Reinterpreting the Four Freedoms

Perhaps you’ve heard that it’s an election year — a fact that has certainly not gone unnoticed at the Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College. Consequently, the museum will partner with For Freedoms, an artist-run federation based in New York, to stage an exhibition called 2020: Action, Freedom, Patriotism. The thought-provoking display opens January 18 and runs through April 5.

The museum will feature recent acquisitions to its collection, including original versions of Norman Rockwell’s iconic Four Freedoms posters and contemporary reinterpretations of those familiar images by artists Emily Shur and Hank Willis Thomas, who were among the founders of For Freedoms in 2016. 

The organization — described by Thomas as “an opportunity to join our Founding Fathers in the making of America” — emphasizes participation over ideology as the fundamental characteristic of democracy. 

Its formation was inspired by Rockwell’s quartet of paintings, which were based upon four essential human rights named by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during his 1941 State of the Union Address.

Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want and Freedom from Fear were published in the Saturday Evening Post over four consecutive weeks in 1943 alongside essays by prominent thinkers of the day. By the end of the 20th century, it is thought that more than 25 million prints of the series had been purchased.

“By juxtaposing works of art created between 1943 and 2018, this installation places current issues within their historical context,” says curator Gisela Carbonell. “In their creative practices, the artists included interrogate traditional definitions of freedom and patriotism and challenge us to reimagine what it means to be American.” 

Other works by Shur and Thomas will be on display, along with additional pieces of art related to the exhibition’s general theme. In addition, several events will take place on campus to encourage open dialogue about today’s most pressing issues.

Such activities include a talk by Jammal Lemy, a filmmaker, designer and former creative director for March for Our Lives, a student-led demonstration in Washington, D.C., and 800 other locations across the U.S. following the 2018 mass shootings at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School. Lemy is a 2016 graduate of the school, located in Parkland, Florida.

A Conversation with Jammal Lemy, slated for February 4 at 6 p.m. in the college’s Bush Auditorium, is free and open to the public. A town hall in conjunction with the University of Central Florida and several interactive components related to the exhibition were also being planned at press time.

The Cornell houses one of the oldest and most eclectic collections of fine art in Florida. In addition to its on-campus location, pieces from the monumental Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art are on display throughout the nearby Alfond Inn. For more information, visit rollins.edu/cfam or call 407-646-2526.

IN BRIEF
What: 2020: Action, Freedom, Patriotism
When: January 18 through April 5
Where: The Cornell Fine Arts Museum
Notes: Works related to redefining patriotism in a polarized era, including original posters of Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms juxtaposed with contemporary reinterpretations of those images.
Related: A Conversation with Jammal Lemy, February 4 at 6 p.m. in the Bush Auditorium.
Admission: Free, courtesy of PNC Financial Services
For More: 407-646-2526 • rollins.edu/cfam

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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 through 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. The Capen-Showalter House, built in 1885, was saved from demolition several years ago and floated across Lake Osceola to its current location on the Polasek’s grounds. 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.

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. Admission to the art center’s galleries is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and students (ages 5 to 17) and free for children age 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, Maitland, and the Waterhouse Residence Museum and Carpentry Shop Museum, both built in the 1880s and located at 820 Lake Lily Drive, Maitland. 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. Opening March 3 is Portraits of Americans, featuring works by John Singer Sargent, Charles Hawthorne, Cecilia Beaux and others. As photography made romanticized depictions of well-known figures obsolete, these artists guided portraiture into the 20th century with compelling works that captured not only the physical likeness of their subjects, but their innate character as well. Continuing through September is a major exhibition, Earth into Art — The Flowering of American Art Pottery. The displayed objects, which date from the 1870s to the early 1900s, are drawn from the museum’s collection of American art pottery — one of the largest such collections in the U.S. Also on view is Iridescence — A Celebration, which runs through September 2021. The dazzling display features art glass, enamels and pottery from the late 19th and early 20th centuries that replicates the shimmering optical effects previously only found in nature. Regular admission to the museum is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $1 for students and free for children younger than age 12. 445 North Park Avenue, Winter Park. 407-645-5311. morsemuseum.org. 

Cornell Fine Arts Museum. Located on the campus of Rollins College, the Cornell houses one of the oldest and most eclectic collections of fine art in Florida. Opening January 18 are two new exhibitions. 2020: Action, Freedom, Patriotism (through April 5), which encourages bipartisan civic dialogue, features, among other works, the original Four Freedoms posters by Norman Rockwell juxtaposed with contemporary interpretations of those images. (See page 98 for more information.) African Apparel: Threaded Transformations Across the 20th Century (through May 15) celebrates the artistry, diversity and symbolism of the continent’s garments — including headdresses, hand-woven textiles, and metal and beaded jewelry. Continuing through 2020 is Ruptures and Remnants: Selections from the Permanent Collection, which offers material manifestations of ruptures ranging from personal crises to nation-state upheavals from antiquity to the present day. Works periodically rotate through this long-term exhibition. 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 in the museum’s Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art are on view. 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/cfam.

Crealdé School of Art. Established in 1975, this not-for-profit 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 its lakeside sculpture garden, which includes approximately 60 three-dimensional pieces of contemporary outdoor art and educational panels that describe the diversity of expressive styles and durable media. 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 archival photographs, original artwork and oral histories from longtime residents that are collectively known as the Heritage Collection. Also ongoing is the Hannibal Square Timeline, which documents significant local and national events in African-American history since the Emancipation Proclamation. Admission is free. The center offers a walking tour of Hannibal Square, Now and Then, with Fairolyn Livingston, chief historian. The tour, offered 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. Historic sites include the Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, the Welbourne Avenue Nursery & Kindergarten and the Masonic Lodge, all built in the 1920s. 642 West New England Avenue, Winter Park. 407-539-2680. hannibalsquareheritagecenter.org.

PERFORMING ARTS

Annie Russell Theatre. “The Annie,” in continuous operation since 1932, continues its 2019-20 season with The Good Person of Szechwan (February 14 through 22), German-born playwright Bertolt Brecht’s tale of a Chinese prostitute who is deemed by a visiting triumvirate of gods to be the only kind and decent person in her otherwise dishonest, avaricious community. As both a reward and a test, the gods provide her with the means to open a small shop. Will her innate goodness continue to prevail, or will she, too, become corrupted? The season concludes with the hit jukebox musical Mamma Mia! (April 17 through 25). Curtain time for the shows are 8 p.m., 4 p.m. or 2 p.m., depending upon the day of the week. Tickets are $20. 1000 Holt Avenue, Winter Park. 407-646-2145. rollins.edu/annie-russell-theatre.

Winter Park Playhouse. Winter Park’s only professional, not-for-profit theater continues its 2019-20 mainstage season with Beehive: The ’60s Musical (January 24 through February 22), a revue that spans the decade when women went from pillbox hats to miniskirts to love beads. Six coming-of-age stories are woven together with songs by iconic female artists including Connie Francis, Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin. Up next is The Andrews Brothers (March 13 through April 11), a slapstick comedy set during World War II in which three soldiers find themselves headlining a USO show. This nostalgic romp, reminiscent of the Bob Hope-Bing Crosby “Road” films, is packed with the era’s hits, such as “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” and “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive.” The season concludes with Pump Boys and Dinettes (May 8 through 17 and May 28 through June 7). Performances are Thursdays through Sundays, with evening performances at 7:30 p.m. and matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets range in price from $20 for students to $45 for evening shows. 711 Orange Avenue, Winter Park. 407-645-0145. winterparkplayhouse.org.

CELEBRATIONS AND FESTIVALS

Metro Cup Regatta. The oldest dual crew meet in Florida is fueled by a crosstown rivalry between teams from the University of Central Florida and Rollins College as well as teams from longtime scholastic foes Winter Park and Edgewater high schools. On March 7, eight- and four-rower boats race across Lake Maitland starting at 8 a.m. The competition is best viewed from the southeast shore at Kraft Azalea Garden on Alabama Drive or, better yet, from a boat on Lake Maitland. Admission is free, but a donation is requested. Parking is very limited near the garden. rotaryocewp.org.

35th Annual Taste of Winter Park. Sample all the best food that Winter Park has to offer on March 11 from 5 to 8 p.m. More than 40 of Central Florida’s top chefs, caterers, bakers, brewers, vintners and confectioners bring their best noshes and beverages to Winter Park’s ultimate foodie festival. Tickets range in price from $50 to $100. Winter Park Farmers’ Market, 200 West New England Avenue. 407-599-3580. winterpark.org/taste-of-winter-park.

Unity Heritage Festival. This year’s 18th annual celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day promotes family history while raising funds for programs assisting economically disadvantaged youth. The event takes place on January 19 and 20 in Hannibal Square’s Shady Park, and features live music, concessions and various activities. Admission is free. 721 West New England Avenue, Winter Park. 407-599-3334. cityofwinterpark.org.

Weekend of the Arts. This annual event, first organized in 2018 by the City of Winter Park’s Public Art Advisory Board and its Arts & Culture Subcommittee, draws upon the resources of more than 20 local arts and cultural organizations to present four days of free, live performances and special exhibitions around the city from Friday through Monday, February 14 through 17. 407-599-3428. cityofwinterpark.org/visitors/arts-culture.

Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival. Among the oldest, largest and most prestigious juried outdoor art festivals in the U.S., the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival celebrates its 61st year on March 20 through 22. The festival, which features more than 200 artists selected from more than 1,000 applicants, draws more than 300,000 visitors to Central Park on Park Avenue downtown. Participating artists compete for dozens of awards with tens of thousands of dollars in prize money at stake. In addition to works in a variety of media — painting, sculpture, photography, graphics, fiber, leather, wood, glass and jewelry — there are kid-friendly activities in the Children’s Workshop Village and an exhibition of student art from Orange County public and private schools. There are also dozens of food and drink concessions and live entertainment. Festival hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. wpsaf.org.

Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities. This popular, weeklong series of events and exhibitions, now in its 31st year, takes place mostly in Eatonville, where the namesake author and folklorist spent much of her childhood. But there are also events in neighboring Winter Park, Maitland and Orlando. Running January 25 to February 2, the festival includes companion exhibitions at the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts in Eatonville and the Art & History Museums – Maitland, conferences and programs at Rollins College and Orange Technical College in south Orlando, and several other events — all leading to the Outdoor Festival of the Arts, a three-day street party in the heart of Eatonville. Many events are free and open to the public. Zora Neale Hurston National Museum, 227 East Kennedy Boulevard, Eatonville. 407-647-3188. zorafestival.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 military (with ID); and $9.50 for Enzian Film Society members. Children under age 12 are admitted free to Peanut Butter Matinee Family Films, shown 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). The next scheduled FilmSlam, which spotlights Florida-made short films and is held the second Sunday of alternating months, is January 19 at 1 p.m. A full schedule of titles and showtimes is available online. 1300 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. The four-part Winter Series, Architectural Stories, highlights important architectural structures from around the world. It kicks off January 31 with The Lost Libraries of Timbuktu, a documentary revealing the city’s hidden legacy of hundreds of thousands of ancient manuscripts. On February 7 and February 14 is The Old Summer Palace, detailing the history of Yuanming Yuan — widely perceived as the height of Chinese garden and palace design. February 21 features Albert Kahn, Architect of Modern Times, about the man whose industrial architecture influenced the Bauhaus movement and the 20th-century urban landscape. The series concludes February 28 with Gray Matters: Architect & Designer Eileen Gray, which explores Gray’s long, fascinating life and how her uncompromising vision defined (and defied) modernism. 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 held on the second Thursday of each month and start at 7 or 8 p.m. Check online for upcoming titles — and don’t forget to pack a picnic and blankets or chairs. 407-629-1088. enzian.org.

Screen on the Green. The City of Maitland offers free outdoor movies each fall and spring on the field at Maitland Middle School. Bring a snack plus a blanket or chairs. 1901 Choctaw Trail, Maitland. 407-539-0042. itsmymaitland.org.

HISTORY

Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum. 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. Also, live music is featured in the large downstairs parlor most Sundays from noon to 3 p.m. (see “Music”). 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 anti-Semitism, racism and prejudice, with the goal of developing a moral and just community through educational and cultural programs. It houses permanent and temporary exhibitions, archives and a research library. The museum’s ongoing exhibition, Tribute to the Holocaust, is a presentation of artifacts, videos, text, photographs and other works of art. Admission to the center is free. 851 North Maitland Avenue, Maitland. 407-628-0555. holocaustedu.org.

Winter Park History Museum. Ongoing displays include artifacts dating from the city’s beginnings as a New England-style resort in the 1880s. Its current exhibition is Wish You Were Here: The Hotels & Motels of Winter Park, which will run through June 6. 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 featuring the works of African-American artists and is an integral part of the annual, weeklong Zora! Festival each January. (See “Celebrations & Festivals.”) Admission is free, though group tours require a reservation and are charged a fee. 227 East Kennedy Boulevard, Eatonville. 407-647-3188. zoranealehurstonmuseum.com.

HOLIDAYS

Martin Luther King Jr. Parade. Eatonville, arguably the oldest incorporated African-American municipality in the U.S., begins its 43rd annual parade on January 19 at 2 p.m. along Kennedy Boulevard, just east of Wymore Road and Interstate 4. 407-623-8900. townofeatonville.org.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Central Florida’s only St. Patrick’s Day parade is always held the first Sunday in March. This year the annual parade — now in its 42nd year — is slated for March 1 at 2 p.m., with more than 75 marching units starting by the Winter Park Country Club and heading south along Park Avenue through the city’s signature shopping district to Lyman Avenue. 407-599-3334. cityofwinterpark.org.

LECTURES

Gladdening Light Symposium. Wild Surrender: Inter-Spirituality in a Time of Trial is the theme of this annual event, organized by GladdeningLight, a Winter Park-based nonprofit that explores the intersection of art and spirituality. This year’s featured speakers are Rabbi Rami Shapiro and mystic Mirabai Starr. The three-day event, beginning February 7 at a half-dozen venues on the Rollins College campus, also includes author Barbara Brown Taylor, Grammy-winning cellist Eugene Friesen and Irish spiritual singers Owen and Moley Ó Súilleabháin. Tickets range from $30 (for the opening reception February 6) to $220 (for an all-access pass that includes every event). 407-647-3963. gladdeninglight.org.

Morse Museum Wednesday Lecture Series. The Morse 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. This season’s offerings include: Stories from the Archives: Louis Comfort Tiffany and His Studios by Jennifer Perry Thalheimer, the museum’s curator and collection manager (January 22); Jewelry for America by Beth Carver Wees, curator of decorative American arts, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (February 19); Art Nouveau in the United States by Richard Guy Wilson, chair of the architectural history department, University of Virginia (March 11); and Artist, Inventor, Activist: Laura Anne Fry and the American Art Pottery Movement by Laura F. Fry, senior curator of art, Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, Oklahoma (April 1). All lectures are at 2:30 p.m. in the Jeannette G. and Hugh F. McKean Pavilion, located behind the museum. Admission is free. 161 West Canton Avenue. 407-645-5311. morsemuseum.org.

Winter Park Institute at Rollins College. Each year, the institute presents lectures, readings and seminars by thought leaders in an array of disciplines. The second half of the 2019-20 season features Jeffrey Brown, PBS News Hour’s chief correspondent for arts, culture and society, whose topic will be “On the Value of Arts and Culture in a Global Community” (February 18, 7 p.m. in Tiedtke Concert Hall); Billy Collins, former two-term U.S. poet laureate, whose topic will be “Poetry and Music: Aspiring to the Condition of the Other” (March 4, 7 p.m. in Tiedtke Concert Hall); and Laura Ling, journalist and documentarian (April 7, 7 p.m. in the Bush Science Center’s Bush Auditorium). Tickets for all lectures are $25. 407-646-2145. rollins.edu/wpi.

Winter with the Writers. Sponsored by the Rollins College Department of English and open to the public, this annual series dates to 1927, when it featured such luminaries as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Ogden Nash and Carl Sandburg. This year’s series opens on February 13 with a master class workshop and reading by Kristen Arnett (a Winter Park High School and Rollins graduate), author of the memoir Mostly Dead Things, a New York Times bestseller. Next up on February 20 is a master class workshop and reading by Jamaican-born poet and playwright Claudia Rankine, a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship “genius grant.” Both workshops are held at 4 p.m. in the college’s SunTrust Auditorium; the readings are at 7:30 p.m. in the Bush Science Center’s Bush Auditorium. The series concludes on February 27 with a special presentation by the National Book Foundation featuring two National Book Award finalists: novelist Kali Fajardo-Anstine (Sabrina & Corina) and poet Ilya Kaminsky (Deaf Republic), who will host workshops at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively, in SunTrust Auditorium. At 5 p.m. in the Galloway Room, the foundation’s executive director, Linda Lucas, will hold a discussion on the state of the art of literature. Finally, Fajardo-Anstine and Kaminsky will present a joint reading at 7:30 p.m. in the Bush Science Center’s Bush Auditorium. 407-646-2666. rollins.edu/winter-with-the-writers.

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.) Check the club’s website for the next lecture or special event. 841 North Park Avenue. 407-644-6149. uclubwp.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. at the old railroad depot, which also houses the Winter Park History Museum. The open-air market 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.

MUSIC

Bach Festival. The Bach Festival Society of Winter Park celebrates its 85th season with another jam-packed series of concerts beginning February 15 and concluding March 1. (See page 106 for more information.) Most performances are in Knowles Memorial Chapel on the Rollins College campus. Tickets range in price from free to $79 each, depending upon the performance and the seating. 407-646-2182. bachfestivalflorida.org.

Bach Festival Society Insights & Sounds Series. On January 23, members of the Bach Festival Choir and Orchestra, under the direction of John V. Sinclair, perform The Greatest Composers (You’ve Never Heard Of) — a collection of pieces by accomplished composers whose works have somehow fallen into obscurity. The Insights & Sounds concerts, held at 7:30 p.m., combine surprising music with discussion of the works being performed; the programs are designed both for connoisseurs and classical music novices. Tickets range in price from $20 to $45. Tiedtke Concert Hall, Rollins College campus, Winter Park. 407-646-2182. bachfestivalflorida.org.

Bach Festival Society Visiting Artist Series. The society hosts classical guitarist Paul Galbraith (January 26, 3 p.m.); an a cappella performance by the Quink Vocal Ensemble (February 25, 7:30 p.m.); and the internationally renowned Díaz Trio (March 29 at 3 p.m.). Tickets range in price from $25 to $69. Tiedtke Concert Hall, Rollins College campus, Winter Park. 407-646-2182. bachfestivalflorida.org.

Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts. This eclectic venue is part concert hall, part recording studio and part art gallery. It offers live performances most evenings, with an emphasis on jazz, classical and world music — although theater, dance and spoken-word presentations are sometimes on the schedule. Just a few of the upcoming performers include Grammy-winning folk music singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale (January 23, 8 p.m.); the Orlando Jazz Orchestra (February 13, 8 p.m.); and the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Maitland (March 18, 8 p.m.). Admission generally ranges from free to $25. 1905 Kentucky Avenue, Winter Park. 407-636-9951. bluebambooartcenter.com.

Central Florida Folk. This Winter Park-based not-for-profit is dedicated to promoting and preserving live folk music, primarily through concerts usually held on the last Sunday of each month (unless a holiday intervenes). The group’s primary venue is the Winter Park Public Library, 460 East New England Avenue, Winter Park. Upcoming acts include Celtic and medieval world music performers Four Shillings Short (January 26), singer-songwriter C. Daniel Boling (February 23) and folk-rock veteran John Batdorf (March 22). Performances start at 2 p.m. A donation of $15 for nonmembers is suggested. 407-679-6426. cffolk.org.

Music at the Casa. The Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum presents acoustic performances most Sunday afternoons from noon to 3 p.m. in the museum’s cozy main parlor. Past selections include opera, jazz guitar and flamenco dancers. A $5 donation is suggested. 656 North Park Avenue (adjacent to the Winter Park Golf Course), Winter Park. 407-628-8200. casafeliz.us.

Performing Arts of Maitland. This not-for-profit group works with the City of Maitland and other 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 and the Baroque Chamber Orchestra. A full schedule of dates is available online. 407-339-5984, ext. 219. pamaitland.org. 

Yonetani Concert. The Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens’ annual chamber concert, now in its 13th year, features internationally acclaimed violin/viola soloist Ayako Yonetani. This year’s performance, with a variety of guest instrumentalists, is on March 15 at 2 p.m. in the Capen-Showalter House on the museum’s grounds. Yonetani, who holds three degrees from the Juilliard School, is a professor of violin/viola at the University of Central Florida, travels the world as a guest soloist and is a member of Japan’s premier chamber ensemble. The Polasek concert, with seating limited to 45 people, is followed by a private reception. Ticket information was not available at press time. 633 Osceola Avenue. 407-647-6294. polasek.org.

GARDENING

Winter Park Garden Club. The club’s general membership meetings always offer something intriguing for lovers of gardening and the great outdoors, and are held on the second Wednesday of each month, September through May, at 10 a.m. The January 15 meeting will feature a presentation by Todd Weaver entitled “The Ecology and Economy of Bees.” 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 additional information about the club, which was founded in 1922, and upcoming programs, call 407-644-5770 or email winterparkgardenclub5@gmail.com.

WRITING

Florida Writers Association. The Orlando/Winter Park-Area Chapter meets the first Wednesday of each month from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for guest speakers and discussions organized by author Rik Feeney. Upcoming events are slated for January 1, February 5 and March 4 at the University Club of Winter Park, 841 North Park Avenue, Winter Park. Another chapter, the Maitland Writers Group, meets the second Thursday of each month from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for speakers and discussions organized by author Nylda Dieppa-Aldarondo. Upcoming events are slated for January 9, February 13 and March 12 at the Maitland Public Library, 501 South Maitland Avenue, Maitland. floridawriters.net.

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 slated for January 7, February 4 and March 3. Meetings are hosted by professional storyteller Madeline Pots. 460 East New England Avenue, Winter Park. 321-439-6020,
madeline@madelinelpots.com, wppl.org.

Wednesday Open Words. One of the area’s longest-running open-mic poetry nights happens every Wednesday at 9 p.m. at Austin’s Coffee, 929 West Fairbanks Avenue, Winter Park. 407-975-3364. austinscoffee.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 the second Wednesday of most months at 7 p.m. at Stardust Video & Coffee (1842 Winter Park Road, Winter Park). It’s for authors, poets, filmmakers, comedians, musicians, bloggers and others. Upcoming meet-ups include January 8, February 12 and March 11. Orlando WordLab, a workshop that challenges writers to experiment with new techniques or methods, meets the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Winter Park Public Library (460 East New England Avenue, Winter Park) starting at 7 p.m.; upcoming dates include January 22, February 26 and March 25. stardustvideoandcoffee.wordpress.com, wppl.org, meetup.com/writers-of-central-florida-or-thereabouts.

RACES

Park Avenue 5K. The fourth race in the Track Shack Running Series, slated for January 18, starts and finishes on Park Avenue. In between, it winds its way for 3.1 miles through beautiful neighborhoods surrounding downtown Winter Park. The 5K race starts at 7:30 a.m., while the Kids’ Run starts at 8:45 a.m. Runners and spectators are advised to arrive early, because race-related road closures snarl traffic near Central Park. Registration is $33 through January 4, $38-$45 after that. 407-896-1160. trackshack.com.

Run 4 Love 4 Mile. This February 15 run is for those in love with running or walking — or perhaps with one another. The 4-mile run or walk starts at 7:30 a.m., followed by a Kids’ Run at 9 a.m., a costume contest and awards presentations. Registration for this, the fifth race in the Track Shack Running Series, is $33 through February 1, $38-$45 after that date. Showalter East Field, 250 Perth Lane, Winter Park. trackshack.com.

43rd Winter Park Road Race. This March 7 event, the final race of the annual Track Shack Running Series, includes a 10K (6.2-mile) race at 7:30 a.m., as well as a 2-mile race at 7 a.m. and a Kids’ Run at 9:15 a.m. Registration for the 10K is $40 through March 9, $45-$50 after that. Central Park, 251 South Park Avenue, Winter Park. trackshack.com.

BUSINESS

Good Morning Winter Park. Hosted by the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, these monthly gatherings attract business- and civic-minded locals who enjoy coffee and conversation about community issues. Scheduled for the second Friday of most months, upcoming dates include January 10, February 7 and March 6. Networking begins at 8 a.m. followed by a 45-minute program at 8:30 a.m. Admission, which includes a complimentary continental breakfast, is free. Winter Park Welcome Center, 151 West Lyman Avenue, Winter Park. 407-644-8281. winterpark.org/good-morning-winter-park.

Winter Park Professional Women. Hosted by the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, these gatherings — 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 revolve around leadership development, business growth and local initiatives of special interest to women. Upcoming dates include January 13, February 3 and March 2. Tickets, which include lunch, are $25 for chamber members and $50 for nonmembers. Reservations are required. Winter Park Welcome Center, 151 West Lyman Avenue, Winter Park. 407-644-8281. winterpark.org/winter-park-professional-women.

CAUSES

9th Annual Chili for Charity. The Rotary Club of Winter Park’s chili cook-off, which sparks the creativity of top local caterers and restaurants, is slated for February 26 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Winter Park Farmers’ Market. Participants in the fundraiser compete for awards and undergo the scrutiny of a select panel of judges. In addition to savory chili, there are drinks, a silent auction and live music. Net proceeds benefit the Rotary Club of Winter Park Foundation, which provides grants to more than 30 local charities. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. 200 West New England Avenue, Winter Park. chiliforcharity.org.

Keep Winter Park Beautiful. Volunteers who help the City of Winter Park collect litter around lakes Maitland, Knowles and Wilbar on February 1 receive breakfast, a T-shirt, a snack and water. Litter grabbers, safety vests, gloves and garbage bags are also provided. Kayakers and paddle boarders are welcome to participate; everyone is asked to bring a reusable water bottle. The 8 a.m. assembly point is 1365 Alabama Drive, Winter Park. 407-599-3364. cityofwinterpark.eventbrite.com.

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AN AUTHOR EXTRAVAGANZA AT TRINITY PREP

J.K. Rowling once said, “If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.” The right book — and the person who wrote it — might happen to be at Trinity Preparatory School’s Author Festival, slated for February 7.

Trinity Prep’s 5th annual Author Festival is a free, communitywide book and author event, open to the public and hosted by the school.

This year, about 30 authors — including several of whom have written New York Times bestsellers — will be on hand to sign books, lead discussion panels and chat with young readers and aspiring writers.

One of the headliners, Brigid Kemmerer’s, is best-known in young-adult circles for her books A Curse So Dark and Lonely, More Than We Can Tell and Letters to the Lost (Bloomsbury) as well as paranormal novellas in The Elemental Series. Kemmerer’s fans — who call themselves Cursebreakers — have been snapping up her new release, A Heart So Fierce and Broken.

 Also on hand will be Dhonielle Clayton, author of the Belles Series, which includes The Belles and The Everlasting Rose (Disney Books), and Cheyanne Young, author of The Last Wish of Sasha Cade (Kids Can Press). Clayton’s 2016 book Tiny Pretty Things is being adapted for television by Netflix. Young’s most recent book has also been optioned for television or film.

Past Sunshine State Young Reader Author Award-winners are also slated, included James Ponti (the Florian Bates mysteries and the Dead City Trilogy); Taryn Souders (How to (Almost) Ruin Your Summer); and Sherri Winston (Jayda Sly, Artist and Spy); 

What makes the Author Festival especially exciting, say organizers, is student involvement. Students helped plan the event and will lead all the author panels. 

“I’m very excited for Author Fest because so many Trinity students get the opportunity to meet their favorite authors and talk to them,” says freshman Leah Keefe. “I think it’s so cool that we get to experience interactions with these authors that we probably wouldn’t get at any other school.”

The event — the largest school-based author gathering in the region — takes place in the Rich Library on the school’s Winter Park campus from 3 to 6 p.m. Last year, more than 450 people attended. And with more authors participating this year, turnout is expected to be even higher.

Visit tpsreads.org for more information.

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A MAGIC WEEKEND FOR HELPING KIDS IN NEED

Orlando’s own NBA team will host the Orlando Wine Festival and Auction on March 13 through 15 to benefit the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation. The event, held at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Lakes, debuted last year and is poised to become the premier fundraising event for the children of Central Florida.

The weekend-long festival features exclusive vintner dinners with top chefs. The headliner will be Michael Symon, an Iron Chef on the Food Network, host of Burgers, Brew & ’Que on the Cooking Channel and formerly co-host of ABC’s The Chew.

Several Winter Park-based chefs will also participate, including James and Julie Petrakis (The Ravenous Pig) and Jamie McFadden (Cuisiniers). Others were being confirmed at press time. There’ll also be a wine festival and auction, with the weekend culminating when the Magic take on the Charlotte Hornets at the Amway Center.

Each year, the team raises more than $2 million for charitable causes through sponsorships of events, donated tickets, autographed merchandise and grants. 

But the heart of the team’s philanthropy is embodied by the foundation, which is committed to helping children realize their full potential, by supporting nonprofit organizations offering youth-based programs in the areas of education, homelessness, the arts and health programs focused on preventing childhood obesity.

Over the past 30 years, the foundation has raised and distributed more than $24 million to these worthy causes. Perk-packed packages range in price from $2,500 to $9,250. Visit wineauctionorlando.com for more information.

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IT’S TIME AGAIN FOR THE ANNUAL BACH BLOWOUT

The Bach Festival Society of Winter Park stages the oldest continuously running Bach Festival in the nation. It began at Rollins College, on a Sunday in 1935, with a performance to commemorate the 250th birthday of the revered German master.

From that auspicious beginning, the Bach Festival has grown to a three-week extravaganza of concerts, lectures and events offered annually in February and March.

The society, which features a permanent orchestra and a 160-voice choir, also offers an eclectic, year-round schedule that includes choral and orchestral performances highlighted by world-renowned guest artists. 

The artistic director is John V. Sinclair, who is also chair of the department of music at Rollins. Bach Festival-related events have been underway all year — but coming in February is the annual event. For more information visit bachfestivalflorida.org.

85TH ANNUAL BACH FESTIVAL

Stefan Kiessling, organ: Friday, February 7, 7:30 p.m.

Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem and Dvorak’s Symphony from the New World: Friday, February 21, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, February 22, 3 p.m.

Concertos by Candlelight: All Beethoven: Friday, February 21, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, February 22, 7:30 p.m.

Spiritual Spaces: Reflect, Restore and Revive: Sunday, February 23, 4 and 6 p.m.

Quink Vocal Ensemble: Tuesday, February 25, 7:30 p.m.

Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle: Saturday, February 29, 7:30 p.m.

J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor: Sunday, March 1, 3 p.m.