus.
Cortez, co-founder, president and CEO of the nonprofit Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts, lives by those words. He has persevered along the long and winding road of a musical career, no matter the odds or obstacles.
That determination is perhaps one reason why—against the odds—Blue Bamboo (known as “The Boo” by fans) will make its new home in the city-owned former public library building at 460 East New England Avenue. A final lease was signed in August.
While renovation of its new digs is underway, The Boo has continued to hold concerts in other venues, including an upcoming series at Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum.
“Music at the Casa” will feature Cigano Swing (Sunday, October 13), Terri Binion (Sunday, November 10), and Daniela Soledade & Nate Najar: Love and Bossa Nova (Sunday, December 8). All shows run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and admission is free, although reservations are required.
The fact that The Boo—which previously occupied a 6,000-square-foot warehouse hidden away on Kentucky Avenue—will ultimately set up shop in the erstwhile library is a remarkable story of pluck and perseverance.
When the prior venue was purchased by investors who substantially raised the rent, Cortez and his wife, Melody, decided to seek another location. Several seemingly promising possibilities failed to pan out before the library opportunity, seemingly a longshot, presented itself in June.
But there was one problem. Winter Park Mayor Sheila DeCiccio had previously invited a proposal from Rollins College to use the 33,000-square-foot red-brick structure—which had been unoccupied since the library moved to a newly constructed facility in 2021—for the Rollins Museum of Art.
The college had already gotten approval from the city to build a new 31,000-square-foot museum in the nearby Lawrence Center but could have renovated and repurposed the old library more quickly and inexpensively.
Cortez, however, argued that the city already had numerous museums but no live-performance venues except The Winter Park Playhouse—which is now working with city officials to determine how it can avoid relocating to parts unknown after losing its lease.
In any case, the presentation by Cortez carried the day by a 4-1 vote (with DeCiccio the lone opponent) during a commission meeting packed with vocal supporters. Most everyone was surprised, except for the ever-optimistic (and obsessively well-prepared) Cortez.
The property’s zoning was changed to PQP (“public, quasi-public”) to allow for “performance art venues together with ancillary gallery, educational, rehearsal, recording studios and offices to support the like, within a city-owned building.” (Oddly, it had been zoned residential despite never having been used for a residential purpose.)
Finally, a lease between the city and the venue with an initial term of 20 years with the option for two 10-year extensions was approved by commissioners and signed in August.
Phase One will include making repairs—which need not be as extensive as first thought, says Cortez—and converting the first floor to a performance space with approximately 160 seats. The estimated $486,364 price tag will be covered by board contributions as well as sponsorships, memberships and a construction loan.
Phase Two will include a second-floor recording studio and space for tenants Central Florida Vocal Arts, Performing Arts Matter and Winter Park Chamber Music Academy. Phase Three will make the third floor available, for a nominal fee, to any nonprofit and also include art galleries that will feature work by local creators.
The entire project, once construction gets underway, could take up to three years to complete—although the first-floor performance space could be ready within months.
It’s a tall order, all right, but the smart money is on Cortez, who opened The Boo in 2016 and produced as many as 200 performances annually with artists from every genre imaginable. Several dozen concerts per year have typically been held to raise money for charities.
“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and the most rewarding,” says Cortez, a Cincinnati native who moved to Orlando at age 2 with his family, including his mother, Virginia “Ginny” Cortez, a founding member of what is now Orlando Family Stage (formerly Orlando Repertory Theatre).
His father, Joe, a Martin Marietta technical writer, gave the talented 9-year-old a $13 guitar and (perhaps inadvertently) launched the career of a jazz player, pop vocalist, record producer and entertainment empresario.
After graduation from Edgewater High School, Cortez played with various Top 40 bands and performed at Walt Disney World, including a regular gig with Kids of the Kingdom. He also played guitar with a jazz fusion group called, prophetically, Big Bamboo.
The combo, which was the house band at a downtown Orlando nightclub called Daisy’s Basement, allowed Cortez to polish his artistry. In 1986, however, he left Central Florida for almost 30 years, during which time he played in house bands, directed music at a casino and produced more than 30 CDs—including eight of his own.
Cortez met his wife, the aptly named Melody—who is now assistant manager of The Boo—in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2015. The couple opted to return to Central Florida and build a creative hub that could offer top-tier entertainment from veteran touring acts while also nurturing talented newcomers.
Notes Cortez: “I begin with ‘it’s possible’ and everything else is logistics.” Given the way his most recent adventure has moved forward, that’s a hard philosophy to argue with.
Casa Feliz is located at 656 North Park Avenue, Winter Park, adjacent to the Winter Park Golf Course. For more information, visit bluebambooartcenter.com or call 407-636-9951.
—Randy Noles
‘COMMON CLAY’ MODELS FREEDOM AND IDENTITY
Squeezing wet clay into a pot and then firing it has to be one of the most satisfying art experiences ever, for both beginners and experts. That might be why clay pots are found worldwide going back to prehistoric times and why it remains a favorite medium for artists.
Clay combines earth, air, fire, water and a fifth element—human creativity. See for yourself, at the Crealdé School of Art, where there’s a new exhibition: Raheleh Filsoofi and Eric André: From Common Clay in the school’s Alice & William Jenkins Gallery.
Jeff Rogers, an instructor and ceramics program studio manager at Crealdé, says that Filsoofi and André use clay “to express a sense of common humanity among us with provocative ideas about identity and freedom.”
Filsoofi, who describes herself as an “itinerant artist,” has a bachelor’s degree in fine art from Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran, and an MFA from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. She is currently an assistant professor of ceramics at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.
On Saturday and Sunday, November 2 and 3, Filsoofi and her husband, Reza—a singer and songwriter born in Tehran—will conduct a two-day weekend workshop about the art of crafting the darbuka, a beautiful ceramic goblet-shaped drum that’s traditional to Middle Eastern music.
André is from Ashanti Region, Ghana, and studied art at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He then moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to complete an MFA at the University of Arkansas before accepting a visiting professor position at DeLand’s Stetson University in 2020.
He has taught ceramics workshops at Crealdé and is now a visiting assistant professor of studio and 3D art at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. His work has been showcased in numerous solo exhibitions and included in group exhibitions in Ghana and across the United States.
The Crealdé School of Art is located at 600 North St. Andrews Boulevard, Winter Park. For more information, call 407-671-1886 or visit crealde.org.
—Richard Reep
‘AFRO LATIN FEVER’ WILL HEAT UP THE PLAYHOUSE
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, The Winter Park Playhouse has partnered with Barbara Chandler Productions to present Afro Latin Fever, an evening that will celebrate popular songs of Hispanic origin and feature Flamenco dancing and African drumming as well.
This one-night-only event will take place at Playhouse’s lobby bar/cabaret space on Thursday, October 24, at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. (seating is first-come, first-served) and tickets are priced at $20—which includes a drink from the bar.
Chandler, who was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands, has spent the past decade as manager and cultural arts educator for the Hannibal Square Heritage Center. She is also an advocate for inclusive cultural experiences throughout the community.
Afro Latin Fever will be the first installment of a new series dubbed Sounds of the World: Celebrating Diversity in Music. Held quarterly at the Playhouse, the cabaret-style event is intended to provide a platform for underrepresented voices to perform.
And it’ll get off to a rousing start with Afro Latin Fever, which will feature vocals by Sizla Aponte, Flamenco dancing by Briana Small and African drumming by Thobus Lubamba.
“I’m very excited to be working in collaboration once again with The Winter Park Playhouse,” says Chandler. “As we present Afro Latin Fever, we pay tribute to Hispanic and African heritage and traditions and present a unique blend of talent that reflects this diverse community.”
The Winter Park Playhouse is located at 711 North Orange Avenue, Winter Park. For more information, call 407-645-0145 or visit winterparkplayhouse.org.
—Randy Noles
WOODCUTTER EXPLORES MEN AND THEIR MACHINES
Jules André Smith founder of the Maitland Art Center, engraved a little epigram in concrete above the gallery’s fireplace: “The artist’s job,” it declares, “is to explore, to announce new visions, and open new doors.”
Artist-in-Action Mauro Weiser’s job will be to reveal his new visions in Man and Machine, which will run from October 19 to January 5, 2025. The Maitland Art Center will host a reception for Man and Machine on Friday, October 18, from 6 to 9 p.m.
The center’s Artist-in-Action program, reflecting Smith’s own vision for the historic Mayan-themed campus, provides nonresidential studio space for 12 to 18 months to an established or emerging artist for the professional practice and research of fine art.
Curator Dan Hess sees a direct connection between Weiser and Smith. “Smith wanted the artists to experiment,” Hess says. “He wanted them to embrace new technology and have what he called an explorative approach to artmaking.”
Weiser—originally from Davos, Switzerland, with a bachelor’s degree and an MFA from the University of Central Florida—is exploring a woodcut technique with a high-tech, 21st-century twist.
He uses traditional woodworking techniques—which involve gouging away at planks with sharp objects to create raised images that can then be printed onto paper—in conjunction with contemporary AI-assisted machinery to create images that explore male identity and the multilevel relationships that men have with the tools of their trades.
“My father specialized in carved wood detailing, says Weiser. “Plastic, mass production and high-speed machines diminished this artisan craft. I’m interested in how one’s identity, when it is centered around manual labor, reacts to this shift.”
The Maitland Art Center is located at 231 West Packwood Avenue, Maitland. For more information, call 407-239-2181 or visit artandhistory.org.
—Richard Reep
NATURAL FLORIDA BEFORE THEY PAVED PARADISE
Close your eyes and try to imagine how the landscape around this part of the state looked a century ago, in the 1920s, before the proliferation of subdivisions, strip malls and parking lots.
Heck, you don’t even have to imagine. A visit to Natural Florida: Art by Emma Sears Marsh and Joy Postle, which runs from now to December 1 at the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, will take you there.
In fact, the 66 plein air watercolor paintings in the exhibition will surely heighten your appreciation of our vanishing indigenous plants, wildlife and habitats and make you (even more) nostalgic for Old Florida.
It worked for Tamie Diener-Lafferty, curator at the Polasek, when she first saw the paintings of Emma Sears Marsh. Diener-Lafferty thought the collection would make a stunning exhibition. After all (and especially in Winter Park), who doesn’t love to gaze at beautiful watercolor images of flowers?
The works by Marsh, a native New Englander who was a resident of Lake County when she died in 1960, are now on loan to the Polasek from the Lakes and Hills Garden Club in Mount Dora.
“Emma’s paintings are gorgeously detailed and so meticulous,” says Diener-Lafferty. “Her technical skill is impressive, and those plants can be identified today from her technical paintings and drawings.”
However, with more research, Diener-Lafferty—who is a member of the Tarflower Chapter, Florida Native Plants Society—discovered Joy Postle’s collection of even larger watercolors, many of which featured Florida’s wading birds.
The works by Postle, a native of Idaho who was a resident of Gotha when she died in 1989, are on loan to the Polasek from the University of Central Florida Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives.
“Joy was quite a character, a true plein air painter,” says Diener-Lafferty of Postle, who earned a national reputation as a wildlife muralist. “She’d travel out and climb trees, cross creeks and tolerate insects to get her paintings.”
Natural Florida groups paintings by habitat: wetlands, sandhill uplands, moist uplands and flatwood scrub. Among Marsh’s works are watercolors of such flowers as blue spiderwort, coral bean, passionflower, coral honeysuckle and partridge pea. Most interesting is her depiction of the male and female longleaf pine.
Among Postle’s most noteworthy watercolors is Rhapsody in Rose, which pictures roseate spoonbills frolicking in wetlands. She painted both the great egret, a stately white bird marked by its black feet, and the snowy egret, shorter in stature and distinguished by its yellow feet.
The artwork is stunning all on its own, but the museum has added descriptions of the habitats and information on the plants to each display, as well as educational programming on how to incorporate native plants into yards and landscaping.
Ancillary activities will include “Edible Natives for Your Landscape” (Wednesday, October 9) presented by Stacey Matrazzo, executive director Florida Wildflower Foundation, who’ll focus on the edible, medicinal and nutritional properties of native plants commonly found in yards. And Family Day (Sunday, November 17) is a free event that will feature activities for kids, demonstrations, workshops, a plant sale and gallery talks.
The Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens is located at 633 Osceola Avenue, Winter Park. For more information, visit polasek.org or call 407-647-6294.
—Patricia Letakis
CREALDÉ STILL OFFERS ART FOR EVERYONE
Peter Schreyer can look back over 29 years as CEO and executive director of Crealdé School of Art with a sense of pride and accomplishment, as well as confidence that William S. “Bill” Jenkins, the artistically inclined building contractor who founded the school 50 years ago, would be pleased at how it has all turned out.
In January 2025, Schreyer—who’s also an acclaimed documentary photographer— will transition into the role of executive consultant for community relations for the school while continuing to serve on its faculty and as manager of the photography program.
Emily Bourmas-Fry, director of development for the Orlando Museum of Art for 14 years, assumed the role as associate executive director in July and will become CEO after six months of coaching and mentoring from Schreyer. Her experience also includes seven years in creative services and public relations in local television.
Bourmas-Fry—who says one of her primary goals is to further the school’s already robust outreach initiatives—earned a master’s degree in cultural anthropology from the University of Adelaide, Australia. She is bilingual (English and Greek) and holds citizenships in Greece, Australia and the United States.
“I believe in the power of art to bring communities together,” says Bourmas-Fry, who also volunteers for FusionFest, an organization that produces an annual festival celebrating cultural diversity. “I’m confident that we can navigate a seamless transition as I make the position my own, steering the organization toward its next phase of growth and impact.”
Schreyer had already made his mark as a photographer prior to joining the school. Since 1980, his evocative black-and-white images have been showcased in an array of juried and invitational museum and gallery exhibitions across Switzerland—where Schreyer was born—and the United States.
But his accomplishments at Crealdé have profoundly impacted Winter Park by recognizing and celebrating its diversity and multiculturalism. In 2007, for example, the school led a partnership between the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency and citizens of its west side neighborhood, which is historically African American, to found the Hannibal Square Heritage Center.
And in Winter Garden, the school offers classes at the Jessie Brock Community Center on Dillard Street and has forged collaborations with Orange County Schools, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida, the Farmworkers Association of Florida and dozens of other community-based educational and social-service organizations.
In 2009, Schreyer—previously the recipient of a Visual Art Fellowship in Photography from the State of Florida—was named Arts Educator of the Year by United Arts of Central Florida. In 2016, he and the Hannibal Square Heritage Center notched a Diversity & Inclusion Award from the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs.
More recently, the school celebrated completion of a $425,000 renovation that created five new teaching studios, including a sculpture classroom, a second ceramics studio and dedicated teaching studios for the jewelry and young artists programs.
“People love traditional arts that don’t involve technology or computers, things that can be done with their hands or things that have been based on the traditions of people all over the world,” notes Schreyer, who adds that the ceramics program alone now has more than 250 students.
The project was funded through support from students and members, plus a $75,000 grant from Dr. Phillips Charities and a $100,000 grant from the State of Florida. Winter Park-based construction company E2—whose owner, Rob Smith, attended the school’s art camp as a child—contributed an additional $200,000 worth of in-kind support in materials and services.
A new woodworking and metal-smithing studio is also on the drawing board thanks to the generosity of William “Bill” Platt, a former board member and longtime supporter of Crealdé.
Overall, during Schreyer’s tenure the school’s annual budget has increased from $275,000 to $1.5 million per year, and its programs have grown from serving several hundred to more than 4,000 students annually. Between grants, donations and earned revenue, the school has paid its way through this period of sustained growth without incurring debt.
Something special and creative happens for many different sorts of people almost every day on the busy campus in east Winter Park—and in just about every genre of art.
Instruction is offered in drawing, photography, painting, ceramics, sculpture, papermaking, jewelry design, fabric arts and bookmaking (the legal kind). In all, the school offers more than 125 visual arts classes and humanities-based programs annually.
That eclectic approach would have been fine with Jenkins, a talented painter whose mantra was simple: “Art Is for Everyone.” He founded Crealdé Arts Inc. in 1975 and built the Spanish-style campus, which included an office building that was intended to house artists’ studios.
Today the office building to which the school is attached is under separate ownership and leases space to a variety of businesses. It’s said that Jenkins devised the name “Crealdé” by combining the Spanish word crear (“to create”) and the Old English word alde (village).
Born in rural Preston, Georgia, in 1909, Jenkins told the Orlando Sentinel in 1988 that he was inspired by childhood memories of quilting bees.
“When the other kids were sick or busy, I didn’t have much to do,” recalled Jenkins, who died in 1996. “So I would go to the quilting bees and listen to the ladies talk as they worked. They had the best time, and so did I.’’ The school, Jenkins added, was in part an effort to re-create that sense of community and creativity.
Jenkins earned a BFA from the University of Florida in Gainesville and traveled to Italy, where he graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Art in Florence. He married Alice Moberg in 1942 and served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Before Jenkins started his homebuilding business, he worked with the Veterans Administration in St. Petersburg and Tallahassee to develop a pioneering art therapy program for returning GIs. Retrospectives of his paintings have been staged at the school’s Alice & William Jenkins Gallery.
Crealdé’s main campus is located at 600 St. Andrews Boulevard, Winter Park. For more information, call 407-671-1886 or visit crealde.org. The Hannibal Square Heritage Center is located at 642 West New England Avenue, Winter Park. For more information, visit hannibalsquareheritagecenter.org or call 407-539-2680.
—Randy Noles